I’ll admit that I’m envious of USC football fans.
It’s not because they have an undefeated team or a stadium
practically on campus. And it’s definitely not because of
Tommy the Trojan and the two fingers he raises whenever the band
plays “Tribute to Troy.” (Whenever I see that, I just
wonder, who’s number one?)
Still, Tommy does have one thing going for him that brings out
an energetic, albeit obnoxious quality missing at UCLA home games.
Beer.
It will probably be the most common beverage outside the Rose
Bowl this Saturday and the most popular one for television viewers
at home. But it’s sorely lacking where it is needed most. On
the inside.
UCLA doesn’t sell beer at home games for the simple reason
that it tends to incite unruly behavior among the fans. But
we’re talking about a football game, not a microbiology
lecture. The object of the sport is to pummel guys on the other
team into the ground. The whole environment screams of rowdiness
and it’s a shame that fans are left out of the mix.
Beer makes a lot of things more enjoyable. People and dancing
are the first things that come to my mind, but sports is a close
third. Fans should be given as many opportunities as possible to
enjoy their experience at football games. Sure, the greatest
satisfaction would come from watching a Bruin victory, but
standards for a good time shouldn’t rest on that. With UCLA
likely to be a heavy underdog against Tommy’s Trojans again
this year, beer might at least provide a distraction from the
scoreboard and playing field. Or at the very least make UCLA fans
forget about the score quickly.
I remember attending the USC-UCLA game my sophomore year at the
Rose Bowl. USC may have jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter lead,
but I couldn’t help but think that the real winners were the
UCLA fans still tailgating in the parking lot. While I was trapped
stunned and sober, painfully watching endless Trojan touchdowns,
the tailgaters could remain oblivious to the horror on the other
side. By the time they merrily entered the Rose Bowl, they could
enjoy UCLA’s second half charge.
I also remember taking a bus with my dorm floor freshman year to
the rivalry game at the Coliseum. Although I wasn’t old
enough to buy a beer, I felt comforted by the fact that any 21-year
old Bruin could overlook the 27-0 shutout with one trip to the
concession stand.
In fact, the person from our group who probably had the best
experience that game was my neighbor across the hall who left her
seat to use the bathroom and returned a while later with a free
beer and some guy’s phone number. She may not have been a
football fan, but at that point, most Bruins didn’t want to
be.
For the most part, beer shouldn’t be used to help fans
forget about the game they’re watching. Drinking to forget
just makes you remember something even more unpleasant the next
day. But having a beer at the Rose Bowl might simply help some fans
unwind and relax or encourage others to cheer a little more
spiritedly during an eight-clap.
I understand that security doesn’t want things getting out
of hand at sporting events, but this preventive approach
doesn’t necessarily stop the problems. Although UCLA
prohibits alcohol consumption inside the gates, fans still have
plenty of time to drink themselves silly before going in. If
anything, they probably feel more compelled to down an extra beer
or two beforehand, knowing they won’t have the opportunity to
drink another one for a long while. Unless Rose Bowl security
starts issuing Breathalyzer tests at the entry gates, there’s
nothing to prevent an obnoxious drunk from causing a scene just
minutes after entering.
There’s also very little to prevent fans from sneaking in
a couple beers into the stadium if they really want to. Bulging
six-packs (of beer) may be spotted by a security guard and purses
carrying the extra baggage can be weeded out, but stray beers in
baggy pockets can almost always slip through the cracks. Short of
patting down all fans at the entry gates, I don’t anticipate
the Rose Bowl ever being truly dry.
Clearly, there’s a lot of money to be made in concessions,
and UCLA should take advantage of that fact by selling one of sport
fans’ most popular items. Doing this probably won’t
even cause an increase in unruly behavior. But that’s just
because I’m assuming they would overcharge for the beer.
E-mail Finley at afinley@media.ucla.edu if you have ever
snuck anything into the Rose Bowl.