Should there be beer sales at Michigan Stadium?

Yes please and can we start by Oct. 11?!

MOAR Noise, and all that.....!!! ;-D

I'd support alcohol sales (stop at the end of halftime) and limited advertising by the scoreboard.

 

I am old by many standards here: 62.  I went to my first game in 1960 when I was eight.  I never really counted, but I ended up seeing well over 100 games before leaving Michigan in 1998.  When I started going to games, it was OK to bring alcohol into the stadium.  Some of my best, albiet cloudy, memories of the Big House are of the period in which I was legally old enough to drink and we were still allowed to bring alcohol into the stadium.

When they stopped allowing alcohol, I never understood why they didn't start selling it.  It would be a great revenue stream (on pun intended, honest) and it doesn't really detract from the experience.  If anything, it enhances the experience because people tend to be a bit less inhibited and root harder.

There is no real argument for prohibiting alcohol.  They can say it is to "protect children" but you can buy beer at professional sporting events, which are also attended by children. They can say it prevents bad behavior, but people stlll get arrested every game.  

Besides, is there anyone can say with a straght face that alcohol isn't a major part of many students' college experience?

When I lived in the Tampa Bay area, I went to a lot of USF basketball games and a few of their football games.  They sold beer there, too.  Nobody died.  Arrests weren't more than at any other sporting event.  Fan behavior was fine.  

All they are doing by prohibiting alcohol in the stadium is making those who want to drink drink too much before they get there and gobble down a few more beers before driving home.  

When I think of all the offenseive things that David Brandon has done to "increase revenue," I am floored that he hasn't decided to allow beer sales and take a helathy cut.

It's time to stop letting a misguiided sense of "morality" keep beer from being sold at UM sporting events.

 

Before leaving the tailgate so many fans down 2-3 beers and then walk with another 2, maybe a shot of something.  It would be better just to have a beer or two at the game instead of this shut down stuff...

Have no issue with it personally but understand some of the reasons there aren't.

The argument I absolutely don't agree with is it allowing people to sober up before leaving after tailgating. If someone has to drive somewhere then they should be making smart decisions period. If they're going to be driving drunk because they could have some beers during the game, then odds are it isn't the first or last time they've done that. Idiots will be idiots, plain and simple.

Personally, I'd love it, but I don't think it's a workable idea for a stadium that can't even get it together to properly vend bottles of water.  Think about it...no matter how hot and sunny, there are barely any (if any at all) in-seat water vendors.  For an AD obsessed with squeezing every penny of revenue, you'd think they could sell more efficiently, but they don't.

If...that's a big if...they could operate concessions properly, there would still be the problem of carding.  There will be tons of under-21 adults trying to buy and most concessions are staffed by children who aren't allowed to sell booze.  Of course, we could always hire an adult concession crew and sell beer, but it'd be a change from the "community" approach.

As a guy who sold booze for a living, I think you'd probably see an uptick in drunk assholes but maybe a slight lessening of the super-drunk falling down assholes as people wouldn't have to rush the drunk so quickly before the game.  I also think it'd be safe to estimate $12/head for drink sales (roughly $1.4 million is sales) per game.  That's a lot of money and maybe enough to deal with the headaches and staffing changes that would be required.  Nearly $10,000,000 per season might even make an AD think twice about neutral site games in generic NFL cities.

Yes... I don't need Big Brother trying to determine anything for me.

If they were to sell alcohol they'd need to add restrooms. The winter classic was a damn mess

Purdue is replacing the South endzone bleachers with a beer and wine garden that will be restricted to season ticket holders and students with "VIP cards."  It should be interesting to see how that works out. 

http://www.indianasnewscenter.com/sports/Purdue-Plans-Endzone-Patio-Limited-Beer--Wine-Sales-At-Ross-Ade-Stadium-266275431.html

 

On bottles of water. Charging $4.50 is outright theft by the Athletic Dept.

I need that time to sober up.

years ago.  Then the drunks on the red cedar ruined that ...  and their kids that think they are receiving a viable education in EL. 

24/7

I was led to believe the no alcohol rule was a B1G policy.

I think they should sell beer in Michigan Stadium. Plus, more money for Dave. I went to a Nationals game the other night and a "premium" beer (Heineken/Sam Adams) is $9.75. 

More revenue is unecessary.

Legalize the use of marijuana! Sell it in the stadium instead and watch the nacho profits go through the stratosphere. Everyone is then mellow and DB looks really good to the Regents because of his ability to make money for the school and program. There is an awful lot of win here.

Minnesota managed to LOSE money in its first year of alcohol sales. http://m.startribune.com/?id=199077011

I mean...students (and surely others) already drink in the stadium anyways and it's not beer. I don't think long lines to pay 10 bucks for a 20 oz watered down bud light is going to significantly change crowd behavior at all. Like many have said, it works fine in hundreds of pro and college stadiums around the country already. If anything it'll liven up the people sitting on their hands out there.

This reply is not scientific and naturally only applies to a percentage of people attending the game so forgive:

Assuming somebody of average size has a few drinks before the game and they walk in with their blood alcohol level at 120mgs/100ml (1 1/2 times the legal limit - a good buzz but not wasted).  They sit in the game for 4 hours an their BAC goes down 15mgs/hour (that's the recognized absorption rate - coffee, etc. doesn't speed that up).  They leave the game at 60mgs/100ml (below the legal but in Ontario still high enough to lose your licence for 3 days).  Even one beer during the game has them leaving over the limit.

I hate that we have so many rules and that they are actually there to police stupidity and irresponsibilty but they are.  I love the game atmosphere. I love that I can bring my kids.  I love that I can have a few before the game.  I love the game enough that I don't need to be hammered (unless we have another bad season).

Nice to be back on the board.