CollegiateLuggage.com - Where facts and opinions come to party

Here in Atlanta (home to 5.5 million people including an enormous number of collegiate and pro football fans) you can enjoy a virtual tailgating experience at one of many of the area's sports bars. The trick is finding the best places to go depending upon which team you're rooting for. Thanks to painstaking research that some nice folks at the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper did, I willingly share with you a list of venues for collegiate (and pro) football fans to visit on Game day:

• At American Pie in Sandy Springs you'll find hundreds of Buckeye football fans convening for Saturday's games in a tradition dating back at least 8 years.
  
  
• Mazzy's Sports Bar + Grill in East Cobb turns itself into a mini "Swamp" with orange and blue balloons and decor. The servers dress in Florida's orange and blue Gator football jerseys and a crowd of up to 300 fans shows up to spectate and "chomp" on game days.
  
  
• In a pre-arranged deal with the bar, fans of Michigan football who meet at Pepperoni's Tavern in Alpharetta are guaranteed space plus lots of TV screens so they can cheer on "The Blue".
  
  
• The Fieldhouse in Dacula: Georgia, Alabama and Auburn (for wild fun, got there during the playing of the "Iron Bowl").
  
  
• Barnacles on Market Street in Duluth: Georgia, Georgia Tech and a really BIG Pittsburgh Steelers following. Some folks actually tailgate in the parking lot.
  
  
• Jocks & Jills on Jimmy Carter Blvd. in Norcross - Arkansas, Miami, Nebraska, Ole Miss and the Cleveland Browns.
  
  
• Jeffrey's Sports Grill on Horizon Drive in Suwanee - Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia Tech.
  
  
• Locos Grill & Pub on Duluth Highway in Lawrenceville - The Dawgs.
  
  
• Dillon's Restaurant & Sports Bar on Dogwood Road, Lawrenceville - Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
  
  
• Digger's Sports Grill at Parkside Walk Lane, Lawrenceville - Ohio State, Georgia and the Miami Dolphins.
  
  
• Star Time Entertainment Sports Bar on Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell - Clemson
  
  
• Laseter's Tavern in Vinings - West Virginia, Pittsburgh Steelers
  
  
• Trilogy on Davidson Road in Marietta - Kentucky
  
  
• The Wing Factory on Roswell Road in Atlanta - Notre Dame

Of course, nothing can take the place of being there when your team wins one, but there is something to be said for spending a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday high-fiving and shouting cheers with your new bunch of friends who were (until a few hours before) total strangers. One of my customers met his wife of 3 years at one of these game-watching parties. His team won and, it seems, so did he!

There are dozens of other places to go for football and basketball game viewing that did not make our short list above. Remember, I sell Swiss Army Brand collegiate luggage, travel and business gear, so if you have a special place you'd like to recommend, let me know.