NEWS BULLETIN – THE BIG FOOTBALL AND GOLF WEEKEND
On February 1st, the greater Phoenix area welcomes two of the biggest crowd drawing events of the year. Superbowl XLII and the Phoenix FBR Open golf tournament will be held in Glendale and Scottsdale, respectively, the weekend of the 1st and there will be no shortage of festivities in the Valley. Entertainment scheduled for the weekend of the Superbowl and FBR Open includes over 20 organized Downtown parties, live bands in concert at a variety of venues, and, of course, plenty of food and alcohol.
Superbowl XLII
The NFL’s biggest game will be played on February 3rd at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Surrounding this event is a myriad of celebrity charity events, public celebrations, and countless private parties. Also accompanying the football fueled revelry is one of the “most organized statewide public safety efforts in Arizona history.” According to the ASU Web Devil, over 50 state and local agencies will be enforcing the law the weekend of the Superbowl, including Tempe and Phoenix Police Departments, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, ASU Police Department, the FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
At the center of concern for the numerous law enforcement agencies is the issue of Driving Under the Influence (DUI). The City of Tempe will be instituting a special DUI task force beginning at 5:00 pm and ending at 3:00 am on Friday, February 1st, and Saturday, February 2nd. According to Sergeant Mike Horn of the Tempe Police Department, “[The City of Tempe will] put a number of officers out to saturate an area looking for impaired drivers.” Similar task forces and DUI enforcement efforts will be present throughout the entire Valley this weekend.
FBR Open
The self-proclaimed “Greatest Show on Grass” will be held at the TPC Scottsdale Thursday, January 31st to Sunday, February 3rd. In 2008, it is anticipated that the FBR Open will play host to more than 500,000 golf enthusiasts and spectators over the course of the long weekend.
This PGA TOUR event is notorious for its raucous party crowd, particularly the horde of beer drinking fanatics congregated around the infamous 16th hole. To curtail alcohol related incidents at this year’s FBR Open, the Thunderbirds (the hosts of the FBR) are implementing new alcohol restrictions and providing free taxi service to destinations within 10 miles of the event. The new alcohol regulations include: a two drink per person per purchase maximum, age-verifying wristbands to reduce the number of under age drinkers (and incidents of Minor in Possession - MIP), and a complete ban on alcohol sales near the 16th hole. The Thunderbirds, however, are not the only party interested in decreasing the number of alcohol related incidents at the Open in 2008.
According to the Arizona Republic, more than 30 police officers will be patrolling Scottsdale in the vicinity of the Open (on city streets and Loop 101) from the middle of the afternoon to early in the morning in an effort to reduce accidents caused by “impaired drivers.” This task force is spearheaded by the Scottsdale Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, both agencies of which have stated that driving under the slightest influence of alcohol will result in arrest for DUI. Organizers of the Open and law enforcement agencies both urge those attending the Open who choose to consume alcohol not to drive and to make transportation arrangements or take advantage of the free taxi services available at Bell Rd and Perimeter Rd.
Culbertson, Matt, “Super Bowl provokes super effort from Valley law enforcement,” ASU Web Devil (January 31, 2008).
Balazs, Diana, “Drinkers face more restrictions at FBR Open,” The Arizona Republic, (January 24, 2008).
Drefs, Shea, “DUI task force prepares for FBR,” The Arizona Republic (January, 29, 2008).
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