In Indianapolis, Nathan Brown notes IndyCar driver Conor Daly will "team up" with Ed Carpenter Racing and compete in 12 road and street courses next season, "along with a third entry for the team" in the 104th Indy 500. In an offseason where "sponsorship difficulties and tough personnel decisions have left several veterans blindsided, Daly's strong partnership with the U.S. Air Force helped propel" his IndyCar career forward into '20. The military branch was a "major influence in allowing" the partnership to "come to fruition." Daly: "It's very rare to have a sponsor as loyal as the U.S. Air Force has become, but it proves we're giving them the return they want" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/10).
SIDE BUSINESS: In L.A., Tom Hoffarth wondered if it is "ethically challenged" that Fox NFL reporter Erin Andrews has "married up with Fanatics to use that company's league branding agreement and slap NFL logos on her clothing line that she then promotes in TV commercials?" Anyone "using their position in the media to their benefit, especially linking to a sport you're directly involved with, warrants red-flag raising." Media members "may have already crossed over into commercial pandering with little eyebrow raising" (L.A. TIMES, 12/9).
HIGH-END APPAREL: In DC, Gene Park notes Louis Vuitton released its "capsule collection from its partnership with Riot Games and League of Legends." A $670 T-shirt is "probably the most eyebrow-raising in the line of the 47 pricey products." The most expensive item is the "LVXLOL Leather Biker Jacket," which costs "about $5,650" (WASHINGTON POST, 12/10).
