NFL Properties President Sara Levinson is interviewed in the
current issue of SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS.  Asked if NFL business
has been helped by the labor problems in other sports: "Well, if
it is a help, it's really a short term gain, and not something
that we see as good for business."  Levinson projected 5%
increase in retail sales over '94 totals.  On whether the
"softness" of the sports licensed market is a temporary
situation: "There are cycles in every business.  You always see
swings from one direction to the other, but the onus is really on
us to maintain that growth  and that puts an additional burden on
us to do things that may not have been necessary in easier
times."  Levinson noted that one area NFLP will focus on in '95
is their NFL Kids line which includes clothing and back to school
apparel (SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS, 2/95 issue).

     ESPN's Cover Story was on "Marketing the Major Leagues," and
the challenges MLB teams face with their marketing campaigns
during the strike.  In their ads for this season, many teams have
focused on the game of baseball and the experience of going to
the ballpark.  AD AGE's Jeff Jensen: "Baseball teams can't market
themselves using their players, that is their product and it is
not on the field."  ESPN's Linda Cohn noted that the absence of
players "has put creativity at a premium."   Brandon Steiner of
Steiner Sports Marketing said this may be the first year teams
have to go to top-notch ad agencies and marketing firms to get
help in bringing back their fans.  The Dodgers campaign focusses
around the theme "The Tradition Continues" and Dodgers
VP/Marketing Barry Stockhammer said since they don't know who the
players will be they are "promoting the team unit, the outing.
Basically, the experience of coming out to Dodgers Stadium"
("Sports Center," ESPN, 2/23).

     The current issue of FORTUNE lists 395 U.S. corporations on
a 1-10 index.  FORTUNE surveyed more than 10,000 business people
across America on eight different attributes about the leading
companies within their industry:  financial success,
innovativeness, quality of products, community responsibility,
etc.  The companies listed below either own the naming rights to
stadiums or arenas, or those which are top sports sponsors.
Companies are listed with their score and rank.  The top rated
company, Rubbermaid, received an 8.65 (FORTUNE, 3/6 issue).
STADIUM NAME SPONSORS         SPONSORS/SPORTS-RELATED
     Great Western  6.39/192       Coca-Cola           8.39/3
     Coors          6.38/196       Home Depot          8.24/5
     ARCO           6.34/202       Procter & Gamble    8.13/7
     GM             5.99/272       UPS                 8.05/9
     Delta          5.62/322       Gillette            7.91/12
     United         5.52/335       General Electric    7.84/14
     USAir          3.65/393       AT&T                7.68/19
     RCA            not rated      Disney              7.58/25
     America West   not rated      Nike                7.58/25
     Target         not rated      Shell               7.38/38
     Fleet/Shawmut  not rated      Goodyear            7.37/40
     CoreStates     not rated      Ford                7.32/44
     Arrowhead      not rated      Mobil               7.22/53
                                   Sara Lee            7.21/55
     MEDIA/ENTERTAINMENT           Federal Express     7.13/62
     Disney         7.58/25        PepsiCo             7.07/72
     Cap Cities/ABC 7.22/53        Chrysler            7.01/81
     Viacom         6.99/83        Xerox               7.00/82
     Time Warner    6.95/92        Anhesuer-Busch      6.93/95
     Turner         6.69/134       MCI                 6.90/98
     CBS            5.80/301       NationsBank         6.66/139
                                   Russell             6.58/156
                                   Texaco              6.51/169
                                   Philip Morris       6.34/202
                                   American Express    5.98/273
                                   IBM                 5.94/281
                                   Prudential          5.55/331

     The most recent issue of ARIZONA BUSINESS JOURNAL features a
front page story on local AZ business vying for Super Bowl XXX
business.  NFL officials say they will do most of the purchasing
of goods and services for the Super Bowl "from as many small,
minority and women-owned businesses as possible."  This week,
nearly 200 small- and medium-businesspersons signed up for "How
to Become a Super Bowl XXX Vendor/Supplier" workshops headed by
Super Bowl XXX Exec Dir Steve Patterson (ARIZONA BUSINESS
JOURNAL, 2/22).

     The latest Reebok ad features White Sox slugger Frank Thomas
and pushes the "Big Hurt" signature collection of Reebok baseball
and Preseason cross-training shoes.  The ad will appear
nationally on Turner Broadcasting's NBA telecasts, NBC's NBA
telecasts and MTV Sports.  The ad campaign will be supported by
print ads in publications such as INSIDE SPORTS, SPORT and THE
SPORTING NEWS (Reebok).... From SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS:  Head
Sports Wear announced that Gabriela Sabatini will serve as the
company's first ever worldwide corporate spokesperson....VF
Corp., the parent company of Nutmeg Mills and Lee Apparel,
recently launched Lee Sport, a line of sports licensed apparel,
outerwear and denim items which will be in retail stores this
fall (SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS, 2/95 issue).

     The latest of Nike's "Just Do It" ads, created by Wieden &
Kennedy, features Ric Munoz, an L.A. road runner who has run 64
marathons since he learned he had the AIDS virus in '87.  The 30-
second ad, which began airing nationally this month, shows Munoz
running through Malibu Canyon State Park in L.A.  As the scenery
changes, captions read in sequence: "Ric Munoz, Los Angeles; 80
miles every week; 10 marathons every year; HIV positive; Just Do
It."  W&K's Jim LeMaitre: "It's a way to say this is a great
athlete, this isn't the end of the line for him, and having HIV
is just one more thing in his day" (Gonzalez & Franzen, Portland
OREGONIAN, 2/23).