Friday, September 12, 2008

One perhaps down, a second hopefully to come.

The 'Ville Voice bills itself as a “critical take on Louisville news,” and the blog is a worthy if quirky compendium of all things Louisville. I don’t know the bloggers, although to date, their views on beer largely have been restricted to upholding the sanctity of dollar beer night at Louisville Slugger Field, home of the AAA Bats, and a notorious haven for anti-craft beer stuffed shirts.

But I digress.

This item appeared last week, following an earlier report that Anheuser-Busch advertising signage at the home of the University of Louisville’s football Cardinals had been vandalized, evidently by the management.

No Bud Buy-In: We told you that the Budweiser signage at Papa John’s had been covered up (in a tacky, vinyl way) and today learned from U of L that the brewer, an original “cornerstone” sponsor, chose not to renew its deal with U of L after 10 years. May have to do with A-B’s new ownership, or the school’s steep pricing.

I’m not sure how covering up a Budweiser logo could ever be tacky, although other words spring to mind, including celebratory, laudatory and amusing as hell.

Live by the checkbook, die by the checkbook – tears here are crocodilian and sparse. I seldom root for SAB Miller and Molson Coors, but as A-B sorts through the terms of its impending absorption by InBev, and InBev plans marketing strategy for world domination, I’m guessing that there’ll be the chance for River City to grab a few promo and placement slots from the distracted monolith.

I’ve no interest in Papa John’s, either its pizza or its stadium, but wither Louisville Slugger Field? After all, River City has a burgeoning craft beer portfolio, and the savvy to recognize niche opportunities. Will fresh cash sway the baseball Philistines? Stay tuned.

And, as an unrelated afterthought, how do alcohol sales figure into college football, anyway? Here's a link from U of L's student newspaper that charts the situation.

1 comment:

boco said...

May I add one suggestion in addition to my earlier post. I would love to see Blue Moon added to your excellent list of refreshing alcoholic beverages that you offer.
Thank you - again - had a wonderful time - will come again - love the atmosphere and the music!