In Pittsburgh, Bob Cohn reports the Pirates on Tuesday "were the hottest" MLB club on online retailer Fanatics.com. Fanatics spokesperson Scott Weiss said that Pirates merchandise sales increased 200% from Monday, and the official Pirates playoff T-shirt "was the No. 1-selling MLB item." He added that September sales were 390% higher "than last year at this time" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 9/26).
KOPITAR KEEPS UP APPEARANCES: In Las Vegas, Howard Stutz reports NHL Kings C Anze Kopitar "spent a few hours" yesterday at the Interblock Gaming Products booth inside the Global Gaming Expo at the Sands Expo & Convention Center. Kopitar was asked to attend by Slovenia-based gaming equipment manufacturer Interblock Owner & Chair Joc Pececnik, who is "one of the richest men in Slovenia, Kopitar's home country." Pecenik this year "asked him to be the celebrity spokesman for Interblock." Kopitar's duties are "simple: Play golf with Interblock clients and make public appearances on behalf of the company" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/26).
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? In Baltimore, Sarah Meehan reported Under Armour's new shop in China, called the "Under Armour Experience," is "set to open in October." UA has had a presence in China for four years, but company Founder, Chair & CEO Kevin Plank said that it has "been a struggle for the company to build a following in a place where exercise is often a foreign concept." The 2,500-square-foot store "will give customers a taste of the athlete experience," which will "first aim to sell customers on the act of exercising, and then sell them the gear to go with it" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 9/25).
CHEVRON RE-UPS WITH HOUSTON MARATHON: Chevron has renewed its title sponsorship of the annual Chevron Houston Marathon road race through '18. The event has now sold out for the ninth consecutive year (Houston Marathon).
