Advantage Int'l will now handle the "marketing and
licensing" for college football's Heisman Trophy. Rick White,
Ex-MLB Properties head, will work with Advantage on Heisman
merchandising. Among the possibilities: A season-opening game
named for the trophy (USA TODAY, 9/12).... CNBC's "Sports View"
examined the commercialization of the World Chess Championships.
The Professional Chess Assoc. "has big plans for expansion. It
has discussed sponsorship opportunities with IBM, says AT&T is
interested, and now has world-wide television deals." PCA
Commissioner Robert Rice: "The commercial potential actually is
enormous and that's because there are 25 million casual chess
players in the United States alone" (CNBC, 9/11)....49ers
linebacker Ken Norton, who owns a sporting goods shop in Dallas,
had his store order 100 Dallas jerseys with No. 21 on them (SAN
JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/12)....Merchandise for the Orlando Breakers,
the fictional NFL expansion team featured in the ABC sitcom
"Coach," is starting to hit stores in the Orlando area. Bungalow
78 Productions is also taking phone orders and producing Coach
Collectibles, a mail-order catalog. They also plan to sell goods
on AOL (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 9/12).... Coca-Cola announced they will
end the test run of OK soda in 11 test markets this fall.
Company spokesperson Randy Donaldson said the Gen X-targeted
drink was not "profitable enough" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,
9/12)...US West has aligned The Bonham Group, a sports marketing
firm, to provide database marketing products, services and
consulting to pro and collegiate teams and associations. US
West's Maggie Hecht: "The sports industry needs to better
identify who its fans and prospects are and reach out to them in
order to build a solid relationship" (US West)....The NHL and the
NHLPA announced the settlement of all litigation concerning the
lettering of team jerseys with player names, as officially
licensed NHL and NHLPA named and numbered jerseys will be
available through the U.S. and Canadian licensees, CCM and
Starter, beginning this season (NHL).
