The broadcasting world is changing alright, although the direction is hard to pinpoint precisely. There is a probability that by the next cricket and rugby world tournaments, we will be internet tied. If so, what might we lose?
Variety, that's what. Not only do we get just about every major sport, but Sky's one-stop-shop provides the inadvertent interludes. Channel surfing took me to surfing last week, the final round of the women's world tour in Hawaii. The action was fabulous, with an undercurrent of world title ramifications. Over the weekend, there was excellent wake boarding from Abu Dhabi. Last week, we crowded around a work TV to watch the final of the world darts championship.
In the past, I've binged on all sorts of esoteric stuff - at one point the favourite was the world's strongest man competition, where blokes with names like Svend and Mariusz turned everyday objects such as motor cars into weightlifting objects.
The Ironman legend Craig Alexander, a footballer in his teens, told me last week that the exploits of trailblazing compatriots Greg Welch and Michellie Jones helped inspire his career because that pair gave the sport a big TV presence in Australia. Yet how many people would ever watch triathlons if they were only available on a dedicated internet channel?
Sky's one-stop-shop is prohibitively expensive for many, while others choose to save their cash. But it is a delightful smorgasbord of major, medium and minor sports. Even if the Sky system remains in some form, the rise of Coliseum-type providers will drag dad away meaning the family must follow, so to speak. Happenchance won't happen. If specialist sports streaming takes over, it will provide advantages for some including the price. But there will be costs.
Cricket weirdness
The build-up to the cricket World Cup is weird beyond belief, with New Zealand playing Sri Lanka seven times before meeting in the opening game of the tournament. They will know each other inside out by then, because it is difficult to hold much back in cricket where individual form is vital for selection prospects. This familiarity will be an advantage to the Sri Lankans, playing away from home against a New Zealand side on a roll. On another note ... New Zealand have sometimes set cutting edge fielding standards, stretching back to the early 1970s side which toured the West Indies. The current team are terrific catchers but the general athleticism will drop when veterans Kyle Mills and Daniel Vettori join the lineup.
Heineken withdrawals
There is minor wailing and gnashing of teeth over top players and particularly champ John Isner withdrawing on the eve of the Heineken Open in Auckland. But that's life near the bottom of world tennis. The Auckland tournament is a stepping stone, a convenience, an option. That Isner is too tired to defend his title, has other things to do, says it all. The Auckland organisers do a great job considering, and the best approach is to celebrate whoever does turn up. But circumstances can always change for players in a brutal professional arena and Auckland will never be a priority for most. Players pull out of tournaments - including grand slam events - all the time.
