Does anyone remember the scene during the beginning of Star Wars Episode II when Anakin and Obi-Wan chase a bounty hunter in a futuristic bar? As in any such establishment, there is a television behind the counter, showing what appears to be a game of football. Only the contestants are funny looking robots. It's a small, cute joke.

If we end up there in the future, curmudgeonly purists might look back to today, and to a six-year-old girl, as the place where it all went wrong. From the Kansas City Star:

The first two innings of the July 16th game between the Kansas City T-Bones and the Schaumburg Flyers will be played virtually.

Equipped with Microsoft Xbox game controllers instead of baseball gloves and bats, two video gamers will climb into recliner chairs around home plate at CommunityAmerica Ballpark and slug it out on the park’s 16- by 24-foot video screen.

Their scores from playing two innings of MVP Baseball 2005 on an Xbox will stand when the T-Bones and Flyers take the field to finish the last seven innings of the game.

Mike Stone, commissioner of the minor-league baseball Northern League, said the idea “brings new meaning to the term ‘fan involvement.’ ”

The idea for the promotion came from the 6-year-old niece of Bryan Williams, director of community relations for the T-Bones.

[...] T-Bones fans began competing last weekend for a chance to take the field. The two finalists will be chosen after competing for high scores at CompUSA stores in Overland Park and Independence. The competition continues through July 6. A playoff for the top 16 players is scheduled for July 9.