Well, Team Handball fans if you’ve watched Poker or the World’s Strongest Man competition on TV in the United States and thought surely the next sport that will get air time is Handball, you thought wrong. As reported in the International Herald Tribune and other news outlets, Rock, Paper, Scissors is finding its way on to ESPN this July. Adding further insult to injury, the US national championships took place this past weekend in my new home of Las Vegas. Jamie Langridge of Odessa, Texas took home the $50,000 grand prize.
EHF, Liga ASOBAL, HBL are you reading this? Will you please do something, anything to get your sport on TV in the United States.
Variety:: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961028.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
International Herald Tribune: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/14/news/rock.php
Official American Rock Paper Scissors League site: http://www.usarps.com/news/articles/view/jamie-langridge-takes-the-2007-usarps-world-championship/14/
I don't understand. I don't even think I can read English anymore. Please tell me it's some kind of a joke.
OK, Now I have heard it all. I am completely dumbfounded.
I can top this. I have seen on ESPN, the World Tree Climbing Championships and the Jump Rope National Championships.
At least in tree climbing and jump roping you have to break a sweat.
Wow…
I think what intrigues me is how can anyone sell this to the advertisers. This is not a sport. Neither is poker. Yet, to air something like this (live or taped) is an amazing feat. We need to find out who is representing this gimmick of RPS and hire him as a consultant.
RPS has no grass roots. There is no Middle School or High School competition. No college scholarships are offered either. They are not a USOC NGB…
I call on all handballers to track this marketing genius out. We're on to something here.
A little OT, but since the USOC seems to be fast-tracking a new NGB; my question is how well will the new NGB work with the other leagues to try to bring them over here? Considering we are still going to have funding and other issues.
To MC, interesting choice of words, Michael. What would make you think that "the USOC seems to be fast-tracking a new NGB"… :| [right][/right]
Well I'm probably the last person that knows anything about USOC rules, but it seems to me that this happened out of the blue. Of course I'm sure people can come up their own NGB plan in 2 months, however I think the likely outcome will be a pre-Hurdle administration which will only repeat the events which led to the 'reform' movement and subsequent friction between the presidency and the NGB.
Regardless of whose in charge, funding and visibility will continue to be the main challenges to the growth of Handball in the U.S.. If we can solve these problems realisticly and by using cooperation instead of confrontation, within 10 years the mainstream sports fan could possibly know and enjoy Handball.
I think we'll all be waiting for the outcome. Maybe it will be on the bathroom wall :)