World's largest outdoor cocktail party over??

[WarTiger 3,901]

Interesting... Not sure why this has come up now....but oh well..

Thoughts??

By CARTER STRICKLAND

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 05/15/06

Athens — Georgia President Michael Adams recently has made a push to curb on-campus alcohol abuse and change an image of the school that has spilled into the public consciousness.

That push has not been restricted by the campus borders. Adams, working through the SEC, has requested CBS curb its use of "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" in promoting the annual Georgia-Florida game it televises each year from Jacksonville.

"There are better images," Adams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We have requested they not use that nomenclature. The indication is they are sensitive to our concern."

But, Adams added, CBS has made it clear it is within its rights to use the tag line if it sees fit. CBS officials did not respond to interview requests.

"There are things we can all do to change the culture," Adams said. "We are trying to develop [a different culture] here and there."

Discussions have continued with Jacksonville to develop better management of the city's Landing area, a popular drinking spot the weekend of the Georgia-Florida game, so the image portrayed to America is not one of college debauchery.

"I don't think they want that, either," Adams said.

But, he added, it's easier never to have had that atmosphere than to change it once it exists. Student leadership should play a role in any transformation in culture and image, Adams said.

"I think the students would understand there are some boundaries and everybody is paying attention," he said.

After last year's game, a University of Florida student was beaten to death about a block from the Landing. While the incident was not believed to have been related to the game, it put the city — and the game — under the spotlight.

Susie Wiles, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville mayor's office, told the Gainesville (Fla.) Sun at the time that alcohol was believed to be a factor, and that the game's "informal [cocktail party] marketing ... is not helpful.

"Obviously, any time there are large numbers of individuals and alcohol is involved, unfortunately we can expect some issues," Wiles told the Sun in November. "The death of this young man was a tragedy. It certainly is a blemish on the record of this game."

A year earlier, the body of another Florida student who had attended pregame parties at the Landing was found next to a parking garage, where he had apparently fallen to his death. Officials determined his death was alcohol-related.

Last September, Georgia and Florida renewed their contract with Jacksonville to keep the game in that city through 2010.

"It was a tough call, but a sensible one," Adams said at the time.

Adams said several factors, not the least of which is the atmosphere surrounding the game, would be weighed when making a decision to extend the contract with the city.

[GoAU 1,600]

I bet this guy is also one of those people that are trying to make schools not use Native American nicknames for their mascots - what an idiot...

[Aubie16 1]

Growing up around Atlanta, and having numerous friends that attend Georgia currently, he is quickly becoming the most hated man in Athens.

He is doing all sorts of anti-drinking intiatives in Athens. He is currently pushing for some legislation that would kick students out of school after 2 alcohol related offenses (minor in possession, public drunkeness, dui, possession of a fake id, etc.)

He has requested different rules for tailgating involving alcohol, etc.

I actually feel sorry for my friends over there.

[AUslug 1]

Oh no, the PC bandits have struck again. This Adams guy sounds like an assclown. Smoking has all but been declared illegal now the no fun people are going after alcohol, political correctness is a blight.

[smokies 0]

Oh no, the PC bandits have struck again. This Adams guy sounds like an assclown. Smoking has all but been declared illegal now the no fun people are going after alcohol, political correctness is a blight.

235297[/snapback]

Speaking of PC Bandits http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article....RTICLE_ID=49171

[passthebiscuits 6,846]

I think it's a great idea.

Excessive drinking on college campuses is a major problem.

It often leads to driving while intoxicated--a major cause of accidents and adolescent death in this country, sexual abuse, and even death due to blood intoxication. While it would be great to think that our college students could be responsible, it is unwise to do so. Good for him for wanting his college to be known for more than a drinking binge...

[vatz22au 142]

I think it's a great idea.

Excessive drinking on college campuses is a major problem.

It often leads to driving while intoxicated--a major cause of accidents and adolescent death in this country, sexual abuse, and even death due to blood intoxication.  While it would be great to think that our college students could be responsible, it is unwise to do so.  Good for him for wanting his college to be known for more than a drinking binge...

235305[/snapback]

You think all these will be magically abolished even when banning it? What about drug overdoses? Are they not illegal? Yet they happen.

Alcohol has been around for thousands of years. College students and Adults alike can and will be responsible for the most part. If a college student is going to drink and drive, he will probably drink and drive even if alcohol was banned. This is called an idiot. There everywhere.

Part of being a college student is learning how to be responsible. We dont need crazy crusaders such as this running the world.

[ProgRock 0]

I think he's got a good idea about him,if you have to drink to watch a football game to have "FUN" then I think you have a problem anyways.Have a hot dog and a coke and don't kill me and my kids when you've had your "FUN" and try to drive home.

[freebody 0]

This Adams guy sounds like an assclown.

235297[/snapback]

He better watch it - screw with too many uga traditions and he's liable to get a senior beat-down from his gymnastic coach's boyfriend (the guy who evidently holds the AARP belt, after ****stomping the other old dude in the yard a few months back).......

I think the bigger concern for uga in J-(no)action-ville is not the chronic alcohol abuse, it is the chronic abuse of the puppies by the gaytors.

[AUHansel 0]

Pretty much all the UGA students I've talked to hate Adams.

[SouthLink02 8]

I love Adams.

I love how he pisses off all the ignorant, arrogant UGA fans who hate change of any kind.

He went against EVERYONE's wishes and fired Donnan. Now everyone loves that he did it yet refuse to say it

He went against EVERYONE and got rid of Dooley as AD and now everyone is happy that he is gone and Evans is in....any credit? Nah

He wants to clean up UGA's campus because the fat, lazy, SOB's trash it every weekend and everyone complains.

Good for Adams.

This idea is stupid nonetheless but I applaud most of his work.

[abrnfanatc 6]

Broyles Asshattery Award worthy???

[rolltoomer 0]

I agree with Dr. Adams.

Folks can still have fun, but there's no reason to imply an endorsed culture by both schools.

Students will always drink--I know the heck I did--but there's nothing wrong with cleaning up an image of promotion.

[WarTiger 3,901]

I'm all for cleaning this kind of thing up. This coming from the perspective of someone that doesn't drink and one that doesn't need to get drunk to be happy or have a good time... Keep Going!!

[passthebiscuits 6,846]

And now we have Northwestern's women's soccer team involved in a hazing/sexually agressive ritual. It's bad news for schools like Duke and Northwestern when things like this happen.

Dr. Adams isn't trying to abolish alcohol, and neither am I...and yes, things like DUIs will still occur...but why should UGA --PROMOTE--their FOOTBALL GAME to be associated with drinking?

We're lucky that our teams here have kept classy. Our traditions are TPing trees and a tiger walk--we'd be singing differently if our stadium was called the Margarita Bowl.

I mean, does anyone else see this?

[Aubie16 1]

If you don't think drinking prior to the game is a major tradition at Auburn before football games you better take a look around before the next game...

[Ranger12 46]

It sounds more like the guy is just not wanting the game called something that promotes drinking, especially when alcohol is not legally allowed inside a college football game. I doubt he is really trying to put a stop to the drinking that goes along with tailgating.

[AUHansel 0]

drinking is a part of college. if it was called the "let's all get drunk as hell game" i would feel a little different, but I think this is stupid. stuff happens to 18-22 year old kids. they're off on their own for the first time. changing the name of a game won't really change anything. if people are dieing then maybe it could be policed better or some kind of awareness could be raised but I don't think that this solves anything. college is a time for learning about more than your major. most people will say that college was one of the best times of their life. why do you think they say that?

[quietfan 233]

...another Don Quixote tilting at windmills.

Adams can stage all the noble quests he wants, and may succeed in getting CBS to officially back off some, but when something has become as much of a tradition as the "World's Largest Cocktail Party", the name will stay alive as long as there are UGA & UF fans.

It's not alcohol related, but do you think either university's president or a TV network could ever make AU/UAT fans stop calling our rivalry "The Iron Bowl"?

[WarTiger 3,901]

CBS Sportsline

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Florida and Georgia no longer want to be known for throwing the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

Advertisement

 

The annual football game in Jacksonville between the Southeastern Conference rivals has been called the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party by fans and the media since the 1950s. But the deaths of two students in the past two years, and an emphasis on responsible alcohol use, has prompted the universities to ask television networks to stop using the moniker.

CBS Sports, ESPN and Jefferson Pilot were contacted by SEC commissioner Mike Slive in January asking them to consider dropping the use of the slogan during the Oct. 28 game.

"We would appreciate any initiatives you might take to avoid using the cocktail party reference. This is a great college football game which highlights a traditional rivalry full of the passion of football in the southeast. Our hope is to keep the focus on the game," Slive wrote in a letter to Mike Aresco, vice president of programming for CBS Sports.

Leslie Anne Wade, vice president of communications for CBS Sports, said Aresco has had informal conversations with Slive about the issue, but said the network has not been contacted by either school. She doesn't believe the network has used the phrase very often, if at all.

"It's not part of the focus of CBS coverage. CBS coverage is about the rivalry and the competitive matchup of these two schools," she said.

ESPN said it might use the phrase in certain contexts.

"We are going to consider being consistent with their request," said Mike Humes, a spokesman for ESPN.

Officials with Jefferson Pilot, which is now called Lincoln Financial Media after a recent merger and sponsors regional television coverage of SEC games, did not return a call seeking comment.

Chuck Toney, a spokesman for Georgia, said university president Michael Adams had contacted the SEC about the issue.

"We don't like the phrase. We don't use the phrase. We would prefer that nobody use the phrase," Toney said Tuesday.

In each of the past two games, Florida students have died.

After last fall's game, Thomas Oliver Brown, 23, was beaten to death in downtown Jacksonville. The year before, 19-year-old UF student David Ferguson died after apparently falling from the top of a parking garage.

Toney and Greg McGarity, UF's senior associate athletic director, said both schools are concerned about alcohol abuse and the slogan is in conflict with the message the universities are trying to send to their students.

"We are not going to be able to prevent that tag from being used, but is our responsibility to do everything we can to educate," McGarity said. "We are aware of the problems in the past and will do everything we can to stop things from happening in the future."

According to the Florida Times-Union newspaper in Jacksonville, its former sports editor Bill Kastelz first used the phrase in a 1950s column, when he wrote about a drunken fan who stumbled up to a uniformed police officer and offered him a drink.

AP NEWS

The Associated Press News Service

[WaReAgLe83 0]

This isn't Prohibition we're talking about here - these are two schools that are notorious nationwide for being 'party schools'. Drinking isn't the problem, it's excessive drinking.

Besides - I'm guessing the - Little Brown Jug isn't going away anytime soon...

[AUslug 1]

This isn't Prohibition we're talking about here - these are two schools that are notorious nationwide for being 'party schools'.  Drinking isn't the problem, it's excessive drinking. 

Besides - I'm guessing the - Little Brown Jug isn't going away anytime soon...

235761[/snapback]

It is called the Bourbon Barrel and yes it has gone to the wayside because of a drunk driving accident.

[WaReAgLe83 0]

You're right, Michigan and Minnesota play for the jug. Thanks for calling me on that.

[AUslug 1]

You're right, Michigan and Minnesota play for the jug.  Thanks for calling me on that.

235972[/snapback]

That's what I'm here for, gotta keep on top of college football tradtions and whatnot.