Then there's the sponsor of the NASCAR circuit itself--a cigarette manufacturer. Though cigarette advertising is banned from the airwaves, the sponsorship of an entire event is a clever way of getting around the law.

I Want One Of Those!

Take hockey. Before 1980, only one team--the Minnesota North Stars--had advertisements on the boards like one sees at European figure-skating championships.

Then the Flyers' organization, having beaten the North Stars in the playoffs that year, picked up on the idea. Now, blank boards are a rarity; everyone seems to be doing it.

And then there are the lighted signs you see when you go into an arena. In the Boston Garden, the most prominent one is the "Bud Light" sign on the main scoreboard. Not surprisingly, But Light is sold at the concession stands.

Now you may have read about how in the last Boston-Quebec game, beer sales jumped every time there was a fight on the ice. Conversely, the lack of fighting on the ice may make people buy less beer.

So, at least in Boston, there is a strong economical argument against the deterrence of brawling, because of the presence of that sign on the scoreboard.

This means you won't see clean, Harvard-style hockey in the Boston Garden until next week's Beannot.

Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum

Take the Boston Marathon. Two years ago, Nike hung up a pair of giant-sized Sook Racers on the Hancock building. The advertising coup was completed when Ingrid Kristiansen won the women's race that year wearing Sock Racers. Sales of the Sock Racer soared.

And then there was the time that John Hancock took over the sponsorship of the marathon itself. It took the trouble of moving the finish line down Boylston St. from its traditional place in front of the Prudential Center and sticking it in front of the Hancock Building.

Take baseball. But wait, you say Baseball is the last bastion, the last place you ever want to see corporate advertising for TV.

Not this year. If you looked at every baseball uniform issued this year, you would have seen a little "Rawlings" on the sleeve. On the Mets' and Phillies' uniforms the logo is more unobtrusive, but its there. Baseball, captured by corporations What's the world coming to?

Sports advertising is fine when it leaves its sport alone. But there are times when it is inappropriate. Especially when it makes a travesty of the game.