Reebok Hockey partners with the 2008 NHL Premiere Series
Reebok joins the NHL, NHLPA and four high profile teams to take centre ice in Prague and Stockholm
Reebok Hockey is pleased to announce its partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) for the 2008 NHL Premiere Series in Stockholm, Sweden and Prague, Czech Republic taking place on October 4th and 5th. Under this partnership, Reebok will be a category exclusive marketing partner, exclusive supplier of game jerseys and the leading on-ice equipment supplier.
At the Premiere Series, Reebok Hockey will unveil its 2009 global hockey product line and activate a major in-arena brand marketing campaign. The NHL Premiere Series will allow Reebok to connect with European hockey consumers by creating a unique and compelling brand experience within an authentic hockey environment.
“The 2008 NHL Premiere Series is a key platform for the global launch of our new 2009 line of Reebok hockey products,” said Len Rhodes, General Manager of Reebok Hockey. “This partnership provides us with the opportunity to showcase our latest product innovations to hockey enthusiasts. In a rare occurrence, European fans will be able to watch their favorite hockey stars, such as Sidney Crosby, in action while wearing the latest gear from Reebok. We are also creating an exciting hospitality program for our top retail partners, allowing all parties of the industry to celebrate this series. ”
Following the success of the 2007 Premiere Series in London, four NHL teams will take the ice for this exciting event. The Pittsburgh Penguins will take on the Ottawa Senators in Stockholm, Sweden and the New York Rangers will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague, Czech Republic. These teams will face off in two of the world’s largest hockey markets.
Reebok-CCM Hockey, a subsidiary of the adidas Group, is headquartered in Montreal. With operations in Canada, the United States and Europe, the Company is the world’s largest designer, manufacturer and marketer of hockey equipment and related apparel under two of the most recognized hockey brand names: Rbk Hockey and CCM Hockey. Reebok-CCM Hockey equips more professional hockey players than any other company, including superstars like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. Reebok-CCM Hockey is also the official outfitter of the National Hockey League, the American Hockey League, the Canadian Hockey League and several NCAA and national teams
NHL is a registered trademark and NHL Premiere is a trademark of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. All Rights Reserved.
NHLPA, National Hockey League Players’ Association and the NHLPA logo aretrademarks of the NHLPA. (C) NHLPA
Source: Reebok-CCM Hockey
USA Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski to Write About World-Class Team Building and the Olympic Gold Medal Quest
Business Plus, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing (Hachette Book Group), has announced it will publish a new book by Duke University basketball coaching legend and U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K). Tentatively slated for publication in Spring 2009 and co-written with his daughter, Jamie K. Spatola, Krzyzewski will reveal the unique leadership skills that he used to unify a diverse group of NBA superstars and win the gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
In his previous bestselling books including “Leading with the Heart” and “Beyond Basketball,” Krzyzewski guided readers to success the way he has guided his teams at Duke — with his inspirational words and phenomenal leadership skills. Now, after stepping up to take on an entirely new challenge by volunteering to coach the U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball team, Coach K has achieved another great accomplishment — leading the team in Beijing to a gold medal. Krzyzewski will reveal how he took some of the biggest NBA stars and molded an American team that won against the best competition in the world and restored Team USA to the gold standard of basketball.
More than a celebratory book, it will be Krzyzewski’s first-hand account of how he worked with such stars as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony to buy into his “total team” play. A book on basketball and on management techniques, it will feature Krzyzewski’s personal style and approach to getting people to work together and succeed in reaching a common goal.
“There are so many amazing stories from this recent Olympic experience and to share them in a book project will be fantastic,” said Krzyzewski. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with Jamie and working with all of the great people at Grand Central Publishing again. The U.S. Olympic gold medal team has served as a perfect example of what successful team building is all about.”
In making the announcement, Rick Wolff, Vice President, Executive Editor, Grand Central Publishing and Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Business Plus said, “We absolutely cherish our long-term publishing relationship with one of America’s truly legendary coaches, and we’re thrilled to be able to work with Mike and Jamie on this project. All basketball fans know that America still has the highest total of top stars, but it took the coaching magic of Coach K to find the right players, get them to work as a team, and to bring home the gold. We anticipate this work to be a meaningful case study in fundamental management techniques, and as with his previous books, transcend the world of sports.”
Mike Krzyzewski has been the head basketball coach of the Duke Blue Devils for 28 years, winning 730 games and three NCAA championships at the school, while also earning National Coach of the Year awards twelve times. Coach K was inducted in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001 and is the sixth winningest NCAA Division I coach with 803 total wins, including five seasons as the head coach at West Point, his alma mater.
Source: Grand Central Publishing
Golf Industry Professionals to Get Firsthand Look at Industry-Leading Management and Advertising Tool
ProLink Solutions to Exhibit Golf GPS System’s Player Features, Revenue-Enhancing Benefits at 2008 PGA Fall Expo
ProLink Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ProLink Holdings Corp. and the world’s leading provider of Global Positioning Satellite (“GPS”) golf course management systems and digital out-of-home on-course advertising, today announced that it will exhibit its industry-leading products, services and advertising program at the 2008 PGA Fall Expo, Booth #923, August 25-27 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
ProLink’s industry-leading, media-rich GPS system will be on display at the PGA Fall Expo, which is expected to draw more than 4,000 golf industry professionals and some 400 vendors. Key ProLink executives will be on hand to demonstrate the system’s numerous player-friendly features, management and revenue-enhancing benefits and exclusive national advertising opportunity.
ProLink is the world’s most widely used golf cart-based GPS system and is featured at such courses as past Ryder Cup hosts the K Club and Valderrama, as well as world-class resorts including the Four Seasons Hualalai, Amelia Island Plantation and Kapalua Resort. In 2008, ProLink’s system has been installed or renewed at dozens of high-profile properties including Arcadia Bluffs (Mich.), Rush Creek (Minn.), Oak Quarry (Calif.) and Whiskey Creek (Mary.).
ProLink’s 10.4″ high-resolution color monitors broadcast vibrant, easy-to- read graphics of each hole, allowing golfers to pinpoint distances, locate hazards, navigate the golf course and place food and beverage orders with the touch of a button. ProLink also features a real-time sports ticker scrolling up-to-the-minute sports results from around the world as well as SmartCart, eliminating theft while enhancing golfer safety and course conditions.
From the pro shop, management utilizes the ProLink system to monitor golf cart fleets and optimize operations using fully integrated, Windows-based workstations. The precise locations of golf carts, color-coded pace-of-play status for each cart, as well as cart battery levels and other wear and tear indicators are readily available. Courses engaging with ProLink report pace- of-play improvements of up to 30 minutes per round, resulting in four additional rounds per day.
Source: ProLink Holdings Corp.
Sports Illustrated Group Commissions Poster of Iconic Michael Phelps Eight Gold Medal Cover
The First SI Cover to be Reproduced as a Poster in Franchise History
The Sports Illustrated Group (www.SI.com) today announced that the iconic August 25, 2008 SI cover featuring Michael Phelps wearing all eight of his 2008 Olympic Gold Medals will be commissioned as a poster and available to a global audience. This is a first for the SI franchise.
“I have spoken at length about my desires to help grow the sport of swimming and I am truly honored that Sports Illustrated has chosen to create this commemorative poster for fans across the US and around the world,” said Phelps. “I hope the poster will serve as a reminder to all that anything is possible.”
The poster will be available beginning Monday, August 25 through retail partner Fine Art Limited (www.fineartlimited.com) or 1-800-544-5239. Posters will be 13×18 ($15 + p&h) and 18×24 ($19.95 + p&h). Previously, Sports Illustrated had published posters featuring iconic images from the pages of the magazine, but never a cover for mass distribution.
“This cover represents photo journalism at its finest,” says Sports Illustrated Group President Mark Ford. “Our mission is to create innovative ways to deliver sports fans our award winning content and this is the latest example. We are thrilled that this amazing image will be our first commissioned poster.”
Fine Art Limited is an official licensee of the United States Olympic Team.
“For Michael’s epic performance in Beijing to be remembered with an iconic Sports Illustrated poster will be a treasure for any sports fan,” said Peter Carlisle, Octagon’s Managing Director of Olympic & Action Sports. “Michael has taken the sport of swimming to a whole new level and this poster featuring his eight gold medals is a testament to all his hard work and dedication.”
Source: Sports Illustrated
Playboy Reveals First College-Sportswriter Preseason Top 25
Nation’s Best Student Sportswriters Vote on Top 25 College Football Teams
The Playboy All America team has been a fixture on the college football landscape since 1957. Now PlayboyU.com, Playboy’s free site mixing collegiate journalism, entertainment, and cross-campus dialogue, has polled college sportswriters and editors (playboyu.com/footballpoll) from student newspapers at top universities nationwide to compile the “Playboy College Sportswriter Top 25 Poll,” the first-ever survey of its kind. The feature is available for public viewing on playboyu.com/footballpoll.
“We’re glad to have students from so many great schools participate in this inaugural poll,” said Gary Cole, Playboy magazine’s sports editor and the man who chooses the prestigious Playboy All America Team. “It’s great to be able to add the opinions of these college journalists to Playboy’s coverage of college football and college sports in general … even if their ultimate pick of Georgia over my preseason number one, Oklahoma, is dead wrong.”
Indeed, the college sportswriters picked the University of Georgia No. 1; the Bulldogs narrowly edged out the University of Southern California. Rounding out the top five are Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Florida. The 31 student-pollsters include representatives from nearly every major Division I conference, as well as the Ivy League. Student journalists from the University of Florida, University of Georgia, USC, UCLA, The Ohio State University, Harvard University, University of Notre Dame, and 24 other schools submitted ballots for the preseason top 25 college football teams. The journalists will be on PlayboyU.com debating their votes with fellow college students (see below for complete list of participating journalists).
Playboy U is the online destination for Playboy’s collegiate content, including the Playboy All America teams, guides to student life, college bar reviews, college mascot interviews, and more. The site also offers a glimpse into the world of Playboy with exclusive party coverage, videos, and contributions from Playboy personalities. Additionally, it includes a community of college students who generate content and dialogue on subjects like relationships, pop culture, and getting the most out of the college experience.
Playboy’s College Sportswriters Top 25
Rank Team Points
1 Georgia 729 13 Texas Tech 374
2 USC 724 14 Kansas 330
3 Ohio State 698 15 Virginia Tech 318
4 Oklahoma 680 16 BYU 295
5 Florida 675 17 Arizona State 291
6 Missouri 605 18 Tennessee 280
7 LSU 566 19 Illinois 208
8 West Virginia 517 20 Oregon 185
9 Clemson 494 21 South Florida 168
10 Texas 486 22 Penn State 126
11 Auburn 451 23 Fresno State 87
12 Wisconsin 404 24 Wake Forest 64
25 Alabama 57
The Pollsters:
Mary Moore Albl
Boise State University
Sports Editor, The Arbiter
Andrew Bartholomew
Yale University
Sports Editor, Yale Daily News
Cory Bennett
Cornell University
Sports Editor,
The Cornell Daily Sun
Ben Breiner
University of Wisconsin
Sports Editor, The Daily Cardinal
John Clayton
Syracuse University
Sports Editor, The Daily Orange
Corey DeMoss
University of Oklahoma
Sports Editor,
The Oklahoma Daily
Rustin Dodd
The University of Kansas
Sports Editor,
The University Daily Kansan
Brian Eller
Penn State
Football Editor,
The Daily Collegian
Michael Fitzpatrick
University of Georgia
Sports Editor, The Red and Black
Brian Gawthrop
West Virginia State University
Associate Sports Editor,
The Daily Athenaeum
Lenny Goldman
University of Missouri
Sports Editor, The Maneater
Matt Gottfried
The Ohio State University
Editor in Chief, The Lantern
Andrew Joseph Greif
University of Oregon
Sports Editor,
Oregon Daily Emerald
David Gurian-Peck
University of Pennsylvania
Sports Editor,
The Daily Pennsylvanian
David Harding
The University of Cincinnati
Sports Editor, The News Record
Jennifer Hart
Princeton University
Executive Editor for Sports,
The Daily Princetonian
David R. Henry
The University of Texas at Austin
Interim Sports Editor,
The Daily Texan
Adi Joseph
The University of Maryland
Sports Editor, The Diamondback
Gavin LaPaille
University of Louisville
Sports Editor, Louisville Cardinal
Eric Lindsey
University of Kentucky
Sports Columnist and Managing
Editor, The Kentucky Kernel
Dixon McPhillips
Harvard University
Associate Sports Editor,
The Harvard Crimson
Brad Merritt
University of Tennessee
Sports Editor, The Daily Beacon
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
University of Southern California
Sports Editor, Daily Trojan
Brian Murphy
University of Central Florida
Sports Editor,
Central Florida Future
Dan Murphy
University of Notre Dame
Sports Editor, The Observer
Todd Orodenker
Temple University
Sports Editor, The Temple News
Tony F. Pizza
The University of Utah
Sports Editor,
The Daily Utah Chronicle
Sarah Salam
UCLA
Sports Editor, Daily Bruin
Nate Sandals
University of Michigan
Managing Sports Editor,
The Michigan Daily
Brian Steele
University of Florida
Sports Editor, The Daily Alligator
Bobby Stover
The University of Arizona
Sports Editor,
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Source: Playboy Media Group
Five-Time U.S. Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist Aaron Peirsol Is Honored by Bank of America for His Work to Protect the Oceans
Bank contributes $15,000 to Peirsol’s “Race for the Oceans” campaign
Bank of America today announced a $15,000 contribution to Aaron Peirsol’s “Race for the Oceans” campaign, following the U.S. Olympic swimmer’s gold medal performances in the men’s 100 meter backstroke and 4×100 meter medley relay at the Beijing Olympic Games. Peirsol, a Bank of America endorsed athlete who also secured a silver medal in the men’s 200 meter backstroke, created “Race for the Oceans” with ocean advocacy group Oceana to raise awareness about the threats facing the world’s oceans by providing a forum for swimmers and swimming fans to “dive in” to ocean conservation. In addition to his accomplishments during the Beijing Olympic Games, Peirsol won three gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Peirsol, 25, and a native of Irvine, CA, is part of the Bank of America Hometown Hopefuls(R) program. Through this program, Bank of America provides financial support and marketing exposure to 12 U.S. Olympic athletes and hopefuls.
“Aaron’s accomplishments in the pool are equaled only by his dedication and commitment to protecting the world’s oceans,” said Ray Bednar, Global Sponsorship Marketing executive, Bank of America. “We are delighted to celebrate Aaron’s tremendous success at the Beijing Olympic Games, and honor his achievements through our support of his Race for the Oceans advocacy.”
As part of the company’s support for Peirsol’s campaign, Bank of America is sponsoring the Race for the Oceans Open Water Swim in Fort Meyers, Florida on November 8 and 9. The two-day program includes open water racing, clinics, multiple in-ocean training sessions and educational forums on the causes of and solutions to the declining health of the world’s oceans.
“Growing up in Orange County, I have seen a lot of change in the oceans, which is why I wanted to create this program,” said Peirsol. “Now, to have the support of my sponsor, Bank of America, who is an established environmental leader, Race for the Oceans can have an even greater impact.”
The contribution to Peirsol’s Race for the Oceans is consistent with Bank of America’s ten-year, $20 billion environmental initiative to address global climate change by promoting sustainability in its operations and through its lending, investing, new products and services.
Bank of America has a legacy of environmental leadership dating back two decades, when it began implementing and applying environmental considerations to its own operations and internal business practices. For example, the bank reduced paper usage per associate by 40 percent and set aggressive, voluntary goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the company by 9 percent by 2009 through the reduction of its energy consumption. Bank of America also reimburses its associates $3,000 when they buy a new hybrid vehicle — a benefit that more than 2,200 individuals have taken advantage of to date.
Bank of America’s environmental initiatives emphasize business opportunities, created by green economic growth, by providing critical financing to encourage the development of environmentally sustainable products and technologies; accelerate the deployment of existing technologies; and increase energy efficiency. For more information about Bank of America’s environmental efforts, visit www.bankofamerica.com/environment .
Bank of America is widely recognized as a major corporate sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, making it possible for the nation’s best athletes to represent the United States in world-class competition. Bank of America’s involvement with the Olympic Movement dates back to 1992, when it first signed on as an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team that competed in Barcelona, Spain. The company has supported every U.S. Olympic Team since, including the Americans competing in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Race for the Oceans
Race for the Oceans is a campaign started in 2007 by Olympic swimmer Aaron Peirsol. Its mission is to engage swimmers and swimming fans in ocean conservation by spreading awareness and connecting them with the worldwide efforts of ocean conservation group, Oceana. Aaron’s website, www.RacefortheOceans.org, is a forum where his fans can read blog entries, view videos, make donations and take action in support one of several projects initiated by Oceana. To learn more about Oceana visit www.Oceana.org .
Source: Bank of America
Tennis Fans Turn to TicketsNow for US Open Tickets
New partnership builds on USTA’s existing Ticketmaster relationship and provides sanctioned marketplace for fans to buy great seats at competitive prices
Tennis, anyone? The hottest seats in New York every summer are always at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, when the game’s best descend on the Big Apple for the US Open. If you’re looking to sit so close you can hear 125-mph serves as they whoosh by you, or if you want to be there for all the top matches, TicketsNow, a Ticketmaster Company, and the only sanctioned, official US Open ticket exchange, has your tickets, including single-session access to great seats you can’t find anywhere else.
The US Open is the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, with a record 715,000 fans making their way to the action last year. As a result, demand for US Open tickets is always high and making sure every ticket is authentic is a must. TicketsNow connects fans with all of the fun and excitement of live music, theater, and sports, and now it’s the best way to ensure you have the seats you want for the matches you want to see. Thanks to TicketsNow’s exclusive partnership with the USTA, ticketholders who are unable to attend specific sessions can post their tickets for sale, offering fellow fans the opportunity to purchase tickets for courtside and other great seats.
“Our goal is to provide fans with a connection to the best seats for the biggest events, and our exclusive relationship with the US Open allows us to do so in an even bigger way,” said Cheryl Rosner, CEO of TicketsNow. “If you’re a tennis fan you have to be at the US Open, and if you have to be at the US Open, start your search for some of the best seats and most secure transactions at TicketsNow.com.”
The 2008 US Open will be held from Monday, August 25 through Sunday, September 7 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, and will include day sessions beginning at 11 a.m. and night sessions beginning at 7 p.m. through Thursday, September 4. Finals Weekend will feature the Women’s Singles Semifinals on Friday, September 5; the Men’s Singles Semifinals on Saturday, September 6; the Women’s Singles Final in primetime at 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 6; and the Men’s Singles Final at 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 7.
TicketsNow’s partnership with the USTA begins with the 2008 US Open and continues through 2012. For more information and to begin your search for tickets, log on to http://www.ticketsnow.com/ or http://www.usopen.org/.
Source: TicketsNow