From tailgates to hot dog showdowns: inside America’s wild sports culture

Australia is widely considered to be a nation of sports lovers. For enthusiasts, the USA is a gold-medal destination.

They struck me as a friendly bunch. Enjoying the dual pleasures of sundowners and música tropical, the group of orange-clad Texans were the last such gathering on my route towards the turnstiles of UFCU Disch–Falk Field in Austin, Texas.

Ticket in hand, I was about to experience American college baseball by way of the University of Texas Longhorns. A baseball tragic I may be, but I am also partial to a detour if there’s a cultural experience to be enjoyed. No sooner had I approached a trio of revellers to confirm whether they were, indeed, ‘tailgating’, I was offered a beer.

No sooner had I finished said beer, I was partaking – somewhat nervously – in a round of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky shots. It’s compulsory, I am told, at the conclusion of the national anthem. What is it they say about Texan hospitality?

Bevo, the Texas Longhorns mascot, keeping spirits high. (Credit: Hunter Long)

As I learnt outside the UFCU, this car park party takes place around the open tailgate in the stadium car park. It’s an inclusive space where die-hard fans happily mingle with bandwagon supporters. Guilty! The pre-game tailgating tradition means before there are winners, before there are losers, there is unified revelry as fans gather in an act of team loyalty and a celebration of community.

Live music forms part of the ‘tailgating’ party outside the UFCU stadium. (Credit: Hunter Long)

Meanwhile, looming large over my right shoulder is the famed arena, home to the Longhorns of the American football variety, where sellout crowds of 100,000-plus are standard and tailgating is super-sized. The venue is larger than any in Australia. In fact, by capacity (100,119), it is one of the biggest in the world. Let me remind you, this is ‘only’ college sport.

A level of sports fandom that rivals our own

The iconic Texas Longhorn Band. (Credit: Hunter Long)

College sport in America is a cultural phenomenon and a microcosm (if something this colossal can be given such a definition) of sport and sports fandom across the nation.

Some of the world’s most esteemed sporting events are held on American soil: the Super Bowl, World Series baseball, the Masters, the Kentucky Derby, the NBA Playoffs, the US Open (tennis and golf) among them.

While scoring a ticket to any of the above is a worthy feat, the pageantry and peculiarities to be found on the outskirts (literal and metaphorical) of such blue-ribbon events provide an incredible richness.

And mascot. (Credit: Hunter Long)

Expect outrageous food offerings at every sporting event

Bold Texas flavours. (Credit: Hunter Long)

Once you find yourself in the arena, seduced by the colour, the volume, the unbridled passion, take a moment to appreciate the menu. Yep, you’ll find your hot dogs, Cracker Jack popcorn and pretzels, just like Hollywood suggests. But you’ll also find a veritable smorgasbord of game-day eats that will either whet the appetite or pique your curiosity. Oftentimes both.

Many venues demonstrate a loyalty to local names and flavours – think Rocky Mountain Oysters at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, which are not oysters but fried bull testicles; Giordano’s authentic deep-dish pizza found at Chicago’s Wrigley Field; Chesapeake crab cakes at Nationals Park in Washington, DC.

Watch the Brooklyn Cyclones bat. (Credit: Jen Davis/NYC & Company)

At Daikin Park in Houston, home to the Houston Astros, I devour AstroNautchos, because I cannot go past a pun, but not before walking a lap of the venue to admire the selection. There are more than 50 permanent food and beverage locations here and another 60-plus portable concession stands.

Unfortunately, The Simpsons’ reference to the edible nacho sombrero (circa 1994) is a myth. A structural integrity issue, one suspects.

Even eating is a competitive sport in the USA

You might put competitive hot dog eating in the same category as a wide-brim hat made of corn chips, but you’d be wrong. Competitive hot dog eating – in fact, competitive eating of all types – is a very real thing in the United States and another, albeit left-of-centre, reason this is a destination to be devoured.

Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is… well, the most famous. Held in New York on Independence Day (4 July), the event attracts around 40,000 spectators each year, not to mention the million-plus viewers that tune in on ESPN. It is hosted by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (yes, really), which oversees more than 50 Major League Eating events across the nation each year. Catch the Ultimate Bologna Showdown in Knoxville, Tennessee; the USA Chicken Wing Eating Championship in Buffalo, New York State; or the World Pancake Eating Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia.

While you’re in Michigan, why not check out the Detroit Red Wings in the National Hockey League? In Indiana, the Fever eagerly awaits the return of injured Women’s National Basketball sensation Caitlin Clark – a once-in-a-generation talent you won’t want to miss.

When are you off to Texas? Because you’ve got to see the NCA All-Star National Cheerleading Championship in Dallas. Now you’re just a short drive from Fort Worth, where the world’s only year-round rodeo takes place every weekend. You’ve got to get a ticket. Yee-haw!

The sense of community is palpable

Join in the ‘tailgating’ at UFCU. (Credit: Hunter Long)

I did eventually take my purchased seat in the stands at UFCU Disch–Falk Field, but not until the seventh inning. The beauty of this particular tailgating experience was its position behind a wide-gap fence, with views of the game from deep, deep left field.

It turns out, the friendly faces I had approached earlier that evening go by the name Occupy Left Field.

Where big crowds gather. (Credit: Hunter Long)

Not just tailgaters, these Texans have expanded their social gatherings to become a social enterprise, engaging in non-profit work as the Occupy Left Field Foundation which supports University of Texas baseball players through name, image and likeness opportunities.

They are all ticketholders – one was even the pitcher’s mum – but they’re happy on the periphery, contributing to the atmosphere, and their community. What good sports.

Four stadiums you simply can’t miss

Yankee Stadium

Batter up! Arguably the world’s most famous sports venue, thanks to the success of its star tenant (the New York Yankees) and its prevalence in pop culture.

AT&T Stadium

Home to the Dallas Cowboys (football) and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, AT&T boasts the world’s largest dome structure and video board (49 x 22 metres).

Madison Square Garden

Both the New York Knicks (basketball) and the New York Rangers (hockey) play home games at this famed Midtown Manhattan venue.

Fenway Park

Boston’s iconic Fenway Park.

The oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, Boston’s Fenway Park is a testament to the USA’s ‘favourite pastime’.

Ticketing tips for first-timers

Source tickets to US sporting events through a trusted resale platform like StubHub. Never pay cash or buy tickets off social media, advises StubHub’s Joseph Bocanegra. Protect ticket security; don’t share barcodes on social media.

Save by buying during off-peak hours (prices peak immediately after tickets go on sale, as well as the couple of days leading into the event) and searching single tickets rather than groups.