MCI is launching a new slogan, "Shop Naked" for its 1-800-
MUSIC-NOW service, and has hired a plane to fly over Sun Devil
Stadium for five hours Sunday (AD AGE ONLINE, 1/26). ....Today's
N.Y. TIMES profiles Emmitt Smith's mother, Mary, who is COO of
Emmitt Inc. Smith's business collects and sells trading cards
and memorabilia from the running back (N.Y. TIMES, 1/26)....This
morning's WASHINGTON POST profiles minority businesses in Phoenix
that feel they were slighted by the Host Committee for Super Bowl
contracts (WASHINGTON POST, 1/26)....This morning's PHILADELPHIA
INQUIRER addresses the King Holiday controversy in AZ and
concerns about rapid growth in the area (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER,
1/26)....Roger Thurow chronicles Super Bowl parties in this
morning's WALL STREET JOURNAL: "The Super Bowl has evolved into a
social event of such magnitude that it has become a de facto
holiday" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/26)....USA TODAY's "Super Bowl
Ad Watch" profiles spots from Kinko's, Visa, Mail Boxes Etc., and
Nike (USA TODAY, 1/26)....In Detroit, Rachel Konrad notes "this
year, more advertisers are courting the game's growing ranks of
female viewers." Konrad points to Chrysler's Neon ads and
Kinko's spots. Women make up an estimated 40% of Super Bowl
viewers (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/25)....QVC will broadcast live
Sunday from the NFL Experience, with Howie Long, Steve Young and
Rashaam Salaam as guests. Viewers will be able to purchase Super
Bowl merchandise during the telecast (AD AGE ONLINE,
1/26)....Mike Feinberg Co. of Pittsburgh, which has exclusive
rights to the "Terrible Towel," has filed suit in U.S. District
Court against another PA company for selling unauthorized towels
(PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 1/26).... CNBC's Jerry Cobb reported
on "the game behind the big game": "Stamping out phony sports
merchandise." Cobb: "Professional sports franchises don't know
exactly how much they lose to counterfeiters each year, but it's
in the millions of dollars and it's getting worse." The NFL's
Gary Gertzog: "We are finding that the counterfeiters are
getting very sophisticated in terms of the design of their
products, even getting to the point where they have replicated
some of our legal notices on the garments, so we went to the
hologram sticker" ("Sports View," CNBC, 1/25). ....While a guest
on ESPN's "Up Close," Joe Namath plugged his "Professor Joe's
College of Super Bowl Knowledge," which currently airing on the
Classic Sports Channel (ESPN, 1/25).
