The Buffalo Bills want to restore a family atmosphere at their home games, and have an interesting idea on how to do it.
The team is petitioning the state Legislature to allow beer stands at Ralph Wilson Stadium to open at 11 a.m. Currently, the law forbids the Bills from selling beer before noon.
“The general purpose is to restore some of the family environment to the stadium and downgrade a little bit of the emphasis on tailgating,” said Assemblyman Sean Ryan (D-Buffalo), according to the Buffalo News.
While it might seem counter-intuitive to think more beer consumption will result in an enhanced family environment, Ryan explained his reasoning, saying that it would provide a “more controlled environment” for beer consumption as compared to current tailgating traditions.
“Bills fans seem to have a taste for beer before noon on Sundays,” he said.
With frigid temperatures the norm in Buffalo, Ryan also thinks that the warmth of the stadium will attract some tailgaters.
“I think the thought is die-hard tailgaters maybe on a cold day will come in an hour earlier and find new options,” he said.
The Bills previously petitioned to open their beer stands at an earlier hour two years ago, but failed.
The latest attempt to sell morning suds comes as Bills ownership is trying to assess the value of the team to prepare it for a sale. Fans coming into the stadium early drives up concessions.
“This would enable fans to enjoy more of the pregame atmosphere inside the newly renovated stadium, which will include the new interactive fan experiences and dining options that were previously unavailable to fans,” Ryan said.
Republican Sen. Mark Grisanti feels that legislation that deals only with the Bills — sorry, an “outdoor athletic stadium located in the County of Erie with at least 60,000 fixed seats,” as it is referred to in the bill — will not be passed easily.
“We have to be conscious of our small businesses that are located in and around the ballpark to make sure if there’s any changes, we need to be fair to everybody,” he said.