Coast to Coast

ARLINGTON, TEXAS
Menu grows at Rangers games
Delaware North Cos. Sportservice added six midseason items to menus at Globe Life Park. The new items at Texas Rangers games are: Texas poutine potato chip nachos, bacon waffle on a stick, steamed hot dogs from a retro hot dog cart, the kaboom kabob (24-inch skewer of chicken and vegetables), the tanaco (a 24-inch cross of a taco and nachos) and a Korean bulgogi beef sandwich.

The 2-foot tanaco is half chicken, half beef and filled with fresh toppings in a homemade shell. Photo by: GEORGE RAUB / DELAWARE NORTH COS. SPORTSERVICE ARLINGTON

BOCA RATON, FLA.
FAU signs Pinnacle agency
Pinnacle Advertising & Marketing Group was named agency of record for Florida Atlantic University’s department of athletics. According to Pinnacle CEO Peter Gary, the agency will handle media buying, creative and digital strategy, and public relations efforts.

CHICAGO

Another meaty option at the ballpark

Smoked sausages return to Wrigley
The Chicago Cubs and team partners Levy Restaurants and Vienna Beef are bringing smoked sausages back to Wrigley Field for the first time in about 30 years. Levy, the ballpark’s concessionaire, opened a new sausage stand on the main concourse earlier this month, and the six-inch sausages sell for $7 apiece.

CLEVELAND
Browns updating scoreboards
Cleveland Browns fans returning to FirstEnergy Stadium this fall will be greeted by an integrated LED system designed, manufactured and installed by Daktronics. Each main end-zone display will feature an angled pattern and nearly 6,900 square feet of display space.

COLUMBUS
Jackets partner with Boich Cos.
The Columbus Blue Jackets and coal marketing company Boich Cos. agreed to a new multiyear partnership. The deal calls for Boich to make a donation for every assist tallied by Blue Jackets players during the 2014-15 season to support the Blue Jackets Foundation’s signature cause of fighting pediatric cancer.

DENVER
Lax event signs presenting sponsor
Trusted Choice, a consumer branding program for independent insurance agents and brokers, signed on as the presenting sponsor of the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse World Lacrosse Championships. The event is slated for July 10-19 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.

LOUISVILLE, KY.
New team selects winning logo
With more than 100 logo design entries to choose from, Louisville City Football Club unveiled a crest featuring purple and gold colors with an abstract take on the city’s skyline as its debut mark. The USL Pro club starts play in 2015 at Louisville Slugger Field. Winning designer Michael Manning, 24, works at Take Note Designs in La Grange, Ky.

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
Vikings adding more TVs, escalators
The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to pay an additional $1.3 million for 1,200 more TVs and six more escalators at their new stadium, on top of prior plans for 800 TVs and 27 escalators. The additions were recently approved by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which is overseeing the project, as part of its budget for design features at the stadium.

PHILADELPHIA

Sculptor John Gruber puts the Phinishing touches on home plate. Photo by: MILES KENNEDY

Phanatic sculpted out of sand
John Gruber, an Atlantic City, N.J., native and sand sculptor, created a 10-foot-high, 8-foot-wide Phillie Phanatic sand castle at Citizens Bank Park. Thousands of pounds of sand were brought to the ballpark to create the sand castle, and the Phillies are inviting fans to take selfies with the sculpture.

Union sells minority stake locally
The Philadelphia Union has added a local businessman to its ownership group. Joseph Greco, who was born and raised in Norristown, Pa., and now serves as chairman of RevSpring, purchased a minority stake in the MLS franchise. Greco declined to disclose what percentage of the club he acquired.

PHOENIX
Coyotes drop ‘Phoenix,’ add ‘Arizona’
The Phoenix Coyotes were slated to change their franchise name to the Arizona Coyotes at the NHL draft last week. As part of the name change, the Coyotes are introducing a new shoulder patch (alternate mark) for their home and road jerseys in 2014-15.

PORTLAND, MAINE
Insurer names Civic Center
Cross Insurance acquired the naming rights for the next 10 years to the newly renovated Cumberland County Civic Center, which will now be called the Cross Insurance Arena. The home of the AHL Portland Pirates reopened earlier this year after a 15-month expansion and renovation project.

SONOMA, CALIF.
Toyota stays on as race sponsor
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. and the Northern California Toyota Dealers signed a three-year agreement to continue as co-title sponsor of Sonoma Raceway’s annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Toyota-Save Mart 350. Toyota has served as the race’s co-title sponsor since 2007.

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.
Stadium funding bill signed into law
Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law a sports stadium incentive bill that lets franchise and facility operators draw tax subsidies to pay for facility renovations. Daytona International Speedway and new soccer venues in Orlando and Miami are among the projects that have been pegged as possible beneficiaries of the legislation.

      COAST TO COAST — BEYOND THE COASTS


DERBY, ENGLAND
Derby County wearing Umbro
Umbro reached a deal to be the official kit supplier of League Championship club Derby County. Umbro takes over from Italian company Kappa and will produce all of the Rams’ match-day and training gear as part of a four-year deal, according to a Derby Telegraph report.

DONCASTER, ENGLAND
One Direction singer buys in
League One club Doncaster Rovers now has a celebrity owner after a takeover by former chairman John Ryan and One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson, according to a Press Association report. The 21-year-old Tomlinson is a lifelong fan of his hometown club.

LISBON, PORTUGAL
Benfica renews longtime Adidas deal
Portuguese club Benfica renewed its global kit supply deal with Adidas through 2021, according to a SoccerEx report. The club’s previous 10-year deal with Adidas was worth an average of $6.1 million per season.

LONDON, ENGLAND
West Ham partners with Marathonbet
West Ham United reached a partnership with bookmaker Marathonbet to make it the club’s new betting partner. The long-term partnership, which begins with the 2014-15 EPL campaign, also calls for Marathonbet to become the title partner of the club’s annual home preseason match.

PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY
Formula E details revealed
Formula E unveiled the location and circuit layout for the Punta del Este ePrix, the third round of the series to be held on Dec. 13. The 1.1-mile track features 20 turns and is located along Punta del Este’s harbor. The track was previously used for the TC2000 touring car events.

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