Off Season Shenanigans

No Football?  No Problem!  Big Orange Tailgating has a few events coming up and boy are we excited to be cooking again!  Friday June 5th will kick off our off season shenanigans with the Rocky Top Open Bonspiel.  The South's Premier Curling Tournament and we will be providing the food and outdoor entertainment for the day.  Visit http://www.curlknoxville.com/rocky-top-open-bonspiel.html for more details.

Then on Saturday June 13th we will once again be competing in the Tennessee State Championship Big Kahuna Wing Festival going up against over 40 teams for the big title of Wing Man.  Visit http://www.bkwfestival.com/ for more information.   Come out to both events and eat, drink and cheer on the Big Orange Tailgating crew!

It's Over?!?!? Really???

It always seems so strange how the time melts away and we come to the end of Tailgate season once again.  Completing our 17 season and looking forward to the 18th season I can't help but to be brainstorming on what we can do bigger and better for the opening game of 2015.

We made some new friends this season and strengthened relationships with our fellow Tailgaters.  Can't wait to get back at it.

Stay tuned for updates, you never know where Big Orange Tailgating will pop up.

Go Big Orange and kick the Sh#* out of Vandy!

Flying Through Another Season

My oh my how the season flies.  Coming off the heels of the most successful MeatGate to date, I can't help to look back on the progression of MeatFest and MeatGate and appreciate all the lessons I have taken from the Hoggy Tonk Grilling Team.  To this point, any collaborative effort between BOT and HTGT has become an epic event.  I look forward to more of these ventures in the future.  A huge thanks to my good friends Brian Tidwell, Gavin Wiggington, Jeff Leugen, Cory Sloane and Mark Corum for making MeatGate such a blast and full of some incredible eats.  We'll see everyone at the Mizzou game.  Go Big Orange, we going chicken huntin'!

Tailgating for a Cause

Like a beautiful light at the end of the tunnel, football season is upon us.  Today is both a day of anticipation with Tailgating approaching and also great great sadness as we have learned that a very good friend of Big Orange Tailgating has passed away from ALS.  Mr. Steve Ogle was a life long friend.  We played ball together, wrestled in high school together and Steve always had a way of looking out for me.  He was a Brother to me when he didn't have to be and often when it wasn't easy to be.  He was a man of great character, a leader, a natural athlete, a Marine and a friend.  He will be sorely missed.

We were going to do a twist on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to raise money in his honor on Sunday and now we have a renewed purpose.  Here is the plan;  for a $10 donation, you don't get the bucket over your head but you get to dump the bucket over MY head or the head of my Sister, Shelli.  Our goal is 50 buckets, but I think we can do much more than that.  We'll be looking for help to make this as successful as possible to help strike down ALS.  On top of the ice bucket, you will also receive either an exclusive Big Orange Tailgating koozie or decal.  100% of the donations will go to ALS research in Steve's name.

Please come out and Tailgate with us and bring an extra 10 spot.  I expect to have pneumonia on Monday and that would be just fine with me.

Godspeed, Steve.  Look out after us up there.

Dusty