Crack down on tailgating louts

By The Gazette Editorial Board

For decades, home football games at the University of Iowa have included a tailgating extravaganza second to few others nationwide. Tens of thousands of fans eat, drink and be merry as they rev up for their Hawkeyes and unwind after a win or defeat.

The tradition is something many alums, students and other Iowans eagerly anticipate. And once the season kicks off, the majority of fans act in a reasonably responsible manner. For most, it's a great time.

But there are pockets of behavior that are simply unacceptable and seem to be getting worse. UI officials vowed Monday to crack down, starting with the season opener just over two weeks away.

We applaud the effort and also note that it's overdue. Some of the rules involved are already on the books.

In a guest column elsewhere on this page, UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta and Director of Public Safety Chuck Green outline the “Think Before You Drink” campaign. UI officials say they'll enforce the city's open-container law on public sidewalks and streets, not tolerate anyone urinating in public, allow drinking in UI parking lots and ramps for only one hour after the game and require all tailgating activities to end two hours after the final whistle. Police will step up their postgame checks for impaired drivers.

And season ticket holders may even be penalized if they sell game tickets to fans who are cited for violations twice or more in the same season.

Too severe? Not really, although that one about season ticket holders seems a bit over the top.

Too many times, we hear of fans' and neighbors' experiences before, during or after the game being ruined by loutish, rude behavior. Drunken tailgaters, including some who don't have tickets and are simply there for the party, act obnoxiously, leave garbage on public property and private lawns, urinate in public or spill beer on other people.

These ugly scenes scream “out of control” and spoil it for those who do control their drinking and actions. To say nothing of the impression it makes on children attending the game.

Allowing this boorish stuff to continue any longer without a concerted effort to contain it wouldn't reflect well on a campus and a city that are fighting to reduce above-average binge drinking by underage students. Adults of all ages are setting terrible examples and deserve to be held accountable.

UI police and leaders have their work cut out trying to reverse this ingrained culture of excessive drinking. They can't be everywhere at once, no matter how much extra manpower they are willing to commit. Responsible fans can and should support their efforts.

Everyone has a role in making sure that Hawkeye tailgating is a fun part of boisterous but responsible support for the university and its teams.