The Circus

Sport you can almost feel
The future of sports coverage is 3D telecasting and the revolutionary next generation leap is almost upon us.

American sports network ESPN has already tried the cutting edge technology by filming a college football game between USF and Kansas, with the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup between South Africa v Mexico set to be the first 3D sports broadcast.

Networks and fans alike are busy working themselves into a lather over the endless possibilities of the new format.

Imagine being able to stare down the pitch as express Aussie bowler Shaun Tait unleashes a thunderbolt or stand beside Roger Federer as he rips a forehand cross-court winner.

Of course there will be some teething problems. It's hard to imagine just how male 3D viewers would be affected by a repeat of the baseball incident that saw former Seattle Mariner Adrian Beltre's testicle blow up to the "size of a grapefruit" last summer.

If a footballer mucks up in a forest and nobody's there to see…
The Circus suspects the vast majority of sportspeople caught doing something morally questionable, committing a crime, or just making asses of themselves are more upset at the media who broadcast their misdeeds than they are at themselves for their own lack of judgement.

Tiger Woods' much-dissected 'apology' contained more than one veiled reference to the media scrutiny he's been under, while their was a whiff of 'they're out to get us' about AFL club Carlton's initial response to the media's reporting of the drunken pre-Christmas antics of its players.

Having a pesky media contingent primed and ready to splash your illegal or immoral dalliances across the front page is a vexing issue for sporting identities, but the good folk at American college Texas A&M-Commerce's football program may have finally hit on a solution.

It seems two scallywag footballers had the misfortune to be arrested on drugs charges, but the inventive response of the team was to promptly steal every copy of the university newspaper which contained the article blowing the lid on the whole sordid affair.

Genius!

The only catch was the blowhard editor who pulled them up on their shenanigans by alerting the college brass. Unperturbed by the setback, coach Guy Morriss labeled the stunt "the best team building exercise we have ever done".

Wipe down the bench
The Circus sniffs a viral marketing campaign after recent videos of sports stars exercising naked appeared on the web.

First former UFC fighter Chuck Liddell was caught with his pants down as he was filmed through a window working out in the buff with his girlfriend.

Now a new video of Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco running naked through a Los Angeles park has the cyber world all a twitter.  

The footage is suspiciously well-crafted, all the privates are tastefully blurred out and, you guessed it, there is a common theme – all the nudies are wearing Reeboks.

Watch this space for the next installment.   

The numbers game
78,000,000 – predicted sales figures of 3D televisions by 2015 in the US alone
2700 – estimated average starting price of 3D sets in US dollars
12 – number of networks with 3D programming in pre-production
5370 – estimated percentage increase in television ratings for women's beach volleyball world tour

Quote of the Day
"Last year didn't feel right and if it doesn't feel right it doesn't feel right – it's as simple as that."
- Words to live by from Western Bulldogs' star Jason Akermanis.       

Headline we'd like to read
It just felt right: Akermanis (on the Bulldogs' barnstorming 2010 grand final win)

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