IRL: On SPEEDNET, Bill Koenig writes that for IRL team
owners, the "hunt continues for sponsors." While there has
been an increase of sponsorship spending on the league
level, teams are "hoping to see more spending at their
level." IEG estimates that IRL will draw $101M in
sponsorships this year, not including Pep Boys' title
sponsorship deal and Pepsi's deal as the Official Soft Drink
of the IRL and IMS (Bill Koenig, SPEEDNET, 5/12). IRL
Founder Tony George, at the Indy 500 trials: "The league is
coming into its own. We're right where we should be. We
have had a record number of (Indy 500) entries because our
equipment is affordable" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 5/11).
COULD NAFTA HELP HOCKEY? Toronto trade lawyer Barry
Appleton is scheduled to appear today before the House of
Commons subcommittee studying sport in Canada and will argue
that NAFTA can be applied to assist Canadian NHL franchises
(OTTAWA CITIZEN, 5/12). But Dexter Bishop, spokesperson for
Canada's Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Int'l Trade, said
"NAFTA looks after goods, services and investment, not
sports" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/12)....The ECHL has awarded
its '99 All-Star Game and Skills Competition to the MS Sea
Wolves. The events will be held January 12 and January 13
at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum (ECHL).
GIANTS EXEC DISPUTES BORAS: MLB Giants Assistant GM Ned
Colletti yesterday denied that he had made any monetary
"offer or pledge" to J.D. Drew before last June's amateur
draft. Drew's agent, Scott Boras, has testified that the
Giants were one of the teams that had contacted him and made
overtures about Drew (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/12).
