The 19th Tailgating Season At The Cat Box
Come join us at the Cat Box for the 2026 season.
Parking is free, and donations are accepted on the Fundraising page.
Parking is free, and donations are accepted on the Fundraising page.
🏊🚴🏃FRIDAY – AUGUST 21 - JAGS VS. PANTHERS
CAT BOX MICRO IRONMAN & SMASH BURGER DAY
Sponsored by The VonHagens
🍻 CAT BOX OPENS: 3:30 PM
🏊 MICRO IRONMAN: 5:15 PM
🍔 SMASH BURGER FEAST: 6:15 PM
🏈 GAME TIME: 7:30 PM
THE PLAN
Football is finally back. Sure, it's preseason and half the Panthers roster will be selling insurance or managing an Enterprise Rent-A-Car by Labor Day, but that's not important. What is important is that after eight months of pretending to care about baseball, golf, and whatever the hell the UFL is, we can finally gather once again at the Cat Box for athletic competition of questionable legitimacy. And nothing says elite athletic achievement quite like a 140.6-foot triathlon.
🏊 THE CAT BOX MICRO IRONMAN
Was the only thing standing between you and finishing the Jacksonville Ironman in May the fact that you never got off your ass? Well, here's your chance at redemption. Step up to the starting line, embrace the glory, and prove you've got what it takes to conquer the legendary Cat Box Micro Ironman.
Participants will tackle the grueling:
🏊 2.4 Foot Swim
(Place two feet or your face in a tub of water and try not to drown.)
🚴 112 Foot Bike Ride
(Long enough to make your quads slightly uncomfortable.)
🏃 26.2 Foot Run
(Basically a marathon if measured by house cats.)
The race will be timed and run in heats.
The Top 30 Finishers will receive the coveted: 👕 Cat Box Micro Ironman Finisher Shirt
Because if you're going to accomplish absolutely nothing meaningful, you might as well get a shirt for it.
🍺 IRON BEER MAN DIVISION
For true athletes. Competitors must consume a beer between each event. The swim gets harder.
The bike gets wobblier. The run becomes largely theoretical. Exactly how the founders of the Cat Box intended.
🍔 SMASH BURGER FEAST
Andy will once again be firing up his award-winning smash burgers.
These are not your sad little backyard hockey pucks.
These are legitimate smash burgers.
IMPORTANT: You must RSVP by August 17th if you want a burger.
Otherwise Andy will assume you're surviving entirely on Busch Light and poor decisions.
Bring a side dish to share. No contest. No judging. No pressure. Store-bought is perfectly acceptable.
RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/JjcFpLqXkbKj9qNx6
🏊🚴🏃FRIDAY – AUGUST 21 - JAGS VS. PANTHERS
CAT BOX MICRO IRONMAN & SMASH BURGER DAY
Sponsored by The VonHagens
🍻 CAT BOX OPENS: 3:30 PM
🏊 MICRO IRONMAN: 5:15 PM
🍔 SMASH BURGER FEAST: 6:15 PM
🏈 GAME TIME: 7:30 PM
THE PLAN
Football is finally back. Sure, it's preseason and half the Panthers roster will be selling insurance or managing an Enterprise Rent-A-Car by Labor Day, but that's not important. What is important is that after eight months of pretending to care about baseball, golf, and whatever the hell the UFL is, we can finally gather once again at the Cat Box for athletic competition of questionable legitimacy. And nothing says elite athletic achievement quite like a 140.6-foot triathlon.
🏊 THE CAT BOX MICRO IRONMAN
Was the only thing standing between you and finishing the Jacksonville Ironman in May the fact that you never got off your ass? Well, here's your chance at redemption. Step up to the starting line, embrace the glory, and prove you've got what it takes to conquer the legendary Cat Box Micro Ironman.
Participants will tackle the grueling:
🏊 2.4 Foot Swim
(Place two feet or your face in a tub of water and try not to drown.)
🚴 112 Foot Bike Ride
(Long enough to make your quads slightly uncomfortable.)
🏃 26.2 Foot Run
(Basically a marathon if measured by house cats.)
The race will be timed and run in heats.
The Top 30 Finishers will receive the coveted: 👕 Cat Box Micro Ironman Finisher Shirt
Because if you're going to accomplish absolutely nothing meaningful, you might as well get a shirt for it.
🍺 IRON BEER MAN DIVISION
For true athletes. Competitors must consume a beer between each event. The swim gets harder.
The bike gets wobblier. The run becomes largely theoretical. Exactly how the founders of the Cat Box intended.
🍔 SMASH BURGER FEAST
Andy will once again be firing up his award-winning smash burgers.
These are not your sad little backyard hockey pucks.
These are legitimate smash burgers.
IMPORTANT: You must RSVP by August 17th if you want a burger.
Otherwise Andy will assume you're surviving entirely on Busch Light and poor decisions.
Bring a side dish to share. No contest. No judging. No pressure. Store-bought is perfectly acceptable.
RSVP HERE: https://forms.gle/JjcFpLqXkbKj9qNx6
🏓🍻 FRIDAY – AUGUST 28 - JAGS VS. BUCCANEERS
PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT & HAPPY HOUR
Sponsored by The Beatons
🍻 CAT BOX OPENS: 4:00 PM
🏓 PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT: 5:15 PM
🍤 HAPPY HOUR FOOD: Whenever You Arrive
🏈 GAME TIME: 7:30 PM
THE PLAN
It's the third preseason game, which means we'll be watching future UPS drivers, personal trainers, and insurance salesmen make one last desperate push for a roster spot while the two teams combine for approximately 212 yards of offense. In other words, the football itself is completely irrelevant.
What does matter is that we're down a home game this year and none next year, leaving us with limited chances to tailgate at the Cat Box over the next two years. So let's get together while we can to eat, drink, compete, and make questionable decisions with your friends before the long offseason arrives. Instead of paying attention to a game that neither coaching staff wants to win, we'll be hosting a Cat Box Happy Hour and Pickleball Tournament so it's not a completely wasted effort.
🏓 YARD PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT
The fastest-growing sport among retirees, accountants, and people recovering from knee replacements, tweaked to yard rules at the Cat Box. Grab a paddle and prove you're more athletic than the average Tampa Bay fan. No experience required. No dignity expected.
🍻 HAPPY HOUR POTLUCK
Bring your favorite happy hour snack. Store-bought or homemade are fine. Fancy. Trashy. We don't care.
Pretzels. Pigs in a blanket, Chips and dip, Whatever. If it pairs with beer or a cocktail, it qualifies.
PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT & HAPPY HOUR
Sponsored by The Beatons
🍻 CAT BOX OPENS: 4:00 PM
🏓 PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT: 5:15 PM
🍤 HAPPY HOUR FOOD: Whenever You Arrive
🏈 GAME TIME: 7:30 PM
THE PLAN
It's the third preseason game, which means we'll be watching future UPS drivers, personal trainers, and insurance salesmen make one last desperate push for a roster spot while the two teams combine for approximately 212 yards of offense. In other words, the football itself is completely irrelevant.
What does matter is that we're down a home game this year and none next year, leaving us with limited chances to tailgate at the Cat Box over the next two years. So let's get together while we can to eat, drink, compete, and make questionable decisions with your friends before the long offseason arrives. Instead of paying attention to a game that neither coaching staff wants to win, we'll be hosting a Cat Box Happy Hour and Pickleball Tournament so it's not a completely wasted effort.
🏓 YARD PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT
The fastest-growing sport among retirees, accountants, and people recovering from knee replacements, tweaked to yard rules at the Cat Box. Grab a paddle and prove you're more athletic than the average Tampa Bay fan. No experience required. No dignity expected.
🍻 HAPPY HOUR POTLUCK
Bring your favorite happy hour snack. Store-bought or homemade are fine. Fancy. Trashy. We don't care.
Pretzels. Pigs in a blanket, Chips and dip, Whatever. If it pairs with beer or a cocktail, it qualifies.
🥪🎯 SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 13 - JAGS VS. BROWNS
SLIDER CHALLENGE & CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT
Sponsored by Todd & Norma
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 9:30 AM
🎯 CORNHOLE: 10:15 AM
🥪 FOOD JUDGING: 11:30 AM
🏈 GAME TIME: 1:00 PM
THE PLAN
It's opening day in Jacksonville, which means two things are guaranteed: The Jaguars are undefeated and the stadium feels like the inside of an air fryer. With temperatures expected to hover somewhere between "oppressively humid" and "surface of the sun," we're keeping things simple with handheld food that won't require a knife, fork, or a full-body shower after eating it. Enter the Cat Box Slider Challenge. And why sliders against Cleveland? Because no city embraces the sandwich quite like Cleveland. They gave the world the Polish Boy, the corned beef sandwich, and enough deli meat to keep every cardiologist in Ohio fully employed. We're simply taking that Midwestern tradition and improving it with better weather, better football, and significantly fewer industrial smokestacks.
🥪 SLIDER CHALLENGE
Beef, chicken, pork, seafood, vegetarian, vegan, hot, cold, smoked, fried, grilled, or whatever culinary masterpiece your sleep-deprived brain dreams up at 11:00 p.m. the night before. . Mystery ingredients from the back of your refrigerator. It doesn't matter. The only rule is this: It better be good. This is a judged competition. Presentation counts. Taste counts. Creativity counts. A package of Hawaiian rolls with a cold hot dog shoved in the middle will not win. Bring enough to share. Bring enough to claim your title. Most importantly, bring your A-game.
🎯 CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT
The first of three qualifiers for the Cornholer of the Year Tournament.
🍗🏌️ SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 27 - JAGS VS. PATRIOTS
MIKE VRABEL SIDE CHICK(EN) SIDE DISH DAY &
GUS BRADLEY MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Sponsored by David & Michele
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 9:30 AM
🏌️ GOLF: 10:15 AM
🍗 FOOD JUDGING: 11:30 AM
🏈 GAME TIME: 1:00 PM
THE PLAN
The Patriots were back in the Super Bowl last year. Tom Brady is gone, and somewhere along the way he traded Super Bowl rings for avocado ice cream, a broadcasting contract, and a divorce. Bill Belichick is gone too, apparently making up for decades of showing zero emotion by dating someone young enough to think a VHS tape is a software update. Robert Kraft is still around, proving that no matter how much money you have, one trip to a strip mall rub and tug can define your legacy. . Which brings us to Mike Vrabel and his Side Chick. The Patriots may have changed coaches, quarterbacks, owners, logos, uniforms, and dynasties, but one thing remains constant in New England: An unwavering commitment to headlines that have absolutely nothing to do with football. So, in honor of Coach Vrabel and the Patriots' proud tradition of questionable off-the-field decisions, it's Side Chick(en) and Side Dish day.
🍗 SIDE CHICK(EN) & SIDE DISH COMPETITION
Any chicken dish qualifies. (Wings, Thights, Legs, obviously Breasts), cooked any way you want (Baked, Fired, Grilled, Smoked, obviously Roasted) along with your favorite side dish to accompany it. Because every Side Chick(en) deserves a Side Dish. Judging will determine who walks away with glory for bringing the best Side Chick(en) and Side Dish.
🏌️ GUS BRADLEY MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Named in honor of a coach who spent four years in Jacksonville proving that you only need two goals in life: bend, don't break... and if that doesn't work, bend some more. Join in for your chance to receive the rights to the prestigious Green Jacket until the Jaguars return in 2028!
MIKE VRABEL SIDE CHICK(EN) SIDE DISH DAY &
GUS BRADLEY MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Sponsored by David & Michele
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 9:30 AM
🏌️ GOLF: 10:15 AM
🍗 FOOD JUDGING: 11:30 AM
🏈 GAME TIME: 1:00 PM
THE PLAN
The Patriots were back in the Super Bowl last year. Tom Brady is gone, and somewhere along the way he traded Super Bowl rings for avocado ice cream, a broadcasting contract, and a divorce. Bill Belichick is gone too, apparently making up for decades of showing zero emotion by dating someone young enough to think a VHS tape is a software update. Robert Kraft is still around, proving that no matter how much money you have, one trip to a strip mall rub and tug can define your legacy. . Which brings us to Mike Vrabel and his Side Chick. The Patriots may have changed coaches, quarterbacks, owners, logos, uniforms, and dynasties, but one thing remains constant in New England: An unwavering commitment to headlines that have absolutely nothing to do with football. So, in honor of Coach Vrabel and the Patriots' proud tradition of questionable off-the-field decisions, it's Side Chick(en) and Side Dish day.
🍗 SIDE CHICK(EN) & SIDE DISH COMPETITION
Any chicken dish qualifies. (Wings, Thights, Legs, obviously Breasts), cooked any way you want (Baked, Fired, Grilled, Smoked, obviously Roasted) along with your favorite side dish to accompany it. Because every Side Chick(en) deserves a Side Dish. Judging will determine who walks away with glory for bringing the best Side Chick(en) and Side Dish.
🏌️ GUS BRADLEY MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Named in honor of a coach who spent four years in Jacksonville proving that you only need two goals in life: bend, don't break... and if that doesn't work, bend some more. Join in for your chance to receive the rights to the prestigious Green Jacket until the Jaguars return in 2028!
🦞🐟 SUNDAY – NOVEMBER 1 - JAGS VS. COLTS
THE DAVID LANE SEAFOOD BUFFET
THE GLENN MARRINGER SINGLES CORNHOLE SHOOTOUT
Sponsored by The Springs
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 9:30 AM
🎯 CORNHOLE: 10:15 AM
🥪 FOOD JUDGING: 11:30 AM
🏈 GAME TIME: 1:00 PM
THE PLAN
In honor of David Lane—fishing legend, tailgating enthusiast, and lifelong believer that football Sundays are best spent with seafood and friends—and Glenn Marringer, who never met a cornhole loss he couldn't blame on his partner, we're celebrating two Cat Box legends in the most fitting way possible: by bringing the ocean to the parking lot and letting everyone prove themselves in a singles cornhole showdown.
It's also our annual opportunity to confuse and enrage the simpleton Midwestern masses from Indiana, where "seafood" generally means a tuna sandwich or whatever happens to be on special at Red Lobster.
🦞🐟 THE DAVID LANE SEAFOOD BUFFET DAY
Bring any seafood dish. If it swam, crawled, floated, or was dragged out of the Atlantic, it qualifies.
Fish dip, crab cakes, fried fish, shrimp scampi, oysters, ceviche, smoked fish, lobster, clam chowder—you name it.
This is a judged competition, so bring enough to share, bring enough to win, and make it good enough that David would be proud.
🎯 THE GLENN MARRINGER SINGLES CORNHOLE SHOOTOUT
The second of three qualifiers for the Cornholer of the Year Tournament comes with a twist. No partners. No excuses. No blaming the person standing next to you. Long before Michael perfected the art of tracking his score against his own teammates for future blame assignments, Glenn established one of the Cat Box's core principles: losing was never his fault.
Whenever a doubles game went sideways, Glenn was always ready for a singles rematch to prove his point—or, more often than not, disprove it. This year's format honors that tradition. Head-to-head. One-on-one. First player to 11 points or the end of two full innings, whichever comes first. Step up, throw your bags, and find out once and for all whether your partners have been holding you back—or carrying you all along.
THE DAVID LANE SEAFOOD BUFFET
THE GLENN MARRINGER SINGLES CORNHOLE SHOOTOUT
Sponsored by The Springs
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 9:30 AM
🎯 CORNHOLE: 10:15 AM
🥪 FOOD JUDGING: 11:30 AM
🏈 GAME TIME: 1:00 PM
THE PLAN
In honor of David Lane—fishing legend, tailgating enthusiast, and lifelong believer that football Sundays are best spent with seafood and friends—and Glenn Marringer, who never met a cornhole loss he couldn't blame on his partner, we're celebrating two Cat Box legends in the most fitting way possible: by bringing the ocean to the parking lot and letting everyone prove themselves in a singles cornhole showdown.
It's also our annual opportunity to confuse and enrage the simpleton Midwestern masses from Indiana, where "seafood" generally means a tuna sandwich or whatever happens to be on special at Red Lobster.
🦞🐟 THE DAVID LANE SEAFOOD BUFFET DAY
Bring any seafood dish. If it swam, crawled, floated, or was dragged out of the Atlantic, it qualifies.
Fish dip, crab cakes, fried fish, shrimp scampi, oysters, ceviche, smoked fish, lobster, clam chowder—you name it.
This is a judged competition, so bring enough to share, bring enough to win, and make it good enough that David would be proud.
🎯 THE GLENN MARRINGER SINGLES CORNHOLE SHOOTOUT
The second of three qualifiers for the Cornholer of the Year Tournament comes with a twist. No partners. No excuses. No blaming the person standing next to you. Long before Michael perfected the art of tracking his score against his own teammates for future blame assignments, Glenn established one of the Cat Box's core principles: losing was never his fault.
Whenever a doubles game went sideways, Glenn was always ready for a singles rematch to prove his point—or, more often than not, disprove it. This year's format honors that tradition. Head-to-head. One-on-one. First player to 11 points or the end of two full innings, whichever comes first. Step up, throw your bags, and find out once and for all whether your partners have been holding you back—or carrying you all along.
🍝🎳 SUNDAY – NOVEMBER 29 - JAGS VS. TITANS
ITALIAN WEDDING BUFFET DAY
FOWLING & BOWLING DOUBLEHEADER
Sponsored by Michael & Lisa Loiacono
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 11:00 AM
🎳FOWLING– 12:00 PM
🍝 ITALIAN WEDDING LUNCH BUFFET – 1:15 PM
🎳 BOWLING – 1:45 PM
🏈 GAME TIME: 4:05 PM
THE PLAN
For the first time in what feels like forever, the NFL schedule makers have blessed us with a rare 4:05 p.m. home kickoff.
Sure, this would have been far more useful back in September when the parking lot temperature hovers somewhere between "surface of the sun" and "active volcano," but we'll happily take it in November. An afternoon kickoff means more time to tailgate, more time to eat, more time to drink, and more time to make questionable decisions before kickoff. Throughout the day, we'll have the early games and NFL RedZone rolling on the TVs so you can keep up with your fantasy team, complain about your starts and sits, and wonder why you drafted a Titans player in the first place.
🍝 ITALIAN WEDDING BUFFET
Michael and Lisa Loiacono will once again be treating us to their legendary Italian Wedding Lunch Buffet, featuring their famous gravy—or sauce, depending on which side of the family argument you're on. Either way, it's delicious, and someone will inevitably spend twenty minutes passionately explaining why their terminology is the only correct answer.
🎳 DOUBLEHEADER GAME DAY
Since we lost a home game this season, we're making up for it with a Cat Box doubleheader.
🎳 Fowling before lunch
🎳 Bowling after lunch
ITALIAN WEDDING BUFFET DAY
FOWLING & BOWLING DOUBLEHEADER
Sponsored by Michael & Lisa Loiacono
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 11:00 AM
🎳FOWLING– 12:00 PM
🍝 ITALIAN WEDDING LUNCH BUFFET – 1:15 PM
🎳 BOWLING – 1:45 PM
🏈 GAME TIME: 4:05 PM
THE PLAN
For the first time in what feels like forever, the NFL schedule makers have blessed us with a rare 4:05 p.m. home kickoff.
Sure, this would have been far more useful back in September when the parking lot temperature hovers somewhere between "surface of the sun" and "active volcano," but we'll happily take it in November. An afternoon kickoff means more time to tailgate, more time to eat, more time to drink, and more time to make questionable decisions before kickoff. Throughout the day, we'll have the early games and NFL RedZone rolling on the TVs so you can keep up with your fantasy team, complain about your starts and sits, and wonder why you drafted a Titans player in the first place.
🍝 ITALIAN WEDDING BUFFET
Michael and Lisa Loiacono will once again be treating us to their legendary Italian Wedding Lunch Buffet, featuring their famous gravy—or sauce, depending on which side of the family argument you're on. Either way, it's delicious, and someone will inevitably spend twenty minutes passionately explaining why their terminology is the only correct answer.
🎳 DOUBLEHEADER GAME DAY
Since we lost a home game this season, we're making up for it with a Cat Box doubleheader.
🎳 Fowling before lunch
🎳 Bowling after lunch
🎄🍪 MONDAY – DECEMBER 14 - JAGS VS. STEELERS
CHRISTMAS COOKIE CONTEST
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT
Sponsored by the Ansleys
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 3:30 PM
🎳 FOOD AVAILABLE - 5:00 PM
🎯 CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT - 5:30 PM
🎄CHRISTMAS COOKIE CONTEST - 7:00 PM
🏈 GAME TIME: 8:15 PM (Unless we get flexed out)
THE PLAN
It’s time to get all jacked up for another Monday Night Football game, which always sounds like an amazing idea right up until your alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning and you realize you've voluntarily sabotaged your sleep schedule for the next week. If you're under 30, you'll bounce back by lunch. If you're over 50, you can expect your circadian rhythm to recover sometime around New Year's. None of that matters, though, because Monday nighters at the Cat Box are always worth it. Since most everyone will be rolling straight in from work, we're keeping things simple and bringing in catered food so nobody has to spend their lunch break smoking brisket, baking an ill-advised asserole, or microwaving a fish at the Cat Box. Food details are still being finalized, but rest assured there will be plenty to soak up the questionable amount of beer consumed on a school night. And because this is the closest home game to Christmas, the legendary Cat Box Christmas Cookie Contest returns.
FOOD
Catered - Cost and Details To Be Determined
🍪 COOKIE CONTEST
🍪 Best Tasting Cookie
🎨 Best Looking Cookie
Two categories. Two champions. Unlimited opportunities for sugar-fueled bragging rights. Homemade cookies are required so don't show up with a suspiciously perfect tray from Publix claiming it was "a family recipe." Whether you're bringing classic chocolate chip cookies, elaborately decorated sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, gingerbread masterpieces, or some kind of Pinterest-inspired creation that took three days to make, bring enough to share and prepare for intense scrutiny from a judging panel whose qualifications include having functioning taste buds and absolutely no self-control.
🎯 FINAL CORNHOLE QUALIFIER
Last chance to qualify for Cornholer of the Year. No pressure. Just your entire legacy on the line.
.
CHRISTMAS COOKIE CONTEST
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT
Sponsored by the Ansleys
🍻CAT BOX OPENS - 3:30 PM
🎳 FOOD AVAILABLE - 5:00 PM
🎯 CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT - 5:30 PM
🎄CHRISTMAS COOKIE CONTEST - 7:00 PM
🏈 GAME TIME: 8:15 PM (Unless we get flexed out)
THE PLAN
It’s time to get all jacked up for another Monday Night Football game, which always sounds like an amazing idea right up until your alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning and you realize you've voluntarily sabotaged your sleep schedule for the next week. If you're under 30, you'll bounce back by lunch. If you're over 50, you can expect your circadian rhythm to recover sometime around New Year's. None of that matters, though, because Monday nighters at the Cat Box are always worth it. Since most everyone will be rolling straight in from work, we're keeping things simple and bringing in catered food so nobody has to spend their lunch break smoking brisket, baking an ill-advised asserole, or microwaving a fish at the Cat Box. Food details are still being finalized, but rest assured there will be plenty to soak up the questionable amount of beer consumed on a school night. And because this is the closest home game to Christmas, the legendary Cat Box Christmas Cookie Contest returns.
FOOD
Catered - Cost and Details To Be Determined
🍪 COOKIE CONTEST
🍪 Best Tasting Cookie
🎨 Best Looking Cookie
Two categories. Two champions. Unlimited opportunities for sugar-fueled bragging rights. Homemade cookies are required so don't show up with a suspiciously perfect tray from Publix claiming it was "a family recipe." Whether you're bringing classic chocolate chip cookies, elaborately decorated sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, gingerbread masterpieces, or some kind of Pinterest-inspired creation that took three days to make, bring enough to share and prepare for intense scrutiny from a judging panel whose qualifications include having functioning taste buds and absolutely no self-control.
🎯 FINAL CORNHOLE QUALIFIER
Last chance to qualify for Cornholer of the Year. No pressure. Just your entire legacy on the line.
.
6
🦞🏆 SATURDAY OR SUNDAY – JANUARY 2/3 - JAGS VS. COMMANDERS
MARK TRAUTHWEIN LOBSTER DAY
CORNHOLER OF THE YEAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Sponsored by Robert Frary & IBC
CAT BOX OPENS - TBD
🦞 LOBSTERS - TBD
🎯 CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT - TBD
GAME TIME - TBD
THE PLAN
The NFL, in its infinite wisdom, refuses to announce the Week 18 schedule until the last possible second, so we don't officially know when this game will be played. But if history tells us anything, put your money on a Sunday 1:00 p.m. kickoff. Regardless of when the league decides to pull back the curtain, one thing is certain: this is the biggest tailgate of the year. More importantly, it's time to honor the legend himself, Mark Trauthwein. Long before the Cat Box existed—back when Lot Z was the place to be and stadium parking didn't require a second mortgage—Mark started the tradition of ending the season with lobster tails. Like all great traditions, it involves friends, football, great food, and spending far more money than necessary on something delicious.
🦞 LOBSTERS
Stay tuned for information on ordering your lobsters in mid to late December.
🏆 CORNHOLER OF THE YEAR
🏆It’s that magical time of year when excuses are plentiful, bags are flying, and legends are self-declared.
Who Can Play
If you played in two of the three qualifying tournaments — you’re in. If one of the tournaments is rained out, we will adjust it to having played in one cornhole tournament and one other event (trialthon, pickleball, golf, bowling) While talet is optional, attendance counts.
Who Is My Partner
Seedings were determined using a highly advanced formula as follows:
Winning a tournament
Finishing top 3
Number of tournaments played
Alphabetical order (because chaos needs rules)
Partners will be assigned based on who actually shows up. Top seeds get paired together, then we work our way down the list until everyone has a teammate and no one is happy.
Do Weekly Tournament Winners Get Anything?
Yes. If you won a tournament, you get a bye through the first two rounds. You earned it. Enjoy watching everyone else sweat.|
Tournament Format
Double elimination. Meaning you get at least two chances to blame your partner.
Does It Cost Money
Yes. Same as always: $5 per person.
Exact change appreciated. Complaints are not.
What If I Didn’t Play in a Tournament This Year
You’re out of luck, out of the bracket, and out of excuses.
🦞🏆 SATURDAY OR SUNDAY – JANUARY 2/3 - JAGS VS. COMMANDERS
MARK TRAUTHWEIN LOBSTER DAY
CORNHOLER OF THE YEAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Sponsored by Robert Frary & IBC
CAT BOX OPENS - TBD
🦞 LOBSTERS - TBD
🎯 CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT - TBD
GAME TIME - TBD
THE PLAN
The NFL, in its infinite wisdom, refuses to announce the Week 18 schedule until the last possible second, so we don't officially know when this game will be played. But if history tells us anything, put your money on a Sunday 1:00 p.m. kickoff. Regardless of when the league decides to pull back the curtain, one thing is certain: this is the biggest tailgate of the year. More importantly, it's time to honor the legend himself, Mark Trauthwein. Long before the Cat Box existed—back when Lot Z was the place to be and stadium parking didn't require a second mortgage—Mark started the tradition of ending the season with lobster tails. Like all great traditions, it involves friends, football, great food, and spending far more money than necessary on something delicious.
🦞 LOBSTERS
Stay tuned for information on ordering your lobsters in mid to late December.
🏆 CORNHOLER OF THE YEAR
🏆It’s that magical time of year when excuses are plentiful, bags are flying, and legends are self-declared.
Who Can Play
If you played in two of the three qualifying tournaments — you’re in. If one of the tournaments is rained out, we will adjust it to having played in one cornhole tournament and one other event (trialthon, pickleball, golf, bowling) While talet is optional, attendance counts.
Who Is My Partner
Seedings were determined using a highly advanced formula as follows:
Winning a tournament
Finishing top 3
Number of tournaments played
Alphabetical order (because chaos needs rules)
Partners will be assigned based on who actually shows up. Top seeds get paired together, then we work our way down the list until everyone has a teammate and no one is happy.
Do Weekly Tournament Winners Get Anything?
Yes. If you won a tournament, you get a bye through the first two rounds. You earned it. Enjoy watching everyone else sweat.|
Tournament Format
Double elimination. Meaning you get at least two chances to blame your partner.
Does It Cost Money
Yes. Same as always: $5 per person.
Exact change appreciated. Complaints are not.
What If I Didn’t Play in a Tournament This Year
You’re out of luck, out of the bracket, and out of excuses.
Cat Box Rules - Enter/Use/Play At Your Own Risk
Unlike the Declaration of Independence or the Bill of Rights, the forefathers of the Cat Box did not have the foresight to set up any guidelines for how things should go. The process has been fluid, and as needs arise, some general rules are created, for instance, the Asserolle Rule was needed to maintain a certain level of edible decorum. In other instances, a moron hires an attorney and the need for a written rule comes into place because, apparently, common sense isn't a trait possessed by everyone. As they say, never underestimate the power of a stupid person in a large group. Who knew? Anyway, now that we have grown to more than three unwritten rules, it's time to start a written list so there is no confusion. So here they are and their origin.
Rule 1 - The Marringer Brown Act (2008) - Glenn brought a few buddies from work to a Jags Browns game with a 4:30pm kickoff. Before the game, Glenn asked me to go along with the story that he told his cohorts on the way to the game that he owned the place, which wasn't a problem. As usual Glenn overenjoyed the tailgate and game and as usual the dear God I gotta get home to help Lisa get the kids to bed moment occurred postgame and he fired up the Malibu for his southbound sojourn to his St Johns County slice of Heaven. Back at the Box, Glenn’s friends, thinking he owned the place settled in to continue their bender and fire up their doobies to celebrate the Browns win over the Jags with no intention of leaving, despite everyone leaving and the lights being shut off and all of us doing the infamous Mark stretch and key jingle signaling game over. Donny took one for the team and stayed way past any sensible time for anyone to be in the dark in Fairfield Heights, and as a result the Marringer Brown act was created, which states if you bring friends and purvey the farce that you own the place, and they root for the opponent who beats the Jags, you gotta stay with them til they leave.
Rule 2 - The Asserolle Rule (2010) – A common sense rule. Nobody likes mayonnaise covered green beans. Nobody likes the dish your great aunt brought for Thanksgiving that was more liquid than solid served in a shallow rectangular dish. Nobody likes the dishes that get the “I guess people just weren’t hungry” that nobody eats but the same person makes them year in and year out and never gets the clue. So the rule was made, no Asserolle’s for Thanksgiving tailgate, and it has worked to ensure only good food makes it to this hollowed event.
Rule 3 - The Ron Rule (2016) – The food contests are one of the greatest things about the Cat Box and what’s cool about it is that it’s all homespun creations of everyone putting forth their best efforts. Except one year Ron grabbed a professionally cooked brisket off of the now defunct South In Your Mouth food truck and entered it as his own. After winning an award for his culinary masterpiece, Mark’s ever astute palette noticed it tasted eerily similar to a South In Your Mouth brisket and contacted Donny to check his suspicions, which Donny confirmed that Ron in fact was a fraud. Henceforth, any food in a contest not made by the entrant is disqualified from winning an award.
Rule 4 - The Moron Rule (2019) – If you are an active participant in an activity or event, there is an obvious risk that something may happen. For example, if you engage in a game of basketball in the street, you could very easily trip and fall and hit your face on the asphalt. It’s also possible someone may hit you with an elbow. It’s also possible someone could shoot the ball and have it take a weird angle off the rim and hit you in the earhole. In any case, those are inherent risks of engaging in that activity. The same applies for tailgating or say for example playing human foosball after drinking all day. If you are injured while participating in a voluntary free organic event with friends, it’s not a person’s fault, it’s not the Cat Box’s fault, it’s part of the risk of participating. If you happened to be sitting in a lawn chair minding your own business and I hit you in the head with a sledgehammer followed by cutting off your hand with a chain saw, then that one is on me. So, just so there is no question in the future and everyone understands how this works, and I don’t have to deal with another moron hiring an attorney in the future looking for money from me or the Cat Box, anyone tailgating or participating in any event at the Cat Box does so at their own risk. The Cat Box is now officially enter/park/play/eat/pee/poop/etc. at your own risk. If you bring a friend or enemy, you are responsible for explaining this to them. The Cat Box does not maintain insurance to cover injuries suffered there, so if that is a problem, then this is not the place for you. Attendance and participating at the Cat Box is strictly voluntary and no way coerced by anyone else. If you choose to be there or participate in an event, you are doing so on your own free will with the understanding there are possible consequences. If you or anyone you bring to the Cat Box decide to pursue legal action or feel the Cat Box or anyone there has a financial responsibility to you for an injury sustained from a non-malicious action, you and them will be banned from the Cat Box for no less than one year and possibly longer.
Rule #5 – Don’t Dew That (2023) – In the midst of the Bengals tailgate, a pungent, foul odor resembling the stench Lewis and Clark famously documented in their journal when they stumbled upon the remains of Bigfoot decomposing severed left testicle in the foothills of Oregon’s Cascade Range slowly wafted from the kitchen and encapsulated the Cat Box with it’s distinct and overpowering foulness. With no confirmed sightings of Bigfoot on the continent, much less Florida, in decades, this had to be something else attempting to murder the nostrils of Fairfield Heights. A few quick sniffs between fleeting retreats to the outdoors while in the discovery phase of this disaster led to only one answer. Someone had broken the unwritten rule of all office breakrooms. Someone was Dewing it. Someone was microwaving fish. Henceforth, microwaving fish at the Cat Box, like all other places other than your own home, is herby prohibited and this shall serve as notice not to Dew that again
As an aside and advice, if you don’t for whatever reason have health insurance, despite the government making subsidized health insurance available for people without the means to normally afford it, it’s probably best not to leave the house and if you do, not to come to the Cat Box.
The Cat Box is owned by Kruger Industrial Smoothing of Jax, LLC which maintains no assets other than the property at 1568 Fairfield Place. Are You In, Inc. is a not for profit corporation that uses the premises by agreement for tailgating fundraising events. All proceeds from these events are donated to charities or other worthy causes / individuals. Are You In, Inc. maintains a hold harmless agreement to protect its officers and Kruger Industrial Smoothing of Jax, LLC from all claims or liability occurring from the events it hosts at the premises. Are You In, Inc., does not maintain any assets. Liability insurance is not available for injuries suffered during these events and all activities at 1568 Fairfield Place are use at your own risk events. All individuals setting foot on site agree they do so at their own risk.
Rule 1 - The Marringer Brown Act (2008) - Glenn brought a few buddies from work to a Jags Browns game with a 4:30pm kickoff. Before the game, Glenn asked me to go along with the story that he told his cohorts on the way to the game that he owned the place, which wasn't a problem. As usual Glenn overenjoyed the tailgate and game and as usual the dear God I gotta get home to help Lisa get the kids to bed moment occurred postgame and he fired up the Malibu for his southbound sojourn to his St Johns County slice of Heaven. Back at the Box, Glenn’s friends, thinking he owned the place settled in to continue their bender and fire up their doobies to celebrate the Browns win over the Jags with no intention of leaving, despite everyone leaving and the lights being shut off and all of us doing the infamous Mark stretch and key jingle signaling game over. Donny took one for the team and stayed way past any sensible time for anyone to be in the dark in Fairfield Heights, and as a result the Marringer Brown act was created, which states if you bring friends and purvey the farce that you own the place, and they root for the opponent who beats the Jags, you gotta stay with them til they leave.
Rule 2 - The Asserolle Rule (2010) – A common sense rule. Nobody likes mayonnaise covered green beans. Nobody likes the dish your great aunt brought for Thanksgiving that was more liquid than solid served in a shallow rectangular dish. Nobody likes the dishes that get the “I guess people just weren’t hungry” that nobody eats but the same person makes them year in and year out and never gets the clue. So the rule was made, no Asserolle’s for Thanksgiving tailgate, and it has worked to ensure only good food makes it to this hollowed event.
Rule 3 - The Ron Rule (2016) – The food contests are one of the greatest things about the Cat Box and what’s cool about it is that it’s all homespun creations of everyone putting forth their best efforts. Except one year Ron grabbed a professionally cooked brisket off of the now defunct South In Your Mouth food truck and entered it as his own. After winning an award for his culinary masterpiece, Mark’s ever astute palette noticed it tasted eerily similar to a South In Your Mouth brisket and contacted Donny to check his suspicions, which Donny confirmed that Ron in fact was a fraud. Henceforth, any food in a contest not made by the entrant is disqualified from winning an award.
Rule 4 - The Moron Rule (2019) – If you are an active participant in an activity or event, there is an obvious risk that something may happen. For example, if you engage in a game of basketball in the street, you could very easily trip and fall and hit your face on the asphalt. It’s also possible someone may hit you with an elbow. It’s also possible someone could shoot the ball and have it take a weird angle off the rim and hit you in the earhole. In any case, those are inherent risks of engaging in that activity. The same applies for tailgating or say for example playing human foosball after drinking all day. If you are injured while participating in a voluntary free organic event with friends, it’s not a person’s fault, it’s not the Cat Box’s fault, it’s part of the risk of participating. If you happened to be sitting in a lawn chair minding your own business and I hit you in the head with a sledgehammer followed by cutting off your hand with a chain saw, then that one is on me. So, just so there is no question in the future and everyone understands how this works, and I don’t have to deal with another moron hiring an attorney in the future looking for money from me or the Cat Box, anyone tailgating or participating in any event at the Cat Box does so at their own risk. The Cat Box is now officially enter/park/play/eat/pee/poop/etc. at your own risk. If you bring a friend or enemy, you are responsible for explaining this to them. The Cat Box does not maintain insurance to cover injuries suffered there, so if that is a problem, then this is not the place for you. Attendance and participating at the Cat Box is strictly voluntary and no way coerced by anyone else. If you choose to be there or participate in an event, you are doing so on your own free will with the understanding there are possible consequences. If you or anyone you bring to the Cat Box decide to pursue legal action or feel the Cat Box or anyone there has a financial responsibility to you for an injury sustained from a non-malicious action, you and them will be banned from the Cat Box for no less than one year and possibly longer.
Rule #5 – Don’t Dew That (2023) – In the midst of the Bengals tailgate, a pungent, foul odor resembling the stench Lewis and Clark famously documented in their journal when they stumbled upon the remains of Bigfoot decomposing severed left testicle in the foothills of Oregon’s Cascade Range slowly wafted from the kitchen and encapsulated the Cat Box with it’s distinct and overpowering foulness. With no confirmed sightings of Bigfoot on the continent, much less Florida, in decades, this had to be something else attempting to murder the nostrils of Fairfield Heights. A few quick sniffs between fleeting retreats to the outdoors while in the discovery phase of this disaster led to only one answer. Someone had broken the unwritten rule of all office breakrooms. Someone was Dewing it. Someone was microwaving fish. Henceforth, microwaving fish at the Cat Box, like all other places other than your own home, is herby prohibited and this shall serve as notice not to Dew that again
As an aside and advice, if you don’t for whatever reason have health insurance, despite the government making subsidized health insurance available for people without the means to normally afford it, it’s probably best not to leave the house and if you do, not to come to the Cat Box.
The Cat Box is owned by Kruger Industrial Smoothing of Jax, LLC which maintains no assets other than the property at 1568 Fairfield Place. Are You In, Inc. is a not for profit corporation that uses the premises by agreement for tailgating fundraising events. All proceeds from these events are donated to charities or other worthy causes / individuals. Are You In, Inc. maintains a hold harmless agreement to protect its officers and Kruger Industrial Smoothing of Jax, LLC from all claims or liability occurring from the events it hosts at the premises. Are You In, Inc., does not maintain any assets. Liability insurance is not available for injuries suffered during these events and all activities at 1568 Fairfield Place are use at your own risk events. All individuals setting foot on site agree they do so at their own risk.
Sponsorships & Donations
We don't charge for parking, but we do rely on donations and sponsorship's of weekly tailgates to keep the Cat Box operating. All donations are tax deductible through Are You In, Inc, which is a non-profit 501(c)3.
Sponsorship opportunities include naming rights to one of the nine tailgating functions throughout the year. Sponsors will receive recognition on the website in addition to e-mail recognition the month of the tailgate, a reserved parking space and thre first eight will receive a locker for storage at the Cat Box. Sponsorship donations can be made online through the fundraising tab above.
If you can't help with a sponsorship, you can make a donation for a carload of people for the season to Are You In, Inc. to help offset operating expenses. All remaining proceeds will be used to fulfill the goals of Are You In. Follow the fundraising tab above.
For anyone coming to single games that would like to donate to Are You In, Inc. Follow the fundraising tab above.
Sponsorship opportunities include naming rights to one of the nine tailgating functions throughout the year. Sponsors will receive recognition on the website in addition to e-mail recognition the month of the tailgate, a reserved parking space and thre first eight will receive a locker for storage at the Cat Box. Sponsorship donations can be made online through the fundraising tab above.
If you can't help with a sponsorship, you can make a donation for a carload of people for the season to Are You In, Inc. to help offset operating expenses. All remaining proceeds will be used to fulfill the goals of Are You In. Follow the fundraising tab above.
For anyone coming to single games that would like to donate to Are You In, Inc. Follow the fundraising tab above.
Cat Box Pictures
Link To Old Cat Box Pictures
We got behind in 2012 posting pictures, but will do a better job in the future. Follow the link below to the Cat Box Shutterfly picture site
http://thecatbox.shutterfly.com/
http://thecatbox.shutterfly.com/
