TELEVISION

Through a deal with Florida International University, Sunshine Network is adding the school's home game against in-state rival Jacksonville University to its lineup of local and regional college football telecasts. Live coverage of the game will air at 8 p.m. Oct. 31.

RADIO

Yearlong statewide coverage of all high school sports in 2002-03 will be featured in a package crafted between the Michigan High School Athletic Association and the Michigan Talk Radio Network.

WNSA-FM in Buffalo added former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy to the station's "WNSA Pre-Game Report."

Print | Tags: Buffalo Bills, For the Record, Sunshine Network

BUSINESS NOTES

The San Francisco Giants will almost double the size of a wall topped with seats that they are building along McCovey Cove at China Basin Park because of the response from fans who want to participate in the McCovey Point Tile Program, which has sold more than 3,800 tiles to date. The program lets fans buy a tile that will be embedded in the top of the seat wall and etched with a personalized message. Money from the tiles goes toward park construction.

Barrett Sports Group LLC was hired by the city of Auburn Hills, Mich., to provide professional consulting services for the Palace of Auburn Hills valuation.

The Bowling Proprietors Association of America has new group-purchasing agreements with Omega Pattern Works, offering member discounts on carpeting, and Party Direct, a party supplies company, to add to the association's Smart Buy Group Purchasing Program. The program includes companies that have agreed to offer products and services at a discounted price exclusively to BPAA member bowling centers.

Blue Focus Management retained the consulting services of Todd Optican.

The new Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians will be known as the Lake County (Ohio) Captains when they begin play in April. The team has been operating under the name Lake County Professional Baseball since February.

Pinehurst Golf Club and Club Tee Time signed an agreement for Club Tee Time to offer stay-and-play packages at the North Carolina golf and vacation site.

The Novi (Mich.) City Council renewed its contract with Suburban Arena Management LLC of Farmington Hills, Mich. Suburban will continue to manage Novi Ice Arena through September 2005.

The CHL Indianapolis Ice introduced a commemorative 15th anniversary logo. The logo has a bear head between the Roman numeral XV, with the dates 1988-2002 as well as this year's slogan, "15 Years on the Edge."

Mark McClure, owner of the USBL's Portland Mountain Cats, partnered with NBA New Orleans Hornets player David Wesley and his father, Don Wesley, to form the expansion Texas Rim Rockers. The team will play most of its games at the Fort Worth Convention Center and a few in the Dallas area.

United Turf Industries of Wichita, Kan., developer of SofTrak Putting Greens, established a SofTrak dealership in south Florida through Lighthouse Point resident Jeff Graham. Graham will cover Broward and Palm Beach counties via SofTrak of South Florida Inc.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

Independent public relations firm Edelman bought independent Atlanta firm The Headline Group. In merging Edelman's Atlanta operations with those of The Headline Group, the firm more than doubled its regional presence.

European sports, entertainment and lifestyle marketing company CSS Stellar Plc acquired a minority interest in Hambric Sports Management of Dallas and acquired 50 percent of the assets of StandOut Sports and Entertainment. As part of the Hambric deal, Rocky Hambric will become CEO of Stella Golf, leading the company's efforts in North America and Europe.

The Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League were sold to a local ownership group headed by Russ Farwell, the Thunderbirds' general manager.

AWARDS

Bliss & Nyitray received the Grand Award in the Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers 2002 Engineering Excellence Awards competition for its work on Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

The Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats and Newcomb Print Communications received a Bronze Award from the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen in the International Gallery of Superb Printing competition.

Print | Tags: CHL, Cleveland Indians, Edelman Public Relations, For the Record, New Orleans Pelicans, San Francisco Giants

Lea Ann Parsley, a silver medalist at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games in skeleton and the 1999 Ohio Firefighter of the Year, helped the fourth annual Arby's Charity Tour Cleveland raise $125,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland and the Arby's Foundation.

Members of the Carolina Hurricanes Community Relations staff helped distribute sports equipment, donated by Hurricanes employees, on Sept. 20 at Oxford Manor Achievement School in Durham, N.C. The Hurricanes were aided in the project by Todd Lewis of EMC-2, a local provider of storage systems, software and services.

The Visa Champions Creating Champions program, in which 30 Olympic and national team athletes are matched with Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, youths in a mentoring program, was introduced Sept. 25 at Utah Olympic Park.

Source: Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal research

Print | Tags: Carolina Hurricanes, For the Record

The following information showcases which companies have the pouring-rights business at the facilities that are home to teams from sports' Big Four leagues (MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL), MLS and the WNBA. Also listed are each of the venues' permanent tenants.

ANAHEIM

Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim

Tenant: NHL Mighty Ducks

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Edison International Field

Tenant: MLB Angels

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1998)

---

ARLINGTON, TEXAS

Ballpark at Arlington

Tenant: MLB Rangers

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper (1994)

---

ATLANTA

Georgia Dome

Tenants: NFL Falcons, NCAA Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1992)

Philips Arena

Tenants: NBA Hawks, NHL Thrashers

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola (1999)

Turner Field

Tenant: MLB Braves

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1997)

---

AUBURN HILLS, MICH.

Palace of Auburn Hills

Tenant: NBA Pistons, WNBA Shock, AFL Fury

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

---

BALTIMORE

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Tenant: MLB Orioles

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Ravens Stadium

Tenant: NFL Ravens

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2002)

---

BOSTON

Fenway Park

Tenant: MLB Red Sox

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

FleetCenter

Tenants: NBA Celtics, NHL Bruins

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

---

BUFFALO

HSBC Arena

Tenants: NHL Sabres, AFL Destroyers, NLL Bandits

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1996)

---

CALGARY

Pengrowth Saddledome

Tenants: NHL Flames, NLL Roughnecks, WHL Hitmen

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (at least 1995)

---

CHARLOTTE

Charlotte Coliseum

Tenant: WNBA Sting, AFL Cobras*

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1988)

Ericsson Stadium

Tenants: NFL Panthers, NCAA Continental Tire Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1996)

---

CHICAGO

Comiskey Park

Tenant: MLB White Sox

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2001)

Soldier Field**

Tenants: NFL Bears, MLS Fire

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1986)

United Center   

Tenants: NBA Bulls, NHL Blackhawks

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2000)

Wrigley Field

Tenant: MLB Cubs

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (early 1980s)

---

CINCINNATI

Cinergy Field

Tenant: MLB Reds

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2000)

Paul Brown Stadium

Tenant: NFL Bengals

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2000)

---

CLEVELAND

Cleveland Browns Stadium

Tenant: NFL Browns

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

Gund Arena

Tenants: NBA Cavaliers, WNBA Rockers, AHL Barons

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1994)

Jacobs Field

Tenant: MLB Indians

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1994)

---

COLUMBUS

Columbus Crew Stadium

Tenant: MLS Crew

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

Nationwide Arena

Tenants: NHL Blue Jackets, NLL Landsharks

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2000)

---

DALLAS

American Airlines Center

Tenants: NBA Mavericks, NHL Stars, AFL Desperados

Pouring rights (since): Dr Pepper (2001)

Cotton Bowl

Tenants: MLS Burn, NCAA SBC Cotton Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2000)

---

DENVER

Coors Field

Tenant: MLB Rockies

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1995)

Invesco Field at Mile High

Tenants: NFL Broncos, MLS Rapids   Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2001)

Pepsi Center

Tenants: NBA Nuggets, NHL Avalanche, AFL Crush*, NLL Power*

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

---

DETROIT

Comerica Park

Tenant: MLB Tigers

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2000)

Ford Field

Tenants: NFL Lions, NCAA Motor City Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2002)

Joe Louis Arena

Tenant: NHL Red Wings

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

---

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.

Continental Airlines Arena

Tenants: NBA Nets, NHL Devils, AFL Gladiators, NLL Storm, Seton Hall University men's basketball

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

Giants Stadium

Tenants: NFL Giants, NFL Jets, MLS MetroStars

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

---

EDMONTON

Skyreach Centre

Tenant: NHL Oilers

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1994)

---

FOXBORO, MASS.

Gillette Stadium

Tenants: NFL Patriots, MLS Revolution

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2002)

---

GREEN BAY

Lambeau Field

Tenant: NFL Packers

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2002)

---

HOUSTON

Compaq Center

Tenants: NBA Rockets, WNBA Comets, AHL Aeros

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Minute Maid Field

Tenant: MLB Astros

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2000)

Reliant Stadium

Tenants: NFL Texans, Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, NCAA Houston Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2002)

---

INDIANAPOLIS

Conseco Fieldhouse

Tenants: NBA Pacers, WNBA Fever, CHL Ice

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

RCA Dome

Tenant: NFL Colts

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1998)

---

IRVING, TEXAS

Texas Stadium

Tenant: NFL Cowboys

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1995)

---

JACKSONVILLE

Alltel Stadium

Tenants: NFL Jaguars, NCAA Toyota Gator Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1995)

---

KANSAS CITY

Arrowhead Stadium

Tenant: NFL Chiefs, MLS Wizards

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Kauffman Stadium

Tenant: MLB Royals

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1996)

---

LOS ANGELES

Dodger Stadium

Tenant: MLB Dodgers

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Staples Center

Tenants: NBA Clippers, NBA Lakers, NHL Kings, AFL Avengers, WNBA Sparks

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

---

MEMPHIS

Pyramid Arena

Tenant: NBA Grizzlies

Pouring rights: Pepsi

---

MIAMI

AmericanAirlines Arena

Tenants: NBA Heat, WNBA Sol

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2000)

Pro Player Stadium

Tenants: MLB Marlins, NFL Dolphins, Florida Atlantic University football, NCAA FedEx Orange Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1987)

---

MILWAUKEE

Bradley Center

Tenants: NBA Bucks, AHL Admirals, MISL Wave, Marquette University men's and women's basketball

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

Miller Park

Tenant: MLB Brewers

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2000)

---

MINNEAPOLIS

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

Tenants: MLB Twins, NFL Vikings, University of Minnesota football

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Target Center

Tenants: NBA Timberwolves, WNBA Lynx

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1994)

---

MONTREAL

Bell Centre

Tenants: NHL Canadiens, NLL Express

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1996)

Olympic Stadium

Tenant: MLB Expos

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

---

NASHVILLE

Gaylord Entertainment Center

Tenant: NHL Predators

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1998)

The Coliseum

Tenants: NFL Titans, Tennessee State University football, NCAA Music City Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1999)

---

NEW ORLEANS

Louisiana Superdome

Tenant: NFL Saints

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1985)

New Orleans Arena

Tenants: NBA Hornets, Tulane University men's basketball

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

---

NEW YORK CITY

Madison Square Garden

Tenants: NBA Knicks, NHL Rangers, WNBA Liberty

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (at least 1990)

Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Tenants: NHL Islanders, AFL Dragons, NLL Saints

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (2000)

Shea Stadium

Tenant: MLB Mets

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1998)

Yankee Stadium

Tenant: MLB Yankees

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1997)

---

OAKLAND

Arena in Oakland

Tenant: NBA Warriors

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1997)

Network Associates Coliseum

Tenants: MLB Athletics, NFL Raiders

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

---

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.

Ralph Wilson Stadium

Tenant: NFL Bills

Pouring rights: Pepsi

---

ORLANDO

TD Waterhouse Centre

Tenants: NBA Magic, WNBA Miracle, AFL Predators

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1989)

---

OTTAWA

Corel Centre

Tenants: NHL Senators, NLL Rebel

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1996)

---

PASADENA, CALIF.

Rose Bowl

Tenants: MLS Galaxy, NCAA Rose Bowl

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

---

PHILADELPHIA

First Union Center

Tenants: NBA 76ers, NHL Flyers, NLL Wings

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1996)

Veterans Stadium

Tenants: MLB Phillies, NFL Eagles

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1971)

---

PHOENIX

America West Arena

Tenants: NBA Suns, NHL Coyotes, AFL Rattlers, WNBA Mercury

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1992)

Bank One Ballpark

Tenants: MLB Diamondbacks, NCAA Insight.com Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1996)

---

PITTSBURGH

Heinz Field

Tenants: NFL Steelers, University of Pittsburgh football

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2001)

Mellon Arena

Tenant: NHL Penguins

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

PNC Park

Tenant: MLB Pirates

Pouring rights: Pepsi (2001)

---

PORTLAND

Rose Garden

Tenant: NBA Trail Blazers, WNBA Fire

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1995)

---

RALEIGH

RBC Center

Tenants: NHL Hurricanes, North Carolina State University men's basketball

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1998)

---

SACRAMENTO

Arco Arena

Tenants: NBA Kings, WNBA Monarchs

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

---

SALT LAKE CITY

Delta Center

Tenants: NBA Jazz, WNBA Starzz

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1992)

---

SAN ANTONIO

SBC Center

Tenants: NBA Spurs, San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, AHL Rampage, NCAA Alamo Bowl

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola (2002)

---

SAN DIEGO

Qualcomm Stadium

Tenants: MLB Padres, NFL Chargers, San Diego State University football, NCAA Holiday Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (at least 1991)

---

SAN FRANCISCO

49ers Stadium at Candlestick Point

Tenant: NFL 49ers

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Pacific Bell Park

Tenants: MLB Giants, NCAA San Francisco Bowl*

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2000)

---

SAN JOSE

HP Pavilion at San Jose

Tenants: NHL Sharks, AFL SaberCats

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1993)

Spartan Stadium

Tenants: MLS Earthquakes, WUSA CyberRays, San Jose State University soccer and football, NCAA Silicon Valley Classic

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1994)

---

SEATTLE

KeyArena

Tenants: NBA SuperSonics, WNBA Storm, WHL Thunderbirds

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Safeco Field

Tenant: MLB Mariners

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1999)

Seahawks Stadium and Exhibition Center

Tenants: NFL Seahawks, NCAA Seattle Bowl*

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2002)

---

ST. LOUIS

Busch Stadium

Tenant: MLB Cardinals

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

Edward Jones Dome at America's Center

Tenant: NFL Rams

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1995)

Savvis Center

Tenant: NHL Blues

Pouring rights: Pepsi (1994)

---

ST. PAUL, MINN.

Xcel Energy Center

Tenant: NHL Wild

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (2000)

---

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.

Tropicana Field

Tenant: MLB Devil Rays

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1996)

---

SUNRISE, FLA.

Office Depot Center

Tenant: NHL Panthers

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1998)

---

TAMPA

St. Pete Times Forum

Tenants: NHL Lightning, AFL Storm

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1996)

Raymond James Stadium

Tenants: NFL Buccaneers, University of South Florida football, NCAA Outback Bowl

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1999)

---

TEMPE, ARIZ.

Sun Devil Stadium

Tenants: NFL Cardinals, Arizona State University football, NCAA Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Pouring rights: Coca-Cola

---

TORONTO

Air Canada Centre

Tenants: NBA Raptors, NHL Maple Leafs, AFL Phantoms, NLL Rock

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1999)

SkyDome

Tenants: MLB Blue Jays, CFL Argonauts

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1989; Pepsi in 2000 only)

---

VANCOUVER

General Motors Place

Tenants: NHL Canucks, NLL Ravens

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1995)

---

WASHINGTON, D.C.

FedEx Field

Tenant: NFL Redskins

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1997)

MCI Center

Tenants: NBA Wizards, NHL Capitals, WNBA Mystics, Georgetown University men's basketball

Pouring rights (since): Coca-Cola (1997)

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium

Tenants: MLS United, WUSA Freedom

Pouring rights (since): Pepsi (1998)

 

* Expansion team or relocated event that has yet to be featured at this venue

** The Bears are playing their home games this season at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., while Soldier Field undergoes renovations. Construction is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2003 NFL season. Coca-Cola has the pouring rights at Memorial Stadium.

Notes: Lengths of deals provided where available. Some teams may have marketing relationships with beverage companies other than the one that holds the venue's pouring rights.

Sources: Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal research, the concessionaires, vendors, teams and facilities

Print | Tags: AFL, American Airlines Inc., Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens, Baseball, Basketball, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Fire, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies, Columbus Blue Jackets, Columbus Crew, Connecticut Sun, Coors Brewing Co., Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Edmonton Oilers, FC Dallas, FedEx Corp., Miami Marlins, Florida Panthers, Football, For the Record, Gillette Co., Golden State Warriors, Green Bay Packers, Hockey, Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, Houston Texans, HSBC Private Equity, Indiana Fever, Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Sparks, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Lynx, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, MLB, MLS, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, NBA, NCAA, New England Patriots, New England Revolution, New Jersey Devils, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL, NHL, Oakland Athletics, Oakland Raiders, Orlando Magic, Ottawa Senators, PepsiCo, Philadelphia 76ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phillies, Phoenix Coyotes, Phoenix Mercury, Phoenix Suns, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Sliver Stars, San Antonio Spurs, San Diego Chargers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, San Jose Earthquakes, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Storm, Soccer, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tennessee Titans, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, Washington Mystics, Washington Redskins, Washington Wizards, WNBA

MARKETING NEWS

SPONSORSHIPS

Colorado Time Systems LLC was selected by U.S. Water Polo Inc. as its official scoring and timing company. The two-year deal has a two-year option.

Duofold agreed to a four-year contract extension as the official high performance base layer apparel supplier for USA Luge.

The PGA Tour and Pennsylvania-based 84 Lumber Co. agreed to a four-year title sponsorship beginning in 2003. The 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania will be played on the Mystic Rock Golf Course at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington, Pa. 84 Lumber replaces SEI Investments as the title sponsor of the PGA Tour's annual Pennsylvania event.

---

BUSINESS NEWS

BUSINESS NOTES

The San Francisco Giants will almost double the size of a wall topped with seats that they are building along McCovey Cove at China Basin Park because of the response from fans who want to participate in the McCovey Point Tile Program, which has sold more than 3,800 tiles to date. The program lets fans buy a tile that will be embedded in the top of the seat wall and etched with a personalized message. Money from the tiles goes toward park construction.

Barrett Sports Group LLC was hired by the city of Auburn Hills, Mich., to provide professional consulting services for the Palace of Auburn Hills valuation.

The Bowling Proprietors Association of America has new group-purchasing agreements with Omega Pattern Works, offering member discounts on carpeting, and Party Direct, a party supplies company, to add to the association's Smart Buy Group Purchasing Program. The program includes companies that have agreed to offer products and services at a discounted price exclusively to BPAA member bowling centers.

Blue Focus Management retained the consulting services of Todd Optican.

The new Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians will be known as the Lake County (Ohio) Captains when they begin play in April. The team has been operating under the name Lake County Professional Baseball since February.

Pinehurst Golf Club and Club Tee Time signed an agreement for Club Tee Time to offer stay-and-play packages at the North Carolina golf and vacation site.

The Novi (Mich.) City Council renewed its contract with Suburban Arena Management LLC of Farmington Hills, Mich. Suburban will continue to manage Novi Ice Arena through September 2005.

The CHL Indianapolis Ice introduced a commemorative 15th anniversary logo. The logo has a bear head between the Roman numeral XV, with the dates 1988-2002 as well as this year's slogan, "15 Years on the Edge."

Mark McClure, owner of the USBL's Portland Mountain Cats, partnered with NBA New Orleans Hornets player David Wesley and his father, Don Wesley, to form the expansion Texas Rim Rockers. The team will play most of its games at the Fort Worth Convention Center and a few in the Dallas area.

United Turf Industries of Wichita, Kan., developer of SofTrak Putting Greens, established a SofTrak dealership in south Florida through Lighthouse Point resident Jeff Graham. Graham will cover Broward and Palm Beach counties via SofTrak of South Florida Inc.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

Independent public relations firm Edelman bought independent Atlanta firm The Headline Group. In merging Edelman's Atlanta operations with those of The Headline Group, the firm more than doubled its regional presence.

European sports, entertainment and lifestyle marketing company CSS Stellar Plc acquired a minority interest in Hambric Sports Management of Dallas and acquired 50 percent of the assets of StandOut Sports and Entertainment. As part of the Hambric deal, Rocky Hambric will become CEO of Stella Golf, leading the company's efforts in North America and Europe.

The Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League were sold to a local ownership group headed by Russ Farwell, the Thunderbirds' general manager.

AWARDS

Bliss & Nyitray received the Grand Award in the Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers 2002 Engineering Excellence Awards competition for its work on Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

The Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats and Newcomb Print Communications received a Bronze Award from the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen in the International Gallery of Superb Printing competition.

---

SPORTS AGENCY NEWS

SPORTS AGENCY NOTES

CMG Sports, a St. Louis agency specializing in representing professional hockey players, has joined forces with consultants Dennis Polonich and Mel Bridgman, two NHLPA-certified agents, to pursue hockey clients worldwide.

CLIENT SIGNINGS

Bruce Levy, president of Bruce Levy Associates International Ltd., completed a contract for Bethany Donaphin to play basketball for C.B. Islas Canarias in Spain for the 2002-03 international season. Erica McKeon, senior vice president for the agency, completed a contract for former WNBA Orlando Miracle player Tawona Alhaleem to play for Bnai Yehuda in Israel for the season.

---

BROADCASTING NEWS

TELEVISION

Through a deal with Florida International University, Sunshine Network is adding the school's home game against in-state rival Jacksonville University to its lineup of local and regional college football telecasts. Live coverage of the game will air at 8 p.m. Oct. 31.

RADIO

Yearlong statewide coverage of all high school sports in 2002-03 will be featured in a package crafted between the Michigan High School Athletic Association and the Michigan Talk Radio Network.

WNSA-FM in Buffalo added former Buffalo Bills coach Marv Levy to the station's "WNSA Pre-Game Report."

---

CHARITY NEWS

Lea Ann Parsley, a silver medalist at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games in skeleton and the 1999 Ohio Firefighter of the Year, helped the fourth annual Arby's Charity Tour Cleveland raise $125,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland and the Arby's Foundation.

Members of the Carolina Hurricanes Community Relations staff helped distribute sports equipment, donated by Hurricanes employees, on Sept. 20 at Oxford Manor Achievement School in Durham, N.C. The Hurricanes were aided in the project by Todd Lewis of EMC-2, a local provider of storage systems, software and services.

The Visa Champions Creating Champions program, in which 30 Olympic and national team athletes are matched with Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, youths in a mentoring program, was introduced Sept. 25 at Utah Olympic Park.

Source: Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal research

If you have an item you would like included in For The Record, please send it to the attention of Beth Hinson. Phone: (704) 973-1419. Fax: (704) 973-1401. E-mail: bhinson@sportsbusinessjournal.com

Print | Tags: For the Record

SPONSORSHIPS

Colorado Time Systems LLC was selected by U.S. Water Polo Inc. as its official scoring and timing company. The two-year deal has a two-year option.

Duofold agreed to a four-year contract extension as the official high performance base layer apparel supplier for USA Luge.

The PGA Tour and Pennsylvania-based 84 Lumber Co. agreed to a four-year title sponsorship beginning in 2003. The 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania will be played on the Mystic Rock Golf Course at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington, Pa. 84 Lumber replaces SEI Investments as the title sponsor of the PGA Tour's annual Pennsylvania event.

Print | Tags: For the Record

At the World Congress of Sports in March, I happened to run into National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Billy Hunter. The conversation quickly turned to the operation of the NBA's collective-bargaining agreement and then focused on the agreement's escrow arrangement.

When I first read the NBA labor deal and got to the definitions section of Title VII, Section 12 — "Escrow Arrangement" — I thought a new language had been introduced. I was confronted by "Aggregate Compensation Adjustment Amount Shortfall," "Individual Compensation Adjustment Amount" and other defined shortfalls, overages, limits and amounts.

This is the most complex section of the collective-bargaining agreement. It requires players to pay back to the NBA salaries that exceed negotiated limits, and to have their contracts amended to reduce future payments by the team to conform to the agreement's economic limits. In March, players were having salary amounts escrowed. At that time, it was possible that the escrowed amounts would be paid to the league when the final accounting was completed in August. Hunter was not pleased, and he said that something had to be done.

The NBA escrow agreement is unique in sports because it is the enforcement section of a deal that contains a salary cap. It allows for the recovery of player compensation that exceeds the salary cap's limits. The NBA salary cap is 48.04 percent of basketball-related income, or BRI (which is basically the total of revenue from ticket sales, television, concessions, licensing, etc.). The escrow arrangement became effective for the 2001-02 season, so Hunter was faced with the prospect of his players having salary deducted if accountants determined that the rules of the collective-bargaining agreement had been exceeded.

It is important to recall that this agreement was negotiated during the lockout in 1999, which occurred when NBA salaries exceeded limits that allowed for the reopening of the old agreement. The deal that contains the escrow arrangement was part of the settlement of that dispute. Hunter's concerns in March of this year are now reality, and a storm is brewing.

To look at the tempest ahead, we need to look at the collective-bargaining agreement. The focus of the current deal is player salary control under what is termed a "soft" salary cap.

The collective-bargaining agreement is complete in its control of NBA players from the rookie draft to retirement. It sets team salary caps, rookie salary caps and individual player salary caps and limits the amount salaries in multiyear contracts can be increased from year to year.

The salary cap is termed "soft" because there are 11 exceptions to the individual player and team salary caps that teams can use to exceed it. The system is fine-tuned to control compensation in order to provide for financial stability in the league.

In any such agreement, with its complex rules, exceptions to rules and flexible salary structures, there must be a way to adjust if the soft cap allows salaries to rise too far over negotiated limits. For example, the soft cap is set at 48.04 percent of BRI ($40,271,000 per team in 2002-03) and exceptions allow salaries to rise above that amount. But when salaries exceed 55 percent of BRI, the escrow rules kick in to push salaries back to 55 percent.

Because of the salary cap exceptions, teams often go above the cap limit. If aggregate player salaries and benefits for the entire league exceed 61.1 percent, a luxury tax is imposed. (Assume, say, a $2.6 billion BRI for the league, which is a $51 million escrow limit per team. A team with a $70 million payroll, then, would pay $19 million as a tax.) The tax payments, in conjunction with the escrow payments, serve to keep salaries and benefits at 55 percent of BRI.

Remembering Hunter's displeasure, I was not surprised when I heard about his filing a grievance this summer. The reason for it has been elusive, however.

The union has a contractual right to grieve over a limited number of issues related to the escrow arrangement. For example, it can contest the NBA's calculation of the projected Aggregate Compensation Adjustment Amount, which is the amount of excessive salary set by the NBA and indicates the amount of salary that will be taken from player paychecks.

Furthermore, the agreement is very clear about who owns the money after the escrow agent pays it to the league: "All amounts remitted to the NBA by the escrow agent or NBA teams shall be the exclusive property of the NBA and the use and or distribution of all such amounts, including the allocation or distribution of such amounts to one or more NBA teams, if any, shall be within the NBA's exclusive distribution."

There is not a lot of wiggle room in that paragraph, but the payment of the money, it turns out, is the issue in the arbitration. The NBA has developed a plan that distributes the money to all team owners except those who paid the luxury tax.

The union, it seems, uses the circumvention language of the agreement, which says "that provisions of the agreement must be interpreted so as to preserve the essential benefits achieved by both parties to the agreement." The union claims that the NBA payment plan breaches the collective-bargaining agreement.

A grievance over a new contract provision is not rare, but the importance of this grievance is in its very existence. The language of the labor agreement is clear about the ownership of the money collected under the escrow arrangement, and a grievance shows only that the parties have not settled into a long-term labor-management relationship that eschews contentiousness for discussion and compromise.

Two major sports leagues, the NFL and the NBA, have excellent labor agreements that will serve both the players and the leagues well for the future. MLB and the NHL have problems and will be engaged in negotiations again to correct their flawed systems. By filing a grievance over the way escrow money is paid, the NBA players are setting off on an unfortunate course that may prove that a labor storm is in basketball's future.

Clark C. Griffith (cgriffith@sportsbusinessjournal.com) is a Minneapolis lawyer and arbitrator and former part owner of the Minnesota Twins.

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SPORTS AGENCY NOTES

CMG Sports, a St. Louis agency specializing in representing professional hockey players, has joined forces with consultants Dennis Polonich and Mel Bridgman, two NHLPA-certified agents, to pursue hockey clients worldwide.

CLIENT SIGNINGS

Bruce Levy, president of Bruce Levy Associates International Ltd., completed a contract for Bethany Donaphin to play basketball for C.B. Islas Canarias in Spain for the 2002-03 international season. Erica McKeon, senior vice president for the agency, completed a contract for former WNBA Orlando Miracle player Tawona Alhaleem to play for Bnai Yehuda in Israel for the season.

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