LIST WATCHING: FORTUNE's list of the 50 "Best Companies
For Asians, Blacks & Hispanics" includes Anheuser-Busch at
No. 24, Nike at No. 25 and Reebok No. 36. FORTUNE says that
close to one-fifth of Nike's officials and managers are
minorities (FORTUNE, 8/3 issue)....Nike was also listed as
No. 32 on AD AGE's "Top 100 Mega Brands," with '97 ad
spending of $207.2M. Reebok was listed as No. 169, with
$60.618M in ad spending in '97 (AD AGE, 7/13 issue).
OTHER NOTES: MI-based Baum Research & Development Co.
filed suit yesterday in federal court in Detroit accusing
Worth Inc., Hillerich & Bradsby Co., which makes the
Louisville Slugger, and Easton Sports "of manipulating the
[NCAA] to get college players to use aluminum bats." Baum,
which manufactures a wood-composite bat, is seeking "more
than" $100,000 in damages (DETROIT NEWS, 7/14)....Shares in
Fila were down 1 1/2 to 12 1/8 yesterday on the NYSE. Fila
said it is going to have a second-quarter loss ranging from
$1.48-1.62 per share, and PBS's Paul Kangas reported,
"Standard & Poor's said avoid this stock" (PBS, 7/13). On
"Moneyline," CNN's Lou Dobbs also noted Fila's second-
quarter earnings expectations (CNN, 7/13).
