If you enjoy watching virtual NASCAR races.......

[BadMouth]

iRacing final tonight at 9pm EDT

http://www.iracing.com/live/



$10,000 in real money on the line.  I wonder what keeps one of these guys from paying someone to wreck the other.

I've never watched it before, but it could be an interesting peek at it.
I think it's kinda cool, but don't have the time or patience to put in the work to even be allowed to race. 

I remember watching a year in review type thing one time and when asked about their equipment, the top drivers used basic wheels sitting at their kitchen table or desk. They also kept the ffb turned off, but that was before iRacing implemented the new ffb where you can tell when the tires are loosing grip by the feel of the wheel.

[Rick]

This... Is... Awesome. If I had the room, this would put me over the edge on creating a sit-down driver.

[BadMouth]

I don't see any video. 

email I received also had this link, but I see no video there either: http://www.mrn.com/IRACING/Live-Streaming.aspx

EDIT: Works in Firefox, didn't work in IE.  Not that I plan to actually watch it, but I'll listen while I'm working on the computer and flip to it if I hear a wreck.

[Generic Eric]

I have audio and video.  They are on lap 28 now. 

[BadMouth]

I have audio and video.  They are on lap 28 now.

hmmm...working now in both IE and Firefox. 

[Fursphere]

$10,000 in real money on the line.  I wonder what keeps one of these guys from paying someone to wreck the other.

Nothing.  In fact it happens already...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarCraft:_Brood_War_professional_competition#Match_fixing_scandal

There was another one too..  I don't remember the game.  Fighting game (like street fighter).  Basically the top two guys knew early on that they were going to smoke everyone else, and they agreed to split the pot if they ended up being the top two - and just totally threw the final match.  They picked random characters and just "had fun" in the final match and the fans and judges cried a river.

I think it was this one...  http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/08/fighting-game-scene-cracks-down-with-top-players-accused-of-collusion/

[gpasko]

$10,000 in real money on the line.  I wonder what keeps one of these guys from paying someone to wreck the other.

Nothing.  In fact it happens already...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarCraft:_Brood_War_professional_competition#Match_fixing_scandal

There was another one too..  I don't remember the game.  Fighting game (like street fighter).  Basically the top two guys knew early on that they were going to smoke everyone else, and they agreed to split the pot if they ended up being the top two - and just totally threw the final match.  They picked random characters and just "had fun" in the final match and the fans and judges cried a river.

I think it was this one...  http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/08/fighting-game-scene-cracks-down-with-top-players-accused-of-collusion/

Hmmm, now on a professional sports level w/ more people involved it is a lot harder for this scam to happen, but you gotta believe it does.  I've seen it in boxing matches where the judges vote for the worse boxer.  I'm not a score keeper, but could decide pretty accurately who won the round.  Pretty obvious pay-offs or at least preferences.    Anyway, that's just my 2 cents. 

[Malenko]

top 2 guys picking random teams and having fun in the finals?
HOW ---smurfing--- DARE THEY! THEY PLAY FOR MY ENTERTAINMENT NOT THEIRS!

[Fursphere]

top 2 guys picking random teams and having fun in the finals?
HOW ---smurfing--- DARE THEY! THEY PLAY FOR MY ENTERTAINMENT NOT THEIRS!

That's basically what they said when questioned about it.  Uhhh.  We won?  Why do you care?   lol

[Xiaou2]

Any time theres real money on the line..  especially BIG money... theres going to be corruption. Usually BIG corruption.

 Whats to say there isnt an exploit that can make a certain car faster and handle better than any of the other cars?  (and or intentional packet / data loss, tire slip, people 'paid' to Ram/Destroy you at the worst moments..  ) Which of course, the winners are in a partnership with the games creator / contest people.  Hence... these are the people who really get the money..  not the real enthusiasts.

 Btw - many of the guys who stand any chance, probably need top level equipment.. hence, $300 pedal set, $500 wheel, $300 shifter, 2 or 3 axis FFB chair ...etc.   So that makes it ever more difficult to compete on a level playing field.  (If there was no scam to begin with.. which there probably is)

 Then again, its also my belief that Lotto is rigged too.  Most of the winners are planned / Friends / certain key family members.  (many of whom have won several times, beyond 'lucky' & beyond reasonable probability)    As well as any other Comps that cant easily be verified.. such as fast food games, PCH..etc.  Yet millions will drain what little money they have, in the belief that theres a possibility.

 A lot of people dont even realize that arcade games are rigged.  (both ticket & prize games)  Games of skill, are actually programmed to cheat you out of your prize, unless the payout percentage is reached.   Claw games?   The magnet strength is operator adjustable... so the claw cant hold anything.  (and they pack prizes so tight that youd have to spend your full wallet just to loosen them up)

 But as said, even sport comps, are often rigged.  Players paid to take dives, Cheating, Dirty Illegal tricks, and paid off judges to boot.

 Corruption is at a point, where theres literally are no honest venues anymore.  You cant buy a machine, without a part designed to fail just after the horrible '1yr' warranty is up...  Cant buy a car warranty, that actually covers anything that actually breaks,  Cant get your car serviced... without someone breaking something on purpose, or getting you to do something thats not necessary.  Cant get compensation for wrongs done to you... without a shark lawyer taking90% of it... whos probably handing at least 30% of it back to the said company you just won against.  Health? The same people behind the problems & outbreaks, are same charging you for the cures / medical expenses...

 Try to come up with a new invention to make money?   Someone from NSA has been snooping on you from your pc, emails, phone calls, etc.. and steals it, sells it, and it gets produced, or patented, before you can even pitch it.  (but have spent half your life and most of your money doing it)

 Or.. you pitch it, they say they dont want it... produce it, then you try to sue them... and get a fraction of the value.. as well as wasted years in legal limbo + legal bills.

 Theres almost no way to win 'honestly' anymore.  Even with honest hard work.