Two dudes win beer pong championship

A pair of recent University of Michigan graduates won $5,000 for being the best at a national beer pong tournament.

Jason Coben and Nick Velissaris are the champions of the "World Series of Beer Pong," which took place earlier this month near Las Vegas. The two beat out more than 160 other competitors to split the $10,000 grand prize.

Beer pong is played this way: While standing, players attempt to toss a Ping Pong ball into cups that are partially filled with beer at the other end of the table. If the players succeed, their opponents are forced to drink the beer in the cup.

Critics say the game encourages binge drinking, but Coben and Velissaris say it's not about irresponsible drinking. They say it's a way to have a good time with friends.

It promotes binge drinking? No way. I don't believe it. The rules state that the opposing player has to drink the beer in the cup that the ping-pong lands in. In no way does it emphasize drinking the beer quickly. In fact, drinking the beer quickly is not part of the ‘design/rules/architecture’ of the game. The binge drinking is induced by your best friend, who is across the table yelling at you to ‘f*ckin down that beer Sally!’ Beer pong. It may be just a fad for now, but it is a great American college tradition. Article here.