DEALS: Raptors F Walt Williams has signed a one-year
shoe deal with Fila Canada. Williams, who will wear the
Board Breaker sneaker, is Fila Canada's first NBA endorser.
He was wearing Nike (THE DAILY)....Jackie Stewart will
announce today that MCI has joined his team as a major
sponsor of its Stewart-Ford cars (N.Y. TIMES, 12/18)....NY-
based arena supplier IcePro has been named the tile sponsor
of the '98 IcePro AHL All-Star Skills Competition (AHL).
...The financial woes of Nobody Beats the Wiz, which filed
for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, is examined
by Richard Wilner of the N.Y. POST. Wilner writes that "an
expansive and aggressive expansion plan two years ago"
helped cause its financial problems. The chain also "spent
about" $6M a year in ads at MSG (N.Y. POST, 12/18).
ADVERTISING: In AD AGE, Bradley Johnson reports that
the NFL will hold a contest next month to pick the best spot
featuring NFL players or images produced over the past four
decades. Fans will vote over the Internet for a final five;
a panel of players, ad execs and media picks the winner
January 16 (AD AGE, 12/15 issue)....Goodyear Chair & CEO
Samir Gibara said the company will add two blimps in Europe
and one in Latin America "early next year," with plans for
another to serve Asia and Australia "shortly after that,"
bringing Goodyear's total to eight blimps (AKRON BEACON
JOURNAL, 12/18)....Nike "is considering advertising through
skywriting," and asked FL-based Aerial Sign to show what the
swoosh "looks like at 10,000 feet" (SUN-SENTINEL, 12/18).
PRODUCT: NY-based Alphabet City latest CD, "Go Blue!
The Ultimate Michigan Sports CD," is now available in Metro
Detroit for $9.99. Alphabet City is expected to do more
than $10M in sales in '97 (DETROIT NEWS, 12/17)....The NHL
has granted a license to CT-based Spotlight for a "Double-J
Reversible" outerwear garment that has a jersey look on one
side and a nylon pullover feel on the other. The item is in
JCPenney's catalog with distribution set to expand during
the NHL playoffs. Spotlight is led by former Starter exec
Kyle Sanborn (SPORTING GOODS BUSINESS, 12/15 issue).
