Tips for a successful Silver and Black homegating party: Holiday edition

With fall in full swing and NFL teams gearing up for Week 8, we’ve entered what’s arguably the best part of the season when it comes to homegating — holiday season. That means ample time for family and friends and decking out your crib in full team regalia.

And Halloween is perfect for Raider Nation. The Las Vegas Raiders’ mystique and team colors of Silver & Black are tailor made for the holiday. And we’ve got some homegating suggestions that’ll make your next Raider game a spook-tacular event.

What exactly is “homegating,” you may ask? It’s the tailgating experience but within the confines of your own home. And having a watch party in a spot you’re comfortable in is always a great call. The advantages of homegating are aplenty:

• Your own kitchen
• Your own backyard
• Your own seating
• Your own entertainment center
• You set the invite list

Raiders tickets aren’t the cheapest out there — despite the team’s 2-5 overall record — and spots to stay and accommodations can be equally costly. So let’s get you right for your next Silver & Black-themed homegating experience:

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Costumes

Hesitant to go full-bore into dressing up for your homegating party? Halloween is the perfect time to dive in and put on your best Raiders gear and get decked out. From skull to lucha libre masks, to the Road Warriors/Legion of Doom spiked shoulder pads, and even superhero-themed get-ups like Raider Deadpool, Black Panther, Cat Woman, Wonder Woman, or even the newest cat to hit the block Black Adam, the possibilities are endless.

Then there’s the ability to dress up like Las Vegas head coach Josh McDaniels. The NFL sells on-field and sideline attire, so all you’d need is a mocked up headset, a visor, a sideline hoodie or jacket and bada bing, bada boom, you’re McDaniels.

The great thing about Halloween is you aren’t going to be the only one sporting a Raiders costume — and letting people know on the invite list get-ups are welcome/required — you’ll see creativity on full display.

And if you have kids of your own or will have kids present at the homegate, opening things up to costumes creates a bonding experience the young ones won’t forget any time soon.

Decor

Holiday season is decorations season. Halloween kicks that off that creativity on the spooky and scary side. Fortunately for Raider Nation, the Silver & Black provide you with two options: Crosby’s Corner and The Start. Let me break it down:

Crosby’s Corner: Tombstones representing the quarterbacks Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby has sacked this season. As of Week 7, No. 98 has a total of six sacks with two games (Weeks 4 and 5) representing multiple quarterback-takedown games. This affords Raider Nation the opportunity to create four distinct tombstones of the signal callers Crosby has sacked: Kyler Murray, Ryan Tannehill, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes.

The Start: The Raiders’ 1-4 performance before they went on a bye — and got back in the win column with a Week 7 38-20 throttling of the Houston Texans — provides another tombstone opportunity. This portion of the graveyard represents Las Vegas’ losses during that initial five-game span. The defeats to the: Los Angeles Chargers (24-19); Arizona Cardinals (29-23); Tennessee Titans (24-22); and the Kansas City Chiefs (30-29) can be displayed here.

Grub

The upcoming holidays presents itself with the perfect time for getting creative with your homegating menu. Here are two recipes that’ll please the invite list’s appetite in terms of both creativity and taste:

McDaniel’s Mummy Dog. The ingredients are: hot dogs (use your favorite brand), crescent roll dough, and edible eyes. The instructions are as follows:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Open and unroll the crescent roll and cut into ¹⁄₄ wide strips that go from top to bottom.
3. Wrap the pieces of dough around each hot dog creating a bandage like mummification and let it overlap.
4. Place each wrapped dog on a baking sheet or aluminum foil and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.
5. Remove from oven, add the eyes and you’re set.

Jacobs Power Chili. It’s no secret Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is powering the team’s resurgent run dominance. And what better way to pay homage No. 28 than with power chili. This can be made in a crockpot or Instant Pot. The ingredients are: Ground beef, pork, or turkey (or you can combine them); pinto beans; onions and garlic; corn; fire-roasted diced tomatoes; tomato sauce; chicken or beef broth; chili powder; cumin; cayenne; paprika; brown sugar; salt and pepper; jalapeños; and sausage (your choice).

The instructions are as follows:

1. Brown the meat along with onion and garlic (drain fat after)
2. Add all ingredients to slow cooker or Instant Pot. Stir and cover with lid.
3. Slow cook for 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high in slow cooker; High pressure cook for 40 minutes in Instant Pot, let natural release for 10 minutes after.
4. Ladle and serve and top with favorite toppings (cheese, bacon bits, etc.).

Share your tips for hosting the best Raiders homegate in the comments below!