HOME COOKING: The NFL and the United Way are partnering
today for the second annual NFL & United Way Hometown
Huddle, in which players and coaches in the league's 31
markets volunteer for various community service initiatives,
including building homes for low-income families, working
with the elderly and building playgrounds (NFL).
HOCKEY: BLOOMBERG NEWS' Barry Bloom examined the NHL's
"side agreement to negotiate corporate sponsorships with"
the NHLPA, which is the only one of its kind out of the four
major pro sports. The agreement has "resulted in 15 joint
sponsorships in the past three years" with companies such as
MasterCard, Nortel, FedEx and Southwest. IEG Sponsorship
Report Editorial Dir Jim Andrews: "Historically, other
leagues haven't worked with their unions. But I think
they're looking at the NHL, they see that it works, and they
will start to do it, too" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/13)....The
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Rick Maloney reports that new NHL
sponsor Southwest Airlines has signed a one-year deal with
options as a "major" corporate sponsor of the Sabres. The
deal "comes just days after" Southwest began service in the
Buffalo market (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/16 issue).
