Top Drinking Days for a Sports Fan

by E. James Beale

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Published: Mar 18, 2009

Dating back to my high school days, when my father would pull me out of class to sit next to him and his friends at a downtown bar, I, like many others, have closely associated the excitement of the annual NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with the joys and camaraderie of the adult beverage. Sports and booze — they've been bringing families together and messing with kids' educations for as long as they've been around. And there's hardly a better time to combine the two than the Tourney. The office pools, local interest, staggered start times and single elimination all combine for an event where there is always something to watch and yet rarely, if ever, a need to pay constant attention. While a championship game can feel like a life-or-death situation, which ruins the social aspect of drinking for the die-hards, or a laugher, which devalues the experience for the casual fan, the first two rounds of the tournament provide unremitting excitement and endless distractions (missed the end of the VCU upset? No time to mope, Wake Forest and Cleveland State are in a barnburner ... ), all without the urgency of mattering too much.

Thursday is about the company. If, say, Nova gets upset by AU, even on the back of a ludicrous call or cheap injury, Philadelphia will be upset, but there would be a sort of understanding that it must not have been their year. If the same thing happened in a title game, the city wouldn't sleep for weeks. That's why the beginning days of March Madness are the third (today, if you're reading this on Thursday) and fourth (tomorrow) best drinking days of the year for true die-hard sports fans. How do we know? Simple, we made the list ...

Honorable mentions, in no particular order:

Christmas Day. If you're lucky enough to either get past your holiday obligations by noon or to have been chosen, you're rewarded with a full slate of excellent NBA games and a built-in excuse to drink during the day.

Midnight Madness. During the annual celebration of the first day the NCAA permits formal basketball practices each college basketball season, banners from the previous seasons are raised, top recruits are wooed and entire campuses rejoice. It is one of the few precious days of the year where drinking at 8 in the morning is legitimately smiled upon. Kudos to you, Midnight Madness.

Your Favorite Soccer Rivalry. Be it El Clasico between Real and Barca, the Chelsea v. Trottenham North London Derbies, Mexico v. United States or literally any of the hundreds of small rivalries across the globe, nothing can beat any of these if you're invested in the matchup.

Preakness. More aptly described as one of the best sporting days for drinking fans, the Preakness' long history of UVA dropouts with two collars popping up from under their chino blazers drinking unhealthy amounts of light beer and attempting the Running of the Urinals (if you don't know, don't ask) makes it easily the hardest omission from this list. Still, the fact that it's meant only for the old and the young and is now banning outside alcohol is enough to leave it off. On to the top 10 ...

10. Thanksgiving

Everyone who can be back home is there, football is all on day and you're with family. The Superbowl aside, it would be hard to think of a weekend where more casual fans are tricked into watching sports. Add in the fact that your uncle just tweaked his groin trying to relive his glory years after hearing that his old alma mater was able to knock off its rival in the morning, and let's just say everyone could use a drink or two come sundown.

9. Baseball's Opening Day

On opening day every team has a chance, and too often it can seem like a good one. Opening day means hope, joy and unofficial change of seasons. It embodies the excitement and purity of the grand old ballgame.

8. Champions League Final

Remember that section about those guys packing the bars for their favorite rivalry? Well, this is all those guys' second favorite match of the year. Get to a bar early, pick a side and don't waver.

7. New Year's Day Bowl Games

The ultimate "scene of the crime" gathering of old friends and friends of friends who are in for the celebration, New Year's Day is a motley gathering of walk-of-shamers in their holiday finest and leisurely hosts passing out beers and mimosas in their sweats as the group sits back and drinks until the stories start pouring out — you're going to be shocked when you find out who hooked up last night! Since it barely matters who's playing — the championship game won't happen for a week — you can enjoy games that are quality, but not particularly important.

6. Rivalry Weekend

Be it Florida against Georgia, USC v. UCLA, Ohio State v. Michigan or something as nationally insignificant as Penn against Princeton, college football's rivalry weekend is every student, fan, and alum's chance to make the season a success. The day starts in the morning, carries through the afternoon, and either explodes in joy or sorrow as the game unfolds. Plus the alumni are back, and they're buying the drinks.

5. Kentucky Derby

It's the Preakness for grown-ups — a chance to dress like a character in The Great Gatsby, gamble profusely and pound Mint Juleps like you're back at a deb ball. For half of those in attendance, the fact that the ponies run is probably best classified as mildly distracting.

3. & 4. Tie

If you've forgotten already, you're the intended audience for this column. Clip this page, toss it in your pocket and when you wake up in a heap tomorrow morning, remember to check it out.

2. Division Round of the NFL Playoffs

With the best eight teams in football squaring off over two full days, you hardly need to gild the lily with alcohol. That doesn't mean you won't, though, nor will you regret doing so.

1. The first day it's warm enough to golf

E. James Beale is drunk. Hear him rant at citypaper.net/sports.

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