It has become a tradition for The ThunderCast and pals to have a massive tailgate for the home opener each year. Heck, the tailgate actually predates The ThunderCast. Coinciding with an alumni weekend for the fraternity Rus Livingood and KD Hudnall are in, that first home game of the season always sees The Kentucky Mash Boyz hauling in two or more smokers for some of the best barbecue you have ever eaten.
This year saw whole chickens; pork butts; wings; and pork belly burnt ends covering up two large smokers. The wings were taken off the smoker after getting some flavor and deep fried in an oversized fryer basket before being dunked in a homemade wing sauce. Sides included trays of macaroni and cheese and baked beans.
Giving Back, One Plate at a Time
This year marked the third year of the event, and the first in The ThunderCast’s permanent tailgating home of five spots in the corner of the C Lot. It has always been big, but it seems to get bigger every year. “This event continues to grow in popularity with the ThunderCast listeners and was really just a thought amongst two friends. We just wanted to have an annual event that would bring the fan base together,” says Kyle Walker, one of the Kentucky Mash Boyz that hauls his custom smoker down from Union, KY to cook for the event.
“The entire Kentucky Mash Boyz crew and friends look forward to the annual trip to Huntington,” Walker continues. “We have so many friends that want to make the trip to party with the Herd that we have to limit spots, and there are always plenty of memories made.” And they want to participate in this annual event for deeply personal reasons, according to Walker. “Two of the Kentucky Mash Boyz are sons of Marshall, so in a weird way it is a small gesture that allows us to give back to the community who helped mold us into who we are today as people.”
Hours of Prep; Hours of Cooking; Hours of Enjoyment
Some would be shocked at the hours put into prep work as well as the cooking and serving. Planning is one thing, but even after the planning finalized, there is a lot of physical work to be done. According to Walker, it literally takes days.
“We usually spend the better part of two days to buy all the materials and load up the vehicles with all the supplies it takes to put on this type of event. We try to arrive around lunch on Friday before the game to set everything up and get the longer-cooking meats on the custom made smokers. These aren’t your typical backyard store bought models. They are all hand made and installed to keep the heat constant so the meat turns out juicy and delicious–so long as the beer intake doesn’t cause us to be as loaded as a stage coach shotgun! Hey, we are good but not perfect.” No complaints have been voiced that these guys drinking has negatively affected the quality of food, by the way.
But showing up and setting up is just the beginning of the weekend; the hours are long from there on. “It isn’t uncommon for some of the meats to be on the smokers for 10-12 hours, but all meats are prepped and seasoned on site at the tailgate,” Walker says. “Many tell us they don’t need directions, they just follow the smell of well-seasoned cherry wood which always makes me smile. My favorite quote so far was from Herd legend Giradie Mercer when he said, ‘Damn, you boys have this smelling right!’” And as Mercer told me at the Cornhole Classic event in April, he considers himself a barbecue eating expert.
Free for the Fans Because of the Sponsors
All of The ThunderCast tailgates are designed to include a sponsor of the food and drinks to make sure the fans eat for free and the sponsors get advertising and publicity. This year, the Marshall-graduate-owned Raleigh Court Mobile Home Park sponsored the event. And when the Kentucky Mash Boyz are cooking, the dollar stretches a lot further.
“This is a great event to sponsor if you want to maximize your business’ exposure and treat your employees to a great time with some awesome food,” Walker explains. “Like I said, the Kentucky Mash Boyz don’t charge a penny because it’s our way of giving back. If we were to charge for this event, our fee would be roughly one third of the cost of the food, so it is a great investment to have your business’ name associated with an event that is populated by locals in the same community in which you operate.”
The ThunderCast will be tailgating as hard as they can go every game, and although we will not have two custom smokers at every game, we will be providing good food and drinks far beyond your normal tailgate fare at every single game. We have sponsorship opportunities still available for multiple tailgates. If you know a business that could benefit from some unique advertising for a value, tell them to contact The ThunderCast at thundercast.pod@gmail.com.
