NOTES: BUSINESS WEEK reports that spending on sports
sponsorship is projected to reach over $4.5B in '98
(BUSINESS WEEK, 3/2)....Ryan Leaf signed NJ-based ISI to
become his exclusive marketing rep. ISI Exec VP Steve
Rosner: "From matching Ryan with the top companies to
fulfilling some of his civic and charitable goals, our
objective is to build relationships that will continue long
after his playing days are over" (ISI)....Former Giants WR
Phil McConkey signed with MGP Crisis Sports PR, a division
of NY-based MGP & Associates, for PR counseling (MGP).
MORE NEWS: FORBES' Daniel Roth "sizes up" the shoe/
sunglasses dispute between Nike's Phil Knight and Oakley's
Jim Jannard. Roth: "Nike had defined the sports shoe market
and has bloodied its big competitors. Ego aside, Jannard
might be better off hunting elsewhere" (FORBES, 3/9 issue).
...TIME's "Tech Watch" features Reebok's new, $100 Lightning
sneaker, calling it "one smart shoe." The DMX-enhanced
sneaker adapts to pressure by distributing it through six
chambers, creating "extra cushioning" (TIME, 3/2 issue).
...Nike will feature a 16-page insert -- "Life Above the
Ankles/Evolution of Skin" -- in the March and April issues
of GQ, Details, SI, ESPN, Rolling Stone, Vibe and Men's
Journal, while its 12-page insert will appear in Glamour,
Conde Nast Sports For Women and Sharpe (THE DAILY).
