Sports
Wild fans embrace the Beer Twig, continuing NHL-wide trend of creative drinking vessels
ST. Paul, Minn. — Around four years ago, Kevin Bowles and the Minnesota Wild food and beverage team noticed a trend of beer bats at baseball games. The long plastic bats were open at the top, and when filled with beer, fans could sip from them like unorthodox cups.
“Why aren’t we doing this?” Bowles thought to himself. “We need this, too.”
Last season, he and his Levy Restaurants catering team introduced beer-filled plastic hockey sticks to Grand Casino Arena. The Wild were able to have them ready just in time for the playoffs. They were a smash hit, said Bowles, who is a senior executive chef and has been with the team for 16 years. The plastic sticks, made by a company called the Beer Twig, are “part drinkware, part souvenir, and all energy,” per the company website. Bowles said the Wild were the first NHL team to use the product.
“We just wanted to do something cool, something ‘wow,’ something over the top,” Bowles said. “Then, boom. Beer Twigs.”
The vessel holds 24 ounces of liquid and is sold at four locations on the main concourse. Fans can fill it with their beer of choice or Slap Shot Seltzer, a green, cherry limeade flavored drink only available at the arena.
A group of friends stood holding their Beer Twigs in the main concourse around 90 minutes before puck drop.
“It’s sick,” said Chase Carlson, a 22-year-old wearing a Devan Dubnyk jersey. “C’mon, you get two beers with these puppies, too.”
“It looks awesome,” added Carlson’s friend Karsen Brickson. “It’s going to be a keepsake at my house.”
Carlson saw a video of the Beer Twig on Sunday on TikTok. He and his friends were more than content with his purchase a night later. One joked they were going to play lightsabers with them after they were done drinking.
The Wild sold the Beer Twigs during the regular season, but the team has seen an uptick in sales since the games rose in importance.
“We have noticed it is much more of a playoff, ‘wow,’ good-time fun item,” Bowles said. “They’ve really been booming again as we’ve gotten back in the playoffs.”
The Wild aren’t the only team using creative beer holders. The Hurricanes have a beer skate, which sells for $19 empty and $31 full. The Hurricanes tweeted that 4,687 sold at their Game 1 win against the Flyers — the equivalent of one out of every four fans. Buffalo recently began selling a Beer Sabre. The Utah Mammoth have a tusk mug.
“It’s kind of turning into an arms race right now,” Bowles said.
He compared it to collectable popcorn buckets at movie theaters.
“People love a collectable gizmo,” he said.
Bowles loves watching people exit the arena with their empty Twigs. He keeps some empty ones in his garage, though he noted, “In my old age, it’s bigger than I can chug.”
“People love them,” he said. “I personally like watching people walking out of the building holding them. It’s just a cool thing to take out of here with you.”
>
Sports
URC: Callum Sheedy ‘header’ goes viral as Cardiff fly-half admits surprise
Sheedy played his part in the victory in Llanelli before being replaced in the second half by Jarrod Evans, who has returned to Cardiff from Harlequins this season.
With Ioan Lloyd, who is currently injured, also in the Cardiff ranks, head coach Corniel van Zyl has three Wales fly-halves to call on.
“All I can do as a player is try my best and perform the best I can,” said Sheedy.
“We all want to be number one, so how we go about that is going to be challenging because we’re all going to want to play.
“I’m sure it’ll be healthy competition.”
Cardiff return to the Arms Park to face Zebre on Friday night, where they lost only one home game last season.
“It does make a big difference,” said Sheedy.
“Hopefully we get a big crowd because I remember last season there were a lot of close games, and in the last 10 minutes, the crowd got us over the line.
“Corniel speaks a lot about making the Arms Park a fortress and we managed that last season.”
>
Sports
World Grand Prix Darts: Luke Humphries ‘hates’ added title pressure from Luke Littler’s shock early exit in Leicester | Darts News
Luke Humphries says he must improve if he is to challenge for a second World Grand Prix title and admits he would have preferred defending champion Luke Littler to have avoided an early exit.
Humphries – the 2023 champion and a runner-up the last two editions of the double-start major – produced a lacklustre performance during his straight-sets victory over Dave Chisnall at the Mattioli Arena.
The world No 2 hit under 27 per cent of his checkout attempts and averaged 80.41, his lowest in the tournament since 2022, although was relieved to avoid joining Littler and Michael van Gerwen in being beaten in the first round.
“That’s arguably one of the worst performances I’ve played on the World Grand Prix stage for myself,” Humphries said after the victory. “I didn’t feel comfortable throughout the whole game.
“Doubles weren’t going in at the start, the scoring was rubbish and I felt like Chizzy [Dave Chisnall] just wasn’t at his best there at all.”
“It wasn’t a good performance, but I’m through and when I play Jermaine [Wattimena] on Thursday I’m hoping you won’t see that!”
Humphries is now the favourite to lift the trophy following defending champion Luke Littler’s shock defeat to Luke Woodhouse, but admits he feels added pressure with the world No 1 no longer in the field as a title contender.
“I hate it when he loses because it always puts the pressure on myself and then everyone is like ‘this is yours to win’ and all this type of stuff,” Humphries added.
“I hate it when he loses because I want to play him in finals. I want to beat him in finals. I don’t want to lose to him in finals, but I like playing in finals because it gets me up for it.
“When he loses, I’m not like jumping for joy. It puts all the pressure on myself and maybe sometimes it doesn’t help me.
“I’d rather him still be in the tournament and be the favourite and then I can just backdoor it to the final!”
Humphries’ 2023 win was his maiden PDC-ranked TV title and sparked a dominant run to end the season, but ‘Cool Hand’ has since suffered a string of runner-up finishes in major tournaments following his World Masters and Premier League triumphs last year.
“I feel like I deserve a major – it’s been like six or seven I’ve lost in the final,” Humphries explained. “I played really good in the Premier League final and the World Masters final – I played 105 averages and lost, so they are tough to take.
“If you just play anybody else in the world they’re probably not going to beat you, but when you’re playing a phenom like Luke [Littler], he can beat you. I feel like I deserve one, but sometimes you don’t always get what you deserve in life.
“It’s up to me to win another four games and perform a lot better than that, because if I perform that again, I’ll be very lucky to make it to the quarters and semis.”
Humphries explains face ‘injury’: ‘I don’t have that great story!’
The former world champion sparked confusion on social media after taking to the stage with a noticeable scab on his head, but felt no ill-effects from it as he progressed to the last 16.
“I really wanted to bring up some amazing story about how I fought five guys off and they come off worse than me, but unfortunately I don’t have that great story,” Humphries said.
“I did Bullseye filming on Tuesday, woke up Wednesday with a massive rash on the side of my head and it just got worse and worse and then it scabbed over.
“The only thing I can think of is when you do TV shows they put make up on and all these types of things, all these creams, and I got an allergic reaction to it.
“Unfortunately there is no great story to tell, that is what I think it is but I don’t know. I haven’t seen a doctor but it just looks like I’ve had an allergic reaction to stuff they’ve put on my head and face, but I’m fully well.”
Watch the World Grand Prix throughout the week live on Sky Sports, with coverage every day up to and including the final on Sunday. Latest Sky Sports deals or stream with no contract on NOW.
>
Sports
Super League Grand Final: George Williams hoping to change course of Warrington Wolves’ history with victory in his final game | Rugby League News
George Williams has set himself one task for when he steps out in the Super League Grand Final as Warrington Wolves skipper: Make sure he leaves the club with a trophy.
When Williams returned from the NRL in 2021, he made the bold decision to not go back to his hometown club of Wigan and instead headed to Warrington.
After five years there, he is poised to return to Australia and has one last opportunity to try and depart with a trophy.
It is set to be a pretty-evenly-matched Grand Final as third- and fourth-placed Warrington and Wakefield Trinity do battle. Two underdog teams who beat the first- and second-placed sides to make it to Old Trafford.
It is not lost on Williams how big this match is as he could lead Warrington to their maiden Grand Final triumph to become just the sixth team in the history of the competition to lift the Super League trophy.
He has tasted that glory with Wigan as a youngster and now wants to leave the Wolves with another career highlight and change the direction of the club.
“It is crucial, there are so many different narratives that you want to get the win, but personally, I was pretty vocal, I came here to change history and win with Warrington,” Williams told Sky Sports.
“It is pretty fitting it is my last game and I’ve got the opportunity to do that. Personally, that would be brilliant, a great way to go out, but there’s a lot more different narratives we have got for the club and the town to do it.”
Warrington take on a Wakefield team who pulled off an almighty shock with their 33-6 victory over favourites Wigan in their own backyard.
Williams knows if Trinity turn up in that form again, Warrington will need to be on their A-game.
“We know Wakefield play a good brand of rugby, they have been posting points all year, we played them three or four weeks ago and they beat us, so we know what they’re capable of,” he added.
“I think everyone saw Wigan as favourites and we were surprised by that one.
“Both teams have been pretty consistent all year, third and fourth, I think that’s probably the word I want to use for us this year, consistent.
“Now we’ve just got to bring it one more time and are 80 minutes away from history which is the biggest key for us.”
How to watch the Super League Grand Final
The Super League Grand Final takes place at Old Trafford on Saturday October 3, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports+.
The match will kick-off at 6pm, with coverage on Sky Sports from 5pm.
>
-
movies4 months agoSearch For Canadian TV Actor Stewart McLean Now Homicide Investigation
-
Fashion9 years agoThese ’90s fashion trends are making a comeback in 2017
-
Fashion9 years agoAccording to Dior Couture, this taboo fashion accessory is back
-
Fashion9 years agoModel Jocelyn Chew’s Instagram is the best vacation you’ve ever had
-
Fashion9 years agoEmily Ratajkowski channels back-to-school style
-
Fashion9 years ago9 Celebrities who have spoken out about being photoshopped
-
Anime4 months agoRurouni Kenshin: Hokkaido Arc Manga Takes 1-Issue Break – News
-
Anime3 months agoHIDIVE to Stream English Dubs for The World Is Dancing, The Forsaken Saintess and Her Foodie Roadtrip in Another World, The Dangers in My Heart: The Movie Anime – News




