NBA NOTES: During player interviews yesterday, Karl
Malone wore a CAT cap, a company he endorses which
manufactures farm equipment; Jerry Sloan donned a hat for
Heritage Tractor Co., Salt Lake City, UT and Greg Foster
wore a cap for EAS. On Wednesday, Scottie Pippen met the
press wearing a Ginsana hat, a product he endorses (THE
DAILY)....Officials seized $3.5M worth of suspected
counterfeit merchandise from a Chicago shop owner, who was
selling "Double 3-Peat" T-shirts. Other unlicensed apparel
included Nike, Guess and Tommy Hilfiger (AP/WASHINGTON POST,
6/12)....In Chicago, George Lazarus reports that AMF Bowling
will break a new ad campaign this fall, adding, "it's fair
to assume" that AMF spokesperson Michael Jordan will appear
in AMF's TV and/or print promotions (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/12).
NOTES: NY-based Stars & Strategies has been retained by
CA-based girls' entertainment company Purple Moon as its
exclusive sports marketing agency. This holiday season,
Purple Moon will launch "The Starfire Soccer Challenge," the
first-ever sports CD-Rom designed for girls (Stars &
Strategies)....NASCAR opened its 11th official Thunder store
last week in Charleston, WV. Plans call for nine additional
stores to open this year (NASCAR)....In N.Y., Wendy Bounds
reports that "chinks are forming in Tommy Hilfiger's armor,"
as Hilfiger's "core casual-menswear business is slowing,"
and Hilfiger's annual 20% sales gains "have slimmed down"
(WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/12)....Although he will endorse a
new line of Rawlings' aluminum bats, Mark McGwire's agent,
Bob Cohen, said that McGwire doesn't have deals "for
anything beyond baseball gear." Cohen added that McGwire
will wait until after the season to try and "land long-term
tie-ins with major advertisers" (USA TODAY, 6/12). ...In
L.A., Denise Gellene gave ESPN's new MLS promo spots three
out of four stars. Gellene said that the ads "lack the in-
your-face attitude of other ESPN spots," but that the
"testosterone level is still pretty high, thanks to cameos
by busty actresses" (L.A. TIMES, 6/11).
