THE OPENER

THE OPENER

When I was growing up, there was a silly little groaner of a joke that was told at my house one special day almost every year. It went like this. "Did you know that the Reds aren't going to sell beer at their ball games this year?" "No, why?" "They can't! They lost the opener." Of course, it required a bottle opener to open a beer in those days. This was before twist off bottle caps, plastic bottles or cans. Stranger yet, they gave you a glass bottle when you bought one at a game. That's against the law these days.

Opening day was always huge in Cincinnati. Baseball was huge. School let out for a half day. Luckily for the jokesters the Reds didn't win many openers (and still don't). It would have ruined all the fun.