For the 19th straight year, Wilson has been selected
the official tennis ball of the U.S. Open. Under a new
agreement, Wilson will be the official ball through 2001
(Wilson)....Fila's focus for '97 lies in the upgrade of
innovative performance technology and the expansion of the
women's footwear line. In addition, Fila will support all
categories with an increase in advertising and promotion
expenditures to $80M (Fila)....ESPN's Gary Miller noted that
five MLB catchers have expressed interest in Blue Jays C
Charlie O'Brien's hockey-style catcher's mask unveiled at
the Super Show. The masks are manufactured by MA-based All-
Star Sports and cost $600-800 ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 2/19).
....NHL Panthers G John Vanbiesbrouck and head coach Doug
MacLean have signed three-year marketing deals with Pro
Player (Pro Player)....This year's Super Show was accepted
into the U.S. Dept. of Commerce's International Buyer
Program for '97, an honor given to only about 24 trade shows
in the U.S. The designation means that the Commerce Dept.
will actively promote the Super Show and its U.S. exhibitors
through consulates around the world (SGMA).......IL-based
Suncast's Just Stuff Sports Lockers are now licensed with
the NHL, in addition to the NFL, MLB and NBA (Suncast).
