Nike Offers US$778M To Sponsor German National Soccer Team Uniforms
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NFL For First Time To Offer Super Bowl Highlights For Download
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Highlights From Super Bowl XLI Media Day In Miami
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Jack Steadman Stepping Down As Chiefs Vice Chair
NIKE BIDS TO SPONSOR GERMAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM UNIFORMS
Nike Eyeing adidas' Sponsorship Of German National Soccer Team
German Soccer Federation (GSF) President Theo Zwanziger today said that Nike has offered an eight-year, US$778M deal to sponsor the national team’s jerseys. Zwanziger added that adidas’ current deal “is worth about a sixth of that.” adidas says their agreement is good until 2014, while the GSF “suggests the contract expires in 2010.” Zwanziger: “We can only reject a new, much more lucrative offer from Nike if there’s a binding agreement with adidas” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 1/30).
NFL TO OFFER SUPER BOWL, NFL NETWORK VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FOR DOWNLOAD
The NFL announced today that fans for the first time will be able to download video highlights of the Super Bowl. The video will be available Monday on the iTunes Store for $1.99. In addition, NFL Network’s “NFL GameDay” will be available for download, also for $1.99, following its telecast Sunday night. Fans will also be able to download episodes of the net’s “America’s Game: The Super Bowl Champions” (NFL).
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SUPER BOWL XLI MEDIA DAY IN MIAMI
Today was Media Day at the Super Bowl in Miami. Here are some quotes from NFL Network's coverage:
“I think you have a bunch of self-aggrandizing members of the media who are looking for some kind of a tabloid story” - Analyst Jamie Dukes, on the attention Bears DT Tank Johnson’s off-the-field legal problems attracted at Media Day.
“I think he wants the adulation and the admiration and the notoriety of a (Cowboys WR Terrell Owens), a (Bengals WR) Chad Johnson or some of these premier receivers in the league. But to have that, you’ve got to be camera-savvy. You’ve got to be friendly. You’ve got to be personable. You’ve got to go out of your way to accommodate the media" - Analyst Deion Sanders, on the introverted personality of Colts WR Marvin Harrison.
“You can sum up the second half of this Media Day with one sentence: Peyton Manning all the time. He was surrounded by throngs of reporters for the entire hour media session”- NFL Network’s Alex Flanagan.
“Overall on the Media Day, I would say it was pretty darn mellow. There weren’t people in the superhero suits. The two kind of craziest people here were the ‘American Idol’ guys, the rejects from ‘American Idol,’ who tried to get a lot of the Colts to sing with them” - Flanagan (NFL Network, 1/30).
JACK STEADMAN STEPPING DOWN AS CHIEFS VICE CHAIR
Chiefs Vice Chair Jack Steadman today announced that he is retiring, effective tomorrow. Steadman, who has served in a senior capacity with the team since its founding in ’60, will also step down as Chair of Hunt Midwest Enterprises (Chiefs).
ABC TO TELEVISE SIX NASCAR BUSCH SERIES RACES IN ‘07
ABC will televise six NASCAR Busch Series races in ’07, with the other 29 races airing on ESPN2. The six races – Las Vegas (March 10), Atlanta (March 17), Bristol (March 24), Talladega (April 28), New Hampshire (June 30) and Chicago (July 14) – will be broadcast by the ESPN2 crew (SCENEDAILY.com, 1/30).
SBD, SBJ OPEN ANNUAL SUPER BOWL PICK ‘EM CONTEST
With the Colts and Bears set to meet in Miami for Super Bowl XLI on February 4, SportsBusiness Daily's and SportsBusiness Journal's annual Super Bowl pick ‘em contest is open. Test your prognostication skills against those of your fellow subscribers. Those who best predict the game’s outcome will receive an award perhaps second only to the Vince Lombardi Trophy itself -- recognition of your feat in the Morning Buzz, The Daily, the Closing Bell and SportsBusiness Journal! To enter, fill out the fields below, providing your name, company, winning team, score and MVP.
In addition to your Super Bowl picks, we are again asking this year for your choice of which advertiser will win the top spot in USA Today's Ad Meter the Monday following the big game? Enter the winning brand in the field provided.
SBD, SBJ OFFER SPORTS AND POP CULTURE READER SURVEY....
IN or OUT? .... Dale Earnhardt Jr. .... SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Dailywant you to weigh in on current SPORTS and POP CULTURE issues.
Please take a minute and GIVE US YOUR SPIN! To access the quick, four-question survey, please click HERE. Then, look for the results in coming issues of THE DAILY and SBJ.
BUZZER BEATERS….
Bahrain agreed to an extension to “host a Formula One grand prix well into the next decade.” Bahrain hosted the Middle East’s first F1 grand prix in ’04 (REUTERS, 1/29).
Simon & Schuster is scheduled to release “Barbaro: America’s Horse,” a biography on the ’06 Kentucky Derby winner by author Shelley Fraser Mickle, in April. Mickle said the book may be released ahead of schedule due to Barbaro’s death (GAINESVILLE SUN, 1/30).
GulfstreamPark is establishing a scholarship in Barbaro’s name that will be worth at least $20,000 and “go to high school students planning to study veterinary medicine” at the Univ. of Florida (AP, 1/30).
Internet video site Grouper today announced that it has created a channel for consumer-generated content around Super Bowl XLI (Grouper).
ACC Select announced today that it will offer online coverage of ACC baseball, marking the first time in conference history that online video streams of regular-season games will be available nationally. Games will cost $3.99 per event or $5.99 per month for AllEventPass (ACC Select).
QUICK HITS….
“I’d like to one day say that I broadcast fifty Masters. … And that would be the day … that I will say goodbye” - CBS’ Jim Nantz, on his biggest career goal. Nantz, who will work his 22nd Masters April 2-8, would be 75 years old in 2035 (THE DAILY).
“I anticipate that sometime this week we will have an answer” – Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, on the possibility of reaching an arena deal with the Penguins (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 1/30).
“The league thinks that the number of goals scored determines how exciting a game is, but that’s not it. It’s the scoring chances and it’s the number of great saves” – Devils G Martin Brodeur, on the NHL looking for ways to increase scoring (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/30).
“Considering the lack of Republicans who could give John Kerry a run, Schilling has as good a chance as anybody” – Boston Univ. professor Tobe Berkovitz, on Red Sox P Curt Schilling considering politics once his baseball career is over (BOSTON HERALD, 1/30).
“There is a certain element of vindication” – Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, on his feelings about Nets G Jason Kidd and his wife, Joumana, filing for divorce. Ryan was suspended by the paper in ’03 for comments about Joumana (N.Y. POST, 1/30).
A LIGHTER BUZZ….
Dr. Don R. Powell, a licensed psychologist and President of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine in Farmington Hills, Michigan, has compiled the top ten sports clichés used in business. Powell claims sports clichés “are actually used in about 50% of corporate boardrooms and everyday conversations” (THE DAILY).
1. “He's a team player.”
2. “He dropped the ball.”
3. “It's gut check time.”
4. “He doesn't pull any punches.”
5. “He always steps up to the plate.”
6. “He talks a good game.”
7. “He's in a league of his own.”
8. “They want to play hardball.”
9. “The ball's in your court.”
10. “He answered the bell.”
ARTICLES OF INTEREST….
The N.Y. TIMES’ Murray Chass writes, “Baseball might have had a few home run hitters whose totals soared, but the NFL has all of those behemoths stomping each other, and no one seems to notice or care” (N.Y. TIMES).
The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL’s David Naylor writes, “In essence, this NFL season has had everything the CFL was missing in 2006” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL).
Also:
Seven reasons why this year’s Super Bowl will outdraw last year’s.
Former NFLer Mercury Morris fighting for benefits from league.
Pro Football HOFer Dan Marino succeeding as analyst, pitchman.
Are the Magic contributing enough to their arena deal?
See the Articles of Interest section for more sports business-related links.
TONIGHT’S EVENTS….
The North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA) will posthumously honor NASCAR personality Benny Parsons with the Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award at the NCMA’s first awards banquet.
Mets VP/Media Relations Jay Horwitz and Dan Klores Communications Senior VP and former Yankees Senior Dir of Media Relations Rick Cerrone will receive the Media Hero Award at the 27th annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in N.Y. Former Knicks C Patrick Ewing, Yankees P Mike Mussina, former Yankees P Goose Gossage, Mets 1B Carlos Delgado and Jets RB Curtis Martin will also be honored with awards.
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino will host a reception to celebrate the opening of an exhibition of horse paintings by Boguslaw Lustyk. The exhibition ends March 31 (MIAMI HERALD, 1/30).
DAILY DOWNLOAD….
A sneak preview of a Super Bowl XLI ad from LG Electronics Canada that helps kick off the company’s "Complete Your Set" flatscreen TV and home theater systems retail campaign, has been posted on YouTube.com. The full ad will air during the game in Canada (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The U.K.’s Casino Advisory Panel recommended that “Britain’s first Las Vegas-style supercasino” should be located in Manchester, which beat out bids from Blackpool and AEG Chair Philip Anschutz’ The O2 in London. British Minister for Culture, Media & Sport Tessa Jowell will make the final decision on the casino’s location (AP, 1/30).
A Harris Interactive poll shows that about 32% of frequent YouTube.com users are watching less TV as a result of the time they spend on the Web site. In addition, 73% said that they would visit the site less if it started including short video ads before every clip (Harris Interactive).
CHANNEL SURF….
Barbaro co-Owners Roy Jackson and his wife, Gretchen, and Dr. Dean Richardson, the horse’s surgeon, will appear on CNN’s “Larry King Live” at 9:00pm ET.
The Double-A Eastern League Bowie Baysox, an Orioles affiliate, will be featured on Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” at 9:00pm ET, as host Mike Rowe will be seen washing uniforms, cleaning shoes and mowing the outfield grass at Prince George’s Stadium.
MTV’s reality series “Two-a-Days” begins its second season at 10:00pm ET.
ESPN’s Michael Irvin will appear on NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” at 1:35am ET.
HEADLINERS….
Here are tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:
“Late Show”
Matt Damon (r)
“The Tonight Show”
Diane Keaton
“Late Night”
Kristin Davis
“The Late Late Show”
Julie Bowen
“Jimmy Kimmel Live”
Christina Applegate
DAILY DIGIT….
$15 – The average ticket price for Super Bowl V at the Orange Bowl in’71.
NOTES & QUOTES FROM THIS DAY IN SBD HISTORY….
1997 "This is the worst idea since New Coke” – Denver Post columnist Woody Paige, on the Broncos redesigning their logo toward a more modernistic horse design, losing the “D” in the logo, and replacing orange with blue as the dominant color for home jerseys.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at: editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.
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