By Andrew Reed

Throughout the season, SIOC will travel to different schools and grade the tailgate scene in 10 categories. Today's stop: Washington

Setting

Despite the rain, these Washington fans got decked out to watch their Huskies. Photo by Andrew Reed

More Tailgate Report Cards Notre Dame Clemson LSU Georgia Tech Nebraska Wisconsin Washington Red River Shootout Purdue Bridgewater Rutgers Harvard Ohio State Tennessee Michigan USC Auburn

One of the few BCS programs in a major city, most of U-Dub is situated on a hill overlooking Lake Washington. Husky Stadium is perched right on the lakefront and the tailgating takes place on the north and south sides of the stadium. Cars pack the area tightly leaving little space to move around. The weather lived up to its gray, humid reputation, though we did get about 15 minutes where the sun came out and Mount Ranier was easily visible.
Grade B+

Knowledge of Fans

Washington has a wide mix of diehards and fair-weather fans. The program has changed considerably over the last decade leaving some folks happy just to meet their friends and toss back a few brews. The big time fans, however, have all traveled across the country to see the Huskies play a variety of big programs. With Washington football's downturn, the most faithful of followers have paid close attention to the national landscape while not giving up on their Huskies.
Grade: B

Drinks

Bars in Seattle are known for their fine beer selection. It was no surprise that most tailgates featured cans of beer. They're served exclusively in plastic cups as alcohol is technically not allowed in the lots. But as long as it was not out in the open, I was repeatedly assured that no one ever got in trouble for it. Unfortunately, unique microbrews were few and far between. The only local brew I saw was Ranier. For the most part, people downed name brand macrobrews or nostalgic indies like Hamm's or Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Grade: C+

Eats

The dish of the day belonged to these two ladies and their paella. Photo by Andrew Reed

I was hoping for some Northwest local favorites, but there was neither salmon nor Oriental specialties to be found. Chili was ubiquitous which made perfect sense considering the cool, humid Seattle weather. Beyond that, it was mostly standard tailgate grill fare featuring brats and burgers. However, major kudos are due to the people who cooked up a gigantic pan of paella.
Grade: B-

Cheers and songs

Hardly any cheers were uttered and the fight song was rarely played. A boy raising money for charity was asked "Whose house?" He answered with a resolute "Dawg's house!" They also asked him, "What do you think of the Cougs?" "The Cougs suck!" Never mind that they were playing the Trojans. Stereos thumped with provincial grunge music. During the game, the marching band chimed in with their own versions of Pearl Jam and Nirvana tracks.
Grade: C+

Eye Candy

It was cold and wet. I hate to penalize anyone for the weather, but it didn't exactly make for babes strutting around or anything. Most dressed the same as the men -- in jerseys and jeans. There were plenty of cute women around, but they didn't stand out as being any different than your typical fans.
Grade: C+

Superfans

Maybe people in the Northwest are too cool to get gussied up for games. Or maybe it's just a bit too bone-chilling to paint your skin and traipse around shirtless. Most people donned Jake Locker jerseys. Costumed fans were few and far between, though the men swimming and diving team did lead some cheers at the stadium wearing only their speedos and some letter painted on them. Actually, female readers would probably argue that they should have ended up in the Eye Candy section.
Grade: C

Yard Games

Looking to play a fun game in your backyard? We suggest the west coast's newest sensation, Beershoes. Photo by Andrew Reed

I was fortunate enough to run into the creator of Beershoes, a relatively new game whose popularity is catching on throughout the Pac-10. The rules are very similar to horseshoes, except ringers mean your opponent has to down his entire drink. An official tournament was held on gameday with scores tracked and champions crowned. Rival teams showed up trying to best one another, but anyone who happened by was encouraged to join in the fun. In general, there wasn't space for much gaming action but some customized beer pong setups coupled with Beershoes at least made for some unique outdoor fun.
Grade: B+

X-factor

Husky Stadium is one of two college football arenas in the country where you can sail your tailgate right up to the game. Docks directly behind the stadium welcomed boats all morning, and fans ate and drank aboard ship. On a nicer day, the scene would have been amazing, but even with the weather not cooperating, I still felt jealous of all the skippers and crew.
Grade: A-

Best Tailgate

Given the tight spaces, few individual setups that stood out. There were a ton of vintage RVs, many which were painted in purple and gold. Perhaps Seattle has a great used RV store. Or maybe people want to emulate the helmet car they drive around the track after a Washington score. But for best tailgate, I'm going to go with Captain Deano whose boat has been grandfathered in as one of the few with access to the interior side of the docks.
Grade: B

The Washington program may have fallen on some hard times over the last decade or so, but many Husky fans haven't given up hope for a comeback. Many tailgate groups were old friends who rarely see one another outside of football games, with people returning to the northwest corner of the country from as far away as New York City. A little more breathing room between cars would have been nice, particularly when it came time to go home at the end of the day. Here's hoping that the folks who keep braving the cold, wind, and rain have something to cheer about on the field very soon. They believe they're on the way up, and after going toe to toe with the top team in the country, it's hard to argue with them.

To read more of Andrew Reed's tailgate reports, check out his Road Games blog.