The NHL released the design for the Mighty Ducks' Third
Jersey yesterday. The sweater features the Duck mascot Wild
Wing, charging up through a slab of ice (NHL)....Russell Corp.
has signed $2.9M deal with Auburn to outfit all 19 of that
school's athletic teams through the year 2000. Russell and
Auburn have been working together since 1950. Under the current
extension, Russell will provide $350,000 in products each year
and $235,000 through royalties, ad commitments and support of
academic programs (OFF CAMPUS RETAILER, 1/96).... Joe Gately, a
spokesperson for FootAction USA, said Champion's USA Basketball
practice jerseys "have been our best sellers" among Olympic
licensed merchandise (NSGA RETAIL FOCUS, 1/96 issue)....Saucony
has signed with ESPN to sponsor its "Running and Racing" show.
The program provides coverage of road races, marathons and
triathalons. Saucony will sponsor 16 shows per year through
December, '98. ... Huffy Sports is the first backboard
manufacturer to go green -- offering recycled backboards from
landfill-bound plastics (SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS, 1/96
issue)....Bob Woolf Assoc. has signed middleweight boxer Dana
Rosenblatt (BWA). ....The Fleer factory in Olney, PA, closes
tomorrow. Fleer announced two months ago it would move
operations from the plant to other locations (PHILADELPHIA DAILY
NEWS, 1/25).... Sports Illustrated has opened a Web site for its
swimsuit issue. Microsoft, Schick and Stolichnaya are each
paying $25,000 to sponsor (AD AGE ONLINE, 1/25)....Bucks Guard
Johnny Newman has opened a service station in Richmond, VA, the
first of what he hopes will be a chain of "Johnny Newman's
Signature Stations" in the area. The stations will have
basketball motifs, including floors that look like basketball
courts and pumps featuring hoops and backboards (RICHMOND TIMES-
DISPATCH, 1/22)....Gillette posted its 22nd consecutive quarter
of record earnings. Net income for the fourth quarter ending
December 31 rose to $232.1M, up 16% (BOSTON GLOBE,
1/24)....Rumors have PepsiCo reportedly considering a separation
of its beverage business and its fast-food chains. Pepsi took a
$348M charge related to its restaurants two weeks ago (N.Y.
TIMES, 1/25)....Niketown's midtown Manhattan store, slated to
open this fall, will include an open-air park on its roof for
basketball and soccer demonstrations. A Nike spokesperson told
the N.Y. TIMES that the company's goal for the store is to
"establish the Nike brand name" and "simply to break even" (N.Y.
TIMES, 1/25)....The NBA will run a "Watch 'n' Win" promotion with
Schick. In over 40 million newspapers on February, numbers will
be distributed with the winner announced during he February 10
Schick Rookie Game (USA TODAY, 1/25)....CNN's Jan Hopkins
reported on "a hostile bid in the toy industry after the market
closed -- Mattel offering $5.2B for rival Hasbro." Hasbro's
board rejected the offer, saying the merger would violate
antitrust laws. The $52 a share bid sent Hasbro shares "soaring"
in after-hours trading, with Hasbro gaining more than $16 to 46
3/4. The two companies have been in talks for the better part of
a year about a possible merger ("Moneyline," CNN, 1/24).
