Cover Girls

Parker Inks Lucrative Deals

Three top female athletes are making news today off the playing fields for their marketability. Less than two weeks after winning an NCAA title at Tennessee, Candace Parker already is cashing in, signing multi-year deals with both Gatorade and adidas. The WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick becomes the first female basketball player to sign with the shoe company. Meanwhile, marketing buzz continues to surround Danica Patrick after her historic IndyCar win, with one agent saying the victory could be worth as much as eight figures in added endorsements. However, perhaps the most dominant female in any sport today is struggling to connect with mainstream America. Lorena Ochoa may have more marketing deals than any other women’s golfer, but analysts say she lacks the charisma to sell products like Tiger Woods.

Green Day
Mariners tonight sponsoring MLB's first carbon-neutral game to celebrate Earth Day.

Life In The Fast Lane
Track star Tyson Gay signs deals with Sega, McDonald's, Omega.

Scoring An Own Goal
PSE, with Galatioto Sports, financing own sale of Lightning to Koules due to credit crunch.

Time To Rewind
NBC Sunday to air one-hour special with newly discovered classic sports footage.

Water Logged 
Gatorade losing market share to a bevy of upstart water, sports-drink competitors.

Parlez-Vous Français?
RDS sets net record for Bruins-Canadiens Game Six, tops the CBC for series.

Screen Pass
Bears sign deal with local Fox affil to make the channel flagship of Bears-produced programs.

Ticket To Ride
City of Seattle lawyer Gorton willing to negotiate KeyArena lease settlement with Bennett as long as replacement NBA team is promised.