Percentage games

Fresh evidence that the American sporting-academic complex never misses a fundraising trick. College sports fans desperate to find something to add to the mindboggling array of souvenirs on offer (from flags to toilet seat covers) can now purchase Barbie dolls dressed as cheerleaders for any of 19 leading colleges. And while the cultural critics entertain themselves by disentangling the range of icons and references involved in this deal, the 19 institutions in question have the more material satisfaction of an 8 per cent royalty on every sale.