All you ever wanted to know about beer pong
• Dec 14th, 2009 • Category: Uncategorized, ping pong
Once confined to the basements of Meister Brau-soaked frat houses, beer pong is slowly emerging into the mainstream. And a new book will only help it muster more fans.
“The Book of Beer Pong: The Official Guide of the Sport of Champions” has been published for all of those interested in the growing sport. Written by Ben Applebaum and Dan Disorbo, the book claims beer pong is even more of an American sport than lacrosse.
This is no hastily-done pamphlet written by drunk college students. As noted by University of Rhode Island reviewer Erin Shea, “with its gold-leafed pages and faux-leather binding, it’s clear from the get-go that Applebaum and Disorbo mean business.” In their comprehensive tome, the duo talk about beer pong etiquette and even quote professional beer pong players (yes, they do exist, though they’re not quite as organzied as a pro tennis tour).
Beer pong has become popular in the city of entertainment, Las Vegas, where U.S. championships were held earlier this year. For those tired of the one-armed bandit, O’Shea’s on the Vegas Strip has even unfolded three tables for beer pong with tournaments every Thursday.
Could it be in the Olympics eventually? Doubtful. But beer pong is no longer a cellar-dweller among sports.
Finally, the sport of the King of Beers receives the noble honor it is so richly overdue–a coffee table book. The high-energy barley beverage sibling of Table Tennis, no longer the poor stepchild confined to the smelly basement, can now take its rightful place in the living room. Can grudging respect and hard fought dignity be far behind? Or at least a cable deal? I think not. The time is now to shout the triumph from the rooftops, sing its praises on the streets, and bask in the afterglow of beer-drenched glory, because this is America.