Should alcohol be sold in Kenan Stadium?

Open the tap for regular fans, too

BY MATTEW EISLEY STAFF WRITER

To athletic director Dick Baddour and others who want UNC-Chapel Hill to start serving alcoholic drinks at Kenan Stadium, I say go for it - but don't limit it to the luxury suites.

Let us fans of more modest means partake as well of the fruits of the vine and the field. Carolina is, remember, a public university. Call me crazy, but I think it should serve, you know, the public.

As with any other responsible provider of alcohol, the university would have to take care not to help people get drunk, especially drivers.

But it shouldn't give in to the tsk-tskers who oppose all booze at university sporting events.

This might shock some of you, but fans already drink at football games. They just do it with hidden liquor or at tailgate parties.

Allowing open service of beer and wine would present several advantages:

For the wealthy boosters in the luxury boxes, a citrusy sauvignon blanc or a toasty pinot noir is sure to lubricate the back-slapping, deal-making and padded armchair coaching.

For university fundraisers, passing the bubbly first should make it easier to pass the plate, gathering gifts from cheerful contributors.

For us rank-and-file fans, the chance to sip some suds while watching Carolina beat teams it shouldn't and lose to teams it shouldn't - Moo U. comes to mind - will improve celebrations and consolations alike.

Just don't foolishly foment class warfare by limiting the booze supply to the fat cats.

The most difficult decision, of course, will be what kind of cheese to serve with the wine.

We're talking about Carolina, after all.

Matthew Eisley is editor of The N&O's North Raleigh News and Midtown Raleigh News.

Booze in Kenan is a bad idea

BY CAROLE TANZER MILLER STAFF WRITER

I adopted the Tar Heels as soon as I moved to the Triangle in 2000. The campus, the teams, the football Saturday scene were so steeped in tradition - and so classy.

That classy game-day vibe was a far cry from my alma mater, the University of Oregon, which may be best known as the campus where "National Lampoon's Animal House" was filmed.

There's a reason some say Autzen Stadium is not only among the nation's loudest, but also the rudest.

A fixture of Oregon's football complex is "The Mo," which is, for lack of a better term, a school-run, indoor biergarten where the beer and wine start flowing hours before kickoff. With fans allowed to leave the game, slake their thirst and return, things can get pretty rowdy. And there's no such thing as ducking out between downs for a quick potty break. The queues can be horrendous - especially for the men's room! - and people don't always wait their turn, if you get my drift. Spirited, yes. But classy, it ain't.

My husband and son are Carolina graduates. We are season ticket holders and Rams Club members. We rarely miss a game.

Sure, we've seen those airplane bottles of booze that get smuggled into Kenan Stadium. We've also seen a few inebriated fans get carried away. But nothing compared to what you'd see, Matthew, if Kenan turned open bar.

There's a gentler - and more genteel - feeling at Carolina that we enjoy. We don't need a drink to savor the experience, even when the Heels choke. And I sure don't need the fan next to me tossing his cookies into my lap. Besides, what will come next? Casino ads like those at Oregon? Thanks, but no thanks.

Carole Tanzer Miller is an assistant metro editor.