Why is it that when I scan through Google news looking for new tales of beer to ponder all the beer brawl news does nothing for me...unless it is from Australia. Why? Because they brawl even over tennis, that's why:
When a simple tennis match can inflame tensions to the extent that chairs and plastic cups fly through the air, scuffling fans are ejected, children frightened and ordinary supporters forced to cower, then at the very least a ban on alcohol before a certain time of the day should be introduced. But when one of the event's major sponsors is a well known beer product and such support brings in a lot of dollars, it is difficult to square the circle.
Pete Brown's Three Sheets to the Wind starts with a chapter on Czech drinking which contains an image of a bunch of the schlozzled there falling over themselves laughing over the idea of beer and violence being natural partners. It's a charming image and one assumes it has cultural relevance, that it speaks to something deeper. What does busting up a tennis match beer tent say?
Comments
jeff pereyda - January 24, 2009 4:16 PM
Oi, Gotta love the Aussies. Been there and loved the people and the Coopers.
Prof. Pilsner - January 25, 2009 6:30 PM
G'Day Alan,
The worst part of this is two-fold. The louts were all teens to mid twenties and from Serbian and Croatian backgrounds! All born and bred Aussies but with the prejudices of their forebears inside the big chips on their shoulders.
In addition, this has happened the last three years! They wave flags and chant at each other and then have a chest-beating standoff after they are booted from the courts. Sometimes they are moved on before it all jumps off but sometimes, like in this instance, some peanut throws a plastic lawn chair!
The saddest part - they're not all lagered up! This is just dickheads being dickheads.
Cheers,
Prof. Pilsner