NAMES: Cubs P Kerry Wood says he soon should have an
equipment contract with adidas, but "has no plans to be in
TV commercials for the company" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 5/26).
...Pharmacia's Rogaine, which signed Karl Malone as part of
its $80M ad campaign, is currently testing other balding
sports figures to see if Rogaine restores their hair
(BLOOMBERG NEWS/Newark STAR-LEDGER, 5/26)....John Elway's
marketing agent Jeff Sperbeck said that requests for
endorsements have increased following the Super Bowl, but
that Elway has "turned down most ... because they're short
term. He's looking for something beyond a year." Sperbeck
said that a couple of "big deals" are in the works (ROCKY
MOUNTAIN NEWS, 5/24)....Boris Becker has established Boris-
BeckerMarketing and AD AGE reports that the company may take
over the marketing activities for the Davis Cup in Germany
(AD AGE, 5/26)....NHL Wild Owner and in-line skate
developer, Bob Naegele is developing a "high-end skate for
elite hockey players" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 5/24).
NOTES: In-arena sports advertising was examined by
Chris Zelkovich of the TORONTO STAR. For the season, the
Maple Leafs will sell "most" of their 36 rink-board ads for
$225,000 each, while a pair of on-ice ads will go for
$350,000 -- an annual income for the team of $8.7M. The
Blue Jays receive $150,000 a season for half-inning ads on
the rotating sign behind home plate at SkyDome, a potential
$2.5M "windfall," while ads on the foul poles bring in
another $570,000 a year (TORONTO STAR, 5/23).....USA TODAY's
Melanie Wells profiled Grey Advertising's Jon Mandel as part
of a special look at the "up-front" selling period. Mandel
said he "expects to see" the purchase of about $1B in
advertising this year. In a sidebar, Wells also took an
"inside look at TV ad buying," by asking five "prominent
players" about ad trends for next season (USA TODAY, 5/27).
