"These have not been easy times for the once-robust
     bicycle business," according to James Sterngold of the N.Y.
     TIMES, who wrote that while sales "have declined and a
     shakeout may loom," many experts predict the bike market "is
     on the cusp of a potentially wrenching consolidation." 
     Hambrecht & Quist analyst Sean Milne: "It has gotten a
     little ugly for some of these companies because conditions
     have gotten so tough and volatile. ... I don't think we will
     ever see the mountain bike sector grow the way it had." 
     Sterngold added that Cannondale is "taking particular aim at
     overseas markets," and that foreign sales of its American-
     made bicycles have risen from 44% of revenues through June
     '95 to 49% through June '96 (N.Y. TIMES, 11/30).

          In an "about-face," the FTC won't "relax the half-
     century standard for making 'Made in the USA' claims on
     consumer-product labels," according to Bruce Ingersoll of
     the WALL STREET JOURNAL.  The proposal to overturn the
     decision "stemmed largely" from a '94 enforcement action
     that the FTC brought against MA-based New Balance, charging
     it with "deceptive advertising and labeling" because New
     Balance had imported outer soles from China for some
     footwear it claimed were U.S.-made.  New Balance had then
     asked Congress for a more flexible U.S. origins standard. 
     Today, the FTC will publish an enforcement-policy statement
     clarifying that any product bearing an unqualified "Made-in-
     USA" claim "should contain only a de minimis, or negligible,
     amount of foreign content" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/2).
          NEW BALANCE: In Boston, Chris Reidy reports that "in a
     world where most athletic shoes are made in Asian factories,
     New Balance maintains, it should be allowed to alert
     consumers that it remains committed to US workers."  New
     Balance said it would not comment on "the possibility it may
     now have to relabel its shoes" until the FTC's decision has
     been reviewed by its lawyers (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/2).

          Actor Joe Pesci is backing a new line of golf clothing
     called "Piagga," which means "I like" in Italian.  The line
     will be designed by a "head designer" from Guess and be
     targeted for department stores.  Piagga will be introduced
     at the PGA Merchandise Show in January (GOLF WEEK, 11/29).
     ...CA-based Sports Placement Services signed 4-time World
     Kickboxing Champion Lucia Rijker to a worldwide marketing
     deal (SPI)....France's competition board fined adidas $2.7M
     for entering into a soccer club sponsorship accord that
     breached competition rules (REUTERS, 11/28)....Squash
     prodigy Gilly Lane, who began competing at age 10, is
     sponsored by Prince, which provides him with rackets and
     strings (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/29).

          MLBP President Bob Gamgort, putting together an apparel
     program that he hopes will generate as much as $20M-a-year,
     "has conceived one scenario in which all non-MLB logos would
     be eliminated from uniforms, in the hope that sneaker
     marketers would pay more for ad rights and have no
     reservations about using MLB players in creative, since they
     would not be wearing the logo of a competitor," according to
     Terry Lefton of BRANDWEEK.  Another possible scenario would
     see even larger logos on uniforms.  Lefton adds that MLB
     "needs to line up a new uniform deal by early next year to
     meet manufacturing lead times" for the '99 season.  In
     related news, Gamgort said he has received funding to hire
     senior execs to run MLB's licensing program and bring
     corporate sponsorship sales in-house, leaving himself "free
     to focus solely on marketing" (BRANDWEEK, 12/1 issue).
          NIKE PLAYS HARDBALL: AD AGE's Bradley Johnson reports
     that Nike "won't use" MLB endorsers in their uniforms in '98
     ads because it "doesn't want to indirectly promote exclusive
     MLB uniform licensee Russell Athletic, especially after MLB
     owners last year shot down a proposed marketing alliance
     with Nike" (Bradley Johnson, AD AGE, 12/1 issue).

          Nike today debuts, "A Champion Season," a new ad
     campaign created by Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners.  The
     ten ad series, which runs through the end of March '98,
     follows the fictional Charlestown Cougars women's high
     school basketball team through an entire season.  The TV ads
     will be supported by a print campaign in Seventeen and YM
     magazines (Nike).  AD AGE's Jeff Jensen reports that Nike
     hopes the new series will be its "most conspicuous campaign
     yet in support of its women's basketball business."  A Nike
     spokesperson said that the campaign "will be on par" with
     Nike's biggest ad efforts for its women's business.  The
     campaign will also mark the first time players from the ABL
     and WNBA will share Nike ad time together, as one ad will
     show the ABL's Kate Starbird and the WNBA's Jamila Wideman
     playing together during college (AD AGE, 12/1 issue).
          NIKE NOTES: Nike named Wieden & Kennedy to handle its
     advertising in Britain, according to Stuart Elliott of the
     N.Y. TIMES.  Billings were estimated at $15M.  Nike Dir of
     Global Advertising Geoffrey Frost: "This should be a great
     opportunity for the industry to draw its own conclusions on
     how strong our relationship is with Wieden & Kennedy."  W&K
     will open an office in London on April 1 that will initially
     have a staff of 10 (N.Y. TIMES, 11/28)....Japan's Fair Trade
     Commission raided Nike's Japan office last week, reportedly
     to "investigate claims that the company was pressuring
     retailers to inflate prices."  A Nike spokesperson said the
     company was "stunned" by the allegations and "will
     cooperate" with investigators (Mult., 11/28).