Rock Paper Scissors tourney makes the cut on Fox Sports

By Alex Woodson

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The USA Rock Paper Scissors League is proving to have staying power in the media industry.

The championship tournament of the league devoted to the playground game is heading to Fox Sports Network as an hourlong "Best Damn Sports Show Period" special October 6.

FSN is the third network to carry the tournament in as many years; it aired on ESPN2 in 2007 and A&E the previous year.

Matti Leshem, USARPS commissioner and executive producer of the shows, called FSN the "spiritual home" of the game. The network aired the International Rock Paper Scissors Championships in 2004, also as a "Best Damn" special that Leshem executive produced, marking the first time an RPS event was televised, he said.

The third annual tourney, sponsored by Bud Light, runs June 20-22 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Professional poker player Phil Gordon will referee the championships for the second consecutive year. He also is a commentator on Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" and a host of ESPN's "Pro-Am Poker Equalizer."

More than 300 players will compete in this year's event, with the winner receiving a $50,000 grand prize and a trip to Beijing to compete against international champions in an event coinciding with the Summer Olympics.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter