The Barometer Online

Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Contributed Photo The Sport Corner in Bangkok, Thailand shows as many Oregon State sporting events as possible, despite a 12 hour time difference.

It's 6 a.m. Monday morning in Bangkok, Thailand, and while most of the city is still sleeping, The Sport Corner is packed; with 55 die hard fans waiting to watch a game being played over 9,500 miles away.

That game was the Super Bowl.

The Sport Corner is owned and operated by Oregon State alumnus, Tim Lincoln. Located in Bangkok, it is "the" place for all sporting events.

"We have seven large format flat screen TVs and two projectors, probably the most screens per square foot of floor space of any venue in Bangkok," Lincoln said.

The Sport Corner appeals to all sports lovers, receiving all the major American sports. Despite the challenges posed by a 12 hour time difference, The Sport Corner is able to show rebroadcasts of the big games. As March Madness approaches, Lincoln and his staff will gear up for the tournament.

Having a lot of British and Australian customers, The Sport Corner also shows a lot of soccer and rugby matches with the occasional request for a cricket match. On any given Saturday, there might be eight different games on at once.

"The English guys say it's better coverage than in England," Lincoln said

Lincoln was raised in Corvallis and graduated from OSU with a manufacturing engineering degree in 1968. While at OSU, he was around to witness some of the greatest sports achievements - including the Beavers last Rose Bowl appearance in 1965 against the Michigan Wolverines.

Lincoln first came to Thailand in 1991 on a business trip for a computer company based out of San Jose, Calif. Thereafter, he returned to Asia five to six times a year on business and would spend a few extra days for vacation and sight-seeing.

After retiring from IBM in 2003, he moved to the tropical paradise of Thailand.

"I thought about where I wanted to live and none of the places in the states appealed to me. I moved to Thailand six months after retirement," Lincoln said.

Thailand - located in Southeast Asia - is home to some of the world's nicest beaches. With the temperatures rarely falling below the mid 80s, the low cost of living and cheap beer, its easy to see why someone would want to live there.

Continued...

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