This Week's Newsmakers: Superman Could Be Taking Flight
THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the performances over the past week of people and entities in sports business. Here are this week’s newsmakers:
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Howard's First Trip To Finals Expected To
Elevate His Already Healthy Marketing Portfolio |
WIN: Dwight Howard -- The affable Magic star takes center stage after thwarting Nike's dream Finals matchup of endorsers LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Howard’s first trip to the Finals is expected to elevate him into the upper echelon of the NBA's most marketable players, and his healthy marketing portfolio is already getting a boost with Vitaminwater releasing an ad focused on his gregarious personality. If the Magic can find a way past Kobe's Lakers -- and that could be a tall order after watching Game One -- there may be no limit to Howard's marketing potential.
LOSE: LPGA TWEETING -- Well, that didn't last long. Shortly after CAROLYN BIVENS encourages LPGA players to use Twitter during rounds, tour members including PAULA CREAMER and MORGAN PRESSEL vehemently oppose the notion and refuse to comply. Bivens then softens her initial statements, claiming the LPGA neither supports nor encourages on-course use of social media.
DRAW: SPONSORSHIPS ON JERSEYS -- While the WNBA Phoenix Mercury’s agreement with LifeLock to put the company’s logo on the team’s uniform is being hailed by some as a business-savvy move that will bolster the team’s coffers, others see it as a potential precedent-setting deal that may lead to ubiquitous advertising on uniforms. With deals like the Manchester United-Aon pact signed this week common in Europe, and the NFL allowing teams to wear corporate logos on their practice jerseys, one has to wonder how long it will be before one of the big four U.S. leagues decides to allow corporate sponsors on game uniforms.
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