ALL-STAR: First Union has signed on as title sponsor of
the 2001 AHL All-Star Classic, to be held January 14-15 at
the First Union Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
The All-Star Skills Competition will take place Saturday,
January 14, while Sunday's All-Star Game will be televised
on ESPN2 in the U.S. and TSN and RDS in Canada (AHL).
SOUTHWEST AND NHL? AD AGE's Goetzl & Petrecca cite a
source as saying that Southwest Airlines is "in serious
talks" with the NHL about becoming the league's official
airline. While Southwest execs "would only confirm" the
company "is in discussions" with the league, Goetzl &
Petrecca report that Southwest "already has had talks with
media outlets about a possible linkup" (AD AGE, 7/17 issue).
NASCAR: Barry Dodson, crew chief of Eel River Racing's
No. 27 Winston Cup Pontiac driven by Mike Bliss, appeared on
"RPM 2Night" and discussed his team's sponsorship situation.
The team is without a primary sponsorship deal for next
season, as Pfizer's Viagra brand will move its sponsorship
to driver Mark Martin. Dodson, on how much money from a
sponsor is necessary to run a competitive team: "If you've
got a $6 million, $7 million sponsor, you're borderline
having enough ... to be competitive" ("RPM 2Night," 7/19).
