We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of Tailgate State:

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Tailgate State.  Papa says, “If you see it on the internet, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Tailgate State?

Mikey Riley

Mikey, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Mikey, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Mikey, there is a Tailgate State. It exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Tailgate State! It would be as dreary as if there were no Mikeys. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Tailgate State! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your Papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Civil War's eve to catch Tailgate State, but even if you did not see Tailgate State coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Tailgate State, but that is no sign that there is no Tailgate State. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Mikey, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Tailgate State! Thank God! It lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Mikey, nay ten times 10,000 years from now, it will continue to make glad the heart of Beaver fans.

Tailgate State was once the unparalleled source for non-traditional coverage of Oregon State athletics.  Alas, life happened.  Careers, kids, marriages (and divorces) took their toll and the once formidable web presence disappeared.  Gone are the all day tailgaters beginning at dawn and ending when The Peacock closed.  Pre-game beer shot guns have been replaced by juice boxes and SUVs with third-row seating.  For chrissakes, we're teachers, art directors, sales executives,  stock brokers and degenerates rehabilitated members of society, now.  You don't think we could continue posting pictures of us vomiting while surrounded by scantily clad coeds, do you?

We're still alive and present in Corvallis on six or seven Saturdays each fall.  The road trips have diminished and the shenanigans are few and far between.  Our focus has turned to golf competitions, fantasy leagues and fine beer, wine and spirit appreciation. 

Tailgate State has morphed into a mindset for Beaver fans who aren't willing to accept mediocrity when it comes to rooting for their alma mater.  We don't forget the roots from whence we came yet strive to move beyond the small-town "woe is us" mentality that pervades Corvallis.

The website might come back some day.  It might not.  We take pride in the fact that we were a Beaver blog before anyone know what a blog was, dammit.  Someday we'll get around to putting up all of the old stories, pictures and features that were once the hallmark of the site.  They're not very interesting now but are good for a few laughs when you want to reminisce about the Dennis Erickson era at Oregon State. 

Our presence began when Oregon State was on the precipice of college football relevance.  No one else gave a damn but we made sure we were proud, loud and required attention.  We filled a void that existed when the Beavers finally began playing "Big Boy" football and continued into their era of national relevance.

Now you kids have your twitters and facebooks and bloggie-things that didn't exist in 1999.  People drink beer and grill food in the Reser Stadium parking lot before games.  Imagine that?  (Historical note:  this was not always the case.)

Tailgate State filled a role that was necessary at the time.  Others have taken the reins (see below) and do a job worthy of -- and often, surpassing --  our accomplishments. 

Recommended reading:

College Football

Pac-12 Conference

Oregon State