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Sun 21 Nov, 2004 01:20 am
In light of the recent brawl in Detroit, do you think alcohol should be served or banned at professional sporting events ?
IMO, it is the Professional Athlete who was out of line in going after the fan in the stands. Period. These professionals get paid millions of dollars and to take on that responsibility of being such a professional, they should know how to ignore or tune out ANY fan for any reason. They are there to play their sport. Not let the fans get to them.
Lady J wrote:IMO, it is the Professional Athlete who was out of line in going after the fan in the stands. Period. These professionals get paid millions of dollars and to take on that responsibility of being such a professional, they should know how to ignore or tune out ANY fan for any reason. They are there to play their sport. Not let the fans get to them.
Even when they are pelted by rocks and garbage ?
in Croatia there's recent law /few months old/ that bans serving of alcohol during the game and two hours before the game in the hall or stadium where game is to took place.
Artest is payed too good to allow himself such a reaction, and I agree with Lady J that he was out of line, however, that does not mean that fans were not out of the line as well and that such things should be tolerated. However, in Europe, on higher level games which NBA certainly is, someone that throws something onto pitch would be taken out by security this second.
Booze and drugs for everyone. I cant watch basketball , its so damn boring.All it is is a race Up and down the court. The fights give us a reason to watch.
I believe that many professional sporting events would lose its popularity if the beer, etc. were to be banned. These things happen from time to time. Not as bad in some places, much worse elsewhere.
Has anyone ever heard of how violent soccer games can get down in South America and other underdeveloped places, etc.? My guess is that they don't hire enough security staff to keep the way-too-drunk-and-tough guys out. Right?
Yes, riots are very common in South America, and hooliganism (especially on soccer games) is still a problem in Europe as well. As for South America, twice in last few years Argentinian government suspended national soccer championship because of riots.
And as for security problem...well...I must say that I better understand fact that Argentinian police is not capable to have enough security for 100,000 seats soccer stadium, then fact that one jerk who threw something onto court was not removed before Artest was able to catch him.
superjuly wrote:I believe that many professional sporting events would lose its popularity if the beer, etc. were to be banned. These things happen from time to time. Not as bad in some places, much worse elsewhere.
Has anyone ever heard of how violent soccer games can get down in South America and other underdeveloped places, etc.? My guess is that they don't hire enough security staff to keep the way-too-drunk-and-tough guys out. Right?
Pretty sad commentary on sports if beer is a necessity for their popularity.
You're probably right about not enough security to control those who want to flex their "beer muscles", at least the other night in Detroit.
In Brazil it is easier to kill the president than to bring alcohol into a football game.
There is also usually a barrier of sorts between the fans and the players.
And throwing things at the players is sometimes part of the game (corner kicks are done under the pressure of having fans throwing things on the field).
I used to regale my Brazilian friends with how civil American sports is, how the fans don't actually have to be separated by barbed wire.. how they drink their beer right behind the players and how here's no problems...
Well, can't say that anymore but we are still a ways from other spectator sports. Hope we reverse the trend.
Removing alcohol from the game might be a start.
superjuly wrote:
Has anyone ever heard of how violent soccer games can get down in South America and other underdeveloped places, etc.? My guess is that they don't hire enough security staff to keep the way-too-drunk-and-tough guys out. Right?
Nah, it has a lot more to do with how seriously people take the sport than how much security there is. In Brazil no alcohol is permitted, the games have police everywhere, and the fans are always physically separated (different seats and entrances).
It's the passion for their teams that is the difference more than anything else. They identify with their teams more than almost anything else but gender (i.e. more than country, more than politics, more than religion...).
yes.
sporting events and beer go hand in hand.
i do like the idea of them cutting off sales long before the end of the game...
CerealKiller wrote:Lady J wrote:IMO, it is the Professional Athlete who was out of line in going after the fan in the stands. Period. These professionals get paid millions of dollars and to take on that responsibility of being such a professional, they should know how to ignore or tune out ANY fan for any reason. They are there to play their sport. Not let the fans get to them.
Even when they are pelted by rocks and garbage ?
I didn't hear of any rocks in this particular event, but there was indeed plenty of garbage. The idiocy of fans will be there whether alcohol is served or not. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have you EVER seen fans more idiotic than Raiders fans? For ANY reason they will take up arms, just give them an excuse. And here in our Bay Area, we do NOT serve any alcohol after the 6th inning of baseball nor after the 3rd quarter of football...I really cannot say about basketball any more as it has been too long since I have attended a game. I do believe the fan who threw the first beer should have been escorted from the game, yes. But the player did not give security any chance to do so before he retaliated on his own. That's where he screwed up methinks.
I think the idiocy of the fan will be reduced substantially without alcohol.
This would help keep the brawls on the court or playing field where they can be better contained.
CerealKiller wrote:I think the idiocy of the fan will be reduced substantially without alcohol.
This would help keep the brawls on the court or playing field where they can be better contained.
Maybe....but then you'd also have to ban the ever popular tailgate parties, some of them even catered no less. I doubt the people who are paying thousands upon thousands of dollars for season tickets would let a "regulatory council" get away with that for long before venues for sporting events began losing money. And it's all about money in sports no matter how you look at it.
To put things in other perspective - it's pretty weird to me that many people (not just Americans) would vote immidiately to ban smoking, like, everywhere, and alcohol is, on the other hand, cool, and, well, how can I watch basketball/baseball/hockey/soccer/synchronized swimming/curling/whatever without beer....
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if I can do something only if I am drunk then I will not do it. Because, I don't see point. There are plenty of things I am actually interested in, no matter is there beer around or not.
MyOwnUsername wrote:To put things in other perspective - it's pretty weird to me that many people (not just Americans) would vote immidiately to ban smoking, like, everywhere, and alcohol is, on the other hand, cool, and, well, how can I watch basketball/baseball/hockey/soccer/synchronized swimming/curling/whatever without beer....
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but if I can do something only if I am drunk then I will not do it. Because, I don't see point. There are plenty of things I am actually interested in, no matter is there beer around or not.
Your perspective is very honourable and I like it very much. I don't drink but an occasional glass of wine and going and doing anything at all does not depend on whether any alcohol is served or not.
Sadly, your view is not shared by everyone. What was once peanuts, popcorn and hot dogs at a baseball game has now been replaced by microbrews and margaritas and tailgate parties and finer cuisine served in the club rooms. I actually miss the days of my youth, going to Candlestick Park with a picnic lunch that mom had prepared and we could watch Willie Mays and McCovey and Bobby Bonds and Juan Marichal and it never seemed like anyone was out of hand in the stands.
Maybe I just miss the simple life.
Lady J - I wasn't trying to say that it is wrong to drink occasional glass of wine or beer
I just don't get people with opinion such as: "How can I watch sports without beer?" If you can't do it (or watch it) without getting drunk, well, then why would you like to do it (or watch it) at all
I'm telling you people, if they banned alcohol, I bet there'd still be a lot of very drunk people, they'd just get loaded beforehand.
I don't think they should ban it. But I've been to concerts where they only serve for an hour or two, and they could do the same at sports games if they want. For example at Fenway park, no beer after the 7th inning.
That whole incident was retarded. Artest caused the whole brawl by going into the stands like an idiot...over a beer thrown at him. Once that happened, it just sparked the whole "mob mentality," and drinks were going everywhere.
Seems to me there's always been beer at professional sports events. This is nothing new. What is new is the obnoxiousness.
Alcohol won't be banned because it's a big revenue source. Ever notice what a beer costs at one of these games? I'm amazed that people bring enough $$ to get seriously drunk there. But they do...
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