NBC PUTS MCMAHON AND XFL FRONT AND CENTER: WWF Chair
Vince McMahon was featured in promos for the XFL during last
night's MLB All-Star Game on NBC. In one, McMahon said, "An
XFL player is going to be a player who wants to play the
game because he loves to play and he loves that hard-hitting
action -- that's an XFL player. An XFL player is going to
be someone who has a great deal of passion for the game, and
he's paid to play, but he's paid more to win. That's the
American way" ("All-Star Game," NBC, 7/11).
NIKE: Nike signed a five-year deal to partner with the
National Distance Running Hall of Fame in Utica, NY. Nike
has committed to a financial contribution and will also
sponsor an annual award, which was announced at the Hall of
Fame's 2000 Induction Ceremony this past Saturday (THE
DAILY)....White Sox 2B and 2000 All-Star Ray Durham is one
of two MLB players Nike signed at the start of the season to
test the company's "Diamond Ready" fielding glove. The
product hits retail in October (THE DAILY).
NOTES: Tennis Canada formally announced its six-year
title sponsorship deal with AT&T Canada and Rogers AT&T
Wireless for Canada's int'l women's tennis championships.
The event will be called the Rogers & AT&T Canada Cup
starting in 2001 (Tennis Canada)....CA-based TYR Sports,
which has "poured two years and more than" $2M of R&D into
its Aquapel full-body swimsuit, "believing it would receive
Olympic exposure, has filed a protest" against USA Swimming
for ruling that no full-body suits can be used at the U.S.
Olympic trials (OCR, 7/11)....ESPN2's Matt Yocum reported
Stanley Tools "will not be back as a sponsor" for the No. 36
Busch Series car of driver Tim Fedewa. Yocum: "The company
will not move to another team, but they will have a racing
presence in NASCAR, the World of Outlaws, NHRA and other
racing entities through their Mac and Husky tools divisions"
("RPM 2Night," ESPN2, 7/11)....In Denver, Steve Caulk
reports that the Rockies, "once the kings" of MLB apparel
sales, were ranked No. 25 in total apparel sales as of June
16, trailing "such unimpressive competitors" as the Padres,
Pirates and Angels (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 7/12)
