The Bucks on Friday said that they have "reached agreement on a multi-year sponsorship with YES Vodka." The deal includes sponsorship "on the Bucks radio network, in-arena signage and social media elements." Financial details were not disclosed. The vodka brand became available at Bradley Center starting with Saturday's Bon Jovi concert (JSONLINE.com, 5/20).
A VIRAL SENSATION: In St. Petersburg, Marc Topkin reported a video of Rays 3B Evan Longoria "'saving' a reporter with a bare-handed catch has gone viral, with close to 3 million hits on YouTube." Longoria said that the video "was shot with a handheld camera in one take in about five minutes, after a six-hour shoot for another Gillette commercial." Longoria: "Once it gets on to Twitter and YouTube, it goes from a small snowball to an avalanche pretty quickly" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 5/20).
LET'S RACE: In K.C., Randy Covitz reported the NHRA Summer Nationals are "looking for a new title sponsor" after O'Reilly Auto Parts "withdrew from its longtime role" this year. O'Reilly acquired 3,400 CSK Auto stores and has "shifted its marketing efforts from NHRA races in Topeka and Dallas to Chicago and Seattle, where CSK has more stores." But Heartland Park of Topeka Owner & GM Raymond Irwin said that the facility is "not in jeopardy of losing the NHRA, now in its 23rd year at the track." Irwin said that O'Reilly "remains a corporate sponsor through signage at the track and other promotional activities" (K.C. STAR, 5/21).
