Marketplace Round-Up

Tiger Woods, in response to Phil Mickelson saying his Nike equipment is "inferior," wrote on his Web site, "I heard it was said in fun and jest, but until I talk to him, I really don't know. ... As everyone knows, I don't switch equipment until I find something as good or better than what I have been playing with, and my Nike products are just that. Quite frankly, questioning my equipment is foolish. I'm not going to play with anything that is going to hold me back" (Mult., 2/7). In S.F., Scott Ostler writes there are "two major positive developments" from Mickelson's comments: "One, the sport's strangest (only?) rivalry got stranger. Two, trash-talking was introduced to major-league golf." Mickelson, on Nike's response to his comments: "Just what I need. The greatest sports-marketing team in the world is after me" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/7). Mickelson said he would probably discuss the matter with Woods, but he added, "There's nothing to apologize to him for. Certainly, the way it came across to the company he represents, I feel bad about it" (S.D. UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/7). ESPN's Tony Kornheiser said the Woods-Mickelson situation "puts incredible pressure on ... Tiger Woods, because he's using Nike. He's got to go out and win." Michael Wilbon said this was "no shot at Tiger. The shot was at Nike" ("PTI," ESPN, 2/6).

BIG BUCS: In St. Pete, Alicia Caldwell reports, "Nearly a million Bucs Super Bowl championship T-shirts and hats have been sold, a Super Bowl merchandise total that is second only to the [Broncos in '98]." NFLShop.com Dir of Database Marketing Perry Cooper said that in the week after the Super Bowl, the Web site did $2M in sales, "most of which was Bucs gear." About half of those sales have been to customers outside of FL (ST. PETE TIMES, 2/7).

SHAQ-ING UP: The Lakers recently signed a deal making Pepsi the team's official soft drink. The long-term deal includes multiple PepsiCo beverage brands. The Lakers had been without a sponsor in the soda category since at least '99 (THE DAILY).