WTA TOUR: Despite a report that the WTA Tour is
"pitching a scaled-down" presenting sponsorship package
rather than a global title deal, Tour officials said that
while it is "examining alternative sponsorship routes, ...
umbrella sponsor talks persist." Linda Dozoretz, a
spokesperson for IMG, which is marketing the package, said,
"I can confirm we are right now actively negotiating on an
$8.5[M] title sponsor package" (SBJ, 5/24 issue).
JORDAN BRAND: Nike will introduce its first three
retail concept shops around the Jordan Brand this month,
including a 200-square-foot shop at Tony's Sports in Chicago
and two additional shops in N.Y. Jordan Brand President
Larry Miller said that the initial shops will serve as a
"learning ground," and that the company expects to roll out
an additional 40-50 shops by the end of FY 2000 (Nike).
Tony Sports GM Joe Malave, on the Jordan Brand: "His stuff
is still selling pretty good" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/21).
NOTES: Former Browns CBs Hanford Dixon and Frank
Minnifield "coined" the term "Dawg Pound" in '85, but they
never copyrighted the name. Dixon says now the team's new
ownership wants to market "the Dawg Pound, do the new logo,
and yet not once has anybody called me. Not that they need
my input, but you would think they would say something"
(Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 5/23)....Fox Sports won nine Clio
TV, Radio & Web site awards last Thursday, including honors
for promos for MLB, the Super Bowl XXXIII pregame show, and
the foxsports.com Web site (Fox Sports).
