It’s called ‘Ruit

Whatever you call it, everyone’s favorite drinking game is apparently important enough to leapfrog the current economic woes and shoot to the top of the list of one state senator, who introduced a bill in the Maryland General Assembly to ban the game in bars:

Sen. George W. Della Jr., a Baltimore Democrat, said such games encourage excessive drinking, which leads to raucous behavior in city neighborhoods. A bill he introduced late last month would have outlawed any games that award drinks as prizes in city taverns.

On Monday, a copy of Della’s bill, SB 233, was circulated in e-mails and posted on Web sites of local beer pong leagues, setting off an online firestorm. Fans of drinking games sent a flurry of angry e-mails to the senator, who withdrew the legislation today on the eve of its first hearing in a committee.

Beer pong enthusiasts were overjoyed with Della’s decision.

“I’m very happy,” said Jim Reiter, co-founder of MD Beer Pong, which bills itself as the state’s largest beer pong league.

“We had a campaign going to get everybody to contact the senator, and I was really happy to see all the people that came together,” Reiter said. “I was getting a lot of e-mails and calls myself. I’m glad to see that it works. It’s kind of cool.”

Yeah, Senator, it’s not like your constituents have to deal with a mayor under indictment, a homicide rate on a record-setting pace, a train wreck of a slot-machine bidding process, and a multimillion-dollar statewide budget deficit. Does the term “Prohibition” ring a bell?

Though it is a bit scary that there are now professional leagues devoted to drinking games…

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24 thoughts on “It’s called ‘Ruit”

  1. Anonymous

    5:38, you said it. The people who are most into beer pong usually tend to be the least interesting ones. This isn’t a stereotype against frat guys, a lot of frat guys are great – it’s an accurate description of people who get excessively excited about beer pong.And the people who adamantly argue about the distinction between beer pong and Beirut are some of the most annoying ones I’ve met at college – shut up! No one cares, they just don’t want to argue with you because it is an inane thing to argue about.

  2. Anonymous

    5:38, you said it. The people who are most into beer pong usually tend to be the least interesting ones. This isn’t a stereotype against frat guys, a lot of frat guys are great – it’s an accurate description of people who get excessively excited about beer pong.

    And the people who adamantly argue about the distinction between beer pong and Beirut are some of the most annoying ones I’ve met at college – shut up! No one cares, they just don’t want to argue with you because it is an inane thing to argue about.

  5. Jacon

    12:50 – I won’t disagree with you about general usage, or the fact that Beirut is a regional name. I was simply pointing out the etymology of the two names and why they are improperly applied. “Dartmouth” Pong may be what it’s called elsewhere (though I have never heard that), but at Dartmouth (and other schools where proper beer pong is played), they call it beer pong. Since they invented the game, as you say – well, they should probably get to name it.

  6. Jacon

    12:50 – I won’t disagree with you about general usage, or the fact that Beirut is a regional name. I was simply pointing out the etymology of the two names and why they are improperly applied. “Dartmouth” Pong may be what it’s called elsewhere (though I have never heard that), but at Dartmouth (and other schools where proper beer pong is played), they call it beer pong. Since they invented the game, as you say – well, they should probably get to name it.

  7. Anonymous

    Sure it’s a fun game but there are many fun games. I’ve spent too many nights not doing anything interesting because friends are too engaged in settling epic beer pong rivalries

  8. Anonymous

    Sure it’s a fun game but there are many fun games. I’ve spent too many nights not doing anything interesting because friends are too engaged in settling epic beer pong rivalries

  9. Anonymous

    Jacon–no, actually Beer Pong is the general title of the sport, which (sad to say) most of the country uses. We say Beirut here, but only because that’s our regional name for it. The “beer pong” you’re referring to is actually called Dartmouth Pong, named so because it was invented there.@5:38–It’s actually a really enjoyable game. You should try it. Sounds like you probably have a chip on your shoulder about “frats” or whatever, but you shouldn’t generalize.

  10. Anonymous

    Jacon–no, actually Beer Pong is the general title of the sport, which (sad to say) most of the country uses. We say Beirut here, but only because that’s our regional name for it. The “beer pong” you’re referring to is actually called Dartmouth Pong, named so because it was invented there.

    @5:38–It’s actually a really enjoyable game. You should try it. Sounds like you probably have a chip on your shoulder about “frats” or whatever, but you shouldn’t generalize.

  11. Anonymous

    these games are pretty good if you want an excuse to get drunk and not risk people finding out how boring you are in actual conversation

  12. Anonymous

    these games are pretty good if you want an excuse to get drunk and not risk people finding out how boring you are in actual conversation

  15. Jacon

    It is ‘rut, which is short for Beirut, not Beiruit, and no, idiot, it isn’t beer pong. That’s an entirely different game, etymologically rooted in ping-pong, to which it is closely related. Beirut, in contrast, is named after random bombs falling on Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War – hence the 80-cup version, “Lebanon.”

  16. Jacon

    It is ‘rut, which is short for Beirut, not Beiruit, and no, idiot, it isn’t beer pong. That’s an entirely different game, etymologically rooted in ping-pong, to which it is closely related. Beirut, in contrast, is named after random bombs falling on Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War – hence the 80-cup version, “Lebanon.”

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