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What is your go-to homegating necessity?

Game days at home can be a great call with the right tools and ingredients

Football - NFL - Seahawks vs. Bills Photo by Kellen Micah/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images
Matt Warren is Associate Director of NFL coverage for SB Nation and previously covered the Bills for Buffalo Rumblings for more than a decade.

What makes for a great home tailgating experience? We’ve written plenty of pieces on tailgating, but most of our readers don’t show up in the parking lot every weekend—and many Buffalo Bills fans don’t even live in the Western New York area. Instead they’re on their couch, sitting in their favorite chair, or pacing around their own living rooms (guilty as charged) cheering on the Bills.

With that in mind, what ingredients do you need for the perfect home tailgate, Bills Mafia? Hit up the comments section below.

Screens

How many screens do you use for the game and what sizes? Not a question for your typical tailgate but an important part of your homegating experience. I usually have at least three or four rolling between the game on the big screen, Buffalo Rumblings on one computer screen, TweetDeck on another, and the stats pulled up on my phone. That’s if I’m only watching the Bills that week! If I’m interested in another game, I have one TV screen I pull out for that, too.

Food

You can’t have a tailgate—at the stadium or at home—without food. What’s your go-to snack item and your go-to entrée? Pizza Logs or Buffalo Chicken Logs are always my preferred snack for the game (not a sponsor but, hey, give me a call) and then chili season is just around the corner for my main dish. I prefer French bread for the extra crust. Fixings make the meal and my chili likes sour cream, Cheddar cheese, onions, and a splash of hot sauce. I’m not usually a chicken wing guy during the games, just because I’m usually typing and need my hands clean. When I do, they come out of the air fryer into a sauce, with hot sauce, butter and some marshmallows to help coat the wings better. My kids love game day donuts, too—especially if the frosting is festive. Sometimes we make a day of it, get wings and donuts, and then come home before kickoff.

Drinks

Do you have a drink you’re always sporting on Sundays? I usually start the game with water or a Diet Coca-Cola and switch to some adult beverages at halftime. (Again, I have to do some typing here even when the game is on.) Especially for night games, I’ll pour a glass of bourbon during the postgame pressers to sort of ease into sleep time. It’s nice to be in the comfort of my own home, right near the fridge, liquor cabinet, and bathroom. That’s all part of the joys of homegating!

Decorations

The only decoration I do for a normal Bills game is the flag on the front of the house. Inside, it’s just what I’m wearing. We’re going for efficiency in this department. We stay muted. What’s the must-have decoration in your house?

Games & Activities

My kids haven’t really aged into the tailgating games like corn hole or ladder ball or Kan Jam—they’re definitely too young for beer pong or flip cup, but maybe you and your friends have a game-day competition or two. Share those below!

Personnel

My wife and kids generally drift in and out of the games at this point. I don't usually invite folks over, but when we do it gets loud. The games with my family present usually have more eyeballs, but the friends games usually have more food. Who do you invite as your homegating partners in crime?


My kids are at the impressionable age, so showing them that football is fun is my biggest key when they're in the room. The recent great play and excitement around the Bills has sure helped, and homegating has been a great way to share this weekly event.

Make sure to share your comments below.

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