Hockey-team promotion: Unlimited free beer!

An NHL hockey team's idea to get more fans in the stands by offering free beer is leading to a brawl of words off the ice.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning will give patrons all the beer they can drink during the playoffs if they agree to purchase season tickets.

Those who deposit $100 for 2004-05 season passes are eligible for unlimited free brew during the games, according to a scoreboard announcement on Saturday.

But police and safe-driving advocates in Southwest Florida think the idea belongs in the penalty box.

"Why attach alcohol to a season-ticket plan? It's almost encouraging people to drink more than they should because it is free,'' Sgt. Chris Velar, who runs the Tampa Police Department's DUI squad, told the Tampa Tribune. "A liability could go deep if someone goes out and dies.''

Velar's sentiments are echoed by Becky Gage of the Hillsborough County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, who thinks the promotion should be benched.

"It seems we take one step forward and they took two steps back. It's advertising irresponsible behavior. It's a huge insult to our community,'' Gage said.

A Lightning spokesman told the Tribune the team isn't being irresponsible and takes the matter of drunk driving seriously.

"We won't serve people who are intoxicated,'' said Bill Wickett, explaining beverage workers at the St. Pete Times Forum are trained to spot drunks. "We don't think people should be alarmed.''

He says in addition to the free beer, the Lightning has a program providing free taxi rides home.

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"If we think you had too much to drink, we'll offer to give you that ride,'' he said.

Some 25 of the 21,000 people at Saturday's game signed up for season tickets.