Clippers Join LAPD Chief William Bratton and LA County Sheriff Lee Baca to Show Support of STAPLES Center’s Designated Drivers Program

LOS ANGELES, CA – On the eve one of Los Angeles’ biggest sports weekend with the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Kings vs. Anaheim Ducks, and the USC vs. UCLA rivalry football game, STAPLES Center’s management team has partnered with Levy Restaurants, ACE Beverage Distributing, and Anheuser-Busch, joining along side with LAPD Chief William Bratton and the arena’s five professional sports teams, the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Sparks, and Los Angeles Avengers to implement the Good Sport designated driver’s program at most major sporting events.

The Good Sport program is designed to encourage fans to drink responsibly while attending events at STAPLES Center. Good Sport helps to continue the arena’s tradition of providing an enjoyable fan experience and atmosphere during all events held at STAPLES Center. The program, designed by a team of professionals has been used to develop successful fan-responsibility and event-management programs for international sporting events, including the Olympics and the World Cup games.

The Good Sport program focuses on three areas that are keys to influencing fans to act responsibly:

• Communicating messages to the public that prompt attitude changes and remind fans of the importance of responsible behavior.
• Providing additional training for concession workers, ushers and security personnel to prevent problems before they happen and to enhance skills in recognizing signs of impending intoxication in customers and responding to these situations in a non-confrontational manner. Encouraging fans to sign a pledge to be a designated driver as they enter STAPLES Center for an event. Participants are rewarded for taking responsible actions with one complimentary non-alcoholic fountain beverage or O’Douls per game and one complimentary food item. In addition, participants will be entered into drawings to be held throughout the season for tickets to future games, team merchandise and the grand prize of an event suite for an upcoming event.

  “STAPLES Center has always strived to ensure that guests attending events feel they are in a safe environment and can truly enjoy their experience from beginning to end,” said Lee Zeidman, STAPLES Center General Manager. “The Good Sport program allows our staff to team up with our partners from Levy Restaurants to ensure responsible alcohol service and consumption at every event for all of our guests.”

  “We are proud to partner with the partners and teams of STAPLES Center to launch the Good Sport program,” said Jeff Rosenthal, Director of Operations, Levy Restaurants. “The program is consistent with our commitment to provide the best fan experience possible and promote both responsible alcohol service and consumption.”