Thursday, June 05, 2008

'Show and Blow' to Continue in Madtown


Drive through any town in Wisconsin and you're likely to see two things: a church and a bar. After all, you can't spell Wisconsin without sin.

Heavy consumption of alcohol at Badger games has long been a problem. (Example A: the above video is from 1987.) Go back to the Billy Marek and Rufus Ferguson days and you might find a keg in the stands at Camp Randall.

“Alcohol and Big Ten football seem to go hand-in-hand,” University of Wisconsin Police Lt. Bill Larson said.

Unfortunately, there have been tragic consequences. The Camp Randall Crush occurred on Oct. 30, 1993, when students rushed the field after Wisconsin upset Michigan, 13-10. A total of 73 students were hurt, six of them critically.

This resulted in lawsuits, which resulted in stepped-up efforts to curb excessive drinking, including the "Show and Blow" project that launched last year. It requires students with a previous ejection or citation at a home game to blow into a portable Breathalyzer test before a game to prove their sobriety.

Officials plan to continue the program this fall.

"We think students should be held accountable for their actions," associate dean of students Kevin Helmkamp said.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Possibly the most liberal student body in the nation and they act like a$$holes at games? Whodathunkit.