Daisuke Matsuzaka Drinks Like A Champion

If Daisuke Matsuzaka reported to camp a tad heavy, perhaps it's because his offseason training regimen included a few too many cans of Asahi "Super" Dry. Either way, his taste for Asahi is coming under scrutiny from ... the U.S. Government?

That's right: under the watchful eye of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in Washington D.C., it's actually illegal for professional athletes to endorse an alcoholic beverage in a way that might link the beverage to athletic activity. From the Boston Herald:

"Our jurisdiction runs to false and misleading ads," said Resnick, who pointed to a 1995 ruling that says the bureau would consider unacceptable any ad "which depicts any individual (famous athlete or otherwise) consuming or about to consume an alcoholic beverage prior to or during an athletic activity or event," or an ad that states that drinking alcohol "will enhance athletic prowess, performance at athletic activities or events, health or conditioning."

But .. does the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau really have jurisdiction over a commercial that's only televised in Japan? Major League Baseball doesn't seem to think so, telling the Herald:

"The ad is consistent with what's acceptable in the Japanese marketplace," said a spokesperson yesterday from Major League Baseball International, which mandated that the ad include a "Drink responsibly" message at the end. "We did approve it with him drinking the beer outside of his uniform. It's a type of commercial that is really commonplace in Japan. It is not really that farfetched."

This certainly looks like a situation where a government official spoke his mind before realizing it was out of his reach, but if the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau actually can find the authority to bring about repercussions, it's worth noting that Hideki Matsui of the Yankees is also featured in the campaign.

(Via Lone Star Ball)