Pantagraph.com | News | Most Heartland trustees OK with beer sales at stadium

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Can't stop at one, can you? wrote on Oct 18, 2007 12:54 PM:

" And all the boozers come out to blog....one is too many and twenty not enough. "

Digs Deeper wrote on Oct 17, 2007 11:19 PM:

" Hey why not at Mc D's too, after all we never have DUI's in this town, now do we... Everone will walk to the game as well right? It's called alcoholism when this nation must have beer and liqour everywhere we go...... "

william wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:02 PM:

" This town has more money than brains. "

cats wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:00 PM:

" i myself would love to have a team here. and i love my beer. but i dont know if it would work here or not..i have only one question. CAN I BRING MY GOAT???? "

Attendance wrote on Oct 17, 2007 4:20 PM:

" 250-300 people?? Try 25-30 family members, and that's it. "

to: to: Amazing wrote on Oct 17, 2007 4:10 PM:

" You haven't been to Applebees at 9 PM on a Wednesday or Thursday. Why do they stay open until 12:30 AM? Becasue there are college age people drinking. My experience has been that more beer is sold than food during this time. While I don't like eating in a resturant that is full of people drinking, I have never had a problem with any of the kids. The bottom line is that beer generates revenue. I'd rather have beer pay for the stadium than taxes. "

To: Amazing wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:25 PM:

" I still love the fact that people think fans are going to flock to this "stadium" like it was Wrigley Field. Hopefully, this doesn't go through, but if it does, there are going to be some really dissappointed people when there is a strange resemblance to the baseball field in Lexington. "

to: Amazing wrote on Oct 17, 2007 2:14 PM:

" Well those sound like the very same controls they have at major league ballparks and thst does not stop the intoxication of persons at the game. This does not stop the persons from tailgating or drinking before the game and then going over the edge with a couple at the game. It is foolhardy to think that anyone of you on here can say that there will NEVER be an issue when alcohol is served. You also state concerns over Applebees and restuarants like that. Since when was the last time someone went to one of these stanablishments for three hours to dine and drank instead. Your argument is baseless and you had better try again. People attend baseball games which last 3 hours or so in length. How many beers can you consume if you wish in that time? 8-12 easily. Though from the sounds of it security will likely be able to see those persons in the 250-300 people in attandance. "

Mr. Bud wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:57 PM:

" You would have to be drunk to think that this baseball venture will be anything but a debacle. The only way this thing will make money is if they sell beer....and lots of it. In another 15 years when your property taxes have doubled so kids can play baseball in 13th grade and a few hundred people can go out to watch a bush league team you'll be begging them to put in craps tables at this thing. "

Mr Astroth wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:51 PM:

" I am all for you proposal! But from hence forth all the toilets at Heartland shall be renamed the JON "

Just A Guy wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:23 PM:

" My wife and I were talking about this and she brought up an interesting point. Does anyone have a problem with Chuck E. Cheese selling alcohol? It is a place actually geared towards kids, but sells alcohol as well. So, if people are so worried about kids even being near alcohol, why don't you try to get places like Chuck E. Cheese to surrender their liquor license, instead of places like movie theaters, arenas and baseball stadiums (which may allow children in, but aren't geared necessarily towards kids). "

To: To: Looks Great wrote on Oct 17, 2007 1:17 PM:

" You have just made my point. The games at ISU, and IWU were FREE, yet nobody came. In order to get people to come, they didn't charge admission. Quincy draws a crowd of 3,000 every night for their CICL games. Would I put a baseball stadium there? Absolutely! Not only will people show up and support the games, but they will pay and make a buck or two. During that process, the money that was borrowed to build the stadium will be PAID BACK and won't become an eye sore. I love the game of baseball more than anything and would love for it to work in BN, but the fact is that it will not work. Save the time, effort, and the hassle of having to apologize to the community for making a big mistake "

to: bob wrote on Oct 17, 2007 12:59 PM:

" O'Neil park is not a stadium. It is a baseball field. Why would you even bring it into the discussion? "

Amazing wrote on Oct 17, 2007 12:54 PM:

" When exactly did mere alcohol sales equate to public drunkenness? When did we make the leap from a business selling beer to the notion of some public beer-guzzling frat party? Does this same animosity hold for restaurants like Applebee's, where minors might gather in the same place alcohol is sold? Somehow, I doubt that. As an experienced operator of baseball teams, one of which was on a high-profile college campus, I can say that it is possible to serve beer in a responsible manner in a setting that will include minors. Properly train the staff, require ID for purchase by anyone, limit beer sales to two beverages per person at a time, cut off beer sales in the seventh inning, and carry proper security to watch for underage drinking or overconsumption. You don't NEED a family section, but you can provide it as a convenience to those that want to enjoy the affordable family fun of a ballgame without the beer. But if you're going to say no to beer at the ballpark because of your fears, then you might want to start shutting down restaurants that serve alcohol, too. "

to fatso: wrote on Oct 17, 2007 12:11 PM:

" very excellent point - it is LOGICAL somethign that seems to escape most of the posters on this list. "

To: "To: Steve Graham" wrote on Oct 17, 2007 11:46 AM:

" So, just because children are there, then alcohol should not be available? How about parents using it as a teaching tool to teach their kids about responsible use of alcohol? But, I guess little Timmy or little Tina even being near a drop of alcohol is going to turn them in to raging underage alcoholics, right? "

to To: To: To Steve Graham wrote on Oct 17, 2007 11:28 AM:

" what if I CHOOSE to have a beer? Why should I be concerned because you haven't taught your children the difference between having a social drink and being a drunk? Exposing children to alcohol, give me a break. I suppose you change the TV every time a beer comercial comes on. "

To: To: To Steve Graham wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:54 AM:

" If hubris is a fear of drunks on the road and children exposed to alcohol then I am guilty. It sure sounds like you are the one that is overbearing and over self confident. If you feel that you must have alcohol to have a good time then maybe you need to seek professional help. If you want to start a one on one please continue otherwise keep your pittiful little comments and your theasaurus to yourself. "

Heartland Student wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:42 AM:

" Don't go to Heartland, it is a horrible college. Nobody even cares about the softball/baseball teams. "

To: To Steve Graham wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:30 AM:

" Well good thing there are laws to protect the rest of us from dogmatic positions like yours. Hubris is a sin, my friend. "

This wouldn't wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:12 AM:

" cost the taxpayers money, because, like it says in the article, "The stadium would be privately owned, but Heartland would use it in exchange for leasing the land for it." "

Taxpayer wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:06 AM:

" I'm NOT ok with a Heartland taxpayer-sponsered stadium. We already have the Judy to pay for. "

No Beer No Beer wrote on Oct 17, 2007 9:01 AM:

" Notwithstanding the obvious arguments on whether we really need this in the first place... Sure there should be beer at a baseball minor leage stadium. But if we can't grab a beer on a night out at a new west side movie theatre, then why should we be able to grab a beer on a night out at a new west side ballpark???? (And more people will frequent the movie theatre) "

single use wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:55 AM:

" LOL now this will be funny to see if this looses money. "

To: Looks Great wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:48 AM:

" Where are you going to put the CICL team so that they will be able to make money? You have to have a stadium where people actually have to pay to walk in and see the game. ISU, IWU, and O'Neil Park are all good baseball facilities, but you can just walk up with your cooler and sit on the sidewalk and watch the game. You don't have to spend a dime to watch it. "

a reader wrote on Oct 17, 2007 8:17 AM:

" I don't think a tax payer supported entitiy (Heart "less" land) should also be providing a booze palace. Next thing you know, Bloomington will want to build a money eating Coliseum... oh, sorry, they did. "

here we go.... wrote on Oct 17, 2007 7:55 AM:

" I can't wait to read the comments...."What about the children? Won't someone think of the children?" I'm glad to see they have approved beer sales "

To Steve Graham wrote on Oct 17, 2007 7:32 AM:

" Keep up the stance Steve. America's Pasttime should not have alcohol sold. What will happen is parents taking kids to see ballgames and drinking. Paretns drive home and accidents, or worse yet is kids seeing parents drinking and experimenting with alcohol also. It is time that this Asroth look at the big picture tather than trying to wheel and deal. Times have changed and as a parent it sickens me to see the garbage even proposed. "

How much wrote on Oct 17, 2007 6:41 AM:

" will our taxes go up with the construction of this. We apparently did not learn anything from the coliseum debacle. How much money will this lose every month? "

Looks great... wrote on Oct 17, 2007 6:25 AM:

" on paper. A beer garden for the Heartland baseball team and a second rate independent baseball league? A family section? What is it going to take for me to get through to these people that this plan will FAIL. Nobody will come. The first week of baseball, families and students will come out to watch, but after that nobody will come. As I've said before, if the CICL didn't work here, this wont either. Why not try the CICL first? Invest the $25,000 franchising fee and see if the team could get a marketing intern for the summer from ISU. Get fans and families out to the ballpark and get the ball rolling. If that fails, baseball just won't work here. If it works, maybe try it on a larger scale. But don't go blowing your money on "family friendly sections" of a ballpark to keep the rowdy people away. There will be no rowdy people or family section because this will NOT work! "

Fatso wrote on Oct 17, 2007 5:48 AM:

" Charlie Mehl says alcohol is legal. And points out that a lot of people would like to have a beer ( or two) at a game. Tobacco is legal. And, unfortunately, there are, no doubt, a lot of people who'd like to have a smoke at a game. Too bad for them. It's legal: but prohibited. As will be, in time, alcohol. As soon as 'awareness' by the fanatics reaches critical mass. All in all, I think we're just one step closer to prohibiting use of legal substances which just may offend SOMEONE. "

bob wrote on Oct 17, 2007 5:43 AM:

" we already have too much baseball stadiums in twin cities. Look at oneil park. It's an empty ball park 3/4 of the year. "

Normal resident wrote on Oct 17, 2007 5:15 AM:

" Subject to Normal Town Council approval.... "

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