The Sports Business Daily (log-in required) reported in October about a lawsuit concerning professional sports and beer sales at games. The NFL, the New York Giants and Giants Stadium concessionaire Aramark are being sued by a family, whose daughter was paralyzed in an alcohol-related auto accident outside of the stadium in 1999. The driver had gotten drunk at the game and then attempted to drive home.



I have attended numerous sporting events and concerts and faced this exact problem. People drink at the game and then believe that drunk driving does not apply to sports or music fans. Parking lots at these venues can be dangerous obstacle courses, as this one girl tragically discovered.



Already, most baseball teams stop serving alcohol by the seventh inning and basketball and football teams by the fourth quarter. The outcome of this lawsuit could perhaps have an even more drastic effect. My hope is that the teams continue and expand their drunk driving awareness and designated driver programs to prevent other tragedies like this.

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