Ralph Lauren Friday announced its roster of Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls who will serve as brand ambassadors leading up to the '12 London Games. Ralph Lauren earlier this week announced that it would continue designing the U.S. Olympic team's uniforms for the opening and closing ceremonies. Below is a list of Ralph Lauren's 13 Olympic athlete endorsers:

Amway has brought on former NFLer Kurt Warner to endorse its vitamin and nutritional supplement brand, Nutrilite, through a promotion called the “Ultimate Football Experience” on Facebook. Four sweepstakes winners will travel to Phoenix to meet Warner, now an analyst for NFL Network, and play in a celebrity flag football tournament. Amway called the deal with Warner a multiyear endorsement agreement. Bill Norris of Florida-based Norris Sports Group is working with Amway on the promotion, which will run through Feb. 6 at www.Facebook.com/Nutriliteus.

Verizon on Friday announced that it has entered into a long-term, multimillion-dollar deal to sponsor the Bears as the team's official wireless service provider. The deal includes the creation of the official Bears app for iPhone and Android devices. Verizon also has donated $50,000 to Bears Care, the club's charitable arm, for its "Take the Field" initiative to refurbish youth football fields. As part of the deal, Verizon receives considerable visibility inside Soldier Field and in Bears media programming throughout the year (Verizon Wireless).

ESPN will air the Heisman Trophy presentation show on Saturday at 8:00pm ET, and producer David Ceisler said the net is trying to keep the show "fresh and new." The broadcast will "open with the five finalists being brought onstage to chat" with host Chris Fowler. The show also will feature live music from electric violin player Ken Ford, as well as a "touch-screen monitor for ESPN's Joe Tessitore to call up stats on Heisman winners to compare them to current candidates" (USA TODAY, 12/9).

EBX Group and IMG Worldwide have launched their IMX joint venture with the acquisition of Brasil1 Sports & Entertainment. IMX' portfolio of events include UFC, Volvo Ocean Race and the LPGA Brazil Cup (IMG).

Paciolan on Friday announced a renewal of its partnership with the Univ. of Memphis, which has had a relationship with the company for the past 28 years (Paciolan).

MicroTech announced that it is sponsoring Saturday's Amir Khan-Lamont Peterson "Capital Showdown" in DC. The MicroTech logo will be displayed prominently on the ring mat. HBO is televising the event live (MicroTech).

President Obama plans to attend Saturday's 112th Army-Navy football game at FedExField (Mult., 12/8). 

"The alcohol consumption was significant, as it is at a lot of schools, and we felt this is a way to get better control of it" – West Virginia AD Oliver Luck, on the decision to sell beer during football games adding $700,000 to the athletic department's budget and reducing the number of incidents in which police were called because of excessive drinking (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 12/9).

"I really believe we will be back. There has been interest there, but the timing wasn’t great for those with a genuine interest. I have NOT given up on Springfield" – LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan, on organizers cancelling the LPGA event in Springfield, Ill., because they could not find a sponsor (WAGGLEROOM.com, 12/9).

Business of Sports Network President Maury Brown: "Some mentions @CP3 could become next 'Curt Flood'. Not the same. Flood fought for FA, and post-free agency trades were blocked in MLB."

TheScore.com's Trey Kerby: "Really looking forward to Jay-Z's forced Dwight Howard metaphors once he's a Net."

MSG Network's Tina Cervasio: "MSG will not do a pre nor post game on Dec. 25th because TNT has exclusive rights to the entire broadcast out of the Garden."

ESPN's Michelle Beadle: "Back up the wagons! Just heard Kris Humphries described as 'basketball SUPERstar' on GMA. I need oxygen."

If you see a tweet we won’t want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

Ravens DT Bryan Hall has some fun with RB Ray Rice by copying his torn-sleeve look in this locker room pic.

SATURDAY

A memorial service will be held in Sanford Stadium for late Univ. of Georgia radio broadcaster Larry Munson at 1:00pm ET.

The annual Army-Navy football game has long been one of the most tradition-soaked in all of sports. One of the more recent traditions is that of Naval Academy students creating online videos, like this one based on the video for LMFAO's his single, "Party Rock Anthem."

SATURDAY

ESPN will air "The Marinovich Project," an ESPN Films documentary profiling former NFLer Todd Marinovich, at 9:00pm ET, following the Heisman Trophy presentation.

SUNDAY

HBO will air the pilot of the "Luck," an eight-part horse racing series, at 10:00pm ET. The series, which was filmed to a large extent at Santa Anita Park, will be aired in January.

16% – Increase in the number of students applying for admission at West Virginia Univ. this year over last year. School officials "believe national media coverage concerning the move from the Big East Conference" and a visit from ESPN's "College GameDay" are "among the reasons" (Charleston DAILY MAIL, 12/8).