Gotta feel for the Bomber fans...
http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Winnipe ... 8-sun.htmlWinnipeg Sun wrote:Teetotal tailgaters?
Football fans warned against parking lot booze
Winnipeg football fans should probably leave one of the three "B's" at home if they're heading to a tailgate party before tomorrow's Blue Bombers game.
Barbecues and Bombers gear are welcome but anyone caught with booze in parking lots surrounding Canad Inns Stadium risks a fine or having their drinks confiscated or poured out by Winnipeg police, who are cracking down on pre-game festivities.
Police are putting more officers than usual outside the stadium due to recent complaints about people getting drunk before and during games.
"We're not there to prevent people from having a good time. We want people to have fun," said police spokeswoman Const. Jacqueline Chaput.
Tailgate parties are legal but there is no law allowing open alcohol at such events, Chaput said.
The same goes for booze aboard private buses -- or party buses -- that take fans to the stadium, she said.
Police did not say if it will be a one-time crackdown or a practice that will continue to season's end.
Regardless, some fans are upset with the decision.
"For most of the people, (tailgating) is a really fun experience. The whole excitement of the game is right there," said Ian Skelly. "If you look at the NFL, that's part of the fans' lifestyle."
Skelly attended the Labour Day Classic last weekend in Regina, where fans were allowed to drink at tailgate parties in designated areas.
COINCIDENCE
"That was the biggest tailgate party I've ever been to. Everybody was keeping it respectable," Skelly said.
Chaput said it's a coincidence police are stepping up their presence at one of the most anticipated times of the season.
Tomorrow's sold-out contest is the annual Banjo Bowl against Saskatchewan. More than 29,000 people will be in the stands.
"This isn't an indication that there's been an increase in incidents," said Bombers president and CEO Lyle Bauer. "Those things have (decreased). However, there has been some tailgating, potentially along the lines of U.S.-style tailgating, and some things that are allowed in other markets but, unfortunately, are not allowed in Manitoba due to the liquor laws."
Rowdy fans who drink too much before games are being disruptive towards families and others in the stadium, police said.
Some are loud and hurl obscenities, others are so inebriated they spill drinks and food or are at risk of falling down stairs.
Earlier this year, a 24-year-old fan suffered a broken jaw and other injuries when he and a friend were beaten in the stands by a "visibly drunk" man and another man.
A dispute over a souvenir beer cup sparked that fight.