Despite a ban on TV advertising of tobacco, a research project from the University of Texas at Arlington found many alcohol and tobacco logos while watching 83 hours of televised sports, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Aug. 14.

Logos appeared on car hoods, ice rinks, and boxing rings -- even next to ski jumps -- said Lara Zwarun, an assistant professor at the school who led students in conducting the study. "This stuff is not subliminal, but it is below the radar," she said. "It doesn't leap out at you as advertising."

An expert on sports sponsorships said the tobacco industry has not spent much in that arena since the 1998 nationwide tobacco settlement, focusing instead on event sponsorships such as a smoking lounge during the recent Ozzfest tour. But beer and liquor ads are ubiquitous in sports.

The study appears in the August 2006 issue of the American Journal of Public Health.