Fox News – The 2012 Preakness will feature Grammy Award-winning artists, all-you-can-drink beer, and a “party manimal” with a unicorn-man sidekick. Oh, and a horse race. Four years after organizers failed to transform Maryland’s most famous race into a family-friendly event, the Preakness is stepping up efforts to preserve its self-proclaimed “best party in Baltimore” status.  In need of an attendance boost, the Preakness abandoned its family-first outlook and re-emphasized the party atmosphere in 2010. Organizers chose “Get Your Preak On” as the cornerstone of their new, social-media marketing campaign. “The ‘Get Your Preak On’ campaign was edgy and controversial,” Chuckas said. “It put us on the map.” To sports marketing experts, the move indicated that the Maryland Jockey Club was more concerned with attendance than the race’s image. “The Preakness has made it known where they stand on their campaign. They are looking to fill the seats, and they have done so in lieu of their reputation,” said Ronald Oswalt, CEO of Sports Marketing Experts, a consulting firm. That year, organizers also introduced a special infield “MUG Club” ticket that included a bottomless mug of beer. “(In 2008) any individual could come to the Preakness loaded up with a keg of beer and 20 cases of beer,” Chuckas said. “We’ve provided the MUG Club … You can drink all day. As far as the best party, it’s a deal you can’t beat.” The MUG Club allows the infield to function much like a bar. Bartenders have the ability to cut people off, leading to fewer hospitalizations and injuries. “It was a wise decision by race personnel to make that change, and everyone seems to have a more enjoyable time. It’s a much classier event,” Gulielimi said, noting there were no arrests last year.

Score one for the good guys! For the fun people of the world! The common folk of the world who just wanna get a little boozy, make some memories, and maybe make a baby as horses run around in circles. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this world, its that people don’t like things that suck. And transforming one of the best parties on earth to a family friendly horse race most definitely sucks. The people at the Preakness temporarily lost their minds and drank the “Nobody should have fun in this world” Kool Aid and thought by shutting down the booze show at their horse race they were gonna change the world. And 4 years later do you know what they realized? They realized there are still tons of college kids getting shitfaced, throwing beers at each other, fighting and scrapping with each other, and getting arrested all over the country. The only difference was now their horse race sucked and they weren’t making any money.

Its like the whole media fiasco surrounding the Blackout Tour. Whether its the Blackout Tour or somewhere else, college kids are gonna drink and have sex. Whether its at a sold out concert featuring Dante and the Dream Team or a crowded frat party or crowded bar or another concert or event, any time you get a bunch of college kids together there are unfortunately gonna be a few altercations. Just the nature of getting a few thousand people together under any circumstances. It was that way before the Blackout Tour existed and it will be that way long after us. So in the meantime, we’re doubling down on the Blackout, unleashing the Fuckin Foam Tour and we’re gonna throw the funnest parties imaginable. Because just like the Preakness, we wanna give the people what they want and knock it out of the park.

Viva La Preakness! Viva La Stool! And Viva La Kegasus!