MARKETING NEWS
MARKETING AND LICENSING DEALS
The Washington Capitals signed a marketing partnership with Ashburn Ice House, which becomes the fourth local facility affiliated with the Capitals.
ESPN Videogames signed Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp as the official spokesman and cover athlete for "ESPN NFL Football." The game will be the first one released under the newly formed ESPN Videogames brand as a collaboration between Sega, Visual Concepts and ESPN.
The Marine Corps Marathon signed a licensing agreement with Brooks Sports Inc., a running company with headquarters in Bothell, Wash. Brooks Sports becomes the first company to manage production, design and marketing for all Marine Corps Marathon licensed and commemorative gear. The 28th annual marathon will take place Oct. 26 in Washington, D.C.
SPONSORSHIPS
Credit card issuer MBNA Corp. will sponsor the IHRA's "Night of Fire" at the 22nd annual Northern Nationals, to be held at US 131 Motorsports Park (Aug. 8-10) in Martin, Mich., and the 12th annual Presidents Cup Nationals, to be held at Maryland International Raceway (Sept. 26-28) in Budds Creek, Md.
Atlanta's CBS 46 television station and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are the official media partners of Road Atlanta for the June 27-29 Chevy Grand Prix of Atlanta. The weekend of racing at the 2.54-mile road racing circuit will feature an American Le Mans Series event, which will be televised live by CBS Sports.
Honda Element will be the title sponsor of the $175,000 Honda Element U.S. Open of Surfing presented by O'Neill. The professional surfing competition will be held July 26-Aug. 3 at Huntington Beach Pier.
NewConnexions Inc., a rewards-based Internet service provider, signed a two-year National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Convention sponsorship agreement.
The MSM Sports Marketing Group formed a sponsorship agreement between professional golfer Kevin Haefner and Rochester, N.Y.-based BCC Software. BCC Software will receive logo positioning on Haefner's golf apparel, as well as promotional appearances and product endorsement opportunities.
Pepsi Bottling Group renewed its partnership with Nazareth (Pa.) Speedway as the speedway's official soft drink.
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Sports Management Network Inc. motorsports consulting division SMN Motorsports has joined Penske Racing Inc. and Quicken Loans Inc. in a marketing and business development agreement, designed to leverage the platform of IndyCar racing to drive business and brand awareness for Quicken Loans.
Girls-only action-sports clinics Op Girls Learn To Ride signed American Honda Motor Co. as a supporting sponsor and Gallaz footwear as an associate sponsor of 11 Southern California events.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed a multiyear deal with Florida Citrus Growers. Coach Jon Gruden will serve as spokesman for a campaign focused on building statewide awareness of the ways in which citrus contributes to Florida's social and economic welfare.
FACILITIES NEWS
Purchase, N.Y.-based ANC Saco reached an exclusive multiyear agreement with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. to provide its light-emitting diode signage system in the Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors.
SMG Sports and Entertainment and the city of Mississauga, Ontario, completed a three-year contract extension to provide all management services for the Hershey Centre. SMG has managed the Hershey Centre since its opening in October 1998.
BUSINESS NEWS
BUSINESS NOTES
Cincinnati-based CISM contracted with the New England Patriots' Matt Light to establish the Matt Light Foundation based in Light's hometown of Greenville, Ohio.
As part of an economic development trade mission organized by Metrovision and the World Trade Center of New Orleans, the New Orleans Saints will send three club officials to San Jose, Costa Rica, to lead the sports component of an outreach effort aimed at improving international business relations between New Orleans and Costa Rica. Arnold Fielkow, the Saints executive vice president of administration, will lead the sports component of the trade mission July 1-5.
International SpeedHockey League Limited Partners formed the International SpeedHockey League, a professional in-line hockey league, which debuts with exhibition games in Southern California in September and on the East Coast in October.
SPORTS AGENCY NEWS
CLIENT SIGNINGS
Cincinnati-based CISM signed Frank Banham of the Phoenix Coyotes and Marc Rodgers, formerly with the American Hockey League's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, for exclusive representation.
Bruce Levy, president of Bruce Levy Associates International Ltd., completed contracts for Chasity Melvin of the Cleveland Rockers and Israeli national team captain Limor Mizrachi to play for Lotos VBW Clima Gdynia in Poland for the 2003-04 international season. Erica McKeon of Bruce Levy Associates completed a deal for former WNBA all-star Sue Wicks to provide halftime analysis during Oxygen Network's coverage of WNBA games this season.
AWARDS
Fayetteville, N.Y.-based Innovision Film & Video Productions LLC won two national Telly Awards for work completed on behalf of its client, the Big East Conference. The two TV spots, "Champions" and "Ken Dorsey," won awards in the institutional image and PSA categories.
CHARITY NEWS
LPGA player Val Skinner raised $500,000 for breast cancer research from her charity golf event, the LIFE Event, held at Metedeconk National Golf Course in Jackson, N.J. In four years, the LIFE event has contributed $2 million for its benefactors, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
The Miami Heat donated $200,000 to the Jackson Memorial Foundation's Guardian Angels to support the remodeling of floors in Miami's Holtz Children's Hospital. The Heat Family Outreach Charitable Fund raised the funds through the sixth annual Miami Heat Family Festival, a beachfront fund-raiser held each spring in Miami and organized by Chris Riley, wife of Heat president and coach Pat Riley.
Fox Sports Net Arizona donated 100 tickets to Best Buddies Arizona, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with developmental disabilities, for the Arizona Diamondbacks-Houston Astros game June 23.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper pledged $500,000 of his salary over the next 10 years to the African American Adoption and Permanency Planning Agency. Culpepper himself was adopted when he was one day old by 62-year-old Emma Culpepper.
Lincoln Financial Group and Philadelphia Eagles place kicker David Akers will continue their Lincoln Financial Field Goals Program during the 2003-04 season. Lincoln Financial makes a donation to the David Akers' Kicks for Kids Foundation for every field goal Akers makes. Last year, the program generated $17,500 for the foundation.
Steve Mariucci, new coach of the Detroit Lions, appeared at the fourth annual Detroit Lions Charities Luncheon on June 13, along with childhood friend Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo. The luncheon raised more than $38,000, which will benefit seven Grand Rapids-area charities. The event was sponsored by Warner Norcross & Judd, National City Bank, Meijer, Axios Inc., and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan.
Miami Heat forward Caron Butler joined the American Red Cross of Greater Miami & the Keys in launching "Swim for Life," a water safety initiative that will educate parents and children about drowning prevention and how to respond to emergencies in, on and around the water. The American Red Cross of Greater Miami & the Keys will be providing 1,000 Miami-Dade children (14 and younger) free swimming lessons with a special voucher program.
The Minnesota Vikings Children's Fund donated $400,000 to benefit children in the upper Midwest.
Brewers Charities, the charitable arm of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club, introduced a scholarship program for promising students who cannot afford college. The Brewers Charities/Allan H. Selig Scholars Program was created in the name of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, former president of the Brewers. Up to 10 students who are graduates of the Class of 2003 in Wisconsin high schools will be selected for the inaugural scholarships worth up to $10,000, which must be used at a college or university based in Wisconsin. The scholarships will go to students pursuing careers in sports management, sports journalism or a related field.
The 2003 captains and manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars cheerleaders recently traveled with Mandarin Christian Church on a missionary trip to Tijuana, Mexico, where they helped build houses for impoverished families and led a children's program.
Ilitch Charities, the charitable foundation established by the Detroit Red Wings' Ilitch family to help children in the areas of health, recreation and education, awarded six high school athletes with college scholarships in the first Little Caesars Hockey Scholarship program. Each of the honorees played for Little Caesars' AAA level teams and maintained an overall 3.0 GPA or higher.
Jacksonville Jaguars fullback Marc Edwards hosted the fifth annual Marc Edwards Celebrity Golf Classic, with all proceeds benefiting Teen Response Inc., which provides personal support, mentoring and training for youth.
Derek Jeter, New York Yankees captain and all-star shortstop, hosted the seventh annual fund-raiser, presented by Fleet, at New York's Regent Ballroom to benefit the Turn 2 Foundation. Cal Ripken Jr., Ozzie Smith, Phil Rizzuto and Bob Costas joined Jeter in celebrating the nonprofit's accomplishment and its beneficiaries.
The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation has partnered with Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick to present the fourth annual Ravens Rally for Courage House Kids. The event will be held Aug. 13 at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md.
The Atlanta Falcons raised $76,914.88 in proceeds from the Dan Reeves/Whitey Zimmerman Memorial Classic, which benefited the Whitey Zimmerman Scholarship Fund. The scholarship program was established in memory of Zimmerman, the Falcons equipment manager from 1966 to 1994, who died of a heart attack during the 1994 season.
The Charlotte 49ers athletic foundation raised $180,000 at its 20th annual fund-raiser to benefit Charlotte-area charities. The event surpassed last year's total of $171,000.
Source: Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal research
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