adidas has become an official sponsor and official
     licensee of the '99 Women's World Cup.  The announcement was
     made at the Super Show in Atlanta where adidas also offered
     a sneak preview of its official tournament game ball called
     the "Icon," the first-ever ball specifically produced for
     the Women's World Cup event.  adidas will also produce an
     apparel line leading up to the '99 World Cup, including a
     line specially designed for female soccer players (WWC). 
          MORE ADIDAS: adidas CEO Steve Wynne tells SGB that
     soccer will continue to be the "heart of our brand," but it
     intends to "broaden" its basketball, training and women
     performance brands.  Wynne added that adidas will continue
     to invest in its "high-profile athletes" (SGB, 1/23 issue). 

          Spalding has signed NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant to a
     multi-year endorsement deal.  Initial plans call for the
     intro of an exclusive line of Bryant basketballs.  Spalding
     will also donate 19 basketballs to charity for each point
     Bryant scores during Sunday's All-Star Game (Spalding).
          AUTO CLUB: GM's Buick division signed a four-year,
     "estimated" $8M marketing pact with the ACC to become the
     exclusive and official car of the entire collegiate 
     conference, according to AD AGE.  The deal includes TV and
     marketing involvement with ACC women's and men's basketball
     plus 22 conference championship events (AD AGE, 2/4).

          In Chicago, George Lazarus wrote that Super Bowl XXXIII
     is 50 weeks away but "already nervous advertisers are
     wondering what Fox" will charge for its 30-second spots. 
     The "early guessing" is that Fox will charge between $1.4-
     1.5M "and have no trouble" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/4)....NBC has
     stopped running promos for its new sitcom "Working," that
     parodied the new Nike "I Can" campaign, after Nike execs
     "asked NBC to withdraw the spots" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/5)....Since
     the Rams' Craig "Iron Head" Heyward debuted in the Zest Body
     Wash spots in October, "sales have more than doubled" (Gary
     Strauss, USA TODAY, 2/5)....NY-based Jay Advertising was
     named the ad agency of the Bills (Bills). 

          Super Bowl XXXII MVP Terrell Davis has signed a
     multiyear deal with Novartis Pharmaceuticals to be its
     spokesperson and to raise awareness for Migranal, a new
     migraine treatment, according to Adam Schefter of the DENVER
     POST.  Migranal is the same nasal spray Davis used to treat
     his migraine during the Super Bowl.  Davis and Novartis will
     also partner to form the "Terrell Davis Foundation for
     Migraine Education and Treatment" (DENVER POST, 2/5).  
     Davis' deal with Novartis garnered front-page attention in
     the BOSTON GLOBE where Larry Tye reports it is worth
     "several hundred thousand dollars a year."  Davis: "I'm not
     putting my John Hancock on something I'm not truly behind." 
     Part of what made the deal "attractive" to Davis is the
     agreement that each time he scores a touchdown next season,
     he and Novartis will both contribute money to the new
     foundation on migraine research (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/5).

          The PBA's new nationwide ad campaign is examined by
     David Adams of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL.  Adams: "Humor and
     personality are what the PBA is peddling in hopes of
     attracting a younger audience to the pro tour.  The first
     round of print ads will be aimed at generating sponsor
     interest. ... The second round of print and TV ads will
     likely be more consumer friendly and fan focused."  Adams
     adds that the PBA has decided to spend $500,000 to $1M of
     its $13M annual budget on the new ad campaign, created by
     Partners and Shevack, NY, and assisted by The Marquee Group
     (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 2/5).  In Milwaukee, Paul Drzewiecki
     reviewed the new bowling and spectator format used to "liven
     broadcasts" up this year on ESPN.  PBA Assistant
     Commissioner Kevin Shippy said the new TV format, which
     includes fans sitting along the bowling lanes and closer to
     the action, has received a "positive reaction from players"
     and from ESPN (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 2/4).

          THE DAILY continues its review of product launches and
     news from last weekend's PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando:
          ADIDAS: Announced that it has signed Ernie Els to a
     multi-year endorsement deal covering footwear, apparel and
     accessories.  Will tout the partnership via int'l print ads.
     AD AGE's Jeff Jensen reported that the Els campaign, from
     S.F.-based Leagas Delaney, should run in golf magazines in
     February, with TV spots "probable" for the fall (THE DAILY).
          NIKE: Launched two clothing lines -- the Classic,
     around Nick Price, and the Sport, around Tiger Woods -- as
     well as its '98 shoe line.  Nike plans to spend $6.3M on ads
     in the three weeks leading up to Woods' April defense of The
     Masters.  Nike's golf apparel sales were up 76% in '97, and
     footwear sales up 105% (Ron Sirak, AP, 2/2).
          PING: Unveiled the new ISI titanium (TiSI) driver
     (PING).  Ping's negotiations with Phil Mickelson, who re-
     signed with Yonex, were examined by Lisa Mickey of GOLF
     WORLD.  Karsten President John Solheim: "We had worked out a
     lot, but there were still a few things I was uncomfortable
     with, so we stepped away from it" (GOLF WORLD, 1/30).
          SPALDING: Introduced a new ball "made specifically for"
     Callaway's Great Big Bertha and Taylor Made's Ti Bubble 2
     drivers.  In Dallas, Brad Townsend reported that Callaway
     and Taylor Made execs are "looking into whether Spalding is
     infringing on their trademark."  Also, Ben Hogan's widow
     Valerie was at the Show to endorse Spalding's newly acquired
     Hogan line (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/4)....WILSON: Introduced
     the ProStaff Extreme Junior Set club line, its third golf
     set specifically designed for children.  Extended its Fat
     Shaft line into woods with new oversize driver and woods. 
     Debuted the Staff Titanium Double Ti ball (Wilson).    
          NOTES: AZ-based Leading Edge Technologies (LET) has
     signed a deal with Arnold Palmer Golf Management (APGM) to
     rollout LET's PROLINK golf distancing and communications
     network at APGM properties throughout the U.S. (Prolink).
     ...CA-based Gary Player Golf Equipment and Golf One Int'l
     (GOI) announced plans to merge.  The new company, Gary
     Player Golf, will take effect upon the completion of GOI's
     public offering, to be completed in the second quarter of
     '98 (GPGE)....Mizuno has signed John Cook (iGOLF, 1/31).