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You are here: Home / Archives for Tailgating

An open letter to the PNE and the BC Lions

September 12, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

Dear PNE and the BC Lions Football Club,

We started off with a blip and ended with a bang and as avid tailgaters we are here to say thank you.

After our rocky start, you stepped up to the plate and gave football fans in Vancouver the best tailgating experience this city has ever seen. There have been large tailgate parties in the city before. But nothing compared to what you provided for us. It was real, it was encouraged and it was awesome.

You proved beyond a doubt that tailgating is not an evil activity. You proved that with the foresight to provide garbage cans and washrooms and a few non-meddling authorities to watch over the proceedings that tailgating is an activity that just adds to the game day experience of fans, and boy did Lions fans have it good for the last year and a half.

Great steaks, prime ribs, homemade burgers, crepes, French toast, cedar plank salmon and other delicious meals were created in Lot 9. Footballs were thrown around, new friends were made and the BC Lions game experience rivaled that of our friends in Calgary, where the standard for this pastime has been set in the CFL.

The tailgaters in your lot were mostly season ticket holders, many who have never tailgated before. They are now wondering why they never did this before, and where they will do it when the games move downtown. They may be in for a shock.

We’re hopeful that those involved will make something happen downtown. It can only fill the parking lots, and create new fans if it’s done the way you showed them how to do it.

To the BC Lions we thank you as well. We know that both the PNE and the club worked together to make this happen for the fans. We hope you can work with your new partners to make sure this great football tradition doesn’t disappear in Vancouver. Your fans are now hooked.

Lastly to all the fans that came out and joined the tailgate experience thank you as well. You picked up your garbage. You respected the lot and your fellow tailgaters and you showed all the parties involved how great this can be.

We’re all members of the Tailgate Empire and it was a great ride!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Signed,

Tailgate Empire

We invite you to share your memories of the great tailgates at Empire Field, we would love to hear them.

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, Tailgate Empire, Tailgating Tagged With: BC Lions, CFL, Empire Field, PNE, Tailgate Empire, Tailgate Party, Tailgating

Tailgate Empire brings the “A” game for a prime performance at Empire Field.

July 31, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

There comes a time in every man’s life when he looks in the mirror and decides that nothing less than his “A” game will do. For the Tailgate Empire that day was last Friday at Empire Field. Members of the Tailgate Empire put their pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else, but on this particular Friday afternoon something was different. Something smelled different and we were counting on something tasting different.

The football club was 0-3, but that would not damper our spirits. There was no running game to be found in Jacques Chapdelaine’s play book, but the Tailgate Empire were prepared to run through a wall. Travis Lulay’s squad were a pass happy bunch, but the Tailgate Empire were happy to merely pass the mustard. The football club was struggling, but the tailgater’s were in mid-season form.

A tailgate menu is not unlike a coach’s game plan. We usually start preparing for the next game right after the last game has ended. It takes careful planning and preparation, and it will only be a success with proper execution. The menu this week was the best it has ever been. A slow cooked rotisserie Prime Rib, some Candied Yam, and a Garlic Lovers Caesar Salad. This was definitely an “Adult” tailgater. Well planned out and brilliantly executed.

We had to bring a full size BBQ down to Empire in order rotisserie the Prime Rib. It is a little bit more work, but a small price to pay for the epic meal that was in store for us. We started with getting our smoke box loaded up with Mesquite chips. We placed the smoke box close to the flames. We found a nice central spot on the roast to run the spit through so that it spins evenly. Once that was done we salted the fat by hand with a generous portion of table salt, and then rubbed the entire roast with Montreal Steak Spice. The roast is now ready for flame. We had a three burner BBQ, so we place the roast over the middle burner and we lit the two outside burners so as to cook the roast with indirect heat. This will ensure that we cook the inside of the roast without burning the outside.

Slow cooked goodness! Photo: BCLionsDen.ca

We roasted it on medium for about 2 ½ to 3 hours checking occasionally. It is always best to use a meat thermometer. We wanted an internal temperature of 140-150 degrees for a nice medium to medium well Prime Rib. We usually like medium rare, but in this case we like to see the marbling in a Prime Rib cook thoroughly and inject more flavor into the meat. We pulled the roast off of the grill and tented it in foil to rest for about 10 minutes before we carved it up.

The Candied Yams are a favorite of ours from way back. They are easy to do and quite enjoyable. First, peel your yam and slice them into silver dollar sized pieces. Next, position the yam pieces into a domino like row on a sheet of foil with one yam piece leaning on the next. Drizzle some honey over the yams and sprinkle some brown sugar as well. Add a dollop of butter and wrap into a foil pack. Cook on the grill with indirect heat for about 15-20 minutes and they’re ready to serve.

Candied Yams, ready for the grill! Photo: BCLionsDen.ca

We will spare you on the details of cutting lettuce, but we will hook you up with the only Caesar dressing recipe you’ll ever need. 3-4 cloves of garlic minced added to one egg in a tall container. Add ½ cup of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of olive oil while blending with a hand mixer. Once we’re all mixed in then we can fold in with a fork a dash of pepper, ½ tsp of mustard powder, tsp vinegar, tsp of lemon juice, tsp of Worcestershire sauce and ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese. Add this dressing to some romaine lettuce and croutons and your have the only Caesar you’ll ever need!

We definitely brought our “A” game this time out. It was some of the best Prime Rib we’ve ever had. The best part is that we pulled this gourmet beauty off in a parking lot and then headed in to Empire Field to see another entertaining football game. Check back next week as the Roughriders are in town and Cedar Plank Salmon is on the menu. Only three games left at Empire!

The finished plate! A prime rib dinner for a Lion! Photo: TailgateEmpire

Related: For more photos from last Friday’s tailgate party, check out the gallery!

Follow the BCLionsDen.ca Tailgate Empire on Twitter @TailgateEmpire

Filed Under: Featured, Tailgate Empire, Tailgating Tagged With: BBQ, Candied Yams, Ceasar Salad, Empire Field, Prime Rib, Tailgate Empire, Tailgate Party

Tailgate Empire: Photos from the July 22nd Tailgate at Empire Field

July 25, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

The Lions may have lost the game but once again the tailgate party was a winner! Tailgate Empire kicked it up a notch with some outstanding food. Take a look at some of the fun in this photo slideshow!

Filed Under: Photo Galleries, Tailgate Empire, Tailgating Tagged With: BC Lions, BCLionsDen.ca, Photos, Tailgate Empire, Tailgate Party

Join the Tailgate Empire! Buy a shirt, support CFL Fans Fight Cancer!

March 24, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

We want you to be part of the BCLionsDen.ca “Tailgate Empire”.

As s souvenir for the great tailgate parties we’ve enjoyed and will enjoy this season at Empire Field, we’ve created a t-shirt to remember them with and to raise a little money through CFL Fans Fight Cancer for a local cancer charity.

Fellow tailgater Nick Herger came up with the slogan “Tailgate Empire” and I designed a shirt around it. Lions centre Angus Reid is on board and will produce the shirts via his silk screening company. The shirts will be $20.00, which is $5.00 above cost. 100% of that $5.00 will go into the CFLFFC fund. the image that will appear on the shirt is below.

We have men’s youth and women’s cut shirts available!

BCLionsDen.ca Tailgate Empire T-shirt

If you would like to join the “Tailgate Empire” and support this cause, simply leave a comment below and indicate what shirt size you would like and we’ll be in touch. To date we are approaching 30 requests for shirts so let’s grow the empire and donate some money to kick cancer’s butt all over the field!

Filed Under: CFL Fan Fight Cancer, Featured, News, Tailgating Tagged With: Angus Reid, BC Lions, BCLionsDen.ca, CFL Fans Fight Cancer, Tailgates

And the gate goes on. PNE and the Lions satisfy football fans.

June 21, 2010 By Brian Wawryshyn

Readers of this blog will recall that Sunday was going to be a special day. It was the first fathers day without my dad, and I wanted to do a nice tribute to him by cooking his French Toast at the tailgate party on the site where he took me to my first professional sporting event.

I never got to do that because of the tailgate issues, and along with some of the food I had purchased, the idea went to waste.

I have to admit, that last night I was pretty down. What should have been a great day filled with great memories had a real damper put on it, and I wondered if I would ever bother to tailgate again. I didn’t blog last night because I wanted to do so of clear mind and I wanted to see what today would bring.

I have to say, I’m thrilled with what has transpired today.

I did a lot of media requests today. Global TV, The Bill Good Show, The Sun, The Province and 24 HOURS. I received a nice call from the BC Lions and was informed that President Dennis Skulsky personally spoke to the PNE. Then late this afternoon, I got the call from the same media outlets that claimed the PNE was going to allow the tailgates to proceed.

Our group has always been respectful, and tried to do things the proper way. We prove ourselves by our actions, and back up our promises. It’s the reason why we already have an open invitation to return to the lot given to us last season.

There are many people to thank here:

  • First to our regular group, that took yesterday’s news in stride. No one lost control, no one was disrespectful, and I think that was probably relayed in the discussion that took place today.
  • Then there was the media. Starting with Global’s Ted Field and ending with CKNW’s Jim Mullin. These two really got the ball rolling for us in the last 24 hours, Jim especially. Jim has been a regular visitor to the tailgates for years, and his football knowledge and experiences proved to be a valuable tool for our cause.
  • The BC Lions for quickly addressing the issue, and trying to work on our behalf. Arlene Stewart-Irvine took the time to personally call me and that was a nice gesture.
  • To the PNE for letting common sense prevail. I promise our group will not disappoint you, AND we will ensure people new to tailgating are educated on the culture.

If you’re new to tailgating, and are thinking of joining the fun there is a basic code you need to follow to ensure you and others around you have a good time. Here is the one we live by and will be promoting in the lot.

So…it’s “gate” on for July 10th and time to get back to enjoying all of this again, in a beautiful new place to watch a game! Unfortunately all this talk about the price of parking and the tailgate situation detracted from what was a great first game at Empire Field. The Lions have done an outstanding job and I can’t wait for the next one!

See you there!

[tweetmeme]

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured, Tailgating Tagged With: BC Lions, CFL, Global TV, Jim Mullin, Tailgate Party, Vancouver Province, Vancouver Sun

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Brian Wawryshyn is 44 year BC Lions fan who extends his passion for the Leos and the Canadian Football League to the podcast world as host and producer of the BCLionsDen.ca Pawdcast.

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