A Nike mural in downtown Toronto is being changed from the
Blue Jays' Joe Carter '93 World Series winning home run to
Raptors rookie Damon Stoudamire (Toronto SUN, 1/16).... Reebok
officials hope the company's new "This is my Planet"-themed ads
with stars such as Emmitt Smith and Nick Van Exel will help
improve brand image by "capturing the consumers' attention." The
ads are aimed at sneaker-buyers age 12-17 (N.Y. TIMES,
1/16)....Chicago-based Sportmart "has become a takeover target,"
as analysts predict profits for its fiscal year ending January 28
"will slide about 50%" to $4.5M. Mark Veverka reports the chain
has been hurt by expansions in the Chicago area by Sports
Authority, MC Sports and Galyan's (CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS, 1/15
issue)....This week's BUSINESS WEEK profiles the sponsors of the
'96 Games. Nicole Harris reports, "A handful of technology
companies are donating upwards of $40 million in goods and
services each -- 10 times the going sponsorship rate [at the L.A.
Games]." Mentioned: IBM, Motorola, Xerox and AT&T (BUSINESS
WEEK, 1/22 issue)....Soccer Business International has awarded
1995 Marketing Excellence Awards to the St. Louis Ambush,
Baltimore Spirit and Cleveland Crunch of the NPSL (NPSL)....This
week's NEWSWEEK notes that David Watkins, a key figure in the
controversy over the firing of the White House travel staff,
spent last year as a P.R. man for Callaway Golf after being fired
from the White House for taking a presidential helicopter to a
golf course. Watkins' contract with Callaway expired January 1
(NEWSWEEK, 1/22). ....DelWeber+Associates is looking for sponsors
for the Sacramento LPGA Classic, held April 4-7 (DWA)....The
Corel WTA Tour has hired Cohn & Wolfe as its PR agency (WTA
Tour).
