In Australia, It's Cricket Vs. The Beer Snake

There's a war going on. On one side, Cricket Australia, the sport's national governing body. On the other side, the elusive beer snake, created by fans stacking thousands of cups through the grandstand. One is the wildly popular national sport of Australia. The other is cricket. And when the two clash, only one can survive.

Cricket Australia is cracking down on the pastime of beer snaking, even as Australian beer snake technology leads the world. Less than a month ago, fans in Sydney passed a rain delay by creating a beer snake that stretched more than 100 meters. The scoreboard flashed that they had broken a six-year-old record for beer snake length, even though no one measured either. But beer snake records are more about feel than precision, you know?

No matter. At a match last Friday night, dozens of fans had their empty beer cups confiscated when they attempted to create a beer snake, and some were even ejected from the stadium. These were the very same stewards who had actually chipped in to help create the world record beer snake in January, now turned fun police.

Said Cricket Australia spokesman Philip Pope:

"We are attempting to appeal to families. We want them to enjoy their day and to come back.

"Security will judge things on a case-by-case basis. Patrons don't generally like beer to be spilled on them or to be hit by flying plastic cups."

They should probably get the fuck out of Australia then. But the beer snake can be dangerous—a few years back, the CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers banned them after an incident in which multiple spectators suffered minor injuries after a beer snake exploded. So a crackdown would be welcome for fan safety, as well as for those who just want to watch cricket in peace.

On the other hand, a cricket match takes forever. Damn the man! Save the beer snake!

[ Courier-Mail]