Is It a Dynasty?

This weekend I switched up my studying schedule so I could attend the Fourth Annual Maryland State Beer Pong Tournament. My partner and I managed to get a wild card bid and had to face our arch rival in the first round. We've been doing this for four years, we do have an arch rival. Needless to say, we lost, and then we lost again. And were out of the tournament in a quick two games. This was neither surprising or unexpected. Neither of us play as much as we used to and the competition has gotten a lot better over the past few years.

The tournament started out with the National Anthem. A girl near me scoffed and made a comment about this not being a sporting event. She obviously hates America and is quite possibly a terrorist, who else makes insults during the National Anthem. Say what you will about beer pong, but it is very competitive. Ask most of the 56 teams that competed on Saturday. Or come watch another tournament. You have over 100 guys(mostly) competing against each other for a trip to Vegas to play in the World Series of Beer Pong for $50,000 and the title of Maryland State Champions. Tell me anywhere you can get that many people together and have it not be competitive.

I'll be honest, for my team, it was more about blowing off steam, hanging out with friends and an excuse to drink at noon on a Saturday, but even we came to play. Plus, its always fun when two girls can beat two guys at pong, even if it didn't work out for us this week. The team that actually won this tournament was the same winner as last year, Wet Ballz. They consistently rank in the top three in League Championships. You get the idea, they are the elite of the beer pong world. After losing in the first round they managed to fight their way through the losers bracket and to beat Redonkulous in two games.

I didn't actually manage to stay until the end. The beer and hunger got to me. Who could possibly have predicted that as a tiny girl I would be hungry and drunk before six hours of beer pong had finished up. I left to go get food and watch some college basketball and didn't make it for the final rounds of the tournament. I'm told that the matches were hard fought through multiple overtimes. So it looks like a Wet Ballz dynasty.

Major tournaments are springing up all over the place. There are leagues forming in most major cities and even an international tournament in Jamaica. And of course the World Series in Vegas right after New Years. So look for a league or some tournaments in your area.

Before you get too critical of MDbeerpong.com and similar organizations keep in mind that most of the people playing are young professionals who like to compete in every situation. Most of them developed a love of this game during college and don't see a reason to give it up because they now have graduated and moved on. It's not only about the competition, it's another way to socialize and have fun and maybe win some money and at least win some bragging rights. But a lot of is about competition.

Photo: Taken by me of Wet Ballz

The Sport of Beer Pong

Now some people may not consider this a sport but with the upturn in high stakes tournaments, that notion should be revisited. I mean there's a World Series of Beer Pong with $50,000 prize for first place. If poker is a sport then why not beer pong. Beer pong at least involves some coordination. Poker might involve some mental toughness and strategy, but not really any type of physical ability or coordination. Throwing a ping pong ball into a cup with accuracy is not easy. Add excessive amounts of beer and it can be incredibly challenging.

I think the beer is probably what the main hurdle in the game being considered a sport. On the other hand there is a high level of competition. There are leagues and tournaments all over the country, and of course the aforementioned World Series. This is not just a game for drunk frat boys anymore.

For those of you unfamiliar with beer pong, there are many different variations. (It is also called Beirut) But since its my blog, I'm going to use the rules that my friends and I play with. Here's a brief overview. You get an 8' long table and put 10 cups on each side in a pyramid formation. There are 2 players on each side and two balls. Each player has a chance to throw one ball into the opponents cups. If the player hits the cup, the opponent must remove that cup. Opponents should drink but are not required to. (People who consistently do not drink face ridicule.) If both teammates hit cups then they get to shoot one more ball. Then the other team does the same thing. The goal is to get rid of all of your opponents cups, get drunk, and claim bragging rights, and maybe even win some money.

There is a whole industry developing around organizing leagues and tournaments, making tables and other accessories, and even an independent film. (I have not seen the film but I've heard it's not that great.) So if you are one to write this off as some passing fad, then you should think again. The popularity and skill level in competitive beer pong has only been growing.

The increased popularity and organization of the game has led to much increased skill level and competition. Now I'm not saying that beer pong should be an Olympic sport but people should at least give it a little recognition. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 90% of American between the ages of 18 and 30 have heard of beer pong. And probably 75% of those people have played it at one time or another. So its not exactly as if this game is only being played by a tiny portion of the population.

Yes, it may cause you to break a sweat, or put you at risk for terrible injuries (though since there is drinking involved there is always a chance) but it takes more coordination than poker, which is regularly on ESPN2 and is more popular than curling, an Olympic sport. And with the slew of high stakes tournaments around the country, I think it deserves a little respect.

So next time someone talks about how good they are at beer pong. Don't scoff or say there's nothing to it. Nod and realize they may be making more from it than you are from online poker. And at least they're being social.