Daley's No Beer Plan

Daley has never been a friend of the bar and club industry in Chicago. Now, through his head of Emergency Management Agency, he's floated an idea that bars near Wrigley Field (and, oh yeah, The Cell) not sell any alcohol from the 7th inning stretch through the end of any game that the team could clinch the series. The plan seems to still be forming but currently it seems like they are trying to apply this to home games only.


When I first heard it I thought it was a nonstarter as long as Daley didn't get on board. Then in a presser yesterday, when asked about business owners fears of losing business, he said this, "I'll have somebody buy their place tomorrow. . . . If you've been drinking for five hours and you're laying on the floor, don't give that person another beer."

I spend far more time in bars than anyone probably should and I can tell you no one who is passed out is served more booze. That's not to say people don't get over served but this is just more typical Daley hysterics.

Because of government's near dictatorial power over alcohol sales and distribution, however, it sounds like bar owners are reluctantly getting on board. If they don't the city would (legally) make their lives hell when they had to reapply for their yearly liquor license. The owner of John Barleycorn on WGN last night said that he might be willing to play ball.

But anyone thinking for more than about 5 seconds realizes this will accomplish nothing. First off, anyone who's been drinking from the National Anthem, or well before, through the top of the 7th can be well and truly sloshed before the beer is cut off. Having an hour off may sober them up a little bit but the people they are worried about will just jump right back in feet first when the bar opens again.

More over, everyone is going to be well aware of this. In the top of the 7th inning people are going to order multiple drinks for themselves: a pitcher, a bucket, 5 mixed drinks. Just line 'em up and keep drinking through the 9th inning. I've heard various theories on whether or not it is legal to have multiple open drinks in front of you at the same time but it happens now, will continue to happen, and I guarantee it will happen if this plan is implemented.


I was standing in the middle of Addison and Clark with my Cub fan friends this past Saturday night when the Cubs clinched the Central division. They shut down the streets and celebrated like they had won the World Series. If the Cubs win any post season series its going to be even more crazy. The World Series will be out of hand. Closing the tap for an hour isn't going to change that.

So why is all this happening? I can only speculate. Daley has a well documented dislike of the Cubs and their fans. It really feels like some petty attempt by Daley to punish his perceived enemies. That must be some kind of first for him.

Oh, wait...