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NEW YORK -- If you want to glimpse the future of sports broadcasting, you can check out the Rio Olympics in virtual reality. But if you really want to immerse yourself in the competition, just turn on the TV.NBC, BBC and other Olympic networks around the world are offering the opening and closing ceremonies and selected events in VR, giving viewers a 360-degree perspective -- that is, the ability to look up, down and all around -- when they wear special headsets. Its a first in Olympics broadcasting, and NBC itself admits that its more than 100 hours of VR coverage is experimental.Its good that television networks are getting a head start on figuring out what works with the new technology. Watching the Olympics in VR can occasionally transport you, giving you the sense of actually being there in Rio. But those moments are still too few and far between.---THE BASICSTelevision networks are relying on the shared resources of the Olympic Broadcasting Services. In the U.S., viewers need a cable or satellite TV subscription, a Samsung Gear VR headset and a recent flagship Samsung Galaxy phone.The VR schedule has a haphazard feel. It offers preliminary rounds for some sports and finals for others, but focuses on just one sport on any given day. Events are shown a day after the fact, too, apart from one fencing event and two days of mens basketball expected to be live.---THE OPENING CEREMONYFriends who hadnt tried VR before were impressed by the opening ceremony, though the spectacle was less momentous if youd seen enough of VR for its newness to wear off. A few scenes still stood out:- At one point, performers clad in feather-like costumes sashayed and shimmied around me as they introduced the world to Brazils music and dance. Producers had set up a 360-degree camera right next to them on stage, giving the VR audience the sense of being in the show instead of just watching it. Alas, producers then switched to more-distant cameras.- VR cameras captured the parade of athletes from at least two vantage points on the floor, giving me the sense of standing near them as they passed by. TV shots, by contrast, were mostly birds eye views. I even caught one of the stadium marshals next to me -- I mean the camera -- snapping a photo with a smartphone.- While television mostly had aerial shots looking down at fireworks, VR offered a perspective from inside as fireworks shot up from around the entire stadium.But VR doesnt do everything well, as I learned myself while recording 360-degree videos .With no zoom, shots from the stadiums seats felt distant. Television showed close-ups of supermodel Gisele Bundchens runway walk to The Girl From Ipanema, but in VR all you could see was a dark, empty stadium floor. She was just too far away.VR tried to compensate by showing a TV feed within the VR environment, but the virtual monitor got distracting. And when I looked down, all I could see was a computer-generated disk intended to hide the camera rig. It felt like standing on a giant dinner plate -- there as an observer, but not really there.---COMPETITIONThere are currently no commercials or commentators intruding on the VR Olympics; all you get is natural sound from the venue. On the other hand, theres no way to jump directly to a specific match or athlete.Among other drawbacks, athletes sometimes looked like video-game characters. VR video wasnt as sharp as what Im used to on TV, and 3-D rendering might have compounded that feeling of fakeness.In beach volleyball, one challenged play got shown repeatedly on television, but VR offered no instant replays or slow motion.With boxing, coverage switched back and forth between a floor-level camera and one about the height of a street lamp. That forced me to continually tilt my head to look up and down again as though nodding. Let the viewer choose the camera.For mens gymnastics, four cameras covered the six-event all-around finals, meaning you had to turn around to watch two of the events in the distance. Once again, you dont get to control the shot. You might be fixated on the pommel horse when you suddenly get a floor-exercise routine going on at the same time. Track-and-field coverage this weekend will probably have similar issues.For now, VR is most exciting behind the scenes. I could feel the joy as Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura won gold and hugged his support staff, surrounded by cameras. You dont get that sense of closeness when its a straight-on television shot. I would love to see warmup areas and locker rooms in VR (for team strategizing, of course). VR works best when the room is small and people are close to the camera.---LOOKING AHEADIts easy to take television sports coverage for granted. Before satellites, TV rarely covered sports live, and cameras were rudimentary. Now, underwater cameras can capture swimmers intensity in the pool, while a computer-generated yellow line shows the world-record pace. Elsewhere, skiers and ice-hockey players have strapped on GoPros. No doubt VR cameras and production will get better.Jim Bell, executive producer of NBC Olympics, said it well just before the Olympics started: It seems like a cool thing, but where it stands right now with the goggles and youve got to put this thing on your head, its not there yet. I kind of like the experience of watching big events like the Olympics on a high-quality television screen, which as we like to say, is as God intended it. Colorado Avalanche Pro Shop . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Colorado Avalanche Store . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. https://www.cheapavalanche.com/ . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. Avalanche Jerseys China . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. Fake Avalanche Jerseys . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. PITTSBURGH -- The Kansas City Chiefs, impressive one week ago against the New York Jets, couldnt sustain the momentum against the Pittsburgh Steelers.The Chiefs forced eight turnovers during a win against the Jets, but were unable to build on it against a Steelers team that suffered its worst loss in 27 years last week at Philadelphia.The return of All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles didnt help as the Chiefs offense sputtered and committed two costly early turnovers while Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the defense, throwing five touchdown passes during a 43-14 win against Kansas City on Sunday.I really feel like the turnovers changed the game, Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith said. Two turnovers, and then all of the sudden we were down. It was a different game.Charles completed his nearly yearlong comeback from a torn ACL in his right knee, but the return was spoiled by the Steelers. Charles had just two carries for seven yards during his season debut for the Chiefs, who havent won in Pittsburgh since 1986. Smith completed 30 of 50 passes for 287 yards with an interception and a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. The Kansas City defense allowed the most points since the 2013 wild-card playoff game against Indianapolis.You learn a lot about yourself after you get your butt kicked, and today, we got our butts kicked, Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said.The Pittsburgh secondary entered the game allowing more than 300 yards passing during its first three games, and Smith nearly made it four straight. But Smith and the Chiefs were unable to expose the Steelers like Philaddelphia and Andy Reid disciple Doug Pederson.ddddddddddddPhiladelphia slashed the Steeler defense a week ago, turning short screen passes and underneath routes into big gains. Kansas City employs a similar offensive scheme, but it didnt work on Sunday as the Steelers eliminated costly missed tackles that plagued them against Philadelphia.The Steelers also controlled the line of scrimmage, finishing with four sacks after entering with one in three games. Pittsburgh was reluctant to bring pressure during the first three weeks, instead opting to drop seven or eight players into coverage, but the Steelers harassed Smith throughout the night.Hats off to a team for bouncing back after getting their tail whipped, Kelce said. Were going to have to do the same thing.The Chiefs fell apart early on Sunday as the Steeler defense forced two turnovers in the first 10 minutes that led to touchdowns.Cameron Heyward struck first when he forced a Spencer Ware fumble, recovered by Ross Cockrell. Heyward helped force the Chiefs second turnover when he tipped a pass that was picked off by linebacker Jarvis Jones.Roethlisberger attacked the Chiefs secondary after the turnovers with touchdown passes to Darrius Heyward-Bey and Antonio Brown. He threw for two more scores in the first half and opened the second with another as Kansas City trailed by 36 points early in the third quarter.When they got the lead they were able to feast, Smith said. They had the crowd noise rolling and they were able to bring the pressure. ' ' '