Getting Ahead of the Story

Earlier I blogged about a bit of sports diplomacy which the Russians had announced, that they were going to have an alcohol-free Olympic camp at the London 2012 games (This Bit of Sports Diplomacy is Smart Politics). Very smart, I thought, considering the bad reputation which Russia has in regard to alcohol (definitely check out the World Health Organization's 2011 "Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health," it's a very good read.)

Now the other shoe drops. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that he may allow beer sales at World Cup venues during the 2018 competition, according to AP (here's the link to the story on the ESPN site):

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says he'll reconsider the ban on beer at sports stadiums ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

Putin was questioned about the ban Thursday when he and FIFA president Sepp Blatter met with fans in St. Petersburg as part of commemorations of the 100th birthday of the Russian soccer federation.

As president, Putin signed a 2005 law banning beer and beer advertisements at sports venues.