dpberr Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Banning alcohol sales in every NFL stadium would be an excellent start. Outside of just plain good ol'fashioned greed, the NFL doesn't need alcohol to be successful. We're so worried about fan security these days with all the security and security measures yet the league conveniently turn a blind eye to the most hazardous thing to the very fans we're allegedly so worried about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonborn10 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Raise the ticket prices 30% and cut the number of seats back to 62,500. It is the only way to save the stadium experience. With HDTV and red zone there is little reason to go to a game. Next step will be a breathalizer before being allowed entry into the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskik11 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 (edited) That article makes me never want to drive 7 hours and go to a Bills game again. lol. ....then again, neither does the team. zing! Edited December 12, 2013 by basskik11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SF Bills Fan Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Very tragic events. The overall tone of the article is bleak. I think his overall portrayal of the atmosphere is pretty on the money. It is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Livinginthepast Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I thought the article was quite well done. What scares me a little is that I have been in that situation of drunken stupidity at many a Bills game. Probably the worst was Kelly's last game vs the Jags. After that I began to seriously cut down my alcohol consumption. By the early 2000s I was barely drinking at all. Maybe it was the sobering up, maybe it was getting older into my 30s or maybe it was my best buddy getting crappy season ticket seats in a very sketchy section of stadium filled with drunken fools. In any case I stopped going to games after an incident in the men's toilet waiting in line to pee. I was waiting in line and went next to pee and a guy who wasnt in the line I was in (and was wasted) thought that I budded in front of him. I didnt think anything of it until I left the restroom and another friend who was there with me said that the drunken guy who thought I budded was apparently incensed at me and was planning on jumping me ouside with his pals for budding. Once I heard that I was so disgusted and angry I became paranoid for the rest of the day and wanted to beat this idiot's face in. When I thought about it later in a calmer mood I asked myself if it was worth it to make the long drive over the border early on a Sunday and get drunk only to worry about having to be in a brawl with some drunken fool. Maybe in my 20s would that be exciting, not in my 30's. Dont get me wrong, by in large probably 90% of the Bills fans I met tailgating and at the stadium over the 1990s and 2000s were really nice, down to earth people but it just takes one to ruin the experience for a long time. I can't imagine though how I would feel if I was a fan of an opposing team going into the Ralph, that would be nuts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Banning alcohol sales in every NFL stadium would be an excellent start. Outside of just plain good ol'fashioned greed, the NFL doesn't need alcohol to be successful. We're so worried about fan security these days with all the security and security measures yet the league conveniently turn a blind eye to the most hazardous thing to the very fans we're allegedly so worried about. Well, Brandon already banned smoking in designated areas. Why not ban alcohol as well? Then they should ban barbecues because of the fumes, not to mention that the burning flesh might offend angry vegetarians. Sometimes the cheering gets a bit too loud. It can cause hearing loss. Maybe this should be looked into as well. In short, let's ban everything that some people don't like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWATeam Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Well, Brandon already banned smoking in designated areas. Why not ban alcohol as well? Then they should ban barbecues because of the fumes, not to mention that the burning flesh might offend angry vegetarians. Sometimes the cheering gets a bit too loud. It can cause hearing loss. Maybe this should be looked into as well. In short, let's ban everything that some people don't like. I think you're onto something... It was probably the noise that led to that kid being face down in a stream... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Decent article but played a little too much on the 'we don't know what really happened' thing. I think we do --- the girl at Hammer's told him: They acted like irresponsible children by getting so drunk they were no longer able to act with even a basic level of self preservation. Hopefully their deaths have made at a least a few people think twice before acting in a similar manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I didn't take it as buffalo being singled out as the only place it happens at all. The 7000 ejections around the league make it clear that this just happens to be a specific day in a specific city that globalizes as a league wide problem. That said, buffalo has a little bit of a reputation as one of the worse places in this type of issue. If we don't like these stories, it's up to fans to help change that reputation instead of embracing it and then crying foul when people note it. I was disappointed that he chose to single out Hammer's Lot. At a minimum, he did not have to give ONE tailgate site a name. Hammer does his best to keep the animals in their cages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 this article is certainly going to upset many.... but read just about any thread on the stadium experience and you will hear many regulars complaining that the culture around the games has gotten too far out of control. It's not "getting too far out of control"......it was out of control 50 years ago. It is BEYOND question a much less hostile, drunken environment than it was 20 years ago when I became a season ticket holder. We just live in a PC environment now. That environment has forced the hard partying tailgating into private lots. It becomes a problem at night when those private lots(yards) are packed, it is pitch black........that night Hammer's lot was pitch black at 6:30,,,,,,,,and drunks are crossing roads and all kinds of rough terrain that they didn't used to have to when the main lots were tailgate friendly. In general, the fans are much better behaved than they used to be but the tailgate is no longer the relatively contained exercise it once was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leelee Phoenix Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Buffalo is also increasingly becoming one of the few stadiums left that's virtually surrounded by a parking lot and/or open space, leaving open the possibility for it to become a wasteland of fire pits and crushed beer cans. This is the main problem. Walking out of the stadium. you're forced to walk in a large open space with crowds of people. You're going to eventually deal with drunken losers, and I've had some jerk harass me or my group every game I've gone to. The experience at Bills game is really not worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanGuzman Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I thought it was a well written piece. Didn't catch an anti buffalo vibe at all. Just seemed like a honest telling of a very tragic night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billadelphia Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I think you're onto something... It was probably the noise that led to that kid being face down in a stream... Ultimately, it's up to the individual to police themselves in all situations, not just at a football game. I remembered when this happened and while it's an unfortunate event, it was his fault for drinking too much and then doing whatever he was doing near a creek and a 40 foot embankment. His decisions led him to that spot, not the Bills, drinking laws, etc. If he doesn't get that drunk that day, he doesn't die. But it was his decision to get that drunk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outsidethebox Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 That's why I don't drink. Well that and I am allergic to alcohol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills!Win! Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I will never go to a bills game in buffalo again. The last game I went to was this dolphins game. We got there a half hour before kickoff, waited in lime for about 50 minutes with no standing room and people spilling beer all over us. We finally got in around the end of the first quarter... As we got in the ushered wouldn't let us in until there was a stop in play. Which took us to the end of then first quarter... I have gone to dozens of games in my life, showed up at the same time, did the same things, but never got ln late like that... Then I proceeded to go in after the ushers allowed us to find our seats. There were 7 of us all together and half of our seats were taken by some young punk morons... Also, the seats were in the very center so I had to walk through the whole aisle, where everyone is standing, and barely any room to get by, meanwhile plays are happening. So I go to an usher and tell him to get these drunk idiots to move, they move and we finally get to our seats.... Midway through the 2nd quarter two girls in front of us were hammered as can be, and one of them actually fell on me as I was sitting down... She could barely stand up... Once again I had To go get an usher Later in the 3rd quarter there was this guy with his shirt off with 3 girls. He was screaming his head off the whole game. I don't mind that, but he was doing it wen when there was nothing happening on the field..... He then kept taking the hat off of my friend in front of me, and after 3-4 times my friend flipped out but didn't start a fight..... Later in the 4th quarter the drunk guy has his shirt on and is almost crying because he's so cold and he's leaning against one of the other women, so pathetic.... Then as I was leaving to use the bathroom in the 4th quarter, some dolphins fan knocked a sign from out of my hands as I was leaving my seat, then to top it all off there was a fist fight in the street near our parking lot as we were leaving and some guy almost hit us with his car... Then it took us 3 hours to get home. We live an hour away I am not making any of this up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobobonators Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Bad day in Denver: http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/story?storyId=10129112 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billadelphia Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Bad day in Denver: http://m.espn.go.com...toryId=10129112 Damn! Knives should be .... oh wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSBill Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Bottom-line, excessive alcohol consumption is slowly but surely ruining the game experience. The last time I went to a game at the stadium, my wife and I, and a 12 year old boy who was with our group, had to listen to a vulgar ("F" word for every thought and comment which he felt free to share with everyone in the section for every play) loud mouth drunk the entire game. And in front of us was a girl who came into the stadium and pass out as soon as she sat down, only to wake up and start groping the guy she came with. This has been the norm of my experiences in Buffalo, not the exception. Yeah, it was a lot of fun. And I do think it is effecting attendance, next time you're watching a game on TV, pay attention to the number of empty seats as the typical stadium. Honestly, I hope the attendance thing becomes a serious enough problem that the league will get serious about doing something about it. Because the only that will affect change is money—a few good law suites would help. Unfortunately, until the Bills and the NFL get serious about controlling this kind of behavior, there will be plenty more stories like that night last season. By the way, I've been to two games in Miami, and it was a much more enjoyable experience, even as a fan of the opposing team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Bottom-line, excessive alcohol consumption is slowly but surely ruining the game experience. The last time I went to a game at the stadium, my wife and I, and a 12 year old boy who was with our group, had to listen to a vulgar ("F" word for every thought and comment which he felt free to share with everyone in the section for every play) loud mouth drunk the entire game. And in front of us was a girl who came into the stadium and pass out as soon as she sat down, only to wake up and start groping the guy she came with. This has been the norm of my experiences in Buffalo, not the exception. Yeah, it was a lot of fun. And I do think it is effecting attendance, next time you're watching a game on TV, pay attention to the number of empty seats as the typical stadium. Honestly, I hope the attendance thing becomes a serious enough problem that the league will get serious about doing something about it. Because the only that will affect change is money—a few good law suites would help. Unfortunately, until the Bills and the NFL get serious about controlling this kind of behavior, there will be plenty more stories like that night last season. By the way, I've been to two games in Miami, and it was a much more enjoyable experience, even as a fan of the opposing team. I have taken my son to 7 games now. He is 9 years old & I have never had an incident where it would remotely make me think I should not be taking him. & we don't sit in good seats either. With that beig said, going to the games just are not as fun as they used to be. I would rather sit down at my bar in my basement & watch the ticket on my 3 tvs down there. I don't know maybe I am just getting old but it is much more enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 (edited) It was a decent article, but this part was seemed a little like an uncalled for cheap shot: "Gordon weighs in. "Nobody wants some kid to get drunk and drown in a !@#$ing puddle, Jesus Christ. But we live in this ****ty city." Buffalo, as the saying goes, is a drinking town with a football problem, so when HBO'sReal Sports wanted to capture drunken revelry for a 2008 segment on binge drinking, they came to Ralph Wilson Stadium. What they filmed — the puking, the staggering lushes swaying their limbs — justified the city's reputation." Edited December 13, 2013 by vincec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts