Charlie's Cafe, just south of the downtown Minneapolis "courthouse row" but when the sign was made the Twin Cites were devoid of pro-sports. As a U of MN student I recall attending a few football games at the old "brick house". Pretty dead back then with pro sports here. Admittedly the dome didn't help but basically the market and times have changed.
The new Gopher stadium is a structural masterpiece. My dentist of 25 years has an office next to it so I have followed the construction saga. I have no complaints against the building itself.
That said, the alcohol policy there, especially in terms of how it relates to students borders of "gestapo tactics". Our modern day "prohibitionists" have considered the U of MN campus a "market free environment". They impose ever stronger restrictions on tobacco and alcohol.
Student drinking at games has long been considered a "cat and mouse game" (think Madison, WI). The prohibitionists at the U of MN seem to have crossed the line with breathalyser tests of students. There is a long history of turning drunks away from games but this is documentation and the prohibitionist with their "gestapo tactics" want this recorded on a students record. That is very scary.
Most modern students are computer savvy and they realize the ramifications this might have. They interact with the less savvy out of state students (part of the university life). The threat of punitive action and the "crossing the line" of documentation is very scary to all.
The most vocal prohibitionists are "politically correct" Marxists who hate everything about the USA: http://Cloward-Piven.com
The logic of the early game low student turnout seems to be that all the U of MN students are recovering from hangovers from Friday night. Hmm! This after decades of the prohibitionists combating student drinking? Hmm!! It was several decades back but I live in Dinkeytown, adjacent to the U of MN campus for 12 years. Students weren't all Friday night drunks back then and they aren't now.
If someone wants to go after the prohibitionists a student boycott of the new Gopher stadium would seem a good target. In the 1970's it was tried but failed. The sports grip was too strong. Nowadays we have far more options and the Big 10 Network was badly over-marketed even before the economic crash.
The old economic boycott strategy might work here. If it starts student section attendance might be closely monitored. If you build it and the students don't come this will be the focal point. If the powers that be try a "switcharoo" I'm sure our many student journalist will find out about it and report.
Greg Lang
