This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
For folks advocating less government control of liquor in Utah, the cause was not helped by a few allegedly drunken Ute fans who, while watching the Utah-BYU game in a suite at Rice-Eccles Stadium, decided to storm the suite next door to hassle BYU fans.
The stormed suite belongs to Zions Bank, and Saturday night about 16 influential people in the community were there, including Senate President Michael Waddoups and House Majority Whip Greg Hughes. Both have been instrumental in recent liquor law reform legislation.
Witnesses say words were exchanged between the suites and about three Ute fans, who reportedly reeked of alcohol, barged into the Zions suite where some shoving occurred. Others from the Ute fans' suite stood menacingly at the entrance of the Zions suite.
University police were called and, while no one was arrested or ejected, two officers were posted at the entrances of the suites for the remainder of the game.
University spokeswoman Barb Smith said while there were reports of alcohol being involved, no alcohol was found in the suite, so there will be no sanctions against the fans who have that suite.
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The burning question • So it was on everyone's mind. If BYU had made that field goal at 11:58 Saturday night and forced the game with the Utes into overtime, and into Sunday, what would BYU, who doesn't play games on the Sabbath, have done?
Spokesperson Carri Jenkins was clear. She told me the game would have continued.
They don't schedule or start games on Sunday, she said, but if the contest continues into Sunday, they don't stop. She says that actually has happened before.
That lends even more credence to the speculation that the ball was divinely guided into the upright so the game would end right there and the Cougars would not have to play on Sunday.
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Tourist attraction? • The iconic Lamb's Grill Cafe recently added to its already storied ambiance on Main Street by opening an outside area in front of the restaurant.
Patrons now can experience the moon, stars and horse-drawn carriages that go by while dining on the sidewalk patio.
But Lamb's management didn't think loud jackhammers just yards away from the diners would be part of the atmosphere.
Saturday night about 8, with the patio full of customers, a truck pulled up and workers began drilling into the street, quickly clearing the customers away.
As one waitress said, if the city or the construction company had notified the cafe about the work, patrons would not have been seated on the patio. But there was no warning.
Art Raymond, spokesman for Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, said the city's policy is to notify businesses when construction work is planned nearby.
But this time, there was an oversight and no warning was made. He said the city plans to apologize to Lamb's and promise it won't happen again.
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Good intentions • Dave Agee, who owns the John Deere dealership in Pauls Valley, Okla., says Utahns are the nicest people in the world and he loves talking to them.
But please don't call anymore.
The dealership's toll-free number was erroneously listed by Sheila Walsh-McDonald, the state ombudsman for oversight of the health data breach, in her op-ed piece in The Tribune on Sunday that urged people to call and sign up for identify theft protection.
The correct number, published in a correction on Tuesday's op-ed page, is 1-855-238-3339.
Agee says he has had a number of calls from Utahns wanting to sign up, and they were still coming in on Tuesday. It costs him a fee every time someone calls on his toll-free number.