reunion with good food and sports on the tv amping you up for the game, that's pretty cool.
I realized this at Georgia, that tailgating isn't about the game (what clued me in is that many of the tailgaters don't even have tickets!). It's about a family tradition and a big family reunion every Saturday. It's how the cousins hang out, how the brothers get together. For Mormons, this is often Sunday dinner at the grandparents' house. For the southern folks, it's the tailgating, but it's really the same thing. It's a time for families and friends to get together and eat.