Rams
Serve-up Seahawks!
at least during the Tailgating Taste-off...
The lots surrounding the Edward Jones Dome were cold and dark and mostly empty when we pulled up in the Tailgating Tour Coach and started to set-up. But before long, die-hards (including a sizable showing from the group called the Midwest Seahawkers!) started unfolding their chairs and lighting up the grills (which were mostly all charcoal!)
To get the blood flowing, Rams fans seemed to prefer a nice Bloody Mary, so we made the rounds of the lot looking for the best (it's a tough job, but...) One tailgater was so proud of his drink that he entered the recipe in the Tailgating Taste-off.
We found omelettes and bacon, crablegs and a southern shrimp boil, lots of kebobs and even a few burgers. But the funny thing was, after weeks of ribs dominating our Taste-offs, here in the city that has a style of ribs named after it-- not one rack! We had our biggest field of entries to date (17 recipes) and not-a-one for the famed "St. Louis ribs". Go figure.
We did find some very cool Rams gear, though, including serving platters and bowls, helmeted grills, a crockpot and a feathered drink cozy. We're not sure if it's supposed to keep your drink cold or make it look HOT!
When it was time for the Taste-off, we recruited a panel of impartial, expert judges (some nice folks who were standing nearby looking hungry) and they went to work. It was a big job, tasting all those entries and trying to agree on just one winner, but Heather, Bud and Jeff were committed to the task.
With a creative title, amusing pitch, impressive presentation and deliciously original recipe, Tim Duffy was named the unanimous winner with his entry, Seahawk Surprise. A pork tenderloin stuffed with Seahawk (chicken) and shrimp, it was, as Tim put it, "in keeping with the time-honored tradition of eating your opponent."
Unfortunately, the Rams didn't follow suit, and Team Blacktop suffered it's first loss of the season. (At least it was a loss to the Hawks!)
We must point out, too, that this game (the first, including college games, which our "home team" did not win) was also the first game we did not attend.
Generous fellow tailgaters have given us tickets to every game, but this weekend we couldn't stay. Coincidence? We're not sure. But it might be something Detroit fans want to ponder!
Friends of the Tour !
Even after having partied into the wee hours at their annual banquet the night before, 120 members of the Midwest Seahawkers showed up Sunday to cheer their team on to victory. With music, raffles, and a portable bar trailer these fans were ready to party!
XTREME fans!
The sun hadn't even begun to peek up over the top of the famous St. Louis Arch, and the only movement on most of the downtown streets was the steam drifting up out of the vents in the street and hovering in the cold, dark morning.
Still, we found these Xtreme tailgaters (at 5:30am) setting up for their party , which draws a huge crowd every game and has won them the honor of being named St. Louis' #1 Tailgaters for the last five years!
We stopped by to give the boys some prizes for being the first tailgaters we spotted, and to snap this quick pic for the website.
OnTheBlacktop.com 
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