Musketeers Do The Dew

When it comes to minor-league promotions, I'm all for zany, wacky, unorthodox promotions. Usually, these end up being memorable for a number of reasons, but there's no denying that involving the community in which those teams play makes the promotions hit home. Occasionally, there are promotions that make me question the marketing ideas that someone sold an executive in order to get approval for whatever crazy idea was proposed, and it seems the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers fall into the latter with their latest promotional idea. It's not that it's bad, but it's just... why?

The can shown in the lede photo is one of 240,000 being produced by Pepsi-Cola Beverages to commemorate Sioux City's 2022 USHL Clark Cup championship that will be sold in Sioux City and the surrounding areas. The Musketeers defeated the Madison Capitals in four games in their best-of-five final to capture their first championship in twenty years, so they rightfully should celebrate the win in whatever fashion they want. If they want to celebrate with alumninum cans, so be it. I'm not here to rain on that parade.

My question is why are they only on Mountain Dew cans?

The Muskateers wear green and yellow, so one could really stretch the tie-in as the Mountain Dew brand and the Musketeers sharing the same colour scheme, I suppose, but we're really stretching here if that's the case. While the Musketeers don't usually hold yoga classes, it appears that stretch was made here because there is no other connection I can make.

There is a Pepsi bottling facility in Sioux City, so it appears that the local USHL team has a good working relationship with their local beverage company if they're getting commemorative cans made for all sorts of stuff. Last season, the team celebrated its 50th anniversary and marked it with a commemorative Mountain Dew can just as they're doing this season with their Clark Cup can. I'm not sure how many people will keep a can of Mountain Dew as a souvenir, but it seems the Musketeers believe there's a market for this keepsake.

What makes this somewhat funny to me is that the Sioux City Musketeers put out a can to commemorate this moment, but Mountain Dew could take those memories away from you if you enjoy indulging in "doing the Dew". Mountain Dew (and Fresca) use brominated vegetable oil (BVO) to keep the citrus flavoring from separating out in its sodas. The concern is that bromine can irritate the skin and mucous membranes after ingestion in the short-term while "(l)ong-term exposure can cause neurologic symptoms such as headache, memory loss, and impaired balance or coordination. In the past these symptoms were seen with chronic use of bromide salts as sleep medications" as per the Mayo Clinic.

Nobody is suggesting that the odd Mountain Dew here and there is going to cause you amnesia, but the Mayo Clinic did note that "there have been reports of people experiencing memory loss and skin and nerve problems after drinking excessive amounts (more than 2 liters a day) of soda containing BVO. While few people are likely to drink such large quantities, concern exists because bromine appears to build up in the body."

In short, moderation is the key if you're going to celebrate the Musketeers' Clark Cup win with cases of Mountain Dew. As per the Mayo Clinic's recommendation,

"So what should you do? Check ingredient labels and don't drink large amounts of soda that contains BVO. Better yet, take it one step further and cut back on all sugary drinks. Opt for water instead."

Again, enjoy your Mountain Dew in moderation as we know it's loaded with sugar and BVO if you want to celebrate the Clark Cup win. Or, better yet, follow the Mayo Clinic's recommendation and just display the cans in your home at or near your hockey shrine. Whatever the case, there are 240,000 cans of the stuff bearing the Clark Cup logo, so get yours today if you're a fan of the Musketeers!

And just as an aside, they will never be the "Muskies" to me. I know they use that nickname in and around the Sioux City area, but a muskie is a freshwater fish in my mind. A musketeer and a muskie are two completely different, unrelated things. I'm not going to win that argument with the team or the good people in Sioux City, but don't expect to hear me call them the "Muskies" anytime soon.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!