1. “Alcohol and Sports in Austin”
Maxwell Adler
I have never been to a Texas football game without a flask
wedged in my boots and a belly full of booze. I strived to
be as drunk, loud and obnoxious as possible so I could
personally help will the Longhorns to a victory. I was
delusional.
And inside my delusional mind, I felt like I was the loudest
and most raucous fan among the historically restrained
crowds at Darryl K Royal Stadium.
One arrest and two short stints in rehab later, I have a new
perspective on life. One that doesn’t preach abstinence
toward alcohol, yet, I do worry about others falling into the
same self-destructive cycle that I found myself trapped in.
I’m going to have to learn how to attend games sober,
which for me, can be likened to relearning to speak, or
having to learn all the new game mechanics for the latest
version of Madden.
But, now that the concession stands at DKR will be adding
beer and wine to their menus, a profusion of spectators are
poised to take over my self-proclaimed position as the most
embarrassing drunk in attendance.
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Not everyone struggles with addiction, but the majority-
student crowds at UT events, will surely be indulged by

2. their newly acquired access to alcohol at Longhorn games.
There will be more intoxicated spectators at UT games this
year than in years past. And there will be a larger
constituency of sloppy drunks.
Remember that most attendees at Texas Football games are
not as stupid or arrogant as I once was.
I was born and raised in New York and I’m arrogant. I’ve
been told that I am arrogant one too many times.
But, you should see what the last guy who told me that I
was arrogant looks like now…He’s currently enrolled at an
Ivy League institution, is interning at a prestigious hedge
fund in New York City, and he kicked my ass the day he
told me to “quit running my conceded mouth.” #Winning
I like to blame my arrogance on where I grew up but it’s
most likely just because of a myriad of social disorders. I’d
really appreciate if y’all can help me figure that out.
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So, It’s safe to say that an overwhelming majority of
spectators did not smuggle in their own personal flasks to
UT football games. Probably because they feared that
they’ll get kicked out of the stadium. Missing out on the
chance to see their beloved Longhorns play, in the flesh,
was just not worth a few extra shots or beers.
But that definitely doesn’t mean they want to be losing
their buzz by the start of fourth quarter… So, alcohol sales
at games are sure to be a lucrative business venture for
Athletic Director Steve Paterson and his department.

3. It feels uncanny that Texas, a state with stringent Blue
Laws, would promote the consumption of alcohol at an
institution that is subjected to the oversight of a majority
conservative Texas State Legislature. Especially in a state,
like Texas, where religion tends to dictate moral and ethical
standards.
And the pressures that young adults are presented with to
drink excessively are particularly prevalent in college
towns and cosmopolitan cities. Two labels that Austin
proudly lays claim to.
Is it moral or ethical for a state university to add to the
societal pressures students feel to drink by encouraging
them to consume alcohol at events that the institution
sponsors?
We also can’t ignore the fact that there is a culture within
Greek life organizations, and other social groups on
campus, that encourages excessive alcohol consumption.
Being sloppily drunk serves as a symbol of fandom in
many social circles.
Apparently, the incessant drinking that takes place at game-
day tailgates doesn’t provide spectators and fans with
ample time or resources to get belligerently drunk.
Could the introduction of alcohol as a menu item at
sporting events threaten the cache that Texas athletics has
developed? Well, at least threaten its image more than
Steve Patterson has already done in his short tenure…
Unlike the fans of programs like Michigan and Ohio State,
who pride themselves on the hostile and often vicious
environments that they create for opponents, UT fans
epitomize southern hospitality. That’s not a sweeping

4. generalization. I’ve been to a wide-variety of sporting
events and Texas fans are the nicest and most hospitable
that I’ve come across.
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Big crowds, alcohol and tense athletic moments are the
ingredients to a dangerous cocktail…a cocktail that should
be rejected by the generally socially liberal and tolerant
inhabitants of Austin.
Austin is not Cleveland, or College Park; two cities where
riots recently broke-out because disappointing local
sporting news was exposed.
We cannot solely place blame on the presence of alcohol
for these shameful violent disturbances.
I also cannot foresee Austinites and UT fans starting a
public disturbance like the one that occurred after the
Vancouver Canucks lost the 2011 Stanley Cup, leaving
approximately 140 people injured.
Austin is a liberal oasis in the middle of state that gets
tremendous press and attention for its conservative and
religious nature.
Austin’s focus on keeping social programs funded, the
collective feeling of weirdness. The local art, cuisine and
vibe that make Austin feel like community in the truest
sense of the word.
That being said, there is just no need to give Texas Sport’s
spectators greater access to alcohol at affairs that can
become highly contentious and could potentially lead to
greater confrontation between fans; the antithesis of what

5. Austin represents.
I’m trying to avoid using a logical fallacy but Austin does
not want to have instances like those that happened recently
Vancouver, Cleveland or College Park. It’s a slippery slope
argument but why would Paterson create an environment
with the potential to allow heinous acts like those that
occurred in the three previously mentioned cities, to
transpire?
I guess that the answer is money but our athletic program is
lucrative enough. It is amongst the most profitable of all
collegiate programs in the countries.
We cannot lose sight of the fact that we are an academic
institution above all.
A few bad apples, like myself, should not be the reason that
moderate consumers of alcohol can’t have a beer or a glass
of wine at DKR. That would appear unfair.
But all should be warned that the decision to add beer and
wine to concession stands at UT will undoubtedly change
the atmosphere at our University’s football games.
The same Texas culture that prides itself on tradition and its
“old-timey values” will change. It’ll start to resemble some
of the rowdier fan bases that we UT fans enjoyed looking
down upon.
And, we fans derived a sense of a pride from painting those
schools in a condescending light.