Reebok Int'l has agreed to pay $18.75M "within two
years" to settle a lawsuit over an exclusivity contract with
"former cushion-sole supplier" Supracor. Supracor sued in
'97, claiming that Reebok "violated a contract to buy
cushioning material only from" Supracor (BLOOMBERG, 12/15).
....The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority "approved
a $250,000 contribution" for the sponsorship of the 2001
Confederation Cup Int'l Soccer Championship. Las Vegas
Int'l Soccer will manage the "overall financial and business
dealings" of the event (L.V. REVIEW-JOURNAL, 12/15).
NAMES & FACES: Video game maker Humongous Entertainment
has inked 49ers WR Jerry Rice "for its first TV ad and will
launch a Super Bowl-themed promo" for its Backyard Football
title (ADWEEK, 12/13 issue)....In Orlando, David Whitley
noted that Suns G Penny Hardaway is claiming that his sore
feet are from his "ill-fitting" Nikes and wrote that
"everything was fine back when" Hardaway had his own Nike
signature shoe line. But Nike "canned that deal and sent
him a crate of Air Jordans." Whitley: "Penny has become the
Imelda Marcos of the NBA, but he can't find a size 15 that
fits. We're not saying he's faking it, but it's odd how
much easier it is to come up lame when your feet are no
longer getting superstar treatment" (ORL. SENTINEL, 12/14).
RACING SPONSORSHIP: Dura Lube will continue as title
sponsor of the NASCAR Winston Cup Checker Auto Parts/Dura
Lube 500 at Phoenix Int'l Raceway (SPEEDNET, 12/14).
...Castrol has become the first major consumer product
company to sponsor the NHRA's Pro Stock Truck Division.
Castrol will sponsor the two-truck team of drivers Rob
Slavinski and Steve Johns (Castrol).
