ESPN execs opened this year's X Games in S.F. "by laying
out a plan to host qualifying events for the X Games on five
continents in 2001," according to Pervaiz Shallwani of the
S.F. CHRONICLE, who writes that over the next 18 months, the
X Games will be "packing up and taking to the road,"
traveling to Thailand, Japan, Brazil, Spain and Australia.
Shallwani also reports that ESPN is planning to sponsor the X
Games Global Challenge in 2002. The event will have teams
competing from Asia, Europe, Latin America, Japan, Australia,
New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada. ESPN VP/Int'l Sales Mark
Reilly: "What we're doing is responding now to a worldwide
demand that says 'I want the X Games in my country and here
in my town.'" Shallwani notes that 40% of the medals awarded
at last year's X Games went to athletes outside the U.S.
(S.F. CHRONICLE, 8/17).
TRYING TO STAY HIP: USA TODAY's Sal Ruibal profiles the
X Games and notes that among kids ages 6-17, the event is the
"second-most appealing sporting event, topped only by" the
Olympics. But "if becoming hip was an easy ride, staying
cool is a constant battle," as the event has been "hit by
dilution and imitation" -- reruns and qualifiers "fill many
hours" on ESPN networks and "there are the copies and
clones," including the Gravity Games, Gorge Games and Great
Outdoors Games. Ruibal adds, "While extreme was novel just
five years ago, the grandchildren of the baby boomers have
grown up on it. It takes a lot more to get and keep their
attention" (USA TODAY, 8/17).
