Tailgating even more important than the game for some

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Rick Inmon’s Arizona Cardinals tailgating crew has one rule: Everything must have bacon.

“It’s just something we decided early on,” said Inmon, a Glendale native. “It’s the candy of the meat world.”

Behind him, his friend Brad Hendrix, who wears a ‘Thanks Pat’ Tillman jersey, flips filet mignons wrapped in bacon. His brother, Stewart Hendrix, dons a matching jersey. He watches the grill’s flames spark and fall.

“No green stuff, we don’t do salads,” Inmon said.

That’s the scene on Sunday afternoons in the parking lots surrounding University of Phoenix Stadium, along with the Great Lawn that sits at the West end.

Inmon and the Hendrix brothers are a part of the 27 percent of grill owners who have tailgated in the past year, according to Weber-Stephens’ 27th annual grill survey.

Sometimes tailgaters don’t even make it inside the stadium. The survey said that 62 percent of those who tailgated in the past 12 months “also say they have tailgated without going into the game.”

With six more tailgate parties to go – the preparation behind the grill means big business.

According to the 2015 DirecTV Annual Survey of the American Football Consumer, of those attending a game, 24 percent plan to tailgate and spend $196 per game on food, drink and other supplies.

Since tailgaters attend an average of three games, according to the survey, that leads to $588 spent by the end of the season.

“We’ve been here every weekend,” Inmon said. “Every game since 2008.”

Since the stadium’s gates first opened, Inmon and the Ohio-born Hendrix brothers alternate bringing snacks, appetizers, main courses –all featuring bacon. Standing in front of a 9/11 memorial American flag, he explained:

“You can have jalepeno bacon-wrapped shrimp,” he said. “If we have baked potatoes, we have obviously, crumbled up bacon on the baked potatoes. We do a killer scallops and white wine with bacon.”

A few tents over, Guadalupe resident Pauline Garcia prepared avocado and bacon dip with ranch dressing.

“Usually I’m the one who tries out new recipes,” she said. My mom usually makes the salsa,” she said. “We’ll do carne asada. Chicken, chips dip, whatever anyone wants to bring we’re happy to come and eat.”

For Garcia, the key to putting together a winning tailgate site requires a system. She said she sometimes spends eight hours the night before preparing for game day.

“A successful tailgate party is my Saturdays – usually don’t go out the night before,” she said. “Prepare everything then pack everything in the morning. Text everyone else, see what they’re bringing. That way, when we come here, we all have everything and nobody hopefully, forgets anything.”

Her group of close friends and family have been tailgating for 25 years since the Cardinals called Sun Devil Stadium home. Cups and chip bowls featuring the throwback logo prove it.

For the Ford family, Cardinals loyalty extends further back. Mike Ford, the patriarch, purchased tickets when the team made the move from St. Louis in 1988.

Now his three sons: Brad, Brent and Brandon, are season-ticket holders. Grandson Tanner, 10, joins the tailgate party, wearing a Larry Fitzgerald jersey, his favorite player.

“I don’t really know who does the cooking,” he said. “Mostly everyone does. But I never do it because I just eat it.”

Football has always been a Ford family affair. Sunday afternoons were spent on the back patio with the TV blaring the NFL Sunday Ticket package.

“Soon as the Cardinals got the new stadium here tailgating became an easy thing,” Ford said. “It’s a lot easier than it was at Sun Devil Stadium, so it’s really cool. We all just chip in and come out and spend the afternoon here. It’s a fun day.”

It’s a tradition that he believes will be passed down the Ford line.

“I think it will probably have to,” he said. “My boys are all huge Cardinal fans. So one of these days when I’m gone they’re probably still going to be out here tipping one, hopefully, to papa.”