45 Years of KC Chiefs Tailgates — Recipes, Stories & Secrets | Tailgating With Rod

In this episode of the Tailgate Connect podcast, host Luke Lorick sits down with Tailgating With Rod, the iconic tailgate aficionado who brings over 45 years of tailgating expertise to the table.  Rod shares his journey from his first tailgate at the Indy 500 to becoming a staple at Kansas City Chiefs games. Dive into Rod's world as he reveals his secret recipes for mouth-watering tailgate brats and innovative drink concoctions that promise to be the highlight of any pre-game gathering. With tales of traveling to various stadiums and the camaraderie of the tailgating community, this episode is a celebration of the spirit of tailgating. Whether you're a veteran tailgater or just getting started, Rod's insights and stories will inspire you to create unforgettable moments with friends and family. Tune in for a lively discussion that captures the essence of what it means to be a true tailgater.

Transcript

Luke 0:00

All right, welcome back to the Tailgate Connect podcast. I'm your host, Luke Lorick, with Tailgating Challenge. I love all things tailgating, and tonight we have someone else that loves tailgating just as much as I do. Tailgating with Rod is gonna be on our show this evening. He's gonna talk about his 40 plus years of tailgating and some very unique drink and food recipes that he brings to his tailgates that you're gonna wanna hear. Stay tuned.

Music 0:51

Got a story to tell.

Luke 0:55

All right, welcome back to the Tailgate Connect podcast. We are here with the man, the myth, the tailgating legend, tailgating with Rod. Rod, what's up? How you doing, sir? Hey Luke, good to see you. I'm glad to be here. Thanks for having me. For sure, for sure. So, for those that don't know you, Rod, I I know you from following you on social media. It's the first time we've ever had a I say face-to-face conversation over this podcast tonight. But tell us a little bit about what you do in the tailgating world.

Rod 1:27

Well, I've been tailgating for probably over 45 years. Some people call me the grandpa of tailgating. Um, but um more seriously, the Kansas City Chiefs over the last 30 years. Um, and um my daughter um kind of said, Dad, you've been doing this for so long. We tailgate baseball, anything we can find. Uh, we just like to have an excuse to have a party and have a little family and friend time. Um so I've been doing it for a long time. And she said, You ought to do um TikToks on on tailgate and give out tips and all that. And I said, uh, what's TikTok? Uh and so uh she convinced me this is about four years ago, and so we we started on our path. And you know, I think the thing of it is is met a lot of great people through this. I mean, tailgators are are awesome, no matter who your team is, and that's the thing. It's it's gotten a little bit crazy because there was a period where I never thought the Chiefs would even ever win a playoff game, you know. And here we go to seven straight AFC championships, and all of a sudden I now know what it feels like to be a New England Patriot fan during the Brady era.

Luke 2:41

Sure. No, no, that that's impressive. That's a long time tailgating. So I want to go back even further with you, Ride. What like what sparked your love of tailgating? Because obviously you're passionate about it. Tell me like where did that first start?

Rod 2:55

Well, it really started, and I'm gonna date myself here, but um, you know, we were a very sports-oriented family as I was growing up as a kid, and we lived in Indiana, but uh my dad took us in the 70s to the Indy 500, and I actually went to 23 Indianapolis 500s in a row, and that got me exposed to tailgating. But it it tailgating is more than that. To me, it's a state of life. I mean, you hear me talk about pool gating, backyard gating, driveway gating, and and really it's a chance for people to enjoy some great food, drinks, and and companionship and play some games, and then maybe there'll be a sporting event around it, which there usually is. And so, yeah, so I got hooked on it, and uh I have a very uh what I'll call uh energetic personality, and I love people and I uh love to have a good time.

Luke 3:57

Excellent. Well, we definitely share that in common, sir. So I I know obviously you've been doing tailgate now for a long time, and it sounds like Kansas City Chiefs are your ride or die team that you're that you're with. So do you do you tailgate every Kansas City home game? What does that look like for you with the streak or anything?

Rod 4:15

Yeah, we we've done uh well, we had I missed a game a couple weeks ago, and that was the first one in 15 years because uh Deb's my wife had some surgery, but I gave my tickets away, so that was kind of fun. Um But we we started this in the 90s when we lived in Kansas City. We now live in St. Louis, so I drive three hours to every game.

Luke 4:39

Oh, well, I don't think I didn't know that about you at all. So three hours every every home game you're driving to there, and obviously there's a lot of prep that goes into preparing for a tailgate as well, too.

Rod 4:51

Yeah, it gets even better than that because uh all my kids went to Missouri, uh University of Missouri. So as luck would have it, if Missouri played on Saturday, and and we go in the day before. I mean, we don't go in, I mean, I'm not driving three hours and then tailgate and then all that. You know, I mean the hotel that I stay at, I've been there for 15 years, and when the schedule comes out, they they book out my rooms for me. I call to have the Rod Rate. Uh BFP. But the the the big fun thing was is when Missouri would play, and we're not very good, but still a good tailgate, and um we'd tailgate on Saturday and then uh go do the Chiefs on Sunday. So that's that's I call it the doubleheader. And the beauty of the Chiefs now is we used to only play noon games. Now we only play 325 and 720 games. Because everybody wants to see the Chiefs either win or lose.

Luke 5:52

No, that is that's a fair statement, and it's not lost on me, too, that noon games are not uh as favorable for the tailgate, right? Because you have a little bit more time if you can move that uh kickoff time a little bit later in the day.

Rod 6:04

Yeah, yeah. I mean, the ideal tailgate time is three twenty-five. I mean three twenty, whatever. But uh yeah, the uh the noon games are now we call them our breakfast games.

Luke 6:16

Okay. That that makes sense because again, you're gonna eat breakfast and probably get out there early.

Rod 6:21

Start at five in the morning, you know.

Luke 6:23

So I mean, yeah. If it's so a noon game, you get started at five. Let's say it's an afternoon kickoff. What what time do you normally uh get get kicked off with tailgating?

Rod 6:33

Well, the the Chiefs, 325, they will open the gates, they say, four and a half hours before the kickoff. But the 325 games always open 45 minutes before. So we'll leave um we'll leave five and six hours before the game time to go tailgate.

Luke 7:00

Excellent. Excellent. So, Rod, tell me this. So as like the home games, like you sounds like you're at pretty much all of them outside of an extenuating circumstance. Do you do you ever hit the road and get to go to any other venues and follow the Chiefs around when they when they travel?

Rod 7:16

Oh yeah, yeah. I've been to the Chargers. Um, you know, we went down to Tampa Bay a couple years ago over Thanksgiving when we throttled the Bucks and then they turn around and beat us in the Super Bowl. Um, I'm gonna go to Vegas uh this year for um the the end of the season game in January to go to Vegas Stadium. Um so yeah, I'll I'll go to a few. Thought about going to the cowboy game, but glad I didn't. Um and uh yeah, so.

Luke 7:47

What is what does that look like from a tailgate aspect if you're traveling for a game? Are you are you bringing a lot of gear with you? Are you finding a tailgate out there? What does that look like?

Rod 7:56

Go find tailgate. Go find a tailgate. Like the Bill's mafia, I love the Bills Mafia and all that. And I was supposed to go up there this year, but that's when Deb was kind of having her surgery and stuff, so I didn't go, but I was just gonna go and hang out with the tailgators and find a tailgate. Um, and um, a lot of people do know me, so I don't usually have a problem with that, but um unless it's a drivable distance. Last year I did a ton of college games, went to Notre Dame, uh, went to um Kentucky, I went to Georgia. Um, so um those are fun too. Um and I'll I'll drive to those so I can tailgate.

Luke 8:42

Excellent. Tell me, what does that look like? So when when you're packing up for the three-hour trip, like what all are you bringing in there? What are some of the essentials, in your opinion, that you gotta have at every single tailgate party you you host?

Rod 8:57

Well, first thing is you need a good speaker. I mean, you gotta have music. Um obviously um a must for us is the porta potty, which is my homemade porta-potty. You gotta have a grill, and then uh obviously a a tent if need be. Depends on the season, you know. It it does fluctuate because, you know, obviously in the winter, you know, like I just packed up my, I'm getting ready to pack up my heater for this weekend and um got a new one, so I'm interested to try that out. But um definitely uh there's certain things that have to go in there, and then there's optional things depending on the weather.

Luke 9:41

So uh for those that haven't maybe seen the the porta potty on on social media, what what does that look like? Your homemade porta potty. Tell us a little bit more about that.

Rod 9:51

Well, it's basically a um a workman's bucket, okay, uh that you get at Home Depot or wherever. Um put a couple of uh large kitchen liners in there, fill the bottom with uh cat litter, and um they sell potty seats that fit those buckets on Amazon. You get that, and then uh you buy one of the uh the little pop-up tents, and there you have it. And it is uh people laugh at me about that, but you go you if you have to go stand in line um to go to the bathroom, you're missing 45 minutes of a good tailgate, at least. And so we just we offer it, we have one rule, it's only number one, and away we go.

Luke 10:42

Has anybody has anybody tried to do a number two with the porta potty?

Rod 10:45

No, we say that. No, you they know they'd be banned for life, you know.

Luke 10:51

Now is is the porta potty, is it I feel like I have a lot of questions about the porta pie. Is the porta potty reserved just for your friends? What what if somebody just randomly came by and said, Man, I really gotta go, right? Can you hook me up? Like, what does that look like?

Rod 11:03

I try not to do that, but I will help people because I'm I I try and understand. But for the most part, people don't don't know what or you know what exactly it is per se. Um but we don't just open it up. It's usually people that are at our tailgate.

Luke 11:20

Excellent, excellent. All right. Um, for your road tailgates you've been on, what would you say? I I know you're gonna say the best NFL tailgated venue is gonna be Kansas City Chiefs, but if if we if we put that to the side for a second, what is the best non-Kansas City Chief tailgate venue you've ever been to?

Rod 11:38

Well, I haven't been to Buffalo, but I would have to say, based on what I've seen, um that that's right up there at the top. I've been to Green Bay, um, actually got invited into one of the houses along beside right beside the stadium uh last time the Chiefs played there. Um so um I would put Green Bay at at two. Um you know, and um I actually really like Tampa Bay too. Um because you know there you park in grass and it's just got a lot easier on your legs and it's big open, kind of like Arrowhead. Uh I I'd say Tampa Bay would be three.

Luke 12:27

Excellent. What's what's one that you haven't been to? I it sounds like like Buffalo might be up there, but what's one you haven't been to that's on the bucket list that you're like, I've got to go for a game there?

Rod 12:39

Well, I would like to see I've been to Dallas Stadium and I would like to see SoFi. I mean, I think it's you know, anybody can get a ticket there. Usually the visiting team has more fans than that. But the stadium itself in entices me. Um so I I would love to go to um I guess SoFi to see the stadium. Um I love the big toaster. I've been to that one. That's a that's a good stadium uh in Phoenix. Um that's a good question. I could have Minnesota doesn't interest me because the state mean I mean I I would probably say the Texans. I'd be interested to see what the Houston Texans do as far as the tailgate. I've been to their rodeo, they invited me down to the rodeo. Food was phenomenal and everything. So I think that would be a really good uh good experience, the Houston Texans. That's my on my bucket list.

Luke 13:46

And I I bet they probably have some good food and some good barbecue down there at the tailgates as well, too. Yeah. I know you're big like into like the food and drink recipes, so so tell us right now, Rye, what is the best tailgating food, in your opinion? If you had to pick just one item to serve at a tailgate, what would you personally serve? My tailgate brats. And tell for those that don't know, like when you say your tailgate brats, what makes those yours, so to speak?

Rod 14:18

Well, I I use a marinade, I put in peppers, onions, uh, wheat beer, six bottles of wheat beer, a little bit of water, and what I call the brew. I heat that up, and then a lot of people don't do it this way, but this is the way I do it. I grill the brats first, all right, and then I punch holes in them as I'm as they're done, and the holes will allow the juices to get in, and then I put them in the pot and let them brew for about 30 minutes. They're just so tender and delicious. A lot of people I've seen people do the opposite way where they end them on the grill, but I I don't like that as much. That's the way I've always done it.

Luke 15:01

So And so when you're making a bright, uh, what would you would you what do you dress it up with aft afterwards?

Rod 15:09

Well, mustard, obviously, but then we have in the brew, we have peppers, onions, and jalapenos, if you want jalapenos. Perfect. Yeah, perfect.

Luke 15:20

That sounds good.

Rod 15:21

Kind of like uh um oh sauerkraut, you know, but it's porridge and such.

Luke 15:28

Yeah, excellent. All right, so tell me uh again, I've seen you make some fun drink combos too. Uh g give us a drink combination that maybe people haven't thought about at a tailgate, but they should think about it having it at their tailgate.

Rod 15:43

Ooh, that that's a tough one. We we do a a ton of um ton of shots, but a fun one is is if you take double chocolate vodka and put it with Dr. Pepper, it tastes like a Tootsie Roll. That that's kind of an interesting one. Um I personally like um I do what I call as my tailgator. It's um coconut rum, regular rum, it's uh club soda, and then I top it off with uh Blue Cher Bay, either key lime or banana cream on top. Call that the tailgator.

Luke 16:25

No, that sounds sounds pretty tasty as I sit here this evening as well, too. So I I love watching your videos. But again, tell everybody, I know we're midway through our our our uh podcast right now, but tell everybody where can they find you on social media as well, too? Because we keep alluding to that. Where can they find you?

Rod 16:42

Uh at tailgating with Rod.

Luke 16:45

And this is like uh Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube?

Rod 16:50

I do mainly TikTok and Instagram. Um I have Facebook and now, so I'm trying to do some YouTube, but um, you know, it's it's not my primary, so yeah.

Luke 17:01

Okay.

Rod 17:02

Any of those. And I have a website, www.tailgatingwithrod.com.

Luke 17:08

What can people find on your website?

Rod 17:10

Uh they can find recipes, pictures, um, a little bit of merch, um, trying to get that upgraded. You know, I mean, it's um I do this as for fun. Uh and um so I'm not always up to date, but you know, I mean, I'm pretty approachable. I have people please, you can email me, whatever. I usually answer. So excellent.

Luke 17:38

Hey, you answered my request to come hang out on the show tonight, so I appreciate that.

Rod 17:42

That was smart when I'm a pretty smart guy for an old guy.

Luke 17:46

Well, Ron, tell us a little like if we shift gears kind of over into your social media presence, because like you're one of the most well-known tailgators out there. And so I would love to hear a little bit more about like, I know you said your daughter said, hey, dad, you need to get on like social media and TikTok and everything, but like what did that look like? Because a lot of people like try to get on these platforms and do stuff and have various results. Obviously, you found some success with this. I'd love to hear kind of like how how it started and maybe some things you learned along the way to get to where you are now.

Rod 18:18

Well, it it it's just, you know, we started after COVID. And I think if we would have started during COVID, you know, my wife used to work with Cooking with Daryl at Disney, and I'm really good friends with cooking with Daryl. He's got 2.9 hell, hell of a channel, hell of a guy. You know, but but he he did all that. You know, a lot of those people that have that, nothing against that, but they started during the COVID. We started afterwards. We practiced a couple times, and it was in May that she told me. Practiced a couple times, and then we went to the game. Uh and um I my first video was me putting up my flagpole marking my spot so everybody knew where I was at. And it was a uh Chiefs flag and a blue chair bay rum flag because I like blue, I love Kenny Chesney. He's my guy. And um we fit filmed it, didn't really know what we were doing. Uh that was on a Sunday, on Tuesday um morning. I got up, posted the video, uh, went to a meeting, and about 10:30, my daughter uh texted me, says, Dad, you're going viral. I go, what do you mean I'm going viral? What does that mean? She goes, Have you looked at your TikTok? And I go, Nope. She goes, look at it. We did two and a half million views.

Luke 19:40

Wow, the very first video ever.

Rod 19:43

Yep. Yep. And then um, then I did I was at a Mizzou game, and I I love the the um to have TVs at the tailgate, you know, and I've experimented with a different bunch of different ones. This was happened to be the dish, which I've gone back to the dish because I think it's the most reliable. But I posted a video there and uh Barstool Sports picked it up and called me the Michael Jordan of uh tailgating. Um so that gave me a boost. And then uh Rachel Ray contacted me and wanted to do a segment on me uh in January for the Super Bowl. She did that, and then um, you know, it's it the the great thing about it is is uh we plan our tailgates, we have certain foods, certain drinks, everybody participates. It's a very family-oriented thing. Uh and um so um it it's been a lot of fun. And you know, I'm goofy enough and silly enough that I'm just kind of me. And the plunge actually started ten years ago. I mean, I've both been plunging for 10 years, and then we kind of threw that on there. It actually had a bigger following on Facebook at the time under my personal one. Um, but yeah, that it was just kind of I don't know, and it's evolved and and I really like uh working with people that um um I like their products, you know. I mean, you know, I got a guy, Duck Nuts, who's from Kansas, he contacted me and um God, it's a great product food. I'd use them all the time. I mean, and I I promote him and and that that's the fun part. And then, you know, I get to deal with the the Coca-Cola's, the ninjas, the Caesars, the the um all the big boys, IKEA, and and you know, I feel I feel lucky to be able to do that. But I'm hoping that even when I'm doing that kind of stuff, that that I'm still portraying to people things that can help them. Uh and and do I get paid on every video? No. Do I get paid on some video? Yeah. But but the thing of it is, is this is not what I do for a living. I make dog So I'm hoping that I pick things and show things that people can use in tailgating. And tailgating is a state, it's a state of mind to me. Okay. And it's about happiness, it's about fun, it's about family and friends. That's why I think the greatest thing was is when I stumbled onto pool gating and bar gating and driveway gating. And my daughter got married, and somebody sent me a comment and said, Rod, looks like you're wedding gating. You know, I mean, so that's fun for me.

Luke 22:37

No, for sure. I love that too, whether it's home gating, tailgating, yard gating, pool gating, beach gating. Like we we could, you could almost tailgate for almost anything. Um I know we share that in common because I had that say, I'm over here just smiling and nodding because everything you're saying, I'm I'm vibing with, and no, like that's how I feel too.

Rod 22:54

I'm so glad that you invited me onto the show, not because of who I am, but I mean, you're really the ambassador for tailgating. And tailgating in a lot of ways is is um kind of a lost art, you know. I mean, I'm kind of a niche on Instagram and and uh TikTok, but my fans are uh the followers are very loyal and all that, but but you have to be passionate to be a tailgator. And I think it's really great that you're kind of bringing tailgating to a new front because it's just not throwing out a grill and getting drunk and stumbling around. That's not tailgating. I mean, so uh I appreciate it.

Luke 23:37

No, for sure. And again, when I started tailgating, it kind of was. It was kind of like, hey, we're gonna get some food, get a case of beer. And I that's what we did coming out of college and everything, too. But it's like, you know, it's evolved and there's so much more that it can be. And it's to me, it's something that's very important, I feel like, to me and to my friends and family for a lot of people, because it's one of the, I call it one of the last true ways that we get to connect with people in this very, very digital world that we live in now. Because when you're at a tailgate, you're doing all the stuff and interacting. Whereas in society, it's like, hey, here's a text message, here's a Facebook message. But at a tailgate, it's kind of the old school face-to-face connections, which I'm very passionate about, and know that goes a long way for our happiness and for our society as a whole. So I love that you do that too. And your passion comes across the screen every time. Um, that's why, again, like I say, there's not a lot of like great tailgating influencers out there, but you're one of them, right? And so, like, I I appreciate you being on here tonight. But before we we wind this thing up, so let's have let's ask a few more questions. Let's say, what are your top three products that you've tested out this year that you're like, these are amazing and you're gonna use them all the time.

Rod 24:52

That that's really interesting. That that that's a good one. Um I would say that um I ooh, that's a tough one. I really do like um I love the ninja um drawer cooler. Okay.

Luke 25:16

I mean that I haven't they they didn't send me one, so I I still haven't gotten to test it anyway.

Rod 25:20

Yeah, I did a video on that, and everybody said it should have wheels, and they put wheels on it, but but that's a good one. Um, you know, I I do um, you know, I I get sometimes worried because a lot of the things that you know you show and stuff, some of them I try and keep things to where you don't have to spend a fortune to be able to tailgate. You can have a little Weber if, you know, i if you want, you know. I mean, and and and do it that way. Um I would say that the thing that I have found that I absolutely love, and they they they contacted me and we do, but crown shades tint.

Luke 26:02

Oh yeah, I love mine.

Rod 26:03

It's that one hand that one-handed, I mean that that is a game changer for for tailgating. And then, hmm, I would say it's kind of interesting because Ryobi has so many cool products that I use every day. Um, and I don't have any kind of sponsorship with um them per se, but I use their products a lot more than uh than I thought I would.

Luke 26:38

Um so they do have some really good tailgating products. I didn't know how many they had until like this season. And you mentioned a heater earlier, so I tested out their their heater this past weekend up in Estes Park. I'm sorry, say it one more time.

Rod 26:54

Did you do the the cone one? Did you do the new Fireside? Well, that's the Ninja, the Fireside 360. Have you seen that one?

Luke 27:01

Uh I have not. Uh I haven't tested anything from Ninja, honestly. So that's still, they've still got some cool stuff that I want to check out for it. But yeah, Ryobi has some like really, really cool stuff. And I say like the propane heater that uh I got to test that this last weekend was perfect. It was like 20 degrees outside. And it puts out amazing heat. So yeah, I'm with you on that.

Rod 27:24

Yeah. And they have, you know, I didn't realize it for a while, but like their speakers, you can connect them and get surround sound. I mean, the turtle box is very hard to beat. I mean, I absolutely love duck nuts. I mean, you know, that that that's a great story and a a good person. Um, you know, so um, and then I just recently switched, I've been using the camp chef because they sent it in to me. Um they got some things to do, but I love the versatility of theirs because the hard part is, and I've used the hitch fire, which I like too, but um, you know, um I don't always use a griddle. I don't always use a grill, and I use burners, um, you know, too. So I like to be able to have the versatility of things where like my brother blackstone every tailgate. That that's it. That's what he uses. You know, I I happen to, depending on the food, um, I I tailor uh what kind of cooking equipment I'm using. Sure.

Luke 28:29

No, that makes makes total sense. So tell me this, where is is there a product that you haven't tested but you you see and you're like, man, I really want to get my hands on that. Is there anything that's got your attention right now?

Rod 28:42

Um well I kind of find it hard to believe that I don't really have a grill sponsor or somebody that, you know, and also um a cooler, you know. I mean, um but as far as a product itself, that's a good question. I would say that um I would like to hook up with a good local meat company that could do different kinds of meat. There's one in Liberty that I'm gonna go visit. They don't know me from Adam, um, and see if we can't get cook hooked up there. But um yeah, I guess that would be it.

Luke 29:32

I mean, all all good stuff there. So let me let me shift gears to tailgating games. What is your favorite tailgating game of all time that you enjoy personally?

Rod 29:44

Well, I mean, bags is is is up there. But we have this game we play that's a shot game where you um put your finger on a glass and my daughter'd have to explain it to us, but it's so simple. And and you you take your hand on, and it's kind of like ring around the rosy, but you end up I'm gonna ask her, I have to do a video on that one. You got to now. I'm kind of intrigued. It's a fun game, and it's basically uh you're doing shots, you know. I mean makes it more fun. Yeah, yeah. So I mean, we do the horse race game uh here from across the board in St. Louis. We take that to the hotel room all the time. That that's a fabulous game. And they've got they actually have a new game. They call it Fire in the Hole, but it's really uh beer pong. And um, I think you did a video. Did you do a video?

Luke 30:37

No, I had the Fire in the Hole game. And they the across the board people, they're really good, family-oriented people too. I've had them on the shows. They're awesome people.

Rod 30:44

Yeah, they are. They are. And uh that is a really cool game for tailgating because you know the problem with beer pong is is the cups all blow away and everything like that. And this, I don't know. I just uh that that's a good one. I just kind of found that one this this fall, and and I like that one a lot.

Luke 31:04

Excellent.

Rod 31:05

I don't know why they call it fire in the hole, but anyway. I mean, I get maybe you could fill needs to work on her naming ability.

Luke 31:14

Maybe you could fill up each one of the because these are just for those that haven't seen it, these are like kind of buckets versus cups. Maybe you could fill it up with fireball whenever you're doing it, and that's some real fire in the hole.

Rod 31:26

Yeah, yeah. I actually I think I did a I did a video for her on that. She's another one of my favorites. She's local here, so she's a good one.

Luke 31:36

All right, right. We are in the time of the season where Kansas City is like trying to get into the playoffs. Tell us, will Kansas City make the playoffs? What's your what's your opinion right now? And do they need any motivation from you to help get them there?

Rod 31:53

Well, um, we're gonna find out Sunday night because we've got three offensive linemen out. And I don't know if you've seen that Houston Texans defense, but they destroyed Buffalo and the Colts. And so, but it is arrowhead. And to answer my qu your question, we're gonna run the table, we'll win all five games to end the season. We will become a wild card and we'll win at least the first game in my mind. Okay? Now, the flip side of that is, and I I tell this all the time, is you know, our season has not gone the way we wanted it to. Doesn't taint my view of the Chiefs, but my life doesn't change because of the Chiefs, because I still have aspirations to give 125% to every tailgate I go to. And my tailgates have been spot on, you know, and win or lose, not everybody can have the winning team at the end. So um I'm happy, you know, and as long as they trot out nine home games, I'll be there and I'll be having a great time. And when the season's over, if we don't make the playoffs, I'm gonna be tailgating at home watching the playoff games, you know. So, and then I'll get ready for my master's tailgate and whatever else comes about. But come about April, I'll start getting itchy again and won't can't wait. My favorite day, and I hate that they moved it away from the draft, is when the schedule comes out.

Luke 33:28

Sure.

Rod 33:29

So I can plan the six months of my life, you know, as to what we're gonna be doing and that and compare it to college games and all that. Oh man, it doesn't get any better than that. That's that's Christmas Day to me.

Luke 33:42

Agreed, agreed. And I I I go with the motto too. It sounds like you do as well, never lost the tailgate. Right? We might lose on the field, but we are not gonna lose the tailgate, and then we can always have some happiness in that.

Rod 33:54

Yeah. And then the thing of it is, is you know, I mean, we're all out here having fun. Don't be mean, be respectful of people, you know, and uh, you know, if your team beats me, your team beats me. If they don't, they don't. Doesn't matter. I mean, we we all got more important things in life, and the most important thing is family and friends, and hopefully tailgating brings those all together.

Luke 34:20

So agreed. Agreed. Yeah. Tell me tell me this right. What's the strangest thing you've ever tailgated for?

Rod 34:32

That's a good one. I would say that I tailgated um well, I tailgated for a uh arena football game. That was kind of, you know, I mean, but I would say I tailgated for um my company's office party. I threw on a big tailgate for them.

Luke 34:59

So you were in the parking lot tailgating for the office party. Did it like when the tailgate was over, did you move into the office for the party? So you like that was the event?

Rod 35:08

No, we all went to a bar. We all went to a bar.

Luke 35:13

Fair enough. Ubers, ubers, of course, ubers. Of course, of course. Yeah, with with everything we say, it's like please drink responsibly, don't drink and drive. Have a good time, but make sure you can have a good time the next day, too, versus uh having something bad happen.

Rod 35:27

Yeah, exactly. I mean, you gotta be safe, you know. Designate a driver.

Luke 35:33

Agreed, agreed.

Rod 35:34

Yeah. All right.

Luke 35:35

Well, Rod, tell us what's next for for you? I I know you're going tailgating this weekend, but do you have any, like, as you move forward with all the cool stuff you're doing on social media, are there any big plans you got coming up with any of your social channels or events?

Rod 35:49

Well, I'm gonna continue to give away crown shades at every every home game because I love kind of giving back to people. I know it's a little thing, but but it's good. And I'm going to um be in Vegas for uh January. But um, you know, I'll I'll just be getting ready here for the stretch run. And um, you know, I'm I'm every time I'm learning, I hope I get more recipes. I got some more stuff coming. Um, and I hope people view it as interesting whether you you tailgate or you don't. And um, you know, it's it's just part of my life. I mean, I I like to laugh, I like to drink, I like to eat, as you can see, and um, you know, there we go.

Luke 36:39

There we go. Now, right, probably the most important question I'm gonna ask you today is if I came to one of your tailgates, you're gonna let me use your porta potty? Absolutely.

Rod 36:48

Absolutely. I accept you in one of your tailgates.

Luke 36:53

I know, like next year, and I don't think it's gonna be able to be this year, but next year, like we need to make that happen. You have an open invitation. I mean, now that you said there's a porta potty that I can use VIP status, it's like what's holding me back? That's that nothing.

Rod 37:06

Well, if you're not doing anything Christmas Day, I'll be there Christmas night. So uh, you know.

Luke 37:14

Excellent. Excellent. I I appreciate the open invite on there. And Rod, one more time as we wind up here, tell people again where where they can find you, where they can follow you and see more of your recipes, your uh tailgating ideas and tips and all that good stuff.

Rod 37:29

Instagram and TikTok at tailgating with Rod. Um so excellent. And if they feel like it, they can email me at rod at tailgating uh withrod.com. I'll answer. I mean, heck, I'm not that big or important. I'm just a normal Joe having fun.

Luke 37:51

No, I'm I'm a believer in that too. I've seen I've seen a lot of people uh start to get some uh celebrity status and all of a sudden they don't they don't respond to things anymore. And I was like, as like if somebody sends me anything, I'm gonna do my best to respond to as much as possible because I never want to be that guy. Um as as I go forward. And I appreciate that about you as well, too, sir. I appreciate it. I appreciate it. So yeah, so who's your team? Who is my team? Um, I am a 49ers fan um from when I was a little kid back in the 80s, uh growing up with Montana, uh Jerry Rice and Steve Young and that crew. And y'all have definitely uh had our number a lot over the last five years for it. But uh again, never know. Uh like you said, like I love the team. I love it when they're doing great, but if they don't, I'll be bummed for a second and then I'll get back to tailgame.

Rod 38:43

Yeah, well they've they've, you know, they're they're uh one of the class franchises, you know, and all that. And I mean, you know, a couple coaching decisions here or there, and um you to beat us in those Super Bowls, you know. But they've been competing.

Luke 38:58

It's really competitive. It it that is it is what it is, and we can't go back and rewind time and change everything. Again, it was cool that we at least got to battle in the Super Bowl, and maybe maybe one day I'll be able to see one of these Super Bowls win in my adult life now, but I digress on that. All right. Well, for it could be this year, you don't know. It it could be. I feel like this year it is open like that.

Rod 39:22

They announced the two teams yet. So, you know, as I say to my kids all the time, as long as we have hope, we have to have hope, and we still have hope. Until you don't have hope, keep believing. Agreed on that.

Luke 39:37

Agreed on that. And this year, I feel like there's more purity than I've ever seen in the NFL. So it's like, I don't think anybody knows because there's not one team that's truly like dynamic all the way. There's like, oh, they're gonna they're gonna run the table and get it. I don't want to.

Rod 39:51

I thought it was the Rams and then the Panthers put a muzzle in their mouth on that one, you know?

Luke 39:56

Yeah, that was a shocker last weekend. So that again, that just goes with the theme of of this season. Like, as soon as you think you know something, you don't know anything, right?

Rod 40:06

No. Nope, it's that's for sure. So here's a good one, though. Do you do stuffing for Thanksgiving?

Luke 40:14

Um, we we we did have stuffing. I didn't make it. Luckily, like we had a lot of people bring a lot of things over for our Thanksgiving party, but like I didn't personally make it, but you're gonna give us a tip right now, it sounds like.

Rod 40:25

Yeah, my wife makes the best stuffing known to mankind. We can't figure out why we only do it. But I have her make a little extra batch, and I have these silicone things that you can press burgers in, you know? It's like you put eight of them in there. Well, I press stuffing in there. Okay, and then I freeze it, and then you take it to the game, and you can cook them, you have to cook them on the griddle, but they become your bun. So you heat them and get them crispy as a bun. Then you do smash burgers or turkey burgers, and those are your buns, and boom. Oh my gosh, you talk about delicious.

Luke 41:05

I mean, I haven't had dinner right now as we're filming this, and that sounds uh amazing. Um, so I'm I'm with that Teogine tip for sure.

Rod 41:13

Yeah. And I got another good one I'll show you with you later. On um, you know how people use the Hawaiian rolls tray to lay their meat in and all that. So when they they can make molten. Well, I got a better wrinkle than that on that, because those trays get mushy. They don't work so good. I I got a good one coming, probably be in a week or so. So keep an eye out.

Luke 41:35

Excellent. That is the teaser for everybody to go follow you on social media as well, too, so they can check out some of these tips and tricks that are coming. And with that, we'll we'll end our show right here and we'll say, Rod, thank you so much for coming in here, dropping some tips, knowledge, and just the passion you have for tailgating. Like, I truly love that and appreciate you being here. Thanks to all of our listeners that have tuned in to the end of the show and hung out with us for the entire time with it. Of course, this is brought to you uh by Tailgate Connect. So, again, that is your Airbnb style tailgating uh program that's gonna make sure that you have a tailgating host wherever you go. It's so many different venues out there. So check out tailgateconnect.com to find your easy button tailgating solutions and all the tailgators out there. We hope to see you at a tailgate soon. Have a good night.

Music 42:27

It's all there for you. Food drinking friends of God's so blue.