The marketing of pro athletes was examined on "Goin'
Deep" by FSN's Diana Nyad, who reported that agent Gary
Wichard is "predicting that the rebel, anti-hero image ...
is on a pendulum swing back to the clean-cut, boy-next-
door." Wichard: "We got into the bad boys, with the Rodman
situation and so on, and I think that America and probably
internationally, we're looking for the good all-American
hero again." Wichard is "orchestrating a major deal" with
Universal Studios marketing exec Tim Rockwell for his client
and T'Wolves rookie F Wally Sczcerbiak. Rockwell: "We
envision, for example, Wally's World interactives games --
actually a Sony Playstation-type game -- where Wally is
fighting off universal monsters. [Sczcerbiak has] got
superstar written all over him. We see it, and we just want
to start planting those seeds now" ("Goin' Deep," 11/28).
COCA-COLA'S $1M PITCHMAN? The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's
Andy Bernstein cites sources as saying that Kobe Bryant's
agent, Arn Tellem, is "looking for more than" $1M per year
to renew Bryant's deal with Coca-Cola. The amount is "more
than double what Bryant is making under the existing
contract." Sources say Coca-Cola "may look to Kevin Garnett
as an alternative if Tellem does not soften the contract
demands" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 11/29 issue).
GATORADE REPLENISHES ITS ENDORSERS: BRANDWEEK's Terry
Lefton reports that Gatorade is "continuing to add endorsers
after a long period when its policy was to use Michael
Jordan as its sole endorser." Vince Carter and Chamique
Holdsclaw are the latest to ink deals. TV spots from FCB,
Chicago, are "expected" next year (BRANDWEEK, 11/29 issue).
