A bit of odd news out of Brazil as published in The Sydney Morning Herald as that nation prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 2014:
''Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we're going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant, but that's something we won't negotiate,'' Valcke said on Thursday at the end of a visit to Brazil to meet the organising committee. He added that FIFA had repeatedly made it clear it wanted authorisation for beer sales in the stadiums, and stressed that Brazil was warned of that when it was chosen to host the 2014 World Cup. FIFA has an agreement with its sponsor, the US-based Anheuser-Busch brand Budweiser, and prohibiting beer sales would cut into the football organisation's revenues from the games. The sale of alcoholic drinks in sports arenas has been banned in Brazil since 2003, but a bill now making its way through Congress would create an exception, allowing beer to be sold in plastic cups at World Cup matches.
I know we are all supposed to be all "hooray for booze in every context" when we beer blog. The pressure to conform is heavy - as you no doubt have noted. But isn't there something quite disturbing about beer being foisted - nay, forced - upon a people who have decided that beer in a sporting event is not appropriate? It would be comforting I suppose to pretend that FIFA cares about the thirst of dipsomaniac soccer fans but of course they are going to get a cut of stadium sales but not sales in private establishments before or after the matches. Having attended enough league matches in Scotland in the 70s and 80s when the ban on booze was skirted by those later arrested fans who duct taping bottles of cheap sherry to their legs under wide leg jeans (quite the thing for a teen to witness) I am aware of the reasons for keeping booze out of the stadiums.
So FIFA is lining up on the side of lining its own pockets at the risk of public safety. Odd to see the makers of Bud still called "US-based" however. Surely, that Brazilian based brewer is lobbying its own as hard as FIFA. Rioters are, after all, good paying clients.
Comments
Pivní Filosof - January 22, 2012 12:19 PM
This article: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/01/russia-brazil-beer-world-cup.html closes with this: The FIFA push could be a problem for Qatar, which is slated to host the World Cup after Russia in 2022.
That'd be quite interesting to see.
Sid Boggle - January 22, 2012 4:55 PM
I have some idea that FIFA's T&C's for hosting a world cup include changing local tax laws to make them favourable to FIFA, immigration rules relaxed for FIFA-nominated representatives and a host of other concessions you'd expect to only offer a nation, not the governing body of a sport.
This ABI tie-up with FIFA caused problems in Germany in 2006, but for different reasons. Supposedly German drinkers were unhappyat not being able to drink proper beer near stadia...
Pivní Filosof - January 23, 2012 2:57 AM
Sid, the problems in Germany had more to do with the trademark dispute between Anhauser Busch and Budvar. Budweiser could only be sold as BUD.
Dave Stokley - January 23, 2012 2:32 PM
Totally agree that FIFA (cough...AB) is pushing too hard on this, but not the least bit surprised.
Dave Stokley - January 23, 2012 2:35 PM
Equally disturbing, however, is that you've reference wide leg jeans in back-to-back posts.
Alan - January 23, 2012 2:37 PM
In 1977, at the height of punk, I was in the UK visiting family as a 14 year old with nothing to wear but wide legs when all around me wore pegleg skinny punk jeans. It burns still.
Craig - January 23, 2012 7:36 PM
BAH! I throw my half full, plastic cup of lager at you!
Knut - January 26, 2012 8:19 AM
I get remarks about being a neo-prohibitionist when I write posts like this. I don't think there is a natural law stating that sports events should be associated with a massive intake of tasteless lager.
I was watching Copenhagen play Barcelona in Copenhagen a year ago, with Carlsberg offering a "buy three half-liters, get one free" in the stadium. Combine one such package before the interval with one after - not a lovely sight. And certainly not family friendly entertainment.
Alan - January 26, 2012 8:27 AM
Exactly. That is one of the things I like the best about popping south over the border for US college sports - not all that much drinking. I have not gone to one Toronto Blue Jays game without some drunk butt head intruding on the experience.
"Neo-prohibitionist" is, by the way, one of the dumbest labels being thrown around in the good beer discussion. Smacks of a brain that tuned out on a topic long ago.