DEALS & DOLLARS: Reebok has formed a marketing
partnership with Paramount Pictures that ties the Reebok
Classic ad campaign to the film "Shaft." A print ad titled
"Shaft Classic," featuring the film's star, Samuel L.
Jackson, has been added to the campaign (Reebok)....Wilson
Sporting Goods has signed on as an Official Sponsor of
Little League Baseball and Softball for the 2000 season
(Wilson)....BRANDWEEK's Terry Lefton reports that Spalding
"is in as the official ball" of the XFL. Spalding Exec
VP/Marketing Eddie Binder said that "black-and-silver balls
will hit mass market and specialty retail" in time for
Holiday sales. Additionally, Drew Pearson is on as the
league's "exclusive upstairs and mass cap supplier"
(BRANDWEEK, 6/19). For more on the XFL, see (#14).
GOLF: In San Antonio, Raul Dominguez reported that SBC
Communications' renewal of its title sponsorship deal with
the Senior PGA Tour event in the city "seems a formality"
and that the company "plans to make" the event the "flagship
of the three" Senior PGA Tour events it sponsors. SBC is
"considering tying" the events, which also include the SBC
Senior Open in IL and the SBC Senior Classic in L.A.,
"together through a bonus pool" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS,
6/20)....After Tiger Woods completed his historic U.S. Open
victory this past weekend playing a Nike Tour Accuracy ball,
Scott Blum, GM of Nevada Bob's golf shop near Chicago said,
"I'm sure we will have 100,000 people asking for [the ball]
this week" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/21)....Buick runs a full-
page ad in USA TODAY congratulating Woods (THE DAILY).
RACIN': In Indianapolis, Bill Koenig presented his
"winners and losers among corporations involved in racing"
for the season so far. The "ratings are based primarily on
open-wheel results," but there are a "few NASCAR and Formula
One mentions." A-B was listed among the winners, and Koenig
wrote the company "decided to only sponsor one team and came
up big," as it was the "lead associate sponsor" for Chip
Ganassi's winning car in the Indy 500 driven by Juan
Montoya. Other winners included Miller, Toyota, Honda,
Marlboro, Kool, Ford and new IRL title sponsor Northern
Light. Koenig's losers: Mercedes-Benz, Conseco and Kmart
(INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/20)....Midas has signed a deal to
become the title sponsor of the July 15 IRL race at Atlanta
Motor Speedway, to be called the Midas 500 Classic (AMS).
