USA TODAY's Kelly Whiteside reports skier Lindsey Vonn yesterday "crashed in training in Copper Mountain, Colo." As of last night it "wasn't clear whether she re-injured her right knee." Even if the injury "doesn't affect her chances of competing at the Sochi Olympics, which begin in 78 days, this will be a white-knuckle ride for Vonn and her support team from now until then" (USA TODAY, 11/20). Vonn is already part of several Olympic-themed ad campaigns, including Under Armour, P&G and NBC (THE DAILY).
ENTERING A NEW AGE: In Chicago, Danny Ecker reported the Bulls "added new LED boards this season on which they are selling ads." Bulls President & COO Michael Reinsdorf said the team previously had "rolling" signage on the scorer's table that rotated among sponsors, but "we finally entered the new century" with the LED boards. He said that the boards "allow the team to create a more 'unified' message on all signs in the stadium at once." Reinsdorf said that the team's sponsorship rates "have risen with the team's success on the court in recent years, but the Bulls have turned down more lucrative offers from competitors of its corporate partners in hopes of maintaining long-term partnerships." Reinsdorf: "I'm not going to get hung up over a couple hundred thousand dollars here and there" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 11/19).
COMPLETING THE TRANSFORMATION: SI.com's Tim Newcomb noted toy company Hasbro and Lions WR Calvin Johnson are "producing, in conjunction with Johnson’s new Nike CJ81 Megatron Trainer Max, a special Megatron Transformer toy." This is "somehow the first time an action figure has been released with a shoe, so Nike is making an event of it by offering the toy with a three-pack of Johnson shoes in a robotic-inspired box" (SI.com, 11/20).
ON SECOND THOUGHT: YAHOO SPORTS' Brooks Peck noted Pepsi has apologized after an "ill-advised Swedish advertising campaign depicting a Cristiano Ronaldo voodoo doll in various states of distress." The images were "intended to capitalize on the banter surrounding Portugal's World Cup qualifying playoff against Sweden," but it "prompted 21,000 angry Portuguese Facebook users and counting to swear off Pepsi." Pepsi "deleted the photos of the Ronaldo voodoo doll covered in pins, tied up on a train track, and with its head crushed by a Pepsi can from their Swedish-language Facebook page" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/19).
