Retaking the NFL from the drunks

[Skkorpion]

Hooray for the Meadowlands, Giants and Jets management. It's a start. We don't have the same problem here but it is occasionally becomming an issue.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8441544/Less-tailgating-time-for-Giants,-Jets-fans

I enjoy drinking a couple of beers or some wine while tailgating. Or having a beer in the stadium if it's too hot to tailgate. But drunks ruin the game experience for everybody, if the drunks get aggressive or sick.

 

[Solar7]

At first, I was a bit unhappy about the policing of certain stadium norms, but the cutdown from seven hours to five hours seems more than appropriate. I don't drink more than 3-4 beers before stadium entry, and then no more than 3-4 while in the stadium. Even then, that's quite a bit. Seven hours of pregaming seems to be a bit excessive.

I do get worried about the degree to which these rules will become enforced in stadiums, however. During the preseason, I remain seated most of the game, but I feel that fans should be on their feet and cheering if it's an important down or play in the game. Hopefully faithful fans aren't punished due to the complaints of other teams' fans.

 

[slanidrac16]

Perhaps teams will have to consider "Standing Permitted" areas. Many fans are simply rabid and I would hate to see that enthusiasm tempered.

 

[azmike74]

Great, where am I going to get drunk on Sundays now, church?

 

[CardEd]

Great, hope we follow trend and open up 5 hours early for tailgating

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Hooray for the Meadowlands, Giants and Jets management. It's a start. We don't have the same problem here but it is occasionally becomming an issue.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8441544/Less-tailgating-time-for-Giants,-Jets-fans

I enjoy drinking a couple of beers or some wine while tailgating. Or having a beer in the stadium if it's too hot to tailgate. But drunks ruin the game experience for everybody, if the drunks get aggressive or sick.

Yes lets punish everyone because of the select few.

I completely disagree here. Tailgating is not just about drinking. It is about camaderie, relaxing, and most importantly maximizing the value of your extremely over priced tickets.

You want to stop drunks in the stadium? Then stop selling beer earlier. No team will do this because they don't want to stop the drunks inside, they want to limit the free drinking and eating outside.

 

[azmike74]

You want to stop drunks in the stadium? Then stop selling beer earlier. No team will do this because they don't want to stop the drunks inside, they want to limit the free drinking and eating outside.

I agree with you Chris, you can't buy beer at college stadiums, has that cut down on the drunks?
I understand drunks do ruin the fun for people, I have seen it and I have caused it. The embarrassment it caused me was enough to get me to tone it down. Back in '98 or '99 I tried to take on about 8 New York Giant fans in the upper deck and the next day I couldn't live with my ignorance.
I still have beers while tailgaiting, and may have one or two at the game, but will never make an ass out of myself like that again.

 

[WildBB]

Hooray for the Meadowlands, Giants and Jets management. It's a start. We don't have the same problem here but it is occasionally becomming an issue.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8441544/Less-tailgating-time-for-Giants,-Jets-fans

I enjoy drinking a couple of beers or some wine while tailgating. Or having a beer in the stadium if it's too hot to tailgate. But drunks ruin the game experience for everybody, if the drunks get aggressive or sick.

Could'nt agree more. There is a fine line between passion and aggression in the NFL stands today. Many in the home stadiums cross that line w/o much if any provocation.
And there's a big difference between good natured smack and it's challenging confrontational (by excessive drinking) ugly sibling.

I also agree with C. Sanders that organizations who really want to make a statement about it should cut off booze earlier and not be so hypercritical for profitt purposes.

 

[Duckjake]

I agree with you Chris, you can't buy beer at college stadiums, has that cut down on the drunks?
I understand drunks do ruin the fun for people, I have seen it and I have caused it. The embarrassment it caused me was enough to get me to tone it down. Back in '98 or '99 I tried to take on about 8 New York Giant fans in the upper deck and the next day I couldn't live with my ignorance.
I still have beers while tailgaiting, and may have one or two at the game, but will never make an ass out of myself like that again.

It actually makes things worse as fans smuggle in flasks of whiskey. So instead of the weaker beer they're downing 100 proof bourbon.

If the season tickets are being used by someone other than the owner, the owner will be sent two warnings. A third incident will result in revocation, said Dennis Robinson, authority president and CEO.

The ticket brokers offices will be flooded with mail.

 

[PoolBoy]

Yes lets punish everyone because of the select few.

I completely disagree here. Tailgating is not just about drinking. It is about camaderie, relaxing, and most importantly maximizing the value of your extremely over priced tickets.

You want to stop drunks in the stadium? Then stop selling beer earlier. No team will do this because they don't want to stop the drunks inside, they want to limit the free drinking and eating outside.

exactly.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I can't imagine tailgating for seven hours in November or December in Jersey. Too freaking cold.

 

[RedLine]

Dayumm, I would like to see some exposed breasts in the UOP
Stadium! The No Fun League strikes out again!

 

[cardsfanmd]

Yes lets punish everyone because of the select few.

I completely disagree here. Tailgating is not just about drinking. It is about camaderie, relaxing, and most importantly maximizing the value of your extremely over priced tickets.

You want to stop drunks in the stadium? Then stop selling beer earlier. No team will do this because they don't want to stop the drunks inside, they want to limit the free drinking and eating outside.

Exactly

It actually makes things worse as fans smuggle in flasks of whiskey. So instead of the weaker beer they're downing 100 proof bourbon.

 

[Timm Rosenbach]

I am with you skkorp in the fact that drunken maniacs ruin the game for everyone when mixed in with families and the general populus. I believe that, like in college games with the student sections, there should be a designated area where security backs off a little bit and let's things go. Some of my best experiences at Card games were in the south end zone at SDS where card fans got boisterous in their defense of the team. On the other hand, I remember my dad taking me to a Cards v. Giants game in the early 90s with my sister and mom. The game was ruined by two beer-spilling maniacs who referred to Dave Meggett as Dave Fa..ott over and over. There needs to be a section for guys like that because they are card fans too.

 

[black]

When I go to St. Louie I have a couple of beers with a meal. Tailgating for me is the great food. No sense in getting a big blatter of pee everytime you are waiting for action at the game. Do I get drunkers? Yes, after the game!

 

[Darth Llama]

It is about camaderie, relaxing, and most importantly maximizing the value of your extremely over priced tickets.

You can't be serious? How does allowing people to get drunk for 7 hours maximize ticket value? You don't even need a ticket to tailgate, you can sit in front of the stadium with or without a ticket. All you need is a parking pass, and even then just one per vehicle. Everyone doesn't need one.

I think it's a good policy. Letting people drink for 7 hours before the game won't have any positive result. I have no issue with tailgating or having a few beers and enjoying the day, but 7 hours worth is excessive. Four hours is more then enough IMO.

 

[Capital Card]

All I have to say is WOW. People set up shop at 6AM for a 1 O'clock game? I don't wake up that early to go fishing.

Go Cards!!!

 

[bratwurst]

I haven't any real issues at Redskins games wearing Cards gear. In Baltimore I had pretty much zero problems. This though, is wearing a Tillman jersey, where people actually came up to me and said that it was the only non home team jersey they wouldn't give crap to. I had a couple people give me a bit of hate and then watched those idiots get lambasted by home team fans because "don't you know whose jersey that is?" kind of stuff.

I'm going to the Jets game this year, first row of the upper deck so we'll see what happens there.

 

[justAndy]

The elephant in the room is the huge $ that beer companies give NFL teams - ever noticed the "Budweiser Red Zone" at UOP?
There's some disingenuousness going on here by NFL franchises.
It's part of NFL regs that beer sales continue until end of 3rd Q.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I haven't any real issues at Redskins games wearing Cards gear. In Baltimore I had pretty much zero problems. This though, is wearing a Tillman jersey, where people actually came up to me and said that it was the only non home team jersey they wouldn't give crap to. I had a couple people give me a bit of hate and then watched those idiots get lambasted by home team fans because "don't you know whose jersey that is?" kind of stuff.

Well there's your answer. Half of peoploe respect what he did as an American too much to really even see the cardinal logo on his jersey, and the other half dont want to get harrassed by the first half.

The Skins fans were cool though. I sat and talked smac with these Jamaican gy the whole game and had a blast in Washington, but I was also in club seats.

I sat in the second row of the upper level in B'more and it was pure HELL!!! My dad was a week removed from heart surgery and I was honestly regretting letting him come the whole time. At the half we were down 20-3 and went to get a drink and some cornholio smacked him in the back of the head. This kid almost lost his life right then and there. I hate to sound racist, but every black fan we met at the Raven's game was cool and actually complimented us on having the balls to come in there with red on. The white trash from the Dundalk area were terrible. We had peanuts and ice cubes thrown at us the whole game. When Edge busted a 20yd run in the first quarter this pencilnecked clown behind me called me a F@***ot and I had to quickly explain to him what would happen if he opened his hole again. What's worse is that those are my season tickets and I have been in them since the stadium opened. These people have known me for years!! When the game got close in the end I told my Dad if we won he was gonna have to take his Card's stuff off and give it to me, get out of the stadium alone and me me at the car. Not cool.

I'm going to the Jets game this year, first row of the upper deck so we'll see what happens there.

That game is on my birthday. I'll see you there.

 

[DieHardCardFan]

You can't be serious? How does allowing people to get drunk for 7 hours maximize ticket value? You don't even need a ticket to tailgate, you can sit in front of the stadium with or without a ticket. All you need is a parking pass, and even then just one per vehicle. Everyone doesn't need one.

I think it's a good policy. Letting people drink for 7 hours before the game won't have any positive result. I have no issue with tailgating or having a few beers and enjoying the day, but 7 hours worth is excessive. Four hours is more then enough IMO.

Not everyone just drinks the whole time they are allowed to tailgate. And at UOP we are only permited to enter the parking area 4 hours before the game.

Now 4 hours is plenty of time for me. But after the game we like to hangout with everyone and talk about the game. At SDS we would stay for hours after the game.

My point is just because the time is available doesnt mean people are just gonna drink the whole time.

 

[SuperSpck]

The elephant in the room is the huge $ that beer companies give NFL teams - ever noticed the "Budweiser Red Zone" at UOP?
There's some disingenuous going on here by NFL franchises.
It's part of NFL regs that beer sales continue until end of 3rd Q.

That's the catch that rubs me raw.

To this point in time Goodell seems to be genuine in wanting to effect change for the better both on and off the field.

BUT the league has been drowning in booze money after prohibition ended.

That's not a problem if people could be trusted to have fun without crossing the line, but this rule doesn't seem to be about protecting people from themselves, but protecting other people from inconvenience.

This is tricky, isn't it?

 

[Sandan]

I'm not a big fan of restrictions either.

However it always seems to be the few who go to far that end up getting restrictions placed on everybody else.

 

[Darth Llama]

Not everyone just drinks the whole time they are allowed to tailgate. And at UOP we are only permited to enter the parking area 4 hours before the game.

Now 4 hours is plenty of time for me. But after the game we like to hangout with everyone and talk about the game. At SDS we would stay for hours after the game.

My point is just because the time is available doesnt mean people are just gonna drink the whole time.

I understand your point, and you're right. Just because people are hanging out doesn't mean they are drinking. I still think 4 hours is more then enough time though. There are sports bars and all kinds of places that people can hang out before and after a game. I'm all for hanging out and talking football before or after a game, I just think there has to be some limit before it just becomes loitering. I think 7 hours is a little excessive, that's all.

 

[black]

Well there's your answer. Half of peoploe respect what he did as an American too much to really even see the cardinal logo on his jersey, and the other half dont want to get harrassed by the first half.

The Skins fans were cool though. I sat and talked smac with these Jamaican gy the whole game and had a blast in Washington, but I was also in club seats.

I sat in the second row of the upper level in B'more and it was pure HELL!!! My dad was a week removed from heart surgery and I was honestly regretting letting him come the whole time. At the half we were down 20-3 and went to get a drink and some cornholio smacked him in the back of the head. This kid almost lost his life right then and there. I hate to sound racist, but every black fan we met at the Raven's game was cool and actually complimented us on having the balls to come in there with red on. The white trash from the Dundalk area were terrible. We had peanuts and ice cubes thrown at us the whole game. When Edge busted a 20yd run in the first quarter this pencilnecked clown behind me called me a F@***ot and I had to quickly explain to him what would happen if he opened his hole again. What's worse is that those are my season tickets and I have been in them since the stadium opened. These people have known me for years!! When the game got close in the end I told my Dad if we won he was gonna have to take his Card's stuff off and give it to me, get out of the stadium alone and me me at the car. Not cool.



That game is on my birthday. I'll see you there.

Kick his ass sea bass!!!!