Sony is worried. Sony is worried not just about you and why you don't buy their 989 Sports titles, but also about your beer. Specifically, do you have something to carry it in to keep it properly cold when you're out at the sporting event of your choice? Admittedly, this probably isn't a big deal if the sporting event of your choice is bobsledding, but if it's baseball under the summer sun, then you need - yes, need! - Sony's 989 Sports beer cooler.

This handy little item was given away a couple of years ago at EB Games, back when it was more widely known as Electronics Boutique but not before it officially changed the name to a meaningless pair of initials followed by an actual understandable word. It was probably two or three years ago or so - I wasn't really paying attention at the time, not being a sports fan and being slow to adapt to name changes of any sort. The logo on the lid is also the original PlayStation logo, so it might be even older than that. At any rate, it's nice and roomy, with space for a six-pack and one of those ice-thingies that'll keep your drinks cold even longer. It's tall enough that there's probably even a bit of room left for a nice sandwich at the top, so long as you don't stack anything on the lid. I measure it out at 9.5" tall x 9" x 9", but it's kind of poofy so those might not be exact.

A nice feature of the cooler isn't just that it folds up, but that it's got velcro straps to keep it tidy when folded. Unzip the top, fold it down, and the straps on the side and one on the lid flap keep it shut, about 2.5" deep for convenient storage. It also seems like a sturdy little thing, although I can't say I've dragged it anywhere to really test it out.

So nice one, Sony. It's a useful promo that ties in quite nicely to the product (or in this case, product line) that it's meant to promote, and likely to provide more service than even the nicest stuffed critter or collectible watch that gets stashed away for fear of scratching it. I'm still going to make fun of the GameDay series though, particularly the 2001 outing.

· · · James Cunningham