Anheuser-Busch, brewer of Budweiser and Natural beer products among others, pulled a promotion for "Bud Pong" last Tuesday after learning that some who took part in the promotion were using beer rather then water to play the game.
The brewer responded to a flurry of criticism prompted by a New York Times article Oct. 16 that reported some who took part in the promotion were participating in the game in a manner that could lead to binge drinking.
The brewer based its game off rules similar to that of the popular drinking game beer pong. However, in their promotional version, participants would play on Bud-labeled tables with water in bars and spectators would drink Anheuser-Busch products while watching. This promotion was held in college towns similar to Charlottesville, such as Clemson, South Carolina, according to the New York Times.
"Different house rules vary" for beer pong, according to fourth-year College student Dave Alexander, the Pi Lambda Phi's Annual Beer Pong Tournament Champion.
Alexander said the game usually is played with at least six cups filled a third of the way with a liquid substance, usually beer. Each team consists generally of two people who take turns shooting at each others' cups. When a team sinks a ball in the cup of another, that team must drink the contents of the cup. The first team to land a ball in all of its opponents' cups wins.
The game is widespread around Grounds, taking place in Greek houses and private residences, although it is banned in local bars, so "Bud Pong" was not promoted locally.
Fourth-year Architecture student Eric Battino and some of his housemates went so far as to start a Beer Pong League. The group of 14 teams meets every Tuesday and has created a bracket system much like that of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
Battino said they like the game of beer pong for its competitive nature in addition to the drinking component.
"It's competition I guess, like most of my friends played sports when we were younger, so we like the competition," Battino said. "We keep stats and stuff, and we have who's in first place
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