First of all, here's a nicely worded disclaimer that I found somewhere, with my own addition at the end: Please note that we do not now, nor have we ever, encouraged irresponsible use of alcohol. It is important to know your own limits and to act accordingly. We discourage improper use of alcohol. And do NOT drink and drive!

Now that we've got that out of the way…

Joe Beninati is one of the play-by-play announcers for NHL games on Versus. I've noticed one thing about Beninati: he likes to plug his network. A lot. The word "Versus" is heard over and over. Sometimes it's part of the phrase "the NHL on Versus." So, I've created a drinking game based on it. (Please note that it probably won't be as much fun if Mike Emrick or someone else is working the game; you must wait for a Beninati game. Also, if you're in the Washington, DC area, Beninati's main job is as the play-by-play guy for the Capitals. You can substitute "Comcast Sportsnet" for "Versus" and play along; I suspect the results will be similar.) Here are the rules:

Take one drink each time he uses the phrase "NHL on Versus" — but not if it's part of a specific promo such as "Next week's games on the NHL on Versus are…" The point is to drink whenever he throws out the phrase in passing. However, if in the same sentence he says that it's available in high-definition or HD, take another drink.

Take one drink each time he merely mentions "Versus" as in, "Glad you're tuned in here on Versus." Again, it only counts if it's not part of a specific promo.

First of all, here's a nicely worded disclaimer that I found somewhere, with my own addition at the end: Please note that we do not now, nor have we ever, encouraged irresponsible use of alcohol. It is important to know your own limits and to act accordingly. We discourage improper use of alcohol. And do NOT drink and drive!

Now that we've got that out of the way…

Joe Beninati is one of the play-by-play announcers for NHL games on Versus. I've noticed one thing about Beninati: he likes to plug his network. A lot. The word "Versus" is heard over and over. Sometimes it's part of the phrase "the NHL on Versus." So, I've created a drinking game based on it. (Please note that it probably won't be as much fun if Mike Emrick or someone else is working the game; you must wait for a Beninati game. Also, if you're in the Washington, DC area, Beninati's main job is as the play-by-play guy for the Capitals. You can substitute "Comcast Sportsnet" for "Versus" and play along; I suspect the results will be similar.) Here are the rules:

Take one drink each time he uses the phrase "NHL on Versus" — but not if it's part of a specific promo such as "Next week's games on the NHL on Versus are…" The point is to drink whenever he throws out the phrase in passing. However, if in the same sentence he says that it's available in high-definition or HD, take another drink.

Take one drink each time he merely mentions "Versus" as in, "Glad you're tuned in here on Versus." Again, it only counts if it's not part of a specific promo.

Now, on Tuesday night I recorded the Versus telecast of the Flyers-Thrashers game since I was out earlier in the evening. So as I watched the game, I kept count. Had you been playing this game and not quit or passed out before the end, you’d have had a total of 22 drinks. That total would be 29 if I didn’t institute the “no promo” rule. It probably would be best to split your game up, and choose one of the three periods instead of attempting to play along for the entire game.

And seeing as how hockey is Canada's sport, might I suggest your drink of choice be a Molson Canadian or Labatt Blue? — Joe Guckin

Don't forget to share: