Crisis averted: Beer pong to remain legal in Baltimore
Baltimore state Sen. George W. Della Jr. has caved on an effort to outlaw beer pong and related drinking games in Baltimore bars before the fight even got started.
Email exchanges encouraged beer pong fans to contact Della, who was responding to neighborhood groups concerned about the outflow from bars in Federal Hill and elsewhere in his South Baltimore-based district after long nights of drinking games. Della’s proposed beer pong ban was to have its first legislative hearing on Thursday, but he told the Baltimore Sun’s Sam Sessa today that his is abandoning the push. The pressure is already too great, he said, and he doesn’t need the headache.
Some of the reaction is predictable. Many will ask why this is a topic the General Assembly needs to consider at all. With budget deficits, a health care crisis and global warming, why should lawmakers use any time during their 90 day session to talk about beer pong?
Well, the Assembly considers hundreds of bills a year. Some are broad. Some are narrow. Many are put in the hopper at the request of a constituent. Sessa told me that Della was unaware that many players use water in beer pong cups, rather than alcohol. The senator was open to compromise. Several other states have banned drinking games. Della would not be reinventing the wheel here.
But there seem to be two lessons. First, as Sessa notes, there’s a new political force to be reckoned with in Annapolis, in the beer pong aficionado. And second, heaven help the legislator who gets between a pong player and his (or her) balls.
Comments
It's a good thing Senator Della backed down. The problem is not with beer pong and needing to make more laws. The problem is that the laws that are already in existence are not enforced. If someone is drunk and disorderly, they can be arrested. If someone is drunk and decides to drive home, they can be arrested. If someone leaves a bar and decides to urinate on the sidewalk, they can be arrested. There are plenty of laws. You don't solve problems by making more laws. No law can stop stupidity.
Posted by: Jeff | February 11, 2009 1:53 PM
Don't mess with Austin and Jim.
Posted by: Tom | February 11, 2009 2:32 PM
"Sessa told me that Della was unaware that many players use water in beer pong cups, rather than alcohol."
Uh, yeah, sure. Unless you mean the designated water cup to "wash" the pong balls after they ditter away across a dirty barroom floor.
I enjoy a good game of pong myself. But damn, wish that "lobby group" cared as much about other regional matters.
Posted by: GMan | February 11, 2009 3:11 PM
GMan -
MDBEERPONG.COM leagues and tournaments in Baltimore use water in all of the cups. We do not fill any cups with beer or anything other than a strange concoction of hydrogen and oxygen.
In regards to any "lobby group" not being involved in other matters you are solely mistaken. As most of us are young professionals many of us take a great interest in politics. The difference, however, is that the ban on beer pong was canned very quickly because it should never have been an issue.
Even if one hundred of us e-mail a senator concerning stem cell research it won't make the same impact as when we do so concerning a local issue that impacts our community.
Any assumptions concerning our lack of empathy for other local issues are unfounded and incorrect.
Posted by: Bryan | February 11, 2009 4:34 PM
I just want to thank everyone for all the support. Our position was voiced and it is fantastic that we were heard. Job well done on all sides.
Jim Reiter
Mdbeerpong.com
Posted by: Jim | February 11, 2009 6:44 PM
What about Harford County??? Why did I hear today that Harford is outlawing it? This sucks!
Posted by: Kristin Knoerlein | April 29, 2009 3:28 PM