PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio reported NFL players and teams "can use Under Armour visor clips," as long as the logo "is invisible." NFL VP/Communications Brian McCarthy said that the UA logo "must be fully concealed." Blacking out the logo "isn’t enough, because the outline can still be seen." Moving forward, teams "will be required to cover the logo, presumably with black tape." The league has "declined comment for now on whether fines will be levied" against Panthers QB Cam Newton and other players with the "apparent violation" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 9/25).
SMOKE SIGNAL: USA TODAY's Bruce Horovitz reports the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws "is making a serious bid to win an online voting contest sponsored by Intuit, which has promised to award a free Super Bowl spot to one American small business." The contest "has received more than 100,000 entries," and the group "ranks among the most popular vote-getters in the first stage of consumer voting, which just ended." Intuit officials are "trying to put on the best public face." Intuit Corporate Communications Dir Heather McLellan in an e-mail wrote, "This program has been a huge success in our eyes, and we want to continue to focus on all the entries -- not just one" (USA TODAY, 9/26). In N.Y., David Knowles reports whether the ad "will actually air on Super Bowl Sunday will be up to Fox" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/26).
ALL OUT? In DC, Dan Steinberg wrote if Redskins QB Robert Griffin III "does not begin to play more like 2012," adidas is a "culprit you will increasingly hear about." Steinberg noted a "whole lot of people remember the 'All In For Week 1' business, and are now wondering whether this ad campaign put unfair pressure on the quarterback to return before he was quite ready" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 9/25).
ANY WEATHER IS PEPSI WEATHER: In Newark, Mike Frassinelli reports New Jersey Transit and its advertising contractor will get more than $1M from Pepsi to "decorate stations, trains and buses in advertising leading up to the Super Bowl." The contract "runs until the day after the Feb. 2 Super Bowl" at MetLife Stadium. Transit spokesperson Nancy Snyder said that the ads "will appear on the backs and sides of buses and sides of rail cars, in addition to the walls of the transit stations" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 9/26).
