ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported on "SportsCenter" last
night: "If you thought Mike Ditka was a sight to see on
draft day [wearing a dredlock wig with Ricky Williams] ...
it looks like he'll have company. The NFL released its
first licensed dredlock wigs last week in New Orleans,
which, along with Williams' replica number 34 jersey, were
in greater demand than the supply" (ESPN, 5/11).
BERTHA, DON'T YA COME AROUND HERE ANYMORE: After a
"lousy drive" during a recent round of golf in VA, President
Clinton was "so angry that he hammered his Callaway Biggest
Bertha driver into the ground, snapping the shaft in two."
Also, Callaway Golf was "cringing" yesterday because O.J.
Simpson was "back in the news." A Callaway spokesperson
said, "Oh, no. Is he wearing a Callaway Golf hat again?
Every time he shows up wearing that hat, our phone rings.
He bought it. We didn't give it to him. He's not our
spokesman" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/12).
FAT FREE TUNA: Jets coach Bill Parcells has been named
as a spokesperson for sports-nutrition products company
General Nutrition. Parcells will appear in its ads handled
by Deutsch (Sally Beatty, WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/12).
MCGWIRE HITS SOME OTHER JACKS: BRANDWEEK's Stephanie
Thompson reports that Frito-Lay will run an in-store sweeps
around its Cracker Jack brand, along with Rawlings Sporting
Goods and Cardinals 1B Mark McGwire, offering consumers a
chance to "Be The Fan Who Meets The Man." The promo will
run from July 5 - August 6 (BRANDWEEK, 5/10 issue).
JOEY, BABY: ESPN NFL analyst Joe Theismann has become a
spokesperson for Internet-based financial services company
Financial Intranet (FNTN). Theismann will launch FNTN's
national brand campaign in the third quarter of this year
via a series of TV ads, as well as live chats and video
presentations over the company's Web site (FNTN).
WILL THERE BE ANY BARRYS IN IT? N.Y.-based Famous
Fixins inked Giants LF Barry Bonds for its proposed new
cereal product, "Barry's MVP Crunch." A commemorative
trading card highlighting Bonds' achievement of becoming the
first player in MLB history to steal 400 bases and hit 400
HRs will be randomly placed in the cereal boxes. A portion
of the proceeds will be donated to Bay Area charities
including the Link N' Learn Program (Famous Fixins).
