Alcohol at SEC venues

81usaf92 · May 28, 2019

Based on the morons from neutral site games and NFL games I say Hell No. I don’t want to continuously have to get up everytime someone wants to make a beer run, or has to go to the bathroom because they are drunk.

Yes we have fools sneak in whiskey, but we also have folks sneak in a puff of smoke. I don’t see many folks advocating for smoking areas in the game just because some people smoke during the game.

We have enough idiots that go to ballgames that aren’t drunk, so why put a beer in their hands?

owenfieldreams · May 29, 2019

Impression on 12 year olds at the game...this reminded me of an experience I had at the OU/TX game years ago. I had my 10 year old daughter with me. Sitting right in front of us was a Horn fan with a t-shirt on that said on the back, " OU sucks & A&M swallows." My daughter never asked and I never volunteered. I've taken numerous children and grand children to games both pro and college including football, baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. Alcohol was always available either in the venue or at a tailgate. Usually, the rare incidents are handled expeditiously by authorities. It seems to me that availability of alcohol enhances the overall fan experience and that enhanced experience supercedes any concern for isolated incidents.

81usaf92 · May 29, 2019

owenfieldreams said:
Impression on 12 year olds at the game...this reminded me of an experience I had at the OU/TX game years ago. I had my 10 year old daughter with me. Sitting right in front of us was a Horn fan with a t-shirt on that said on the back, " OU sucks & A&M swallows." My daughter never asked and I never volunteered. I've taken numerous children and grand children to games both pro and college including football, baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. Alcohol was always available either in the venue or at a tailgate. Usually, the rare incidents are handled expeditiously by authorities. It seems to me that availability of alcohol enhances the overall fan experience and that enhanced experience supercedes any concern for isolated incidents.

Have you ever wondered why the SEC has really tried to seriously tone down the alcohol sales at a game that was called “ the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party”? It may have to do with two teams that have over the top fan bases with readily available alcohol at every corner is not a good idea.

Point is not all conferences are the same nor are conference fans. I couldn’t, nor would want to, imagine an Iron Bowl, TSIO, LSU-Auburn, or Alabama-LSU game with readily available alcohol in the stadium. I would almost rather them to serve cigarettes and lighters than serve stupid juice to stupid folks incapable of holding their alcohol even without alcohol.

TIDE-HSV · May 29, 2019

Like some others, I would hope that some who are arriving drunk now might not feel the pressure to drink ahead of time, if they could get a beer inside. Around ten years ago, my wife and I were already inside and seated when a young fellow came in with a partially empty pint whisky bottle actually sticking out of his back pocket. How he got past the gate, IDK. Anyway, he looked like he'd never attended a game before. He was standing, smiling and looking around, taking it all in, when he got this odd look on his face, pushed past us in a rush and we never saw him again. Maybe there'd be less of that sort of thing...

81usaf92 · May 29, 2019

TIDE-HSV said:
Like some others, I would hope that some who are arriving drunk now might not feel the pressure to drink ahead of time, if they could get a beer inside. Around ten years ago, my wife and I were already inside and seated when a young fellow came in with a partially empty pint whisky bottle actually sticking out of his back pocket. How he got past the gate, IDK. Anyway, he looked like he'd never attended a game before. He was standing, smiling and looking around, taking it all in, when he got this odd look on his face, pushed past us in a rush and we never saw him again. Maybe there'd be less of that sort of thing...

I think you are giving SEC fans too much credit. Remember a few of our most famous deplorables in the last 10 years had their moments of fame in New Orleans where drinking is in and immediately out of the stadium. All of the neutral site games have showed me that there are more drunks when you have alcohol readily available than when you don’t. In fact I think the drunks are more drunk when you do have it available in stadium because they pregame the same and binge during the game worse.

owenfieldreams · May 29, 2019

81usaf92 said:
Have you ever wondered why the SEC has really tried to seriously tone down the alcohol sales at a game that was called “ the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party”? It may have to do with two teams that have over the top fan bases with readily available alcohol at every corner is not a good idea.

Point is not all conferences are the same nor are conference fans. I couldn’t, nor would want to, imagine an Iron Bowl, TSIO, LSU-Auburn, or Alabama-LSU game with readily available alcohol in the stadium. I would almost rather them to serve cigarettes and lighters than serve stupid juice to stupid folks incapable of holding their alcohol even without alcohol.

This is why the OU/TX game has never been played at night. Both fan bases spending the entire day on the fairgrounds is a recipe for disaster.

81usaf92 · May 29, 2019

owenfieldreams said:
This is why the OU/TX game has never been played at night. Both fan bases spending the entire day on the fairgrounds is a recipe for disaster.

I think OU- Texas in Dallas is far and away more civil and respectful than Florida-UGA in Jacksonville. I’ve lived around Texas, aTm, and Oklahoma fans and they are there is nowhere near the mass stupidity and bitter and petty hatred as there are with UGA and UF. It’s a big reason to why I question some of the folks with the UF- UGA game on their bucket list.

I think where I would be in a more compromising mood on this whole idea is if there was a way to keep track of how many drinks someone could get or if it was only for day games and non rivalry games.

4Q Basket Case · May 29, 2019

The primary argument for sale of alcohol in BDS (other than the obvious revenue source) that people would drink less before the game because they'd know they didn't face a an in-game lack of availability.

Because we've never done this before, nobody knows for sure.

But if I can shotgun a 6-pack that I bought at the grocery store for $7, or at a bar for $5 apiece, why would I wait in order to spend $10-$15 (pricing assumption there) for an admittedly larger beer?

Maybe it would. I don't know. Financial logic doesn't always hold in those circumstances.

I've just seen so many problems. Not just mis-behavior, but also the incessant traffic to and from the bar, inevitably followed by to and from bathrooms. Seems that half the row is forever in transit. Then, as BAC increases, so does the incidence of forgetting where they are, and they just stop in mid-row, with their butts in your face, to watch a play or two of the action.

And when you ask them to move along, no matter how politely, put their face in yours, wanting to know how it is you come to be "telling me what to do."

In just those circumstances at the 2007 FSU game in Jacksonville, an Alabama fan invited me to perform what is still considered in the state of Alabama to be a crime against nature. A friend's 8-year-old daughter sitting two seats from me. I didn't respond, and he got a smattering of boos, but Lord knows I wanted to.

Again, I'm on record as enjoying my adult beverages, including on gamedays. And I know people smuggle it in. But I don't want it easily available inside the stadium.

DogPatch · May 29, 2019

KrAzY3 said:
The Saints are considered to have a really good home team advantage, right?

I have no idea. I now hate them after going a few times. I couldn't care less if they lost every game. After my last Saints game, I'd honestly have voted to bring back prohibition.

Bamabuzzard · May 29, 2019

DogPatch said:
I have no idea. I now hate them after going a few times. I couldn't care less if they lost every game. After my last Saints game, I'd honestly have voted to bring back prohibition.

Exactly the reason we quit going years ago (pre children). I went to watch the Saints play the Raiders on one occasion and the Packers on two more. After the last Packers game we decided that was it for us. People so drunk they were literally urinating in the parking garage in front of everyone walking by. Thank goodness I didn't have kids at that time. While in one of the games. Two people literally four rows down from us got into a fist fight (both Saints fans!) because one supposedly told the other's drunk wife to stop spilling beer on them everytime she would get up to go get another one.

I'm all for responsible adults being able to have a few at sporting events. But it's when the "responsible" part isn't present in the adults that I start to turn that ole judgmental, sutthun baptist crooked eye toward the idea. :biggrin2:

81usaf92 · May 29, 2019

I went to the Saints- Patriots game in 2017. I’ve never seen more obnoxious drunks at a ballgame in my life. The only pleasant part of that game was Brady carving the Saints apart.

selmaborntidefan · May 29, 2019

I'm not sure how I feel about it. A lot of y'all make a lot of good points.

I've been around folks who have started imbibing at 9 am. Unless you're Evel Knievel, I just don't think you need to do that. If we have a Verne and Gary game (which it will always be regardless of who is actually calling it), they get out there already blitzed more than the LSU quarterback.

On the flip side, Earle makes a good point and hopefully the COST of it will lower the willingness to over imbibe, but I suspect that will just cause people to down extra before going.

And what do you do if you're at a game - as happened a few years ago (ATM, I think) - and the entire plumbing system in the stadium goes out?

Also, and I hate to say this, but BY FAR the most obnoxious fans I've ever encountered with the bubbly is (unfortunately) our own.
Drunks at Jerry World when we played Michigan who were absurdly loud and reinforced every stereotype imaginable.
One I wanted to toss over the side of the South end zone at the 2014 Florida game, who wouldn't leave some nice UF folks alone, as if our football team was an extension of his manhood or something.

I can't say what I've seen makes me think it's a good idea.

DogPatch · May 29, 2019

selmaborntidefan said:
And what do you do if you're at a game - as happened a few years ago (ATM, I think) - and the entire plumbing system in the stadium goes out?

Correct.

selmaborntidefan said:
Also, and I hate to say this, but BY FAR the most obnoxious fans I've ever encountered with the bubbly is (unfortunately) our own.

Absolutely agree. I had a couple of LSU fans who were bewildered at how a Bama fan I was trying to keep from getting run over the by LSU team bus back in 2015 yelled at me.

edwd58 · May 29, 2019

One would think, or at least hope, that the exposure to potential liability issues for the University would be enough to keep this from happening. Currently, if someone gets into trouble/accident that is alcohol related the University is, for the most part I'd presume, not in line for any liability issues. However, once they start selling alcohol it would seem to open a Pandora's box on legal liability. The state's numerous personal injury lawyers can't wait for this to happen.

KrAzY3 · May 29, 2019

4Q Basket Case said:
The primary argument for sale of alcohol in BDS (other than the obvious revenue source)

Millions of dollars for the athletic department is no small argument on behalf of the sales, heh. This could potentially up total revenue 1% or more, just by selling people stuff they are drinking anyway.

DogPatch · May 30, 2019

edwd58 said:
The state's numerous personal injury lawyers can't wait for this to happen.

81usaf92 · May 30, 2019

KrAzY3 said:
Millions of dollars for the athletic department is no small argument on behalf of the sales, heh. This could potentially up total revenue 1% or more, just by selling people stuff they are drinking anyway.

Not worth it.

crimsonaudio · May 30, 2019

Has the SEC rule changed allowing this or are we simply discussing something that "could happen if"?

81usaf92 · May 30, 2019

crimsonaudio said:
Has the SEC rule changed allowing this or are we simply discussing something that "could happen if"?

I think many people are just assuming big things are going to happen at the next SEC meetings and the question of alcohol is going to one of the things addressed. I think the one thing that will swing it one way or another is the fact that the SEC saw it’s worst overall attendance since 2003 last year. Maybe they play the “alcohol will get folks in the stadiums” angle

Bamabuzzard · May 30, 2019

If the SEC is hell bent on selling alcohol inside the stadium I would hope they would make attempts ahead of time and put things in place to mitigate potential problems. Just some random thoughts of mine, maybe have designated areas inside the stadium (aka "Beer Gardens") as the only areas where beer can be bought and consumed. Or maybe have designated "family sections" where alcohol is prohibited within that section. I also think an easily accessed in game reporting system (much like Auburn does) where a fan can text a number with section and seat location of an out of control fan, and security quickly responds if it isn't in place already. Just some of my .02.

Alcohol at SEC venues

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