Only two weeks after their crosstown rivals, the Ottawa Gee-Gees, were publically embarrassed by their football faithful, the Carleton Ravens will now, apparently, take a chance on serving alcohol at Friday's men's basketball game against the Guelph Gryphons.
According to Carleton Ravens athletic director Jennifer Brenning, it's the first time alcohol will be served at a Ravens basketball game. It will be done so in a licensed area open to only those 19 years of age or older. No exceptions, according to Benning.
Ravens head coach Dave Smart called the decision to license the game "news to [him]" when asked if he was at all concerned. Smart wrote in an email that he wasn't aware of the problems at Ottawa on Oct. 23 when three drunken Gee-Gees fans were arrested and more than a dozen more thrown out of the stadium during the regular-season finale against Guelph.
... a group of rowdy fans began hurling insults, profanities and empty beer cans at the visiting Guelph Gryphons bench, then directed their venom at Guelph parents and supporters in the bleachers ... Words escalated, a few fistfights broke out, and after beer cans were tossed at the Guelph bench, Lansdowne security called in the police, who stepped in to defuse the situation.
The Ottawa incident spurred calls for increased security. And there will likely be some — likely have been some — who want to ban the sale of alcohol outright at OUA events. But the latter isn't the solution. Did prohibition work?
NEWSFLASH: University students drink. They always have, they always will.
"I understand there are many other universities providing this service at home events without problems," Brenning wrote in an email.
I know from personal experience the University of Alberta was serving alcohol at both basketball and hockey games as far back as 2002. And during my time there as a play-by-play man for basketball and fan of the hockey team, I never encountered a problem as either.
And the University of Western Ontario has, by all accounts, been safely and successfuly serving alcohol at football games for years.
The problem isn't alcohol. It isn't the kids themselves. It's a combination of both. The service needs to be smart. The security needs to be tight and top notch. And the tolerance needs to be zero.
"We will be assessing (the sale of alcohol) after each game as we plan to provide this service at only a few games this year," Brenning wrote. "We will do a complete review at the end of the season."
If everyone — servers, drinkers and fans alike — can abide by the laws and the rules in place, alcohol could, for some, enhance the game atmosphere and not, at all, hinder it for others.
Here's hoping Ravens' fans drink responsibly Friday.
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