Sports Fans, Are You Ready For Some Pro Cornhole?

Amidst the entire sports world being put on hold thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak, fans have been, safe to say, on edge and waiting for sports of any kind to get going again.

That could be why a legendary game known primarily bar pastime or “tailgate sport” is getting so much attention from sports sites like Barstool Sports and eventually the Wall Street Journal.

Enter the American Cornhole League, a competitive league of over 50,000 players, and one in which anyone can compete. But the league is also one that boasts a solid roster of world class players, known as ACL Pros. The sport is catching like fire, too. In the month of April alone, fans of the game watched 29 million minutes of the ACL’s competitions online, and the league just received confirmation that ESPN will broadcast LIVE cornhole every weekend for the next six weeks, with the league and players maintaining social distancing.

Trey Ryder, the league’s media director and its ESPN Play-by-Play announcer says that cornhole is catching on because of it’s down-to-earth nature.

Ryder puts it this way: “The biggest draw is our relatability. When people watch cornhole on TV, they can immediately identify with the game and the performance of the players.”

And just because American Cornhole League might welcome everyone to tap in, doesn’t mean that the league and its competitions aren’t serious. In fact, the ACL maintains a ranking system of its top competitors after each week’s competition, and the league has developed its share of contentious battles. Ryder explains that some of the ACL’s top rivalries develop locally.

“Some of our best rivalries come from our 14 different ACL Conferences. The Atlantic Conference has now won the ACL Conference cup two years in a row, led by big names like Matt Morton, James Baldwin, and Ryan Smith.” Ryder said. “Outside of conference play, we got to see a new rivalry form at the beginning of the year between our #1 and #2 ranked players in the country, Jamie Graham and Ryan Windsor.”

In the tradition of great ongoing sports rivalries Graham and Winsor faced off both during the regular season and postseason, with Graham eventually claiming victory, now sitting #1 in the country.

The league has also garnered attention and support from committed sponsors, including Inside Tailgating magazine and Johnsonville Foods.

Training and repetition are key

But how often do the world’s top cornholers practice? How do they train?

“In a non-pandemic world, players balance live game practice with solo practicing. Players will compete in weekly leagues anywhere from two to four days per week where they are usually playing in tournaments that are open to the public at their local bar or restaurant, operated by one of our 350-plus nationwide directors.”

Ryder explains that the smaller tournaments help players test new bags and new shots, much in the way that Tiger Woods might break in a new TaylorMade driver or 7 Iron. Local competition also simulate real game play.

“The other days of the week, players are practicing at home on their own set of boards, trying to throw around 100 bags per session. And when players can’t yet compete head-to-head, they can utilize the leagues new digital platform called ACL Virtual.

Ryder adds, however, that the game of cornhole isn’t just a unique sports endeavor that draws eyes to YouTube and online platforms.

“When viewers at home watch football or any other highly physical professional sport, the majority of viewers don’t have that same reaction, “hey, I can do that!” or “remember that time me and Joe won that game at the tailgate?” the way they do about cornhole.

“We truly are a sport,” Ryder said, “where anyone can play and anyone can win.”

Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

Vodafone Idea to rebrand as ‘Vi’ as it prepares...

NEW DELHI: Vodafone Idea Ltd said on Monday it plans to rebrand itself as...

Dow Falls 200 Points After Worse Than Expected Jobless...

TOPLINE The market opened lower on Thursday, with stocks taking a hit from worse-than-expected...

Petrol at Rs 97 per litre in Mumbai, diesel...

NEW DELHI: Petrol price on Saturday touched an all-time high of Rs 97 per...

Virgin Atlantic Airways seeks U.S. Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection

WASHINGTON/LONDON Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd is seeking protection from creditors in the...