BS: Champagne spraying champions

Subject: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 07:56 AM

Looking at the news, and up flashed this clip of a couple of racing drivers spraying each other with champagne.

And it occurred to me to wonder when this rather pathetic custom crept up on us. It seems inseparable from any kind of sporting victory these days, and not just sporting victories either, it's creeping into social celebrations as well.

It's a pretty new tardition. One time it was just that they opened the bottle to drink the contents, and there was a bit of fizz in the process, but now it's more like fire extinguishers at the ready. I suppose it's some kind of undoctored Tom Cat symbolism, spraying the furniture to mark territory.

What a waste of good booze.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: jeffp
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 08:06 AM

At American sporting events, they usually have the cheap stuff for spraying around and the good stuff for actually drinking afterward.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 08:11 AM

In the 1970s I was in Qld Rescue Squad - we sat on the side of the circuit in rescue trucks - and the drivers did 'the spray' then - intentionally.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: SINSULL
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 08:15 AM

Mumm's - SIGH
I treat myself to a good bottle of champagne occasionally and grind my teeth even when they spray the cheap stuff. Club soda would have the same effect. Didn't it start with Gatorade?

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 08:17 AM

plus it's uncouth

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: 3refs
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 08:30 AM

If you look at old pictures of championship celebrations(especially team sports), there's lots of bubbly flowing.
Yes it's a waste of good booze, but it's how they share and it's better than 25 pairs of lips on the bottle.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 11:59 AM

"What a waste of good booze."

I suppose it's OK for lasses, southern puffs and woolly-woofters, but 'good booze' isn't the way I'd describe it. It's cack. Spraying it around is probably the best thing to do with it. LOL!

Gimme a pint o' Monkey-Wrench any time.

IMHO, of course.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: Bee
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 12:07 PM

Dunno about the old Monkey Wrench, but certainly cheap champagne is usually only good for a headache, so the custom doesn't bother me. Beats thanking some deity for not favouring the competition, which, if I was a believer, I'm sure I'd consider a wee bit blasphemous.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: Rapparee
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 12:13 PM

I drinks booze, I don't spray it all over myself and others. Of course, I might get a bit clumsy now and then and spill it all over, but if it's good stuff (i.e., it doesn't take the finish off the floor or eat through the carpet) I might soak it up and wring it back in the glass like I was raised up to do. Etiquette and all that, you know.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 12:28 PM

"certainly cheap champagne is usually only good for a headache" - Nonsense, I'm afraid. Well, I'm glad actually, because I'm not a fan of paying though the nose.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: Gurney
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 06:31 PM

McGrath, I'm having trouble understanding you. Do you prefer to pay through the nose so that you get a better headache?

I'm with earlier posters, white wine is sour stuff. Red is better for you anyway. Beer is best with fish-and-chips, anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: Rapparee
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 06:39 PM

Whiskey or whisky is best of all.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 06:46 PM

I'd sooner drink beer generally. Champagne is a pleasant change on occasions, but I'd as soon have the cheap stuff as the dear stuff. No headache problems.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 12 Jun 07 - 08:50 AM

Red wine unfortunately causes allergic reactions in some people - much worse than mere headaches.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Jun 07 - 11:03 AM

So do nuts!

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: Bert
Date: 12 Jun 07 - 11:12 AM

Waste of good (well maybe not too good) brains too.

They obviously didn't grow up during rationing.

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 12 Jun 07 - 07:20 PM

There's no shortage of nuts here, Dave!

Subject: RE: BS: Champagne spraying champions
From: GUEST,Bruce Michael Baillie
Date: 13 Jun 07 - 01:18 AM

...personally I'm waiting for the day when one of them decides to go one step further and grabs hold of the champagne bottle, chugs the contents down in one, jumps up and down furiously for ten minutes and then sprays the crowd with vomit!
...Now that would be worth watching!