The '99 Sun Bowl in El Paso, TX, will be titled the
"Wells Fargo Sun Bowl." Since '96, the event has been
called the "Norwest Sun Bowl," but the name change is the
result of the November merger between Wells Fargo and
Norwest (Sun Bowl)....The 49ers will be commemorated on a
U.S. postage stamp as "one of 15 subjects that best
represent the decade" of the '80s, joining such other events
as the tearing down of the Berlin Wall and Cabbage Patch
Kids. The stamps will be issued in January 2000 (S.F.
CHRONICLE, 4/15)....Nike will supply the athletic programs
at Riverside (WV) High School with shoes. The school will
form when DuPont and East Bank High merge in the fall.
Vikings WR Randy Moss and Kings G Jason Williams are both
DuPont graduates (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/14).
NHRA: The NHRA hired Hill & Knowlton as its PR firm.
NHRA President Dallas Gardner said the agency was hired "to
more effectively tell our story and to tell the story
outside of the industry" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/12).
THE ARTIST CURRENTLY KNOWN AS PRINCE: Featherweight
Prince Naseem Hamed has signed with Marquee UK, which will
handle his marketing and offer PR input. Marquee UK is a
division of The Marquee Group (TMG)....Light heavyweight Roy
Jones, Jr. was introduced this morning at NikeTown in N.Y.
as the latest Jordan Brand endorser (Jordan Brand).
FRIED AT LAST, FRIED AT LAST: The SportsBusiness
Journal's Josh Gotthelf reports in THE DAILY that former
Univ. of MD G Steve Francis has signed with DC-based
attorney Jeff Fried. Francis' personal manager will be
boxing manager Nate Peake, whose clients include super
welterweight champion Sharmba Mitchell (THE DAILY). Fried,
who also represents Riddick Bowe, is a "longtime" friend of
Francis from Takoma Park, MD (WASHINGTON POST, 4/15).
HANGING WITH AIR: Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Peyton
Manning and Mark Martin all filmed a Gatorade spot at the
Orlando Int'l Airport this week. An airport hangar was
"turned into a makeshift Gatorade warehouse," and Jordan
played the role of foreman (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/15).
