FSN runs with rock-paper-scissors

Playground game gets sponsor, Olympic tie-in

By JOHN DEMPSEY, Variety

The appetite for TV sports shows no signs of being sated. Latest evidence: the upcoming third annual rock-paper-scissors championship in Las Vegas.

Yes, the playground game has gone bigtime, complete with TV coverage (Fox Sports), sponsorship (Bud Light), and even an Olympics tie-in (winners go to Beijing to square off against other national champs during the Games.)

Three years ago, entrepreneur Matti Leshem formed a USARPS League and set up an annual tournament in Las Vegas to crown a champion from 300 regional contestants.

("All you need is an arm, and a wrist, and fingers...and manicures are strongly encouraged," state the official rules.)

Leshem has sold a one-hour special of highlights from Vegas to Fox Sports Net for cablecasting on Oct. 1, under the umbrella of FSN's "Best Damn Sports Show Period."

Leshem hasn't decided yet whether to include the mid-August international competition from Beijing in the special. But he's pretty sure that NBC will get steamed if the RPS bouts draw attendees away from the Olympic events.

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