News Article: Alabama football takes step for alcohol sales at Bryant-Denny

4Q Basket Case

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Anybody who knows me knows I enjoy my wine. I drink beer on game days, and Mrs. Basket Case and I have a ceremonial Jack and Coke before heading to the stadium. But that's where it stops, at least until after the game.

I had a similar experience to Toddrn at that 2007 Florida State game, and saw a couple of fights in the stands, between Alabama fans. Plus, as also cited above, people were forever getting up to get another beer, or visit the restroom....it was really annoying. Then there's the lowered inhibitions and screaming profanity, regardless of whether there are kids in earshot.

It just further erodes the gameday experience, and I have no desire for BDS to evolve into Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge) North.

Yeah, I know....people smuggle booze in. Shoot, when I was a student, I did as well. But all it takes is one drunk fool to ruin the experience for a couple hundred people, and making alcohol easily accessible in the stadium is begging for trouble.

I enjoy my adult beverages. I just don't want it easily available in the stadium.
 
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KrAzY3

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Meh.

Bama could refuse to sell alcohol at BDS and they would still remain in the top three in total revenue.

A few million isn't going to make much difference in the grand scheme of things, butI I 100% guarantee it will diminish many, many people's enjoyment of the live experience. And I'm not a teetotaler. Just wait, the stories will be rolling in as soon as they start this.
They're not top 3 in revenue though...

Alabama has been pretty consistently falling behind Texas, Michigan, and Ohio State, in some cases we're talking 30-50 million in a single year (and now all 3 of those schools are due for a pay increase). Once Ohio State and Texas started the alcohol sales and other SEC programs did as well, it seemed pretty inevitable.

I'm not saying it's good for the sport mind you. A lot of things have happened in recent years I don't think are good for the sport, but it's really hard to choose to opt out of them when other schools are taking advantage.
 

81usaf92

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They're not top 3 in revenue though...

Alabama has been pretty consistently falling behind Texas, Michigan, and Ohio State, in some cases we're talking 30-50 million in a single year (and now all 3 of those schools are due for a pay increase). Once Ohio State and Texas started the alcohol sales and other SEC programs did as well, it seemed pretty inevitable.

I'm not saying it's good for the sport mind you. A lot of things have happened in recent years I don't think are good for the sport, but it's really hard to choose to opt out of them when other schools are taking advantage.
Yeah those alcohol sales are really going to be great once it drives Alabama’s attendance equal to an average NFL team.
 

Tug Tide

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I wouldn’t want any sort of buzz coming and going from the upper end zone seats we were in for last years Ark game. It was a last minute decision to surprise our middle son for his birthday and those were the only affordable tix I could find with 7 together. Never will I sit in those sections of the stadium again.
 
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Tide&True

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For anyone suggesting this won't be any different from the people who sneak in airline bottles to pour into their sodas, I wish I had 1% of your optimism.

UA is hell-bent on squeezing every dollar they can out of the football program, regardless as to whether or not it destroys the product in the meantime.

Oh well, it's just one more reason for me to stay home and watch the game. I can drink as much or little as I wish and don't have to tolerate those who have no self-control.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Though I’ve been to Tuscaloosa very many times over the years I don’t plan on returning anytime soon.
 

uafan4life

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Yawn.

These sound like the same arguments certain people try to make about dry cities/counties going wet. Yet, over time, after a dry area goes wet you see DUIs, public intoxication, and other alcohol-related arrests go down, not up.

Individuals either have self-control or they don't. Yes, you'll likely see more incidents than would be expected early during the adjustment - due to the elimination of a portion of the natural limitation that existed before alcohol sales were allowed - but not astronomical numbers, if even statistically significant numbers, and the expected norm will materialize over time. You will, of course, hear anecdotal incidents but a single person's experience, statistically, is worth less than nothing.

After a few years, people won't be able to reliably recount the differences in the experience before versus after the alcohol sales - outside, of course, the sales themselves...
 
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bamamoss2

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I don't and won't go to BD anymore. I like my beer and occasional Wild Turkey. I doibt that a beer will much less than $10 at BD. If I were going, I certainly would not pony up the $$. Heck, as someone has stated, I hate TO MISS A PLAY HAVING TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND IT HACKS ME OFF AT THOSE HAVING TO GO DURING THE GAME interrupting my view. TV at home is much more amenable to me.
 

4Q Basket Case

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I don't and won't go to BD anymore. I like my beer and occasional Wild Turkey. I doibt that a beer will much less than $10 at BD. If I were going, I certainly would not pony up the $$. Heck, as someone has stated, I hate TO MISS A PLAY HAVING TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND IT HACKS ME OFF AT THOSE HAVING TO GO DURING THE GAME interrupting my view. TV at home is much more amenable to me.
This actually brings up a pet peeve that’s only tangentially related to alcohol in the stadium — people not understanding when are the right times to leave their seats and when to return.

For the sake of all that’s holy, people…DON’T GET UP TO GO TO THE CONCESSION STAND OR THE BATHROOM DURING GAME ACTION.

There are plenty of natural breaks in game action, and TV time-outs only add to the number. Unless you have a no-foolin’ emergency, wait until one of those.

Same concept on the return trip, though it’s admittedly a bit harder to time that. If you’re on the way back and get caught in the aisle when game action resumes, have some consideration for other people in the stands. Crouch down, wait for the play to be over, then continue on to your seat.

How stinkin’ hard is this?!? It’s really about situational awareness, not having your head up where the sun don’t shine, and consideration of your fellow fans…..three things that are in short supply everywhere, not in any way limited to BDS.

Rant over. We return to your originally scheduled programming.
 
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4Q Basket Case

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The only reason alcohol hasn't been allowed in BDS before now is police security. The City of Tuscaloosa was balking at the cost of overtime to staff the game, and the University didn't want to pony up. It's one of the few town / gown conflicts I can remember, and I grew up here.

Looks like they reached a compromise -- the University will provide scholarships for the children of TPD officers. I don't know how many scholarships will be provided or exactly what they'll cover. But whatever the specifics, it's a smart move by UA.

Because of the higher education business model I've discussed in other threads (High Fixed Cost / Low Marginal Cost), it costs UA almost nothing to put a few more students through school, and the scholarship is worth a whole lot to the recipient.

The proposal goes before the Tuscaloosa City Council tonight and is expected to pass.
 

Padreruf

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The one thing I've found impossible to do is to argue with a drunk...I can never manage that well. Going to Utah State with spouse, son, his wife and 2 daughters. Sure hoping "The Zone" is kid friendly...
 

4Q Basket Case

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The one thing I've found impossible to do is to argue with a drunk...I can never manage that well. Going to Utah State with spouse, son, his wife and 2 daughters. Sure hoping "The Zone" is kid friendly...
You're probably aware of this, but season ticketholders in The Zone have their own personally-assigned lockers where they can stock their favorite booze and mixers.

Still, I wouldn't worry too much because:
- I've never personally heard of someone getting sloppy, loud or obnoxious in The Zone. It's been open for...I don't know...15 - 20 years now. So I'm sure a few incidents have happened somewhere along the way. But I think it's safe to assume behavior like that would be highly unusual. Even if it did happen, I promise you that security would squash it quickly and quietly.

- Also, the annual donation is pretty steep. I want to say a couple grand per ticket, plus the price of the tickets. That tends to price out riff-raff with poor self-control.

Folks who have the money to shell out that much for football tickets just don't typically show their hindquarters in public, especially when mixing with others of similar financial means.

Again, I'm not saying there's zero chance of the kids hearing something they shouldn't -- there's always the possibility of a jerk. I am saying the probability is pretty small, and only place it would be smaller is in the President's Box.
 
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Toddrn

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This actually brings up a pet peeve that’s only tangentially related to alcohol in the stadium — people not understanding when are the right times to leave their seats and when to return.

For the sake of all that’s holy, people…DON’T GET UP TO GO TO THE CONCESSION STAND OR THE BATHROOM DURING GAME ACTION.

There are plenty of natural breaks in game action, and TV time-outs only add to the number. Unless you have a no-foolin’ emergency, wait until one of those.

Same concept on the return trip, though it’s admittedly a bit harder to time that. If you’re on the way back and get caught in the aisle when game action resumes, have some consideration for other people in the stands. Crouch down, wait for the play to be over, then continue on to your seat.

How stinkin’ hard is this?!? It’s really about situational awareness, not having your head up where the sun don’t shine, and consideration of your fellow fans…..three things that are in short supply everywhere, not in any way limited to BDS.

Rant over. We return to your originally scheduled programming.
It's called respect for others. Which the majority of people do not have anymore. Don't get me started.
 

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