FanHouse DrinkingGame

According to Seth Wickersham of ESPN, Texans DT Amobi Okoye celebrated his 21st birthday on June 10th in big style but responsibly:

Okoye, who last year was the youngest NFL player in 30 years, was sober and happy and wasn't photographed doing anything stupid. Bloggers might be bummed, but kids who look up to him aren't.

I can't speak for all bloggers because we aren't a collective who thinks in lockstep (duh). Personally I would be ecstatic if Amobi Okoye and other talented athletes didn't risk everything getting stupid drunk. It would also make me happier if Wickersham hadn't promoted a wildly dangerous drinking practice in the structure of his article.

Wickersham organized his article by saying "let's do 21 shots" to discuss Okoye's birthday plans, and how he no longer wants to be defined by his age. It's an allusion to how some 21 year olds celebrate their birthday by trying to drink 21 shots.

I'm not your mom, but I think it is worth mentioning that this newish binge drinking fad kills people. Being deaded or put into a alcohol-poisoned coma isn't the best way to spend a birthday. You would think people would know that drinking 21 shots in short succession is dangerous, but apparently not. Education is the only way found to reduce the number of people doing this, and it's not a good idea to normalize this behavior in a sports article.

Oh, and belated birthday greetings to Okoye. Sorry, I didn't get you anything but I'm guessing with 400 people at your birthday party, you are doing okay in the gift department. Check out this link if you have interest in seeing Okoye photographed doing non-stupid things on his birthday. He is wearing a sweet suit. A bit heavy for June in Houston, but it can get cold in those overly air conditioned ballrooms.

Previously at FanHouse:
You Won't Want to Read This: NFL Players Doing Good in the World
Texans Defensive Line Coach Talks About Mario and More

This year's crop of free agents doesn't exactly boast the star power that it did last year. There are some big names out there but on the whole it's all a bit underwhelming. Chances are, since you're reading a hockey blog on July 1st, you're a hardcore hockey fan and don't really give a crap. You're going to be taking the day off (or do nothing of importance at work) on Tuesday in order to follow all the free agent action. And like any good sports fan you're probably going to be having some refreshments with the action (unless you're at work or driving or operating heavy machinery).

So, to help you with the process on Tuesday I'm here to provide you with a few ideas if you choose to make a drinking game out of the whole thing. Remember kids, orange juice. We're drinking orange juice (I'm with Jay Bilas on this one). Feel free to add your own rules in the comments.

• Take a drink when Kevin Lowe does something dumb. I know, that might be a hard one to handle. Take half a drink if need be.
• Take a drink any time one of your divisional rivals gets UFA help. If they were already ahead of you in last year's standings, take another drink.
• Two drinks when the Islanders hire [ex-player] to take over as their new [management position].
• Take multiple drinks when a player is signed to a contract greater in length than five years. Imbibe one drink per year of the contract. Remember, it's OK to be jealous of his job security.
  
• Take one drink every time a player is described as an "impact player." Down one more if they can "really make a difference in the coming year."
  
• Each time your favorite team loses a key player to free agency, drink out of despair.
• Each time said team loses an unimportant role player, drink out of happiness.
  
• If Tampa Bay does something absurd, drink. This is one of those creative ones and completely open to interpretation.
• Each time a player receives an offer from a Russian team, drink.
• Take a drink every time an established media source, in a hasty effort to "break" a signing, gets the facts wrong. You should probably self-limit this rule, just in case.
• And finally ... If your team signs Sean Avery, stop drinking immediately. You'll need to save that liver for the regular season.