Help us improve the tailgates next year....
 

I figured I'd start this thread now while the season is in full swing and everyone is still around. We're always trying to improve the tailgate and there are always challenges to overcome.

We've done something like 25 of these (with the bus) by now and we seem to have a pretty good formula that works but one of the biggest issues I think we have left is identifying everyone that comes to a tailgate. We've tried name tags but that just doesn't work. Not everyone makes one and wears it. I try my best to introduce people but we are often busy running around making sure the bus is operating ok, the grills are running hard, beer is iced down etc.

I can't tell you how many times omaners have missed one another at a tailgate. This is terrible! We spend all year on here and I know some of you only have the chance to get to one game a year and it would be so much easier if everyone could identify one another easier.

We've kicked the shirt and hat idea around here alot but the thing with that is you have different weather conditions and not everyone wants to wear the same hat.

I was thinking if we could find a company that could make Metal Pins with our online handles on them then people could put it on their hat or jersey? Something like this. http://www.qualitylapelpins.com/

What other ideas do you have for next year that would help? I know parking near the bus has been a concern from various Omaners and I'm constantly talking to the Broncos about more first come first serve parking. I have a plan in place to help with this next year.

Please any and all feedback would be appreciated.

Meck 77

I think it would be great to figure out a way to more readily identify people at the tailgate. While I've not posted much around here, I've been a member for over 3 years.

Also, to help you guys out, you should post what you'd like people to bring (ie, pickles, onions, meat, etc.) to help you cut down on costs. I'm glad you started collecting donations. You deserve to have everyone chip in a little bit to be part of a great tailgate party!

Well what I've found is it's easier just to bring what we know we need (enough beer and food). If we count on people to bring buns, ketchup etc and they don't show then we won't have it. Or if they don't show up until Noon it doesn't do any good for the first several hours of a tailgate.

I'm going to work on some things this offseason to differ some of the food costs. I haven't had a chance to contact Hooters yet but since they put us in their magazine they might be inclined to dontate some wings and maybe offer to send some hooters girls to the tailgates from time to time. That would be cool!


We have some beer contacts via various omaners and other contacts that we might be able to lower beer costs for next season also.

What we do have now is more people bringing beer and side dishes which has helped alot. Last year this wasn't necessarliy the case. Also more locals have gotten involved to help bring stuff. It's hard for online travelers to pack stuff so it's just easier for them to kick a couple bucks in the kitty I've found.

One possibility is to have nametags premade. Find out who's going and have them printed out on labels and post the sheets at the tailgate for people to grab and put on their shirts.

I think the pins Idea might be a good one, as long as people are willing to pay for one to be made. I for one have already started looking at the possibilities of 3 road games next year. It looks like with the boys eastern coast visit to Pitt, and New england along with the trip to Cleveland I should be able to get to see three games. I might also actually try one home game next year. It would be nice to know who I'm meeting. It's hard enough trying to remember people I meet, let alone figure who they are when they're drinking up all that beer. Anyway the only other thing I could think of is something like a personal I.D. badge or something. Those can be easily hand made. with a paperclip and a piece of paper with there name written on it.

Maybe a whiteboard where OManer's can write their site name on the board to essentially announce their presence. Then - it's less like a church social with name tags but you know who is there and if you see a name you want to meet you'll know they are there and can perhaps hook up.

hey there's an idea I never thought of.....Yeah the paper name tag thing we did was lame. It did feel like a conference or something. The thing with a tailgate is they are always in a state of flux. People come and go but if the name is up on the board they can atleast keep an eye out and ask around from time to time.

I've been to 2 games (@KC) and the home game with the Raiders this year and saw people but never knew who was who. I always feel out of place since I post mostly at the Freak and really don't meet many people over here. I never knew who the regulars were and who were people just hanging around. I could of been more vocal and social but just decided to move on. I've met many of the Freaks and we had a few at the game this week and several others met up with us Friday night for a good time in Denver. It was my 1st trip to the new stadium since I moved away from Denver and had a great time though. I plan on going to a game every year from here on out in Denver. It's an 11 hour trip but well worth it. I go to every Bronco game at KC and always have a good time up there as well.....

Anyway, it was cool seeing the set-up at Mile High. Good luck to you all.......

Nametags can fall off.... I was thinking maybe a stamp on the hand or something might identify a tailgater as being from OM... with maybe a slightly different stamp for posters from other boards.

Pins and stamps seem like too much of some fraternity or something. Put up a white board sounds like a good idea. That way if people want to meet each other its available. I like staying incognito and out of the public spotlight...lol

Hey - Bronco9798 - it was good to meet you in KC at Kelly's and the tailgate. So, let me ask you what you think of the whiteboard idea. Here's my thought. If you walk up to the bus and put your name on the board then a) other people see you do it and what name you write and b) while you may not know who people are - if you see a name on the board that you have "met" on the OMane and want to meet - now you know they are there and usually someone can point you in the right direction. What do you think?

Maybe after writing your name on the board there can be a small basket with OM buttons. Just pin it on you and it won't fall off like a name tag. If you see someone else with this button you will know he is also a member. Then you can introduce yourself. I missed meeting Maverick 7 in Dallas even though we were feet from each other. I was looking foward to meeting him but there was nothing to signify he was a OM member and we never meet.

Well I'm not much of a regular at the tailgates but I personally think some type of ID would be beneficial to first timers and people like me. I mean I saw a bunch of people hanging around the tailgate Saturday but I had no clue who was who. I wasn't about to go around and ask people who they were. I stood around with my friends for a bit and we just decided to leave. It's not like there's a host that comes out and meets you and introduces you to people. (There you go hire a hostess from PT's or somewhere!!!) HaHa!!!

Anyway, yeah some sort of letting people know who's there is a great idea, I think. Being from another board and not knowing other people sometimes it can be a bit uncomfortable if you're not willing to go around asking who they are. I'm not going to do that personally. It's easy to post sitting behind your monitor but when it comes to meeting people you would like a little more of a welcome or greeting. If that makes any sense. I'm not trying to be critical, just honest....

I like the whiteboard and pin idea! (Having the pins sitting there for OManers)

I like the chalkboard idea.

May I suggest dancing nakid women ? ....... Hell at least topless ;D ......

Thats one I forgot. But with what happened with Tampa bay's tailgaters having a strip club in a bus getting arrested. Maybe not

I like this idea! I was at the Broncos/Raiders game last week, but I wasn't sure who was from this site and not. I'm not very good with names either. I met some great people last week! If someone is wearing a button that identifies them with the site, then you can just ask what name they post under. It was also fun to meet people and find out where everyone was from. I was amazed at just how many out of towners there really were. We are going to try and make two or three games next season (maybe a playoff game if I'm lucky in a few weeks).

I like the white board idea, too. I had the same experience... knowing that probably everyone hanging around was a poster whose name I'd recognize but people being busy and all... and that's certainly not a criticism. I saw how much work you guys were doing, and I'm sure there were tons of people stopping by who aren't OManers... so who would know those of us who are a bit on the quiet side. I've stopped by the last 3 games. Maybe I could have taken it upon myself to put a pin on with my screen name, or something, but I didn't think of it. I hardly post at all, but I do pop in and read just about every day.

What about buttons where we can write our screen names on them? Charge us for 'em when we get there, and once we have them we can wear them to all the games we attend.

I have to say that whoever it was who made those stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon deserves a medal. They are delicious, and I've since made them at home!

You guys do a great job.

I like the whiteboard idea. I also like the idea of the pin so that you could identify the Maners, but a small pin like a hat pin would be too small to see and a big one would look kind of obnoxious.

To throw out another idea, we could probably get orange Orange Mane Koozies made cheap. Throw a buck or two in the donation jar, grab a Koozie and write your name on it if your from the Mane. If your too cheap to buy another one next time, take it with you and bring it back. :-)

Every tailgate I've attended, I've tried to figure out who's who. I feel kind of stupid asking someone if they post on the Mane or not. I like the board idea. That way, someone will know if a person is there and they can ask people to identify them. For example, I remembered that Dr. Broncenstein was going to be in Kansas City. I asked Disco to point him out and I went up to introduce myself. There's a couple of people whom I forgot were going to be there and I failed to meet them. Just knowing that someone is at the tailgate makes it much easier to meet that person.

The board idea seems to be the best IMO. The chefs game with the name tags helped to some degree the problem I had was nobody belived me when my tag read "Spider" the other problem was I forgot to take the tag off and washed the sucker on my jersey took me a good hour to get that crap off.

At the game Saturday I meet a few maners and other good folks. BroncoVixen was my favorite ;D As far as walking around asking if people post on the mane I tried that at the hottub. Walked right up and said "Do any of you post on the mane" Kinda felt stupid when I got 6 blank stares Ha!

Here's a couple if ideas:

1. Make up some sort of ID badge/card. This could be worn around the neck in a plastic sleeve and would not be as lame as some stick-on name tag. This sleeve would also be a handy place to hold your ticket for the game. Also, it would be easy to remove and put back on and should be easy enough to wear under most weather conditions.

2. Invest in a Polaroid camera and O-maners could have their pictures taken and they would write their names across the bottom. These pictures could be posted on a board that could be displayed outside OF1. Then, all a person would have to do is look on the board and see if they recognize anyone at the tailgate.

Alot of good ideas! I think everyone should get old School Broncos tattoos with their handles engraved above the logo. No reason to jerk around with the project. Ha!