BOISE, IDAHO
Karl buys into CBA team
George Karl, three-time Continental Basketball Association Coach of the Year and the NBA’s 15th
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| George Karl at a press conference announcing he joined the Stampede owners group |
all-time winningest coach, has become a member of the Idaho Stampede ownership group. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Karl is the 10th member of the CBA team’s ownership group. Karl broke into coaching as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs under coach Doug Moe, before he landed his first head-coaching position with the CBA’s Montana Golden Nuggets in 1980. Karl finished his 16-year NBA coaching career with a 708-499 (.587) record, ranking him 15th on the NBA’s all-time win list. The Stampede tips off its seventh season Nov. 19 against the Yakima Sun Kings in Yakima, Wash.
BOSTON
MLL, Lacrosse Institute announce tour
Major League Lacrosse has teamed up with the Lacrosse Institute to present the 2004-05 Titan Tour, a 
series of minicamps for players ages 10 to 18 designed to help support the growth of lacrosse in the country. Instruction is provided by some of the MLL’s top players. Along with the camp giveaways, Titan Tour participants will have a chance to win prizes at each clinic. This year the Titan Tour will stop in such cities as Seattle, Dallas, San Francisco, Orlando, Tampa and Portland. Dates are to be announced.
CLEVELAND
Barons make deal with Rubbermaid
The Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League have a new corporate partnership with Rubbermaid, providing Rubbermaid with several marketing opportunities. Each Cleveland Barons official game puck will be emblazoned with a Rubbermaid logo. These official game pucks will be used during play and can also be bought at souvenir stands. The Barons will also add the “Rubbermaid Player of the Game” feature this year. Rubbermaid is based in Fairlawn, Ohio.
COLUMBUS
Buckeye Legends go online
Inspired by the idea of hanging out with some of their old buddies and giving something back to the
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| Ohio State football greats have a Web site. |
fans, former Ohio State football greats Jim Karsatos, Jim Lachey and Chris Spielman have formed The Buckeye Legends. The trademarked brand will kick off with the launch of www.buckeyelegends.com. Starting with these founding Buckeye Legends, the concept will expand to include legends from all Ohio State University sports. The site will include key Legends stats, bios, webcasts, video archives, memorabilia, apparel and game-based contests.
DALLAS
Stars lay off 9 more staffers
The Dallas Stars have made a second round of layoffs since the end of the season. Hours after the NHL locked out its players, the team let go nine staffers who worked in ticket sales, game operations and public relations. The Stars have reduced their 85-person full-time staff to 50 since season’s end, including a 12-person layoff in May and 14 positions through attrition over the summer. The Dallas Morning News reported that the team will cut more staff if the NHL season is canceled, though some of those who have already been laid off likely will be rehired if the season is salvaged. Meanwhile, all upper-level managers, including President Jim Lites and general manager Doug Armstrong, have taken pay cuts, the News reported.
Cowboys may still use some tax funds
Though a proposed deal to bring a new Dallas Cowboys stadium to Arlington calls for the $650 million cost to be split 50-50 between the team and the city, the Cowboys could use public funds to pay about half of their share. The proposal allows the Cowboys to use ticket and parking taxes to help pay their share, even though such taxes typically pay the public’s portion. To make this happen, the team could have the city issue what are known as “nonrecourse special revenue bonds,” which would be repaid with the ticket and parking taxes, whose value over 30 years could be as much as $166.5 million. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that this tactic would permit the Cowboys to raise construction funds without declaring that money as revenue and that the team wouldn’t have to share tax-related funds with the NFL. Arlington voters will decide in November on whether the city should contribute $325 million for the stadium via sales, car-rental and hotel taxes.
DENVER
No. 7 John Elway Drive
Accolades continue to roll in for John Elway, the retired Denver Broncos quarterback who was named to the NFL Hall of Fame this year. Pending City Council approval, West Mile High Stadium Circle, which runs along Invesco Field at Mile High, will be permanently renamed John Elway Drive. The address for the stadium will be No. 7 John Elway Drive, reflecting Elway’s jersey number.
DETROIT
Pistons hold lottery to sell tickets
With an overwhelming demand for tickets, the NBA champion Detroit Pistons are holding a lottery to sell commemorative ticket packages for their Nov. 2 Opening Night game against the Houston Rockets. Opening Night ceremonies will include a special championship ring ceremony and a raising of the 2004 NBA championship banner. More than 15,000 requests, with a maximum of four tickets a person, were received for the drawing, which was to be held last Friday. The 4,000 non-season tickets were priced at $50, which includes a ticket and a limited-edition commemorative gift from the Pistons, expected to be a T-shirt.
HOUSTON
Harley night at the ballpark
Hosting the St. Louis Cardinals at Minute Maid Park on Sept. 27, the Houston Astros held “Harley-Davidson Night” for enthusiasts of the popular American motorcycle. Houston staged a pregame contest for Harley riders, including prizes for categories such as most intimidating outfit. The contest also awarded the “best dressed pack” and best-dressed couple. Harley fans had the opportunity to buy discount tickets to the game.
INDIANAPOLIS
Firebirds find new owner
The Indiana Firebirds have risen from the ashes. Though the Arena Football League board of directors voted to fold the franchise Sept. 20 after owner Dave Lageschulte said he would no longer operate the team and couldn’t find an owner, AFL officials announced Sept. 24 that Indianapolis entrepreneur Scott Hines and his brother, Todd, have agreed to buy the AFL franchise for an undisclosed amount. Lageschulte said in mid-September he would take $3.9 million for the franchise. Scott and Todd Hines founded and operate H3 Sportsgear, a designer and maker of licensed headwear and apparel for the likes of NASCAR, Jim Beam and Marvel Comics. H3 has offices in Indianapolis and Charlotte.
Pacers unveil new ad campaign
The Indiana Pacers recently unveiled their fall advertising campaign, “One Goal.” 
The campaign employs print, billboards and radio commercials on multiple Indianapolis stations. The billboards were unveiled in late September featuring Pacers starters Ron Artest, Reggie Miller and Jermaine O’Neal. The advertising campaign was a coordinated effort of Pacers Sports & Entertainment and the advertising agencies Pearson McMahon Fletcher England and Promotus Advertising.
KANSAS CITY
Hunt upset with Chiefs’ cost ranking
Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt told The Kansas City Star he’s disturbed that a 15 percent increase in ticket prices placed the Chiefs No. 3 in an NFL ranking done by Team Marketing Report Inc., a Chicago-based publisher of sports marketing information. The ranking doesn’t include premium seats or personal seat licenses. Their inclusion drops Kansas City to No. 13.
Kansas Speedway adding seats
Kansas Speedway will add 1,600 seats next year, raising the track’s capacity to almost 82,000. Jeff Boerger, the speedway’s president, said the Oct. 10 NASCAR race at the track in Kansas City, Kan., sold out in February. Separately, Boerger said the speedway’s 2005 ARCA race will run during the same weekend as the Indy Racing League and Craftsman Truck races.
MILWAUKEE
Packers TV popular, costly for politicians
Green Bay Packers games on TV and politics are a powerful — and expensive — combination for political candidates seeking votes from Wisconsinites. The most costly non-Packers 30-second political ads in October so far are for $5,000 on “must see” NBC Thursday nights on WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee. Candidates are paying between $18,500 and $19,850 during October for spots on Packers games at Fox affiliate WITI-TV and $18,000 for Packers “Monday Night Football” games on ABC affiliate WISN-TV.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL
Twins to raise ticket prices
The Minnesota Twins, cited by Team Marketing Report this year as having the second-least-expensive 
tickets in the American League, will raise prices by $1 to $5 per ticket during the 2005 season. The Twins also will make 6,369 general admission tickets in lower left field into reserved seating starting next season, according to the team. Tickets will range from $6 to $38 for single games and from $200 to $2,673 for 81-game season-ticket packages.
NEW YORK
Jets to host 11th women’s clinic
The New York Jets are to host their 11th annual 101 Clinic/201 Training Camp for Women today from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Jets’ training complex at Hofstra University. During the 101 Clinic, participants are taught in a classroom setting the rules, positions, football terms and strategies of the game by current 
Jets players, former players and coaches. The advanced event — the 201 Training Camp — is more hands-on than the beginner-level 101 Clinic. Current and former Jets players instruct the women through position drills used during Jets practices. Afterward, the participants play in a two-hand touch football game with Jets players as the coaches. After the clinic, there is a tailgate reception for everyone to watch “Monday Night Football.” More than 4,000 women have participated in the event since it began in 1993.
PHILADELPHIA
Women’s soccer tour hits Lincoln
The U.S. women’s soccer team announced it will play Denmark’s women’s team at Lincoln Financial Field in south Philadelphia on Nov. 6. The stop is part of the U.S. team’s 10-city “Fan Celebration” tour. The tour featuring the team that won this year’s Olympic gold medal in Athens began last month in Rochester, N.Y.
Fleer signs Wade as spokesman
Fleer Trading Cards, based in Mount Laurel, N.J., has signed Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade to an exclusive spokesman deal. The contract, terms of which were not disclosed, will allow Fleer to use Wade for autographed cards and “game-used” memorabilia cards for the 2004-05 NBA season. Wade will be featured on selected Fleer NBA packaging, sales and advertising materials and make appearances on the company’s behalf.
PRINCETON, N.J.
ECHL opens official online store
The ECHL, in a partnership with River City Sports, opened the ECHL Shop as its official online store. The
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| The ECHL’s official online store is operated by River City Sports. |
store’s Web address is echlshop.rivercitysports.com. The online store will feature an assortment of products for all 28 ECHL teams and all-star jerseys. The ECHL, which is based in Princeton, N.J., and River City Sports are in the first year of a three-year agreement that gives River City Sports responsibility for Web site development, merchandise, customer service, orders, garment decoration and product fulfillment.
TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG
Security targeted in scalping probe
Security officers who seized Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets from scalpers prior to home games allowed friends and relatives to sit in those unused seats for free, according to an internal report by the Tampa Police Department. The scheme was believed to have been in place from at least 1998 to the Bucs’ 2002-03 Super Bowl season, and apparently ended after the NFL complained about the practice. The Tampa Tribune recently obtained a copy of the internal report.
TORONTO
CBC to broadcast movies in NHL spots
The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. has decided to replace hockey with tripleheader Saturday night movies during the NHL lockout. The CBC aired classic hockey games during the last NHL lockout in 1994, but network officials decided to go the movie route this time in an effort to get larger audiences and offset as much as possible the revenue losses from not having hockey. CBC averaged about 200,000 viewers for the classic games a decade ago compared to the current average of roughly 1 million for a regular-season NHL game. CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada” is a national institution on Saturday nights and is a huge profit-maker for the network.
Curling champ to be condom spokesman
Two-time Canadian curling champion Glenn Howard has signed a sponsorship deal with Trojan Condoms. Howard said it is terrific that a condom manufacturer wants to get involved in curling and that it’s no different from Viagra having its signs on the dasherboards at hockey games.
SUNRISE, FLA.
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| Office Depot Center opened its WCI Communities Private Club last week. |
WCI to name arena’s private club
WCI Communities has become the official title sponsor of the Office Depot Center’s new private club. The WCI Communities Private Club was to be unveiled Sept. 30. Fewer than 20 memberships remain in the club. More than 85 percent of the 500 seats in the club have been sold in just three months. With the purchase of seats in the club, members get VIP access to every event in the building, including every Florida Panthers regular-season home game and all concerts and shows. Located on the Lexus Club Level, the new club features five-star food and beverage, unlimited soft drinks, beer and wine. Club members get VIP parking, business and concierge services, private rest rooms and a business lounge. The cost of the memberships was not disclosed.
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