I'm proud of the Dodgers for cancelling plans to sell alcoholic beverages at half-price for six day games this year. I wrote a post advocating this on Monday, and it's only curious to me that it took so long in the first place for the Dodgers to reach this decision. In the interim, the public relations pummeling that we've received from the national media for the Stow tragedy has been harsh, and I think we could have cut this off at the pass earlier had we announced this decision at the same time we announced amplified security measures.
But at least the Dodgers ended up coming to the right decision, making a proactive decision that is directionally consistent with the hiring of William Bratton's security firm and involving more LAPD officers at and around the Stadium. I don't think they'll be able to get all the parking lot surveillance cameras set up in time for tonight's game, so having at least one tangible step forward is a positive step.
On the alcohol point alone, the LA Times reported that the LAPD Chief supported the exclusion of half-price alcohol, as well, for public safety reasons:
[VP of Communications Josh] Rawitch said that the Dodgers continue to reexamine their alcohol policies.Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said last week that he believed alcohol consumption contributed to problems at Dodger Stadium and that police officials were pushing the Dodgers to raise prices and stop sales at an earlier point in the game.
There will be a press conference this afternoon detailing some of the enhanced security measures at the Stadium that will be enacted.
Driving into work today, I caught the tail end of a Colin Cowherd rant in which I think he was agreeing with the Dodgers' decision, bringing up the good point that although it's unfortunate to punish the majority of people for the idiotic actions of a small group of individuals, that many societal laws and restrictions and practices (like car insurance) are established for a similar cause. It always worries me when I have an opinion which agrees with Cowherd's. Hopefully I'm not falling off the deep end here.
But I did take solace that Deadspin agrees with the move as well, as does LA Weekly, who also cites LAPD insiders who blame Frank McCourt for "too little, too late".
So bring your wallets and credit cards, Dodger fans. It will be a more expensive day in the sun, but it's going to be okay.
5 comments:
I was thinking about this earlier, and someone may have already made this point:
Decreasing the price of the alcoholic beverages increases the demand. Higher demand means longer lines, with no system in place to accommodate the increase. Thus, overall consumption of alcoholic beverages (purchased in-stadium, at least) would decrease.
I realize this doesn't take into account those who would buy more in one trip than they normally would, but this could be combated with per-visit limits.
I hope everything else is still half price! How about half off tickets?
The Dodgers seem to be compensating with half-off offensive production.
We have "thirsty thursdays" at the triple A park like many others which is a $1 beer night.
However unless you get there early and start pounding (plus the cups are smaller). You are waiting A long time when the game starts. There is also an eailer cut off time at the 5th inning.
So you really can't get plowed unless that is your sole motivation. Which it might be since it is the Pacific Coast League.
I wonder if the Dodgers had any of these regs in place. Now we will never know. Probably the best decision politically.
@Josh
That's a piece of exactly what I was saying in that Sax-shit-on-our-half-price-party thread a couple of days ago.
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