| By Clint Hamilton
clint@piedmontgazette.com
TUSCALOOSA - Be prepared for some changes Crimson Tide fans, and not just with the coach walking the sidelines.
This week, the Alabama Athletic Department will begin mailing season ticket holders and running ads in newspapers across the state, the new game day policy which covers everything from tailgating rules to the attire you can and can't wear inside the stadium.
Gone are the days of fans sitting outside the stadium getting inebriated and coming into the stadium causing trouble. According to University officials, State Troopers will be stationed at random gate entrances and if they, or the gate workers, suspect you of drinking, you will be asked to take a breathalyzer test.
If you blow more than a 0.08%, you will be asked to leave the stadium, and if you are a season ticket holder, your tickets will be revoked and you will not be able to renew them.
"We sat down and looked at most of the problems we have inside the stadium on game days, and 80% of them are alcohol related. We understand that some people are going to drink a little, but we are not going to tolerate drunkenness inside our stadium any longer" said one University official.
Eddie Kines, a Piedmont resident and family member of Joe Kines, has been coming to Alabama football games for 40 years. Over the last 15 years, he has been a strong advocate for these changes. "I remember when Coach Bryant was here; our fans didn't act this way. We came to the games, sure, we might drink one or two cold ones before hand, but we didn't get drunk, and we certainly didn't cause problems in the stadium. We just liked to come in, watch some good football and contribute to the atmosphere. That is Alabama football.
“Our football team played with class and our fans cheered with class. Once he left, it was like he took our class with him - we stopped acting like champions, and I think that has hurt the football team, too.
“I took my grandson to the LSU game a couple of years ago and I was truly embarrassed. It was like I had taken him to a race at Talladega rather than a Crimson Tide football game".
Among the many changes, the one that may cause the most problems is Alabama's new policy pertaining to what you cannot wear into the stadium.
"It's not a 'dress code', per se. We will just not allow a few certain articles of clothing into the stadium. We have had numerous complaints about obscenity in the stadium, and most of the time, it's directly related to what some fans are wearing" said one University official. Some articles of clothing that will no longer be allowed into the stadium:
• Tank tops or shirts with the sleeves cut out
• Halter tops and cut-off t-shirts
• Cut-off blue jean shorts
• Jerseys worn into the stadium must be Nike
• Attire with vulgarity or obscene photographs
• Shoes must be worn at all times
"We are not asking for much. We just want Crimson Tide football games to be family oriented, and at this time, we don't think that is the case" said one University official.
While these changes may come as a shock to some Crimson Tide fans, Kines says they are a long time coming.
"This has been a long battle, but if I can finally take my grandson to a game and he can see what Alabama football is really about, it was all worth it."
Clint Hamilton covers the University of Alabama for the Piedmont Gazette |
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