Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching and Madison bars are bracing for one of their biggest days of the year.
Bars will be indulging customers with drink specials, food discounts and prizes during the American 'holiday.'
Along with $1.50 Miller High Life and Pabst drink specials, Lucky's Bar and Grille, 1421 Regent St., is giving away prizes from its vendors. And for $10, patrons can play in Lucky's shuffleboard tournament, which starts at noon.
Buffalo Wild Wings, 529 State St., is not having any specials, just the standard happy hour from 3 to 9 p.m. According to manager Nate Fisher, the bar is still a popular destination for football fans and partiers alike during the big game. Fisher said Buffalo Wild Wings will be filled to capacity, with 'somewhere around 800' people likely to show.
State Street Brats, 603 State St., has long been a Saturday afternoon headquarters for Badger football fans. Its big-screen TVs and established reputation mean that it is usually packed on Super Bowl Sunday. According to manager Jay Johnson, the bar does big business during the Super Bowl and patrons can test their limits as they enjoy the game.
'It's an all you can eat, all you can drink event,' Johnson said.
In fact, the bar is so popular it charges admission on Super Bowl Sunday. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on game day.
The predicted increase in bar business and alcohol consumption Sunday has police on alert. According to police Public Information Officer Mike Hanson, what begins as a party often ends in violence.
'We do have an increase in domestics for such an event,' Hanson said. 'People aren't getting along in their homes and raising fists to the level of either calling the police or their neighbors calling the police.'
The Super Bowl is not worrying the police department too much though. Hanson said there were no staffing plans as far as increased patrols. But, he added, police on duty 'at least in the night time hours' are expecting an increased number of disputes.
'We know that it's going to be a busy day,' Hanson said, 'because of the amount of alcohol involved.'
