Alcohol and sports. Sports and alcohol. To paraphrase that song that Frank Sinatra sings, they go together like a horse and carriage.
You might think I’m exaggerating, but they more I think about it, alcohol and sports can be hard to separate.
Just think about it: athletes who win championships frequently drink or spray alcohol on each other. Many fans drink beer as part of their sporting event experiences. These fans might be in the stands, attending tailgate parties, or watching from bars.
Even if you’re at home, it’s hard to watch a sporting event on television without seeing beer commercials. Many former athletes are even in those beer commercials.
The connection between alcohol and sports also exists in other countries. You’ll find advertisements for beer on the boards surrounding the ice of Canadian professional hockey rinks. Other beer advertisements adorn the kits of European football clubs (or the uniforms of European soccer teams, if you’re speaking American English).
Alcohol advertisements in Europe are generating controversy these days. Politicians in Europe want to ban alcohol advertising in Formula One automobile racing, especially after the sport just renewed a contract with the beer company Heineken to serve as a sponsor. The politicians argue that since drunk driving kills many people, alcohol advertisements on race cars sends the wrong message.
Formula One has banned tobacco advertising, just as the American NASCAR race car circuit did.
In fact, NASCAR’s racing series schedule used to be known as the Winston Cup after its sponsor, Winston cigarettes.
I don’t know if banning tobacco or alcohol advertisements will cut down on the number of people smoking or drinking. I’m torn as to whether the advertisements should be banned in the first place. Smoking and drinking are legal for adults who are old enough. It’s not like they are illegal activities.
And yet, maybe the European legislators have a point. Advertising alcohol on moving vehicles might be sending a mixed message. (In the United States, Winston cigarettes might not sponsor NASCAR, but the cars themselves still sometimes feature advertisements for beer.) Maybe we should start to examine just how closely sports and alcohol are linked, and how alcohol seems to play such a large role in our society.
