Michael Jordan's Toronto restaurant is scheduled for a late
October opening (TORONTO STAR, 7/30)...Columbia Sportswear has
signed a two-year deal as Official Apparel sponsor of the '96 and
'97 Eco-Challenge, the endurance adventure race in British
Columbia. A limited number of Eco-Challenge logoed apparel will
be sold exclusively by The Discovery Channel and The Nature
Company (Columbia).... Braves 3B Chipper Jones did not sign
autographs for the team's Braves Foundation at the MLB FanFest
earlier this month because of his exclusive, one-year deal for
autograph signing with Peach State Cards. According to sources,
the Peach State deal is worth at least $200,000. Jones was
originally set to sign during FanFest, but was instructed by his
agency, Leader Enterprises of Orlando, not to participate
"because of concerns from Peach State" (ATLANTA BUSINESS
CHRONICLE, 7/29)....The NCAA said Brine will continue to provide
the official ball of the NCAA men's and women's soccer
championships. Brine has done so since '88 (NCAA NEWS, 7/22
issue)....The Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau
has declined the opportunity to promote itself during a 120-
second halftime segment offered by ABC for the Citrus Bowl. In
recent years, the Bureau has paid $150,000 for the spot, made
available for a "chamber of commerce type of message" (ORLANDO
BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/29).
