Chat-World » seas television rights in a collective

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Lovesick. Goofy. Flamboyant. Not usually words youd associate with Chinas Olympic team.In Rio, however, a new generation of Chinese Olympians are breaking the mold and shaking up social media.Theres diver Qin Kai, who walked up to the podium with a ring and a rose to propose to his girlfriend He Zi during her Olympic medal ceremony. Was Qin a true romantic or an entitled man gatecrashing a womans big moment? It depends on your view. Whats certain is that his gesture would have been unimaginable even a few years ago.A swimmer who makes faces in interviews and doesnt know when shes won a medal, a table-tennis player who snoozes at the venue, a weightlifter with gleaming gold shoes and a tendency to celebrate prematurely all have made a splash in Rio.Chinese fans call them the mudslides, and they are changing the colorless mainstream.The success of Internet technology has forged a new generation of young Chinese athletes whose mind is much more self-centered, who really enjoy the game itself, who always talk of `me, in sharp contrast with older athletes, who are always ready to talk about `we, the collective interests of the Party and the nation, Beijing-based analyst Shi Shusi told The Associated Press.For decades seen as the humorless products of a state production line, Chinese athletes were ruthlessly on-message at the games, with the Communist Party and their coaches receiving the plaudits after every success, while athletes lambasted themselves for failures.Athletes from a new generation raised with social media and a growing focus on individual rights face looser restrictions on self-expression at the Olympics. Their fans increasingly denounce old-style statements of state loyalty as fake and demand authenticity. Even the Communist Party is getting on board.More expressive athletes have changed the single goal of our chasing after Olympic golds, have changed the stereotypes of the Chinese athletes but injected new meanings into Chinese sports, the partys civilization-building arm said in an editorial on its website.Queen of the mudslides is swimmer Fu Yuanhui, whose exaggerated facial expressions, pop-culture references and enthusiastic style in interviews have made her a darling of social media back home. Cartoons of Fu smiling and sticking her tongue out have gone viral on messaging apps as emojis, as has video of her finding out shed won bronze from a TV interviewer after shed blamed her short arms for letting her down.I never thought so many people could like me. It puts me under a lot of pressure, she said of her millions of new social media followers. Fu even broke a taboo by admitting she wasnt up to her best in a relay because she was on her period.In the normally staid world of weightlifting, Lyu Xiaojun brings Usain Bolt-style swagger. Wearing shiny gold shoes like those of the Jamaican sprinter, Lyu is a showman on the stage, with grins and little nods of the heads when he makes a lift, as if to say: I got this.In the past, nothing less than gold was good enough for China, but Lyu is more laid-back. Instead of being heartbroken to lose out to a Kazakh rival for gold on Wednesday, and even though hed started celebrating before the competition was over, Lyu was charitable in defeat. It was quite an honor to participate in an Olympic Games again. Thats one of the reasons I was smiling all the way, he said. Bashfully, he admitted his flashy footwear -- specially made by a friend who expected me to win gold -- no longer fit the occasion.Sometimes, the crowd-pleasing gestures go wrong. When Sun Yang celebrated his swimming gold medal, he tried to throw his cap to the crowd but flicked it into the pool and had to fish it out before trying again. Still, that didnt dampen the love from his fans.With Chinas sports marketing industry having gone through a revolution of its own in recent years, athletes who make a name for themselves can also expect greater endorsement opportunities if their personality resonates.Unlike older Chinese athletes who grew up watching only the team efforts of the state system, those in Rio also had individual stars like Li Na on the tennis court or Yao Ming in the NBA.Those two fought opposition within the state training system to play around the world and become the first Chinese athletes with a truly global profile. Lis candid style, deadpan delivery and willingness to share personal details made her a favorite with fans worldwide.After reaching her first Grand Slam final in Australia in 2011, there was no praise of the Party in her on-court interview, but plenty of mockery of her husbands snoring. I always wake up every hour, you know, she quipped, cementing her reputation as a goofy new star.Chinese fans on social media are turning their favorite athletes into superstars in the worlds most populous nation, but when angered theyre a force to be reckoned with.After a public feud between Chinese swim star Sun and Australias Mack Horton, who didnt hide his distaste at Suns 2014 doping ban, Chinese fans bombarded Hortons Instagram page with angry comments. When Rio organizers used an inaccurate flag for China, the fans ripped Brazilians as incompetent.There are signs that the new attitudes are spreading to once-rigid Chinese sports officials, too. Chinas team has been the talk of the Rio velodrome not just for their first-ever gold medal but the elegant portraits of historical and legendary figures on their helmets.In Rio, Chinas not the medal factory it used to be -- chances of beating the U.S. in the medal table are fading fast -- but it certainly has attitude.---Tang reported from Phoenix. John Leicester in Rio de Janeiro and AP news researcher Dong Tongjian in Beijing contributed. Alejandro Villanueva Womens Jersey . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. Rocky Bleier Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Jack-Butler-Jersey/ . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. Jack Lambert Youth Jersey . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. Jerome Bettis Steelers Jersey . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. International cricket is headed for a major financial shift as Australia, England and South Africa lead a push to sell overseas television rights in a collective bundle overseen by a new, independent administrative body.While the BCCI has expressed reservations about the concept, ESPNcricinfo understands that Cricket Australia, the ECB and CSA are adamant that a more collaborative approach to selling bilateral rights is the only way to minimise potential damage to revenue levels due to a shrinking of the Indian television market.Their push for a new way to sell bilateral rights was a key part of discussions at a workshop convened by the ICC in Dubai this week. These meetings effectively signalled the death knell for the concept of two-tier Test cricket, but prospects are brighter for a Test Championship playoff, and formalised league structures for ODIs and international Twenty20 matches.The recent acquisition of Ten Sports by Sony has cut the number of major Indian television rights bidders by a third, and both CA and the ECB are aware their current rich deals with Star Sports - worth up to US$8 million per international match - are unlikely to be matched next time around.Overseas rights contracts for both nations are soon to expire, adding urgency to the boards desire for another approach that will mean less competition between nations and a better overall return.All countries are worried about the downturn in the Indian market and they feel a linked-together approach will be better, a source told ESPNcricinfo. Otherwise theyre out there on their own, two Indian broadcasters and 10 countries all with rights deals to sell - broadcasters can pick and choose.If youve got one rights package to sell with content they want included somewhere in it then youre in a much better position.So eager are Australian, English and South African administrators to try the collective approach that they are unlikely to wait for consensus before pulling the trigger. The pooled bid could feature as few as three nations or as many as 10, depending on who responds positively between now and the next round of official ICC meetings in October.Given that the deal would be for bilateral series only, there is no requirement for the pooled option to pass a vote oof the ICC executive board.ddddddddddddInstead CA, the ECB and CSA will need to convince other nations that the new deal is in their best financial interests, and also to formulate an independent body to oversee proceedings in a manner that would remove any doubts about the rich seeking a bilateral cash-grab at the expense of the rest.The decision to pool rights could be made by three, five, 10 countries, however many agree, the source said. It isnt all in or none in - it will take place regardless of how many sign up.While the ICC has a department tasked with selling commercial rights to global tournaments, it has no authority to sell bilateral series. Independence in decision-making in that group and also independence in terms of how the money is divided up is going to be really important, the source said. If big countries are seen to be muscling little countries then the concept weakens.But its got [to have] independent management and potentially governance that will position it as a genuine media player, rather than countries pursuing their own individual interests.The BCCIs hesitance to get involved in the pooled deal thus far is driven in part by the differing television rights priorities for each nation. Indian cricket has generated massive revenue from the IPL, dwarfing the still-strong returns derived from international series and ICC events.By contrast, all other boards including Australia, England and South Africa rely far more heavily on the television rights from bilateral series sold into the Indian market and ICC tournaments. While T20 began in England and has found a successful outlet in Australias BBL, neither competition is anywhere near