As I find myself inexplicably sucked in to the Superbowl tonight, I wondered how rival TV networks have attempted to compete with the ratings behemoth that is the biggest day in American sports. As it turns out, they've gone to some lengths.

Take, for example, The Puppy Bowl, a football game played by, yes, puppies:



'Players' are penalised for relieving themselves on the field of play, local dogs watch the action from TV screens outside (we cut to see their reaction shots) and the half time show is performed by cats.

Avoiding the cute and schmaltzy angle completely, the annual Lingerie Bowl, is a football game played by, well, women in Lingerie:



So there we have it. Desperation inspires creativity... or at least thinking outside the box... slightly.

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Goes to Tarquin Montreau, who wrote a letter to The Irish Independent expressing his dismay at the Irish Olympic team being so blasé about winning events.

Goggle malfunction? Not good enough. Just wasn't my day? Not good enough. Oh, Tarquin...

"Gone are the days of “it’s all about taking part” . . . it’s not. It is about being in with a shout. "

What a horrible little man.

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