THE STORY BEHIND THE CONVERSE MOVE: In N.Y., Phil
Mushnick writes that sports marketing "'experts' have
suggested" that Converse terminated its endorsement deal
with Dennis Rodman because it "grew sick of Rodman's anti-
social behavior. Nothing could be farther from the truth."
He's "out because" his shoe model was "rejected by America's
street gangs, gang bangers, gangsta rappers and assorted
urban punks, thugs and criminals" (N.Y. POST, 3/26).
OTHER NOTES: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has signed with CA-
based Sports Placement Services, which will handle his
marketing and licensing (SPS)....The NBA took out a full-
page ad in USA TODAY promoting its NBA Store in N.Y. with
the tag, "The Ultimate Basketball Shopping Experience" (USA
TODAY, 3/26)....CO-based sportswear company Full Tilt
Sports' is profiled in the CO Springs GAZETTE. The
company's "shirts and hats already have been seen on"
Broncos Bill Romanowski, Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith, as the
company signed the players to "personal service contracts,
offering them" company stock as payment (GAZETTE, 3/26).
INT'L MARKETING NOTES: Emirates Airline signed a $5M
annual sponsorship over three-years for the World Racing
Championship Series, which will feature nine horse races
this year and launch in England in July (LEXINGTON HERALD-
LEADER, 3/26)....An audit by Australia-based Sweeney Sports
Report showed that "sponsor recall ... is falling," as seven
out of 10 respondents in the survey "say they 'hardly
notice' who sponsors what" event (Melbourne AGE, 3/25).
