Querrey Inks Four-Year Endorsement Deal With adidas

adidas has signed 19-year-old tennis player Sam Querrey to a four-year, seven-figure contract, “the most lucrative apparel and sneaker deal for a player at his stage” since Andy Roddick signed with Reebok in ‘00, according to Daniel Kaplan of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The contract pays Querrey roughly $250,000 annually, plus a low-six-figure signing bonus, although signing bonuses are “uncommon for tennis.” The deal also includes performance bonuses. Colin Smeeton, a consultant to Querrey’s agency, Blue Equity, said with Andre Agassi retiring, and James Blake and Andy Roddick “not doing so well, the spotlight was put on” Querrey. Querrey, who wore adidas as an amateur, also has a deal with Prince rackets (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/16 issue).

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Reebok’s Web Site Allowing Fans To Customize Shoes For NFL, MLB Teams

Reebok’s rbkcustom.com Web site is allowing consumers to design and customize shoes in the NFL Recline and MLB Clubhouse lines that feature the team logos of all 32 NFL and 30 MLB teams, respectively, which Reebok says is the first time licensed footwear from the leagues can be customized and purchased online. Fans can customize each part of the shoes, from the tongues to the soles with different colors and textures. Other design options include team logos in various colors, multiple leather materials, contrast stitching and personalization by putting the wearer’s name on the back heel (Reebok).

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Gretzky (r) Appears At Opening Of Ford Plant In Ontario

Coyotes Managing General Partner and coach Wayne Gretzky appeared yesterday at the opening of a new Ford plant in Oakville, Ontario, which will produce Ford Edge and luxury Lincoln MKX cross-over utility vehicles. Gretzky, a Ford spokesperson, has already appeared in TV ads for the Edge (TORONTO STAR, 10/17).

WHAT’S IN A NAME? England and Manchester United F Wayne Rooney has won ownership of waynerooney.com after the World Intellectual Property Organization, a branch of the United Nations, said that Rooney “prov[ed] his name was a registered trademark.” The ruling found that Huw Marshall, a fan of Everton, Rooney’s former team, “had registered the site in bad faith in April 2002 and had ‘no rights or legitimate interests’ in it.” Arbitrator Tony Willoughby wrote in the ruling he was “unable to accept that Marshall had no eye to the potential commercial benefit” (REUTERS, 10/13).

VIVA EDUARDO! In Denver, Marc Spears reported Nuggets F Eduardo Najera, a Mexican native, is expected to earn $1.5M in endorsement money this season, second on the team only to F Carmelo Anthony. Najera has deals in Mexico with Gatorade, adidas, Telcel, Wonder Bread, Corona Extra and Stanford Financial Group. He also has deals with Qwest and First Bank of Colorado. Najera’s games are covered in Mexican newspapers, and highlights “are always shown on television.” Over 50 people attended a news conference Friday featuring Najera in advance of the Warriors-Nuggets preseason game in Mexico City Saturday (DENVER POST, 10/15).

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