At Harvard, this myth has a basis in reality.

Athletes binge more often than the general population and drink harder when they choose to imbibe.

Almost 20 percent of athletes reported having had more than six drinks the last time they drank, compared with 7 percent of Harvard as a whole.

And sports team members said they become intoxicated more than 70 percent of the time they drink, much greater than the campus rate of about 50 percent.

Alcohol-as-stress-relief is one reason athletes drink more, says Shawn D. Parker '02, a three-year member of the varsity football and indoor track teams.

"People feel like they're working hard in practice [and] busting their butt to stay on top of their books, so when Saturday night comes they figure 'Why not? I deserve it,'" Parker says.

Another reason athletes drink to excess, he adds, is that "after a big depressing loss some people might try to escape consciousness [by getting drunk]."

But stress relief is not the only reason athletes drink.