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Thursday 9:00am ET....Today's News....The King's Newest Court

  • LeBron James, LRMR Reach Deal With Fenway Sports Management
  • WNBA Mystics Sign Inova Health System To Multiyear Jersey Deal
  • Amway Center Earns Gold Certification From Green Building Council
  • WMG Signs Top WNBA Draft Prospect Maya Moore For Representation

LeBron James, LRMR Reach Deal With Fenway Sports Management

By Eric Fisher

Heat F LeBron James and his marketing outfit, LRMR Marketing & Branding, are now part of the Fenway Sports Group portfolio following the creation of a new broad-based pact in which FSG's Fenway Sports Management becomes the exclusive global representative for LRMR to secure marketing and sponsorship deals for James. In the pact, FSM will seek out new endorsement, merchandising and other business opportunities for James. James and LRMR CEO Maverick Carter will gain a small, undisclosed equity stake in Liverpool, the EPL club FSG purchased last fall.

The deal marks the first time FSM has aligned with an individual athlete. FSM, however, is not entering the athlete representation business, and has no intent to do so in the future. Rather, this pact is fundamentally a global marketing play. The first new endorsement deal coming out of the alliance, linking James with an undisclosed luxury brand, is perhaps days away, Carter said.

WNBA Mystics Sign Inova Health System To Multiyear Jersey Deal

By Don Muret, Staff Writer

The WNBA Mystics this morning will announce that they have signed Inova Health System to a multiyear jersey sponsorship. Team officials would not disclose terms but said it is the largest deal in the club’s 14-year history. Inova Health System, with five hospitals and 1,725 beds in northern Virginia, has been a Mystics team partner since May '10, sponsoring a School Day preseason game at Verizon Center and Mystics summer camps.

The Mystics are the fifth WNBA team to sign a jersey deal after the Mercury (Lifelock), Sparks (Farmers Insurance), Liberty (Foxwoods Casino) and Storm (Bing). The Mercury and Sparks jersey deals were reportedly valued at $1M annually.

Amway Center Earns Gold Certification From Green Building Council

The Magic today will formally announce that Amway Center is the "first new NBA arena to earn a gold certification" from the U.S. Green Building Council. The team and city of Orlando "have made no secret of their efforts to win recognition for the arena under the nonprofit council's green-design program." But earning gold, the second-highest level in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program, is a "bigger achievement than many conservationists expected" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/7).

WMG Signs Top WNBA Draft Prospect Maya Moore For Representation

By Liz Mullen

Wasserman Media Group has signed UConn F Maya Moore, the three-time Wade Trophy award winner and projected No. 1 pick in Monday’s WNBA Draft. “Maya is a rising star in women’s basketball, and I am confident she will make a great impact in her career both on and off the court,” said Wasserman Management Principal Arn Tellem. WMG’s Lindsay Kagawa and Dan Levy will represent Moore. “We are absolutely thrilled to represent Maya,” Kagawa said. “She is high-character star with transcendent potential.”

One of the most marketable women’s basketball players to come out of college in years, Moore was the only female player invited to play basketball with President Obama in a private game this summer, joining Heat F LeBron James and Basketball HOFer Magic Johnson, among others.

Panini America Signs Clippers F Blake Griffin To Multiyear Deal

By Terry Lefton

Looking to build up its soon-to-launch memorabilia line, Panini America has signed Clippers F and NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner Blake Griffin to an exclusive multiyear deal. Griffin joins Lakers G Kobe Bryant, Thunder F Kevin Durant and Wizards G John Wall on Panini’s roster of exclusive athletes. The company will use Griffin’s autograph and memorabilia in its card line and for the launch of the Panini Authentic memorabilia line next month. Griffin also will be used on Panini packaging and advertising.

Mizuno Endorsers To Show Support For Japan During The Masters

The Masters begins today, and golfers Luke Donald and Jonathan Byrd will sport Red Mizuno headwear during the first round at Augusta National to show their support for Japan. The headwear for both golfers, along with game-used equipment and memorabilia from Mizuno's MLB endorsers, will be autographed and auctioned off at a later date through eBay. All proceeds from those sales will will support Japan reconstruction via the Japan Relief Fund for GlobalGiving (Mizuno). 

New Bacardi At The Park Sports Bar Opens At U.S. Cellular Field

The Bacardi at the Park sports bar and restaurant at U.S. Cellular Field opened to the public this morning ahead of the White Sox' afternoon home opener against the Rays. The facility, operated by Gibsons Restaurant Group, features 74 TVs throughout two levels, as well as outside seating. It will not be open on non-gamedays. White Sox Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Brooks Boyer: "When you look at some of the different fan amenities we offer, the one thing really missing was the location before and after the game when people can gather" (MLB.com, 4/6).

Meanwhile, Familia Camarena Tequila today announced a three-year sponsorship deal with the White Sox. The tequila brand has recently agreed to deals with five other MLB clubs (Familia Camarena Tequila).

Red Sox, City Officials Reach Deal For Mixed Drink Sales At Fenway

The Red Sox said that they have reached a deal with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, city police and several community groups to "begin selling mixed alcoholic beverages" at Fenway Park. The team "agreed to limit the sale of the mixed drinks to five refreshment stands and to move one of those stands farther away from the bleacher section." The Boston Licensing Board "could approve the proposal as early as today." The team would still need the approval of the Massachusetts state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, which "could take another month" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/7).

Speed Reads....

adidas today unveiled new WNBA uniforms with Revolution 30-branded technology. The uniforms are 30% lighter and dry twice as fast as previous WNBA uniforms. All 12 teams will wear the new unis starting this season, which tips off on June 3 (adidas). 

THQ Inc. and Zuffa Inc. today announced plans to release the "UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System" video game for the PlayStation3, Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 in June. The game is currently in development, with content exclusive to Kinect for Xbox 360 (THQ).

Quick Hits....

"They like it because they can showcase their kids and the kids like it. It's fun. Some play pretty good golf and some have fun. It's entertainment before the seriousness of the following four days. Everyone has bought into it. The product on TV is a great product" – Augusta National Chair Billy Payne, on ESPN televising portions of yesterday's Par-3 Contest at The Masters (JACKSONVILLE.com, 4/6).

"Unless we slow the ball down, you cannot put the tees back in the streets anymore. Golf is suffering terribly" – Golfer Gary Player, who feels some of the technological advances in golf are hurting the game (AUGUSTA.com, 4/6).

"I think the NHL is at a pretty good place right now. At the end of the day, we have to really scratch and claw and grab our way to get things done" – Penguins C Mike Rupp, on the future negotiations for a new CBA after the current agreement expires next September (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/7).

Twitter Me This....

Colts Owner Jim Irsay: "I regrettably couldn't speak at the Butler Rally ... because of important work commitments..but I was there n spirit and honored 2b asked."

CBSSports.com's Steve Elling: "It's dead quiet at Augusta, but thousands already lined up on the street. Gates don't open til 7:30 a.m. First tee time 7:45 ET. Let's rock."

SI.com's Joe Lemire: "Happy Minor-League Opening Day, everyone! I'm eager to try mlb.tv's expansion into Triple A broadcasts for prospect watching this year."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette: "Ben Roethlisberger wanted Penguins arena for huge July wedding reception but WWE had it first. http://t.co/YMH3A9Z"

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

Today's Events....

LatinVision Media will hold its second annual Sports conference at The Harvard Club in N.Y. LatinVision's events focus on Latin American executives and marketing to U.S. Hispanics. Panelists will include Big Lead Sports CEO Chris Russo, ESPN Deportes VP/Marketing Michelle Bella, Soccer United Marketing CMO Russell Findlay and NFL Senior VP/Hispanic Marketing Alvaro Saralegui.

Back Pages....

The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sports covers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:

N.Y. Post
N.Y. Daily News
Newsday
Philadelphia Daily News
Boston Herald

Final Jeopardy!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Composers."

"His first name means 'happy,' but three of his five symphonies are in gloomy minor keys."

Last night's edition of "Jeopardy" featured the category "Great Women in Sports," with each of the video clues read by ESPN's Hannah Storm from the ESPN studios.

For $200: "This tennis champ is facing her 2010 breast cancer diagnosis with the same spirit that won her 18 Grand Slam singles titles and the U.S. Open Mixed Doubles at the age of 49."

For $400: "She won two Golds at the 1932 Olympics, took ten major golf championships and to top it off, helped form the LGPA in 1949."

For $600: "In 2010 she was ranked No. 1 in downhill, super-G, super combined and overall World Cup skiing; and she also won Olympic gold."

For $800: "This speed skater won the Olympic 500 and 1,000m in both the 1992 and 1994 games and then retired on her 31st birthday as the reigning World Sprint champ."

For $1000: "In 1977 this ex-aerospace engineer became the first woman to earn starting spots in both the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500."

Laugh Track....

VCU G Joey Rodriguez appeared last night on TBS' "Lopez Tonight," where host George Lopez introduced him by saying, "My next guest is the break-out star of the VCU Rams. He led his underdog team all the way to the Final Four in this year's NCAA tournament." Lopez told Rodriguez, "Last week I was playing golf on Saturday. The game was on, I was watching the game. I saw you guys ... beat Kansas and I saw you and I said, 'I have to have that dude on my show.'" Rodriguez: "Everybody was against us, like they'd been the whole tournament. We just came out and proved people wrong. It was a great experience." Lopez noted, "Even the President picked Kansas to win it all. He's wrong again!" Rodriguez: "Monday night was tough watching the Butler game against UConn sitting in your room. They make all the shots against us, but they come out and play UConn and they shoot 18%. That was tough. But we made history. We changed the whole city around." At the end of the interview, Lopez told Rodriguez, "I would love to give you the best part of winning so look into that camera right there and repeat after me: 'I am going to Disney World.'" Rodriguez: "I'm going to Disney World." Lopez then presented Rodriguez with an envelope that had the details for a paid trip to Disney World ("Lopez Tonight," TBS, 4/6).

Country singer Carrie Underwood appeared on NBC's "The Tonight Show" last night and discussed her marriage to Predators C Mike Fisher and his recent trade from the Senators. Host Jay Leno: "He was in Ottawa, now he’s been traded to Nashville … and I listened to sports radio: 'Carrie Underwood! She made him to go to Nashville!'" Underwood: "Yeah, it's my fault. I am amazed. Even my friends were like, 'How did you pull that off?' And I'm glad people think I am that powerful." Underwood looked into the camera and jokingly warned, "If you play for any professional sports team, do not mess with me. I will get you traded, to lord knows where." Leno: "One station was calling you Yoko Underwood. It just kills me." Underwood: "I think that stuck too. I can't wait till I go play Canada again. … I was actually banned from a radio station" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 4/6).

MONOLOGUES:

CBS' David Letterman: "Folks enjoying the baseball season? What could be more American then beer, hot dogs and human growth hormone? … The Yankees are off to a flying start and today they announced another major acquisition: They hired themselves a twenty million dollar batboy. … Snooki, they had her speaking at Rutgers University -- because when you think higher education -- you think Snooki. One time I remember speaking at Rutgers was Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison. She was there and she talked about growing up black. Snooki was there and talked about growing up orange. … Hugh Hefner is getting married. Hugh Hefner is 85 years old and his bride-to-be is 24. That doesn't even look good on paper. Come on! Are you kidding? When she was born, Hef was 61 years old. If you want to get the happy couple something for their wedding, they're registered at Bed, Bath & Depends. … How about Southwest Airlines? They have a new promotion: 40% off your tickets, 30% off the plane. Folks are going someplace and all of a sudden the top of the fuselage just peels right back. The pilot apparently hit the sunroof button. … News from one of the many wars the United States is currently involved in: The White House now says that we'll be staying in Libya longer than expected. Oh, I didn't see that coming! They say the original estimate was two weeks, they're now thinking maybe 12 years. Just a little longer. ... Over the weekend President Obama announced that he was running for a second term as president of the United States. There's a brand new campaign slogan: 'Give me four more years to find my birth certificate'" ("Late Show," CBS, 4/6).

NBC's Jay Leno: "As of today, it looks like we're heading for a government shutdown. You thought Joe Biden had nothing do before. Imagine the entire government shutting down. I mean, without the government, who would not inspect our airplanes? Who would fail to secure our borders? Who would put us $14 trillion in debt? We'd be so screwed without the government. … Hey, here's some good news. Just a few hours ago, Butler finally scored. Yeah! … This year's NCAA championship was the lowest scoring game since every time the guy scored you had to bring out a ladder to take the ball out of the peach basket. … Congratulations to Texas A&M's women's basketball team. They beat Notre Dame, 76-70. And after, just for fun, they went out and beat Butler and UConn. … You can really tell March Madness is over. Even here at the office, people went from tracking their brackets online and switched back to playing Angry Birds all day. … Several banks and credit card companies are now warning customers that their e-mail addresses have been stolen, and the information might be used by shady organizations, like banks and credit card companies. … Oakland Raider wide receiver Louis Murphy was arrested Sunday night for illegal possession of Viagra. He had 11 Viagra pills on him without a prescription. But hey, you know what they say: Football, it's a game of inches, am I right? See, I don't think there's any shame in the guys taking Viagra. Being on the Raiders? That's another story. That's the embarrassing part. … At the end of his two-hour show in Cleveland last night, Charlie Sheen got a prolonged standing ovation. Well sure, it's Cleveland. After the Cavaliers, the Browns and the Indians, they are just amazed to hear anyone saying, 'Winning!'" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 4/6).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night's edition of CBS' "Late Show" aired a video "message" from Madison Square Garden for the Knicks. Letterman: "How about the New York Knicks, ladies and gentleman? Back in basketball, back in the playoffs! The Knicks are in the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Take a look at this!” The video showed Madison Square Garden, with the announcer saying, "The New York Knicks are NBA playoff bound! Since no one expected this, Madison Square Garden booked Rush during the first round of the playoffs. So catch all the Knicks action at the Temple Beth Shalom Rec Center in Edison, New Jersey." The video showed a picture of a temple, as well as Knicks F Carmelo Anthony wearing a Jewish prayer shawl and yarmulke ("Late Show," CBS, 4/6).

The intro to ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last night featured host Jimmy Kimmel and his Uncle Frank talking about StubHub. Kimmel: "Hi, I'm Jimmy Kimmel with a word about StubHub, the world's largest fan-to-fan ticket marketplace. Where fans buy and sell the tickets they choose to sports, concerts and more, even on the day of the event and even if the event is sold out." Uncle Frank: "Jim! I wish you would've brought this up earlier today." Kimmel: "Well why's that, Uncle Frank?" Uncle Frank: "I wanted L.A. Kings tickets for tonight!" Kimmel: "L.A. Kings? I had no idea you were a hockey fan." Uncle Frank: "Me neither! What about John Mellencamp? Can I get John Mellencamp tickets for this Friday on HubHub?" Kimmel: "It's StubHub and yes, you can get John Mellencamp tickets there." Uncle Frank asked, "What about parking tickets?" Kimmel: "No parking tickets. ... Sports, music, theater, shows." Uncle Frank: "Can I get ice cream on StubStub?" ("Jimmy Kimmel Live," ABC, 4/6).

Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten President Obama Campaign Promises for 2012" ("Late Show," CBS, 4/6).

10) "Be more of a warlock, less of a troll."
9) "Keep unemployment below 75%."
8) "Fight three wars and the fourth one is free."
7) "Replace space shuttle with this." (The broadcast aired video of comedian Don Rickles dropping his pants and "firing a rocket").
6) "Get fat like the rest of America."
5) "Send troops to quell feud between Meat Loaf and Gary Busey."
4) "Fortune cookies actually tell fortunes, no more of this lucky numbers crap."
3) "Less talk, more rock."
2) "Pardon Lindsay Lohan."
1) "Go back to being that cool, smoking badass we all fell in love with"”

Final Jeopardy....

"Who was Felix Mendelssohn?"

Correct responses to the "Great Women in Sports" category:

For $200: "Who is Martina Navratilova?"

For $400: "Who was Babe Didrikson?"

For $600: "Who is Lindsey Vonn?"

For $800: "Who is Bonnie Blair?"

For $1000: "Who is Janet Guthrie?"