Bombers bring back beer snake

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This article was published 05/11/2014 (4130 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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The giant, plastic-bellied beer snake, believed to be extinct in Manitoba since it was last spotted in 2010, is poised for a comeback next football season.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced Tuesday the snake, formed when fans stack hundreds and hundreds of just-finished jumbo beer cups into each other until they form a writhing, serpentine structure that can slither as many as 30 rows high, will return to its natural habitat next June in sections 140 and 141 of Investors Group Field.

These sections, dubbed the Fanatic Fan Zone, will be reserved for the loudest and, in all likelihood, rowdiest, fans at Bomber games. They will also mimic the conditions of Section S at Canad Inns Stadium, where the beer snake flourished for years.

Wade Miller, the Bombers’ CEO, said after getting its bearings operating out of the new facility for the past two seasons and listening to fans, the team decided to bring back the beer snake in the two sections only. “We believe these sections can do a beer snake and have it be safe for all of our fans,” he said, noting it’s expected fans in the Fanatic Fan Zone will be dressed in blue and gold from head to toe and rarely, if ever, sit down during the game.

While the beer snake is non-venomous, it has been known to cause minor injuries. Fans have been cut when large stacks of the snake have fallen over on them or when cups that still have beer in them have been thrown down from the upper deck and hit unsuspecting people below. “That’s why we’re putting the beer snake in the north end zone. There’s no 200 level above it,” Miller said.

David Baker, CEO of Think Shift, a Winnipeg-based agency specializing in brand, culture and leadership, said while the return of the beer snake should be a fun addition to Bomber games, the more important element is that the team is listening to its fans.

“This sounds like it’s part of a larger narrative. The Bombers are saying, ‘The status quo isn’t enough. We’re listening and connected with the fans. We don’t need to do things a certain way just because we’ve always done them that way,’ ” he said.

Baker noted keeping the beer snake confined to two sections where fans won’t mind if they get spilled on and need a shower after the game makes sense.

“It’s an earnest attempt to change, build community and have some fun. It reflects the Bombers trying to be intentional about their brand and connect with people,” he said.

The beer snake was last seen in July 2010 but was banned after several fans suffered minor injuries and the team received a significant number of complaints via email and phone calls.

Season tickets in the Fanatic Fan Zone will cost $338.50 next year, down $50 from the 2014 season.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca

 

Are the Bombers listening to fans or thinking about increased beer sales? Join the conversation in the comments below.