Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Baggo or Cornhole?

In the dictionary, next to the term "bipartisan," there is a picture. Not of politicians working across the aisle, but of me and renowned Gopher fan Chris Toren cleaning up the competition on a brisk Saturday morning in October 2005, awaiting the start of the Best Badger Road Game Ever at the Humpty Dome (sorry Jimbo). We were having a grand time, talking about children, Chris's experience at business school, and our total, in inexplicable domination of that day's round of Cornhole.

Or is it Baggo?

Had to laugh last night when I opened up Newsweek and read a story about the controversy surrounding the name of this game, which is becoming more and more popular by the college football Saturday. Apparently, there is an American Cornhole Association, which only proves that there's an association for every damn thing out there.

Check out that ACA website, it's pretty insane.

The Newsweek story spends too much time dissecting which term for the game - Cornhole or Baggo - is likely to make the guys from Superbad giggle, but it does point out why the game has gained popularity. Primarily, it's because you have one had free to hold a drink. Explains why I don't do judo anymore.

The first time I thought this game might have legs was at Schwib's wedding, when Todd made a pimped-out Badgercentric version of it for the groom (and, presumably, bride), and we played it during the reception, inside. Got any pictures of that bad boy you could share with us Matt?

When Andy and I were walking to the season opener against Washington State this year, Randall Street was full of Baggo/Cornhole contests, in addition to Beer Pong tables and Testicle Toss games (another game that goes by many iffy names - you know, you have two golf balls held together by rope and you try to drape it over a PVC pipe frame). Did we have any of these games when we were in school, just 10 years ago? Not to my recollection. If we did, maybe we wouldn't have spent so much time running into refrigerators, busting windows with army helmets, and stopping fans with our tongues.

All I know is that when we get together and play Cornhole/Baggo, whether it's family or friends, a good time is had by all. Except for the guys who lost to Tappa and Toren after being up 19-4.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Check the NFBA website - they're bringing it to the Expo. They wanted to call it a Cornhole Tournament until Johnson and I dissuaded them. Austy.

(and the Metrodome is a great place to watch football - never need coat or long underwear. If you don't like it, tell all the damn Packers fans to stay home and watch it on TV.)

Coach Scott Tappa said...

I looked on the site and it's still called a Cornhole tournament - the PFMI Cornhole tournament. Exactly the sort of naming conventions you want to pair with an initiative trying to sell pole barns into a higher class of building.

Anonymous said...

Cornhole is made of Wood. It usually warps in the rain, weighs up to 50lbs, is played with 14-16oz bags thrown @ 20-30 ft.

Baggo is made of a blow molded high impact plastic. It never warps in the rain, weighs only 22lbs, packs up & carrys like a suitcase, is played with 9.5oz bags thrown at 20ft.

Anonymous said...

Best site for all things cornhole esp. bags:

www.ecornholebags.com

Anonymous said...

If you want the "Real McCoy" check out the ACO. I have been to many different tourneys and played on alot of different equipment and they are by far THE BEST in the industry. They even have a Professional Tour. Trust me check them out www.americancornhole.org you will not be dissapointed!

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