The International 6 (TI6), the most prestigious Dota 2 tournament and undoubtedly one of the biggest events on the annual esports calendar, is nearing its conclusion this week before a sold-out KeyArena in Seattle. Though it boasts a prize pool in excess of $20 million, double that of golfs Masters, the ramifications of TI6 will go far beyond making millionaires out of the five teenagers and twenty-somethings who win the grand finals. This event is also a watershed moment for virtual reality (VR) in sports.As a new feature for TI6, Valve added the Dota VR Hub, which allows fans to watch every game in three unique VR modes: in a theater surrounded by other fans; above the map as if flying around on the Goodyear Blimp; and in the thick of the action at true scale. I tried out the various modes for myself, and while the technology isnt quite there yet -- it is still a little clunky and can be harder to follow the action on than by simply watching the stream -- there can be little doubt that this is a major step toward something big for fans of esports -- and sports all over the world.VR is going to revolutionize how we watch sports, and esports is going to be at the forefront of that movement.Its often taken for granted how much augmented reality (AR) technology has changed sports viewership as we know it. Try watching football without the projected first-down line, hockey without puck tracking or Olympic swimming without the moving world-record meter. In nearly every sport, AR enhances our ability to follow the game in real time and better understand what we saw on replay.VR is the next frontier for improving sports viewership. It can virtually deposit the viewer right into the stadium or even in the game itself. And its already being applied to traditional sports. Certain programming at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games can be viewed in VR. This years Home Run Derby also dabbled in VR viewing opportunities. NextVR, the market leader in live virtual reality broadcast technology with a wide array of sports applications, just closed an $80 million series B. But the current traditional sports VR experiences pale in comparison to what is happening at TI6 this week, and for good reason.Live action sports are limited by the nature of VR technology. To give a viewer the experience of being in a seat at Madison Square Garden, there need to be special VR cameras placed throughout the stadium in order to capture the action. But for esports, those barriers are considerably smaller. An esports match necessarily exists in a more digitally translatable format (either on PC or console). This means that VR efforts will focus less on how to capture the game and more on how to create uniquely immersive viewer experiences from the comfort of your living room couch.The marriage of VR and esports is also crucial given the more global nature of the esports industry. Unlike traditional sports, esports teams arent defined by a geographic nexus. I grew up a fan of the Seahawks, SuperSonics (may they rest in peace) and University of Washington, because thats where Im from. It also came with the added bonus of being able to drive only 10 minutes to watch these teams play throughout the year.In stark contrast, the fans of any given esports team are spread out throughout their home country and even all over the world. This means that the fan of a team can literally go their entire life without ever having an easy opportunity to watch that team play in person.Enter VR.While it might never be exactly the same as going to the event in person, the evolution of VR technology will create the opportunity for a fan to have a truly immersive experience when they are either unwilling or unable to travel to the venue. Someday, a sports fan will be able to put on a pair of goggles and be transported into a stadium to watch their favorite team play alongside thousands of fans, all without the hassle of traffic, lines and overpriced beer.No one knows exactly when that day will come, but it is undoubtedly a question of when, not if. Weve already started down that path, and TI6 was a giant leap forward.So whether you tuned into TI6 or not, this was a big week for you as a sports fan. VR is going to continue to evolve, and it will ultimately revolutionize the way sports are consumed all over the globe. Esports will be a driving force behind that transformation. To the rest of the world, youre welcome. Bobby Hull Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. Lawson Crouse Coyotes Jersey . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. http://www.officialcoyotesfanstore.com/authentic-alex-goligoski-coyotes-jersey/ . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. 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Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade concedes Dion Prestia is likely to leave the AFL club at the end of the season and that fellow off-contract midfielder Jaeger OMeara is torn over his future.The Suns are yet to receive definitive word of either players intentions but Eade said Prestia had indicated a desire to return to Victoria, where his family is based.Prestia has been restricted to just 14 games this year due to injury and has been strongly linked to Richmond, which is reportedly his preferred destination.All the noise is that looks like its going to happen, Eade told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.But if that happens, thats fine, well just drive a hard bargain to be able to get compensation for him.Weve spoken to him, hes sort of indicated familys a strong point - I suppose like (Patrick) Dangerfield when he went back to Geelong, thats a strong driver for him.Eade said the Suns were reasonably confident of retaining OMeara, but said: I think hes torn a little bit himself.OMeaara, 22, hasnt played an AFL game since late 2014 because of a string of serious knee injuries.ddddddddddddIf he does choose to leave, Eade reckons the Suns would demand two top-10 draft picks in exchange.I think our offer will reflect that we think we need to be compensated for him, he said.Hes a year younger than (Adam) Treloar, hes as good a player, his leadership... we think he would be worth two first-round picks in the top 10.Gold Coasts other long-term injured midfield star, David Swallow, could make his AFL return in next weeks final round.Swallow, who is also battling knee issues, played just over half a game for the Suns team in the NEAFL last weekend - his first run since the middle of the year.Swallow will play reserves football again this week but could feature in Gold Coasts season closer against Port Adelaide if he pulls up well enough. 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