The University of Tennessee has a plan to prevent another trash blizzard in response to this month’s debacle when Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss visited Knoxville.
Among the steps the university will take: prohibiting “student guest tickets” for the Georgia game in two weeks; increased security in the student section; and enhanced metal detectors at student gates. They’ll also be sure to “remove bottle caps in strategic concession stands” — the ones by the student section, perhaps?
What the university will not be doing? Changing anything about its alcohol policy.
“This review also evaluated Tennessee’s gameday policies and procedures related specifically to alcohol sales,” deputy athletic director Ryan Alpert wrote, along with university police chief Troy Lane, and student life vice chancellor Frank Cuevas. “It was concluded that our alcohol service plan was complied with. … (Officials reviewed) all elements of Tennessee’s gameday alcohol service plan and ultimately concluded that no changes are necessary at this time.”
So, it was those ne’er-do-well Tennessee students and their “guests” who were responsible for all of this, and alcohol played no part in this. At least, not any alcohol sold by the University of Tennessee at its stadium, because it was the students at fault — and most of them would never be served booze on school property because they are not of drinking age.
Never mind everyone spending the whole day getting tanked before going into a stadium with a charged atmosphere, with the student section being located behind a sideline within trash-flinging distance instead of an end zone spot, because the University of Tennessee had nothing to do with any of that.
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The important thing is that the people running gameday at Tennessee are not so out of touch, it’s the children who are wrong.
The trash two weeks ago did come from the student section. The trash now comes from the administration, investigating itself and finding nothing amiss at all.
NHL gonna NHL, now TNT gonna NHL too
Just a thought, but maybe the NHL on TNT’s Twitter bio shouldn’t be “Horned up for hockey” at this particular moment in time.
TNT is new here, but it’s refreshing to see them fit right in with the league ethos of saying and doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, every single time.
Like, say, having the Carolina Hurricanes mascot hold up a sign that says “Believe survivors.”
Yes, very good, Stormy… and it’s not uncommon to see mascots join in when a team is trying to put out a positive social message. But this isn’t Hockey Fights Cancer or Pride Night, it’s a sport reckoning — or a sport that should be reckoning — with heinous acts and a toxic culture within its own ranks.
If it’s not obvious that the mascot should sit this one out, that’s not a good sign.
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