For those at the game, how did beer sales go?

[Nitwit]

Interested in hearing the reaction from those attending the Northwestern game how the beer sales went. With the rainy cool weather, it wasn’t exactly a sit back with a cold one kind of day, but I’m wondering how the stadium folks handled the sales, what beers were offered, what were the prices, were there lines waiting to buy, any problems, etc,. Cheers!

 

[rudedude]

Interested in hearing the reaction from those attending the Northwestern game how the beer sales went. With the rainy cool weather, it wasn’t exactly a sit back with a cold one kind of day, but I’m wondering how the stadium folks handled the sales, what beers were offered, what were the prices, were there lines waiting to buy, any problems, etc,. Cheers!

Saw some folks walking by with beers but hard to judge as it was such a crappy weird day at the Beav because of the rain. $10 for a Miller Lite. Water is only $4, same stuff!

PS: Saw Yeungling and a few Blue Moons but no orange slice on the can!

 

[Zenophile]

The dedicated concessions kiosks for beer seemed to keep the sales process going smoothly. Pricing was $10 for Miller Light/Michelob Ultra & $12 for Blue Moon. Didn't notice other brands but am certain there were others.

 

[Hugh Laurie]

Had a mother, father, and who I believed was their daughter sitting a few rows in front of us. Each one of them must have polished off 8 to 10 brews before they cut off sales. The concern I had when they left the game (and they did leave before the game was over) was either one of them being able to operate a motor vehicle legally and safely. If these folks represent their peer guzzlers in the stadium, I'm not sure beer sales are a good idea.

 

[LB99]

Don’t know how the sales went but there were a ton of empty cans littered throughout the stadium when I left.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Recycling aluminum cans latest plan to pay for a new Beaver Stadium?

 

[nittanymoops]

I like a cold one as much as the next fan. I also appreciate the freedom to exercise that right.

That said, it appeared to me that the sales went embarrassingly well on Saturday. I was stunned at the demand on a cold, dreary, miserable day, and that was before the game got ugly (only won by 10, five turnovers, Clifford kept playing). At how many people were double fisting. And the cans weren't small either, looked about 20-24 oz. (And those prices, oy vey)

I truly, honestly, really hope I'm wrong. But I can't help but think that there is going to be a lot more fights and confrontations in the stands due to beer muscles. Especially when things on the field aren't going well for the boys in blue.

For example, last week vs. CMU (a 19 point win), before beer became a reality inside the stadium, there was a female fan behind me two rows and a seat or two, someone who was very, very effusive for the team when the game started and was overjoyed when it was a cakewalk for the first 5-10 minutes. Then CMU started playing well, we started not playing well and it became ugly. Said female fan started loudly eff this, eff that, what the eff is this, why the eff are we doing this, why can't we effing tackle, what kind of effing coaching is this. Keep in mind this was what appeared to be a sober, less than 30 and not a student, female in EFU .

The people who make these decisions either don't go to games or don't sit with the common folk. They don't know the real-world ramifications I fear this decision will have. The telecast noted the beer sales. What happens when a brawl breaks out in the stands and is shown on TV? We've been fortunate that we haven't seen a lot of that behavior -- yet. We have, but again, not a lot. Last year there was a fight in EB near the letterman seats when the students spilled over into the regular seats due to overcrowding (overselling per ushers nearby). Just a couple punches, but it might not stop at a couple with some booze and testosterone.

JMHO from a still youngish early 50s fan who started attending in the mid 70s and is longtime NLC. I hope this decision isn't regretted down the road, but since money is the only thing that matters anymore, I doubt anyone would acknowledge it was a mistake even in blinding hindsight.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Yuengling was clearly the choice of section WHU.

 

[NittPicker]

Had a mother, father, and who I believed was their daughter sitting a few rows in front of us. Each one of them must have polished off 8 to 10 brews before they cut off sales. The concern I had when they left the game (and they did leave before the game was over) was either one of them being able to operate a motor vehicle legally and safely. If these folks represent their peer guzzlers in the stadium, I'm not sure beer sales are a good idea.

Maybe they rode to the game with someone else and weren't concerned about driving. Or maybe they parked in the overnight RV lot and were leaving on Sunday morning. Or maybe they sprung for a downtown hotel and walked back to their rooms. Your assumption aside, you didn't claim they were bothering anyone else so I don't see the problem with them throwing back a few.

 

[Hugh Laurie]

Maybe they rode to the game with someone else and weren't concerned about driving. Or maybe they parked in the overnight RV lot and were leaving on Sunday morning. Or maybe they sprung for a downtown hotel and walked back to their rooms. Your assumption aside, you didn't claim they were bothering anyone else so I don't see the problem with them throwing back a few

I said I had concerns if they were going to be driving. And 8-10 is more than a few.

 

[BobPSU92]

Recycling aluminum cans latest plan to pay for a new Beaver Stadium?

PSU should bring them to Michigan on the 15th if they can make the numbers work.

 

[PSUJam]

I said I had concerns if they were going to be driving. And 8-10 is more than a few.

You must be related to my beer counting ex wife.

 

[Hugh Laurie]

You must be related to my beer counting ex wife.

LOL

 

[Woodpecker]

PSU should bring them to Michigan on the 15th if they can make the numbers work.

 

[CDLionFL]

I like a cold one as much as the next fan. I also appreciate the freedom to exercise that right.

That said, it appeared to me that the sales went embarrassingly well on Saturday. I was stunned at the demand on a cold, dreary, miserable day, and that was before the game got ugly (only won by 10, five turnovers, Clifford kept playing). At how many people were double fisting. And the cans weren't small either, looked about 20-24 oz. (And those prices, oy vey)

I truly, honestly, really hope I'm wrong. But I can't help but think that there is going to be a lot more fights and confrontations in the stands due to beer muscles. Especially when things on the field aren't going well for the boys in blue.

For example, last week vs. CMU (a 19 point win), before beer became a reality inside the stadium, there was a female fan behind me two rows and a seat or two, someone who was very, very effusive for the team when the game started and was overjoyed when it was a cakewalk for the first 5-10 minutes. Then CMU started playing well, we started not playing well and it became ugly. Said female fan started loudly eff this, eff that, what the eff is this, why the eff are we doing this, why can't we effing tackle, what kind of effing coaching is this. Keep in mind this was what appeared to be a sober, less than 30 and not a student, female in EFU .

The people who make these decisions either don't go to games or don't sit with the common folk. They don't know the real-world ramifications I fear this decision will have. The telecast noted the beer sales. What happens when a brawl breaks out in the stands and is shown on TV? We've been fortunate that we haven't seen a lot of that behavior -- yet. We have, but again, not a lot. Last year there was a fight in EB near the letterman seats when the students spilled over into the regular seats due to overcrowding (overselling per ushers nearby). Just a couple punches, but it might not stop at a couple with some booze and testosterone.

JMHO from a still youngish early 50s fan who started attending in the mid 70s and is longtime NLC. I hope this decision isn't regretted down the road, but since money is the only thing that matters anymore, I doubt anyone would acknowledge it was a mistake even in blinding hindsight.

You make many good points and as a fan who very rarely drinks a beer at a sporting event (price + small bladder), I get annoyed with those who get a little overserved. However, I think the problems say more about the people who cause them versus the fact that beer is being sold in the stadium. Beer in football stadiums is not a novelty in the NFL and is becoming less and less a novelty in college stadiums & arenas. Like the opening of a new Trader Joe's in a neighborhood, the beer in Beaver Stadium was new and shiny and the curious were going to be all over it on the first day. I would imagine that now that it's a thing, the fervor will die down a bit (though maybe not until after OSU shows up) and it'll be no big deal by 2023.

But man, if they start offering lattes and scones...

 

[psuro]

From what I saw on TV, it looked like they were selling beer in cans.....not plastic cups. I am not looking forward to the day when the cans come raining down onto the lower sections or the field/bench areas. And if it's a close game that PSU loses, you can be rest assured that somehow, some of those cans will make their way near the tunnel the team enters into. And the vision of the team getting pelted with the cans just does not sit well with me.

 

[PSUJam]

 

[Nitt1300]

No way is this a good idea.

 

[BobPSU92]

Fan coaching gets better with beer intake, so I don’t see a problem.

 

[Erial_Lion]

With all of these issues that some are predicting will occur, you’d think the crowd was stone cold sober up until this point.

I predict no noticeable change in the number of fights, or amount of trash that gets thrown on the field or at our players.

(and absent a couple of years that the ticket office screwed up something…1997 and about 2017 if I recall…the student section isn’t oversold)

 

[Moogy]

Fans have been getting ****-faced drunk prior to games for forever ... and they have a tendency to pound back even more close to game time because they know they'll be cut off once they make their way into the stadium. I don't see way over-priced beer being sold in the stadium as being much of an additional problem, if any at all. It could actually slow folks down, since they know they'll have access to beer during the game.

 

[Moogy]

Had a mother, father, and who I believed was their daughter sitting a few rows in front of us. Each one of them must have polished off 8 to 10 brews before they cut off sales. The concern I had when they left the game (and they did leave before the game was over) was either one of them being able to operate a motor vehicle legally and safely. If these folks represent their peer guzzlers in the stadium, I'm not sure beer sales are a good idea.

Much like in your personal life, that "8-10" was almost assuredly more like "3-4."

 

[Hugh Laurie]

Much like in your personal life, that "8-10" was almost assuredly more like "3-4."

If you say so Moog.

 

[dcf4psu]

Folks to my right were drinking Miller Lite pounders and to my left Michelob Ultra pounders. It honestly felt pretty normal, but as stated it wasn't exactly perfect beer drinking weather. Having tailgated very well before going in I didn't need anymore and again it was really pouring and then after the pouring stopped a heavy drizzle - a November like feel at the start of October.

 

[JerseyLion]

Now it all makes sense. Watching that offensive performance certainly made me want to drink more. What better way to stimulate alcohol sales?

 

[StamfordBridgeVikingatLeftOffensiveTackle]

Fans approve of beer sales.

 

[BobPSU92]

Fans approve of beer sales.

PAYWALL.

 

[StamfordBridgeVikingatLeftOffensiveTackle]

PAYWALL.

Try a different browser. Seriously, try Chrome Incognito Mode. On the other hand, you can skip it. Pretty pedestrian. They didn't interview anyone who seemed really hammered. Nobody talked about duking it out with a fellow drunk or pummeling a Northwestern fan into submission. No real beer muscles stories like some here were hoping to hear. They might as well have discussed pumpkin spice lattes and scones. Kind of civilized. Doesn't lend credence to the social experiment disaster and end of the "Golden Age" theorizing.

 

[Nitt1300]

Does anyone seriously believe that this won't put more drunks on the road?

 

[JakkL]

No beer sales after the 3rd quarter. With 4th quarters running about an hour and a half you might be sober enough to drive when you get back to your car.

 

[nittanymoops]

With all of these issues that some are predicting will occur, you’d think the crowd was stone cold sober up until this point.

I predict no noticeable change in the number of fights, or amount of trash that gets thrown on the field or at our players.

(and absent a couple of years that the ticket office screwed up something…1997 and about 2017 if I recall…the student section isn’t oversold)

Let me be clear. The student section in the specific cases I've personally witnessed and discussed with longtime ushers wasn't "oversold." The university sold additional seats in the north upper deck that were returned by the visiting team for a charge of around $30-$35. However, students being students, they wanted to sit together. And the ushers that don't care and don't check tickets, they just see students, sent them into the student section until it was beyond full. Then they started expanding since it was jammed, or started standing in aisles and walkways. Still not a good thing. And ushering is still very hit or miss in the stadium. Some good folks and some just there to watch the game and cannot be bothered with the reason they are inside the stadium.

 

[nittanymoops]

Fans have been getting ****-faced drunk prior to games for forever ... and they have a tendency to pound back even more close to game time because they know they'll be cut off once they make their way into the stadium. I don't see way over-priced beer being sold in the stadium as being much of an additional problem, if any at all. It could actually slow folks down, since they know they'll have access to beer during the game.

It's charming but almost certainly wishful thinking on your part for people you describe as "****-faced drunk" to make good decisions and behave properly. Thinking that drunks will slow down? That's clearly a cocktail for success.

 

[Nitt1300]

No beer sales after the 3rd quarter. With 4th quarters running about an hour and a half you might be sober enough to drive when you get back to your car.

there is no such thing as sober enough to drive if you have any alcohol left in your system

 

[eartotheground]

i thought it surprising that they gave the fans the cans. many venues now pour everything into a cup so the can can't become a missile.

 

[Moogy]

It's charming but almost certainly wishful thinking on your part for people you describe as "****-faced drunk" to make good decisions and behave properly. Thinking that drunks will slow down? That's clearly a cocktail for success.

Don't think you understood. People, in the past, would realize they couldn't drink for the 3-4 hours after they entered the stadium, so they'd pound alcohol at the tailgate to make up for it (and often overdo it in the process - especially toward the end of said tailgate). Now, perhaps, they'll pace themselves a bit more because they know they can get a drink inside, so they won't get as ****-faced drunk to begin with. That's the point. And once you're inside, you typically don't drink as much because of cost and ease of access (or lack thereof).

 

[nittanymoops]

I understood just fine, and thanks for Moogy-splaining it!

I still think relying on drunk people to slow their intake and behave appropriately is wildly optimistic, especially in a party atmosphere like a football game. But hey, your faith in people to do the right thing may just be what works for you. Cheers!

 

[BobPSU92]

Try a different browser. Seriously, try Chrome Incognito Mode. On the other hand, you can skip it. Pretty pedestrian. They didn't interview anyone who seemed really hammered. Nobody talked about duking it out with a fellow drunk or pummeling a Northwestern fan into submission. No real beer muscles stories like some here were hoping to hear. They might as well have discussed pumpkin spice lattes and scones. Kind of civilized. Doesn't lend credence to the social experiment disaster and end of the "Golden Age" theorizing.

News reporting really has gone to hell.

 

[BobPSU92]

Does anyone seriously believe that this won't put more drunks on the road?

As long as Dean DeVore tells fans to drive home safely after the game, then PSU has done their job.

 

[BobPSU92]

there is no such thing as sober enough to drive if you have any alcohol left in your system

You must be a hit at parties.

 

[Erial_Lion]

there is no such thing as sober enough to drive if you have any alcohol left in your system

Should we also refrain from driving if we’ve gotten less than 8 hours of sleep?