Broncos. Steelers. Packers. It didn’t really matter Saturday night. Football fans of just about every National Football League team came out to Neosho’s historic downtown Square for the 4-State NFL Tailgate Party.
“This year we wanted to have an event to start football season, kick it off before high school started,” said Michael Compton, who co-chaired the event with Josh Hughes. “We’re just trying to get a little football spirit going before the year started.”
The Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce event began at 5 p.m. and lasted three hours. It included a youth pass, pass and catch, hot dog-eating contest, raffles and awards for best-dressed fan and best tailgate. This was the second year for the 4-State NFL Tailgate Party.
There were divisions, of course, in favorite teams, but it didn’t keep anyone from having a good time with each other.
“There’s joking around – smack talk – but other than that, it’s been fun,” Compton said.
Compton, an Oakland Raiders supporter, said it was an event planned by fans and planned for fans.
“Football seems to be one of the more popular sports – high school, college or pro – so we thought it’d be a good way to bring people together down on the square,” Compton said.
The event has been planned since early May. Sam’s Cellar quickly agreed to become the presenting sponsor.
“They helped us with a lot of the advertising and stuff,” Compton said.
Second place in the kids passing competition went to Chris Forbes, who describes himself as a “big football fan.”
“Hopefully, they have (this event) next year, because I’m gonna win,” Forbes said.
Though there was a sizable crowd cheering at the passing/catching competitions, attendees definitely got the most excited at the hot dog eating contest. There was one for kids and one for adults. The kid winner, Taylor Lamp, said she didn’t feel sick after eating four out of the seven hot dogs in the time limit.
“I ate three hot dogs (before the contest),” she said. “I didn’t know if I was going to do this or not (when I got here), so I just started eating hot dogs.”
The adult winner, Bill Slade, also didn’t feel sick, and he ate all 10 hot dogs set before him at the beginning of the contest.
Right after the contest, Slade said, “We’ll see in an hour how I feel…I better go take a Rolaid.”
