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Zero-Gravity Sports League In Development

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the falling-down-on-the-job dept.

Jonathan writes "A company that provides weightless flights to paying space tourists is developing a league around a sport that is designed for a zero-G environment." From the article: "The sport is called 'Paraball'...originally short for Parabolic Football," Persaud told SPACE.com. "The game really isn't like football anymore as the rules have developed, but the name has stuck," he added. [..] "The International Parabolic Sports League (IPSL) I plan to start with seven U.S. based teams, plus one Toronto-based team. Initially all League games would be played from the Las Vegas, Nevada airport, but we'll have 'home' games when the Zero-Gravity Corporation are able to bring their aircraft to that many cities over the time span of the league's season."

5 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. So how do you play? by pjt33 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It would be nice if the article gave a few details about the sport - just basic stuff like the number of balls or players involved.

  2. Short games... by 3D+Monkey · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now if only we had a way to simulate Zero-G for longer than 20 seconds

    Otherwise I see some really short games with some really motion-sick players.

  3. Re:Meanwhile, still no cure for cancer. by JorDan+Clock · · Score: 4, Insightful

    God forbid people devote their time to things other than solving all of mans problems. Besides, you obviously have time to post on Slashdot instead of contributing to the greater good of man.

  4. Re:Who Cares. by Hatta · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Until then, it's just a media whore stunt.

    ALL sports are just media whore stunts. None of that shit matters at all. Really! It's sad that so much effort and money is wasted in this pointless enterprise.

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  5. Re:Who Cares. by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If people find sports entertaining and it increases their quality of life to watch them, I don't have a problem with it.

    I don't think the parent has a problem with sports themselves, just how much money and effort are poured into them. All over the country you have cities passing bond measures and tax increases to renovate stadiums that in some cases haven't even made back their original construction costs. It's become a neverending cycle of the cities working to outdo each other on the fanciest complex. Then, if a city has more than one professional team, they have to build new complexes for the other sports, too. Meanwhile these same cities have crime issues, homelessness, crumbling sewer infastructure.

    I'm all for an enjoyable sports experience, but sometimes it's just more money than necessary for something that's really unnecessary.