UMD has voted to allow alcohol sales
- Thread starter bashby33
- Start date
I don't know about attendance, but it will no doubt increase revenue. Most stadium beers are 8-10 dollars a pop, and the more you have, the less you care about the price. Now it might all balance out thanks to liability based on any alcohol-fueled incidents in the longrun, but short-term, there's $$ to be made.
If they can do it in Maryland, then why can't/won't we do it in SC? Unless you believe (as some do in SC) that college football is a religious experience, then start pourin' the suds, fellas!
Yeah that jumped out at me too. Unless you're Carrie Nation I don't understand a no vote.
I won't lose sleep over it either way, but I don't understand why it's so hard for some folks to do without a beer for approximately 3 hours. Also, some folks just don't know when enough is enough. I've seen folks passed out, puking, fighting, etc, and that was with no alcohol sales in WB. How bad will it be if they can keep feeding the beast during the game. Also, we probably shouldn't discuss the amount of people who are technically DUI when they head home.
So the other side to this argument is it could reduce the amount of drinking beforehand. I can't tell you how many times I see people start chugging beers on the walk in because they know there won't be any inside.
This is, in a nutshell, why the overall better behaved crowds are in stadiums that allow alcohol than the ones that don't. The other factor is time of game. In my experience, the most sedate crowds are day games where alcohol is sold and the most boisterous are night games where alcohol is not sold.
I drink a lot and voted No.
Football games bring enough amateurs to the table. They don't need 4 more hours of drinking after binging at a tailgate.
Of course, they don't need "4 more hours of drinking after binging at a tailgate". The point is there is less likely to be binging in the first place. I live in a pro sports town and have been to tons of games and the overall crowd behavior is demonstrably worse where alcohol is not sold.
Yeah, take UGA, for example. They don't sell beer or liquor in Sanford Stadium and look at how nice, civil and good sportsmanship-like them Dawg fans conduct themselves. Like a prayer meeting in the First Baptist Church, right, ya'll?
West Virginia did in stadium alcohol sales this past season and the results were striking. Arrests for drinking, drunkeness and fighting went DOWN dramatically.
I know this is counter intuitive but it happened. Theories abound: less of a need to tank up prior to the game. More supervision inside the stadium. Etc
I know this is counter intuitive but it happened. Theories abound: less of a need to tank up prior to the game. More supervision inside the stadium. Etc
I lived in several pro sports cities and none rival the crap you have to deal with to go to a USC game.
How many of your pro sports crowd are 18-21 and get their tickets for free ?
Typically, the NFL/NHL guy spending over $100/ticket isn't going to jeopardize them by being a drunken ass. There's a reason Walmart doesn't sell beer.
The binge before will happen regardless because of the "I better shoot some Jack for free at the tailgate before I have to spend $9/beer in the stadium."
Yall think our concessions and restroom lines are bad now? Consider that. USC Athletics can't figure out how to have food left after halftime.
Going to the games is already losing its luster.. add in a few additional in-game annoyances and I can watch us go 8-5 from home.
Ask yourself why they are binging in the first place. It's kinda like saying we don't need Sunday alcohol sales because people are buying alcohol from the bootleggers.
Sorry for the non sequitur as I should have assumed most would not be able to follow along. I meant Walmart does not sell beer for you to consume while you shop there.
As far as the binge goes, do you think someone will rationally think to slow down the drinking at a tailgate because they can get a 32oz Miller Lite (limit one per person at a time) in the stadium?
Anyway, yall want booz then go for it. It may take conveniences like that to keep the fanbase happy.
Could be. Or could be other reasons. Maybe WVU had fewer night games or "big" games this past year. It should also be noted that since WVU joined the Big 12, they don't play any of their traditional rivals any more like Pitt, Virginia Tech, or Maryland. It seems that most people who "tank up" are more likely to tank up for the bigger games than they are for the middleweight ones.
At any rate, I'm not sure that the guy who binge drinks 10 minutes before walking into the stadium is the guy who needs to be driving our policy discussions about stadium alcohol sales. He's an ignorant moron and I don't see how selling $8 beers in the stadium is going to prevent him from being one. If he binge drinks because he can't buy beer in the stadium, then he will probably binge drink because he can't _afford_ to buy beer in the stadium too.
Good spirited discussion. Lots of factors to think about. Thanks.
Regardless, I'll attend a baseball game any day over football. Lower ticket prices, less parking hassles, and spectators seem less likely to drink (irresponsibly).
I don't buy the "typical" pro sports guy spends $100 bucks a ticket and is all about good behavior. Yes, a college crowd has approximately 15-20% students and they drink more. I know. I used to be one. But a pro crowd is pretty diverse too across all age ranges and demographics. (Ok, maybe not the NHL.) So I still think it's a valid comparison.
Anyway, I think the issue would make a great Freakonomics topic. I may actually suggest that to them.
Anyway, I think the issue would make a great Freakonomics topic. I may actually suggest that to them.
Yes, it makes far more sense to buy a beer in the stadium at a higher price than to pound 10 shots of liquor and risk puking or blacking out.
I think it would help attendance and make money. I see a lot of folks leaving early to get a drink also. If someone wants to drink they can smuggle it in anyway. I've been to bowl games that sold beer and there didn't seem to be any problems with it. The first step is to get the SEC to allow it. They should not be able to tell us whether we can sell alcohol or not.
You need to attend a couple of NFL games if you believe that the crowds that have alcohol available in the stadium are better behaved than those that don't. What you see of the crowds on TV does not do the experience justice.
I'll give the NFL credit, they have worked for years on the "don't get over-served" message, and curtailing alcohol sales in the 3rd Quarter, but decent behavior and alcohol availability in the stadium is far from combination that makes everything better.
Um, I have, I save ticket stubs and keep a list. 92 Falcon games since the 80s. Twice that many Carolina, UGA and Bama games. That's the sample size that I use and I totally stand by my comments.
Fair enough.
My personal sample size includes attending games played in the Chicago, Green Bay, and Indianapolis over the last 10 years. A friend that has Jets tickets has also provided feedback to me.
I buy that your experiences differ given that I'm told a totally different vibe exists with the northern franchises.
Wrapping up, I just think it's something to try and I don't think a blanket no way, no how makes sense. I can understand the reservations. Ironically, if they had it on offer, unless they're selling some local brew, I'd probably pass myself.
