In the current FORTUNE, Eric Schonfeld writes that "about
the only thing Adolph Coors can do to make Wall Street change its
tepid outlook on the stock is, as one industry observer puts it,
'discover a cure for cancer.'"  Second quarter earnings per share
fell $.40 from $.63 during the same period last year.  "Costlier
aluminum cans and stiffer pricing are guzzling profits."  Coors
is "a distant third behind" A-B, and Miller in an industry
"unlikely to grow more than 1% this year," and Beer Marketer's
Insight reports that Coors' market share has remained "stalled"
at 10%.  Schonfeld: "Coors needs a hit" (FORTUNE, 7/27).
     COKE SIGNS A BLOCKBUSTER:  Blockbuster Entertainment has
formed an agreement for exclusive rights to Coca-Cola soft drinks
at all Blockbuster Entertainment locations worldwide for a five-
year period (AD AGE ONLINE, 7/6).
     REEBOK: Reebok is the focus of USA TODAY's "Company
Spotlight."  Although the company has "been caught flat-footed in
the athletic shoe market," Liz Green writes that "shoes will be
introduced at a faster pace and tie with Reebok apparel lines to
create a stronger retail presence."  While trying to cut costs,
Reebok acknowledges the need to spend more on ads and product
development (USA TODAY, 7/6).

     Having been shelved since '93, New Orleans' Grand Prix du
Mardi Gras "is back," with race Exec Dir Earl Fannin promising,
"This is a new group, with greater dedication and commitment in
terms of marketing and promotion and delivering value to
spectators and sponsors."  While the $400,000 raised from Exxon,
Southwest Airlines, Budget Rent a Truck, and WCKW-FM is three
times more than the amount raised for earlier runnings, Fannin
hopes to double that amount when he secures a title sponsor for
the $1.6M event.  The Grand Prix is being organized by Crescent
City Motorsports and will be co-promoted by the Tampa-based
International Motor Sports Association.  ESPN and ESPN2 will run
seven hours of delayed coverage on October 29 and November 1
(Tawn Parent, NEW ORLEANS CITY BUSINESS, 7/3-9).

     The "teaser" ad campaign by Taco Bell featuring Shaquille
O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon is profiled by Dottie Enrico of USA
TODAY.  Teaser ads "are now the marketing gimmick of choice for
new fast-food products and car introductions."  Taco Bell's Jerry
Gremaglia said they have "never done much in the sports marketing
area, but we certainly think we've become bigger players because
of our deal with Shaq and Hakeem."  Taco Bell also ran teaser ads
for their "Border Lights" during the Super Bowl, and that
"campaign's success encouraged Taco Bell to use teasers to
launch" their new product, "the Double Decker" that comes with a
hard corn shell wrapped by a soft tortilla shell.  The first Taco
Bell ads in the $25M campaign featuring the two stars will begin
Saturday (USA TODAY, 7/6).
     MO' MONEY, MO' MONEY:  O'Neal and Olajuwon "are mulling a
pay-per-view event where" the two would play each other one-on-
one.  O'Neal's agent, Leonard Armato, said the event is a
"possibility" (Dottie Enrico, USA TODAY, 7/6).

     The NBA's Jam Session has been in New Haven, CT, for the
past week during the Special Olympics.  The Jam Session,
presented by Dollar Rent A Car, will run through Saturday with
Rebecca Lobo, Charles Smith, and Nate Archibald scheduled to
appear (NBA)....PepsiCo has introduced 7Up Plus Orange in
Germany.  Pepsi did not say if it will introduce the brand in
other markets (AD AGE ONLINE, 7/6)....The Sports Foundation of
Pinellas County, FL, is profiled by the TAMPA TRIBUNE.  Mike
Davenport and Bill Johnson led the movement to create a sports
commission to bring events to the area.  Among the events they
have secured: 1999 Final Four, NBA exhibition games this fall,
and an LPGA Tour event (Tom Jones, TAMPA TRIBUNE, 7/6)...World
Sports and Marketing of Orlando is participating in the ESPN
"Extreme Games" and was in charge of producing four of the nine
events (World Sports and Marketing)....Chevy First Team Dealers
will present the Justin World Bull Riding Championship from
August 18-20 at The Summit in Houston (Summit).

     The Sonics' new logo and color scheme "will remain in an
office safe until noon today, when the team will unveil its first
new logo since 1975," according to Jim Moore in this morning's
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER.  The new colors are not known, but
one source says they are "expected to be forest green and
maroon."  This will be the fifth logo change, but the first major
color change, in the team's history.  The old logo featured the
Seattle skyline against a basketball, with the new one
"dramatically, but not radically, different."  Kim Cleworth,
VP/Marketing for Ackerley Commun., the Sonics' owner, said the
team "wanted to focus on something that felt local and in keeping
with the tradition of Seattle" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 7/6).

     Businesses are using MLB's five-day, All-Star FanFest  to
reach thousands of consumers, according to Kathryn Hopper in this
morning's FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM.  MLB has "recruited 35
sponsors that paid between $60,000 and $120,000 to parade their
names before an expected 100,000 to 150,000 people."  FanFest
organizer Gail Hunter said the corporate sponsorship and booth
fees help offset the $4M it costs to put on the event.  David
Ball, who was in charge of signing up sponsors, said doing so was
more difficult this year due to the strike, but "there's no other
(major team) sport playing now, and it's an important time of the
year to move products."  Sponsors range from Coca-Cola to local
food stores, while Majestic Athletic Wear, a PA-based apparel
company has been a sponsor for several years.  Peggy Edwards, VP
Marketing at Majestic, said the sponsorship has been a "good
investment":  "It's so interactive.  The fans really get
involved" (FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/6).

     Annie Bergen examined trends in tennis fashion on "Bloomberg
Business News" this morning.  Bergen noted the popularity of
Agassi's colorful, non-traditional tennis clothing, Mary Pierce's
Nike tennis dresses and the Jensen brothers, known for their
antics and clothing and who have recently signed a deal with
Adidas.  Bllomberg's Bergen:  "Challenging the tennis status quo
has become the marketing strategy of the '90's and it's working.
... Historically casual wear has evolved into tennis clothing,
but now for the first time, it's tennis that's impacting the
larger world of fashion" (PBS, 7/6).