League hopes Olympics will boost beach volleyball

by Matthew Futterman, The Wall Street Journal Updated: August 15, 2008, 12:35 PM EST 3 comments The competition at Beijing's 12,000-seat Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground is one of the hottest Olympic tickets. The sport, with its beach-party atmosphere featuring impeccably cut and tanned athletes competing in skimpy bathing suits, is seen as having huge entertainment potential, which is why NBC is featuring it live in prime time throughout the Summer Games. At the volleyball arena in China, where the sport is relatively new, crowds clap along to music from Shania Twain and Michael Jackson as Chinese cheerleaders whip up the enthusiasm. Photos: Check out beach volleyball action from the Olympics. Watching the Olympic competition with keen interest are a number of promoters who hope the attention will help them turn beach... [read full story]