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You are about to graduate from college. After 20-plus years of school,
you will soon set aside the books in return for a punchcard. So isn't it time to put
down the beer and start thinking about the future?
No, it's time to make a costume out beer cases and dance around in it.
Or at least that's the way Matt Naffin sees it.
Naffin, also known as "Dancing Beer Guy," is the unofficial mascot of the
Brewers, a co-ed softball team that competes in Penn State Harrisburg's intramu
ral league.
His costume consists of multiple beer cases taped together to make a
"shirt" and helmet, complete with eyeholes, ears, and a mouth. The beer cases rep
resent a wide variety of beers from Keystone Light and Yuengling Light Lager for
the shirt, to a Busch Light case for the helmet.
"I made [the costume] because all my friends are on the team and I just
felt like acting like a goofball before graduation," said Naffin. "They are a really
talented team without me, but I try to get them fired up."
Unfortunately, Naffin could not help his Brewers get past the Drunken
Monkeys (that's another softball team by the way, NOT actual monkeys that are
drunk) on Thursday. The Brewers, however, still clinched the number two seed for
this week's five-team playoff with a 3-2 record.
Naffin has a ritual he performs before every game. One of his buddies
from the team drives his truck up to the field. Naffin then walks to the center of
the field and dances to "Baby Elephant Walk," which blares from the truck. He
said he almost got beat up one time while doing the dance, but that hasn't discour
aged him.
When asked what his parents would think of his "Dancing Beer Guy"
alter-ego, he hoped they would make them proud. "They would probably say
something like 'you should spend more time studying and looking for jobs instead
of dancing aoround in beer cases on a sideline'," he said. But they would hopeful
ly be proud that I'm making others laugh in theselast few stressful weeks."
The intramural softball games are held at 9 and 10 p.m. on Monday and
Thursday nights at the softball fields behind the Capital Union Building (gym). It's
one-pitch style, so all foul balls count as an out. The games are seven innings long.
The championship game is scheduled for Thursday night.
"Dancing Beer Guy" keeps the Brewers stoked inbetween innings
By Stacy De Angelo
Photos by Pete Strella
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