MLB: The Yankees have signed Nathan's Famous as the Official Hot Dog of Yankee Stadium for the 2000 season. Nathan's Famous will get logo exposure on a sign on the first base line for the entire season and on the matrix sign facing the Major Deegan Expressway (Yankees)....N.Y.-based Famous Fixins will market two new adhesive bandage products featuring the logos of all 30 MLB teams and the mascots of half of the teams. The products will be available nationally at retail and on Famous Fixins' Web site year- round beginning this month (Famous Fixins). GOLF: In Palm Beach, Craig Dolch reports that both Carnival Cruise Lines and KSL Recreation "reportedly have expressed interest" in title sponsoring the PGA Tour's Doral event. KSL owns the Doral property. IEG Sponsorship Report notes that $788M "will be spent on golf sponsorships this year," which is "almost quadruple the amount spent" in '90. Golf is second in sponsorship dollars "only to motor sports, which will attract" $1.35B this year (P.B. POST, 5/10). SISTER CHRISTIANS? SFX Sports Group was paid $40,000 to help choose a new nickname to replace "Fightin' Christians" for Elon College in NC. SFX ran its "various options by focus groups and campus leaders, and came up with the final designs" for the new logo and name, the "Phoenix." Elon student Trey Browning called "Fightin' Christians" "kinda lame." Browning: "Who wants to be seen wearing something you have to explain?" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 5/10). NOTES: ESPN's Mark Schwarz examined the NBA's marketing and promotion of Knicks G/F Latrell Sprewell during the playoffs. Sprewell: "I never expected [the league] to embrace me the way they have." Knicks G Chris Childs added the NBA is "turning towards more of a hip-hop generation" ("Inside the NBA," 5/9)....CNNfn's Lauren Thierry reported that for 24 years, Chase Manhattan Bank "has been the catalyst for ... tens of thousands of competitive, ego- enhanced" execs with the Chase Corporate Challenge running event. Chase CFO Dina Dublon: "It's a wonderful way for us to promote the brand, what Chase is about" (CNNfn, 5/9).
