Overview

Despite a global recession, Englishman Adam Goldstein felt 2008 was the perfect time to invest in his lifelong passion. So he sold his apartment and left his job and girlfriend in London for American football.  Goldstein’s goal was to achieve what no other fan of American football has accomplished: to attend one live National Football League (NFL) game at every NFL stadium during the regular season, plus those played in London and Canada. He traveled more than sixty-five thousand miles to watch forty football games in eighteen weeks and to experience and understand the phenomenal appeal of that classic American pastime, the tailgate party.  He drove from stadium to stadium, tailgate to tailgate, sometimes eight hundred miles a day, digesting everything that American football could serve up. He met players and extreme fans alike and was party to surreal pregame rituals while absorbing the rich cultural differences of each part of the country.  During his football odyssey—a grueling yet rewarding quest—he compared sports traditions and fandom in the United Kingdom and the United States. Tailgate to Heaven is a humorous, moving, and inspiring story about how nothing closes a culture gap like love of a sport—and the camaraderie that comes with it.

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9781597976923

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I have tailgated at 870 games, and I can tell you that Adam Goldstein has captured the community spirit of tailgating with immense passion.

You'll laugh at the adventures detailed in the coming pages, and you will rejoice in the way Americans from sea to shining sea welcomed Adam into their ranks, particularly during the much-celebrated pregame tailgate parties. You might even cry, but only if you happen to catch sight of Adam's credit card bill. --From the foreword by Neil Reynolds, copresenter for NFL coverage, Sky Sports, and writer for NFLUK.com and SkySports.com--Neil Reynolds Adam Goldstein's passion for American football and determination to succeed in his ambitious quest shines through and takes the reader on a unique, char-grilled American road trip. He's thrown open the doors and dropped down the tailgate on a face-painted world where socializing, hospitality, and having a great game day are the most important things--sometimes even more important than football itself. --Nick Richards, author of Touchdown UK: American Football before, during, and after Britain's Golden Decade--Nick Richards Throughout his travels and in the pages of this book, Adam Goldstein approaches the subject with the curiosity of an anthropologist and a comic's eye for the absurd, as he tries to make sense of--and make a case for--American football and the world of red cups and free T-shirts. --From the foreword by Karen DiEugenio, writer for YourTailgateParty.com and author of I Got Your Tailgate Party Right Here!--Karen DiEugenio Tailgate to Heaven is a damn entertaining read and certainly not just for tailgaters. It's Hunter Thompson meets Jim McMahon meets Marco Polo with a beer funnel. --Lee Hurley, editor in chief, Tailgater Monthly magazine--Lee Hurley It's no wonder Americans took to Adam as he went on his journey: like the settlers who travelled west across the United States, he is a pioneer. Tailgate to Heaven is not just an enthralling paean to the NFL, its fans, and its delicious BBQ food--it's an inspirational tale of what one man with a dream or a goal can accomplish. Adam Goldstein, we salute you. --Ben Isaacs, ShortList magazine--Ben Isaacs The uniquely American pastime of tailgating has developed its own lifestyle and customs rarely experienced by foreigners. In Tailgate to Heaven, Adam Goldstein takes you on his journey from British football fan to hardcore tailgater in one NFL season. You may think you know the culture and lifestyle that is tailgating, but until you have viewed the NFL parking lots through Goldstein's eyes, you won't have the complete picture. --Dave Lamm, founder, TailgatingIdeas.com--Dave Lamm

I have tailgated at 870 games, and I can tell you that Adam Goldstein has captured the community spirit of tailgating with immense passion. Joe Cahn, Commissioner of Tailgating

Author Information

ADAM GOLDSTEIN is a drama tutor based in London. He has written for the Chicago Tribune, Tailgater Monthly, Sport Magazine, TuesdayMorningFootball.com, NFLuk.com, sport.co.uk, crumbsformen.com, and usfootball.dk.

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