Mexico-Poland Soccer Face-Off July 5 at Bridgeviews Toyota Park
Monterrey’s Rayados face off against Cracovia Krakow in first-ever Mayor’s Cup
Two of Mexico and Poland’s most storied soccer clubs will face off at Toyota Park in Bridgeview on July 5 for what promises to be a true soccer experience on and off the field, with fans from two of Chicago’s largest and proudest ethnic communities showcasing their love for soccer and their heritage.
Cracovia Krakow, Poland’s oldest soccer franchise, will travel from its home Pope John Paul II Stadium to suit up against Mexican powerhouse Club de Futbol Monterrey for a 6 p.m. kick-off. The teams will compete for the first-ever Mayor’s Cup, which is to feature international clubs each year.
Fan-friendly pricing starts at $25. Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster or at the Toyota Park box office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets are also available at all Doma and Polamer stores
“You haven’t experienced soccer until you’ve seen the friendly rivalry, passion and joy fans bring to international match-ups,” said Village of Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek. “We look forward to hosting spirited Mexican and Polish fans, and warmly invite everyone else to come share a unique and unforgettable sports and cultural experience. It is fitting this celebration of diversity and the American melting pot take place July 4th weekend.”
Cracovia has won five Polish titles. Two-time champion Monterrey, better known as “Rayados,” advanced to this year’s final eight in the Mexican league.
The event is organized by the Village of Bridgeview, Global Pro Management and John Zapa.
Source: Toyota Park
FASTHockey Ices Deal with Orb to Broadcast Youth Hockey Games LIVE on the iPhone
iPhone Owners Worldwide Can Watch Thousands of Games LIVE
FASTHockey, the premier destination for LIVE and on-demand video streaming of amateur ice hockey, announced it has partnered with Orb Networks to broadcast on the iPhone the thousands of amateur hockey games currently seen online at FASTHockey.com. FASTHockey will use Orb’s proven Orb Live Events technology to broadcast games LIVE from the OneHockey International Tournament from June 24 to July 3, 2009. iPhone and iPod touch owners can simply download the FREE Live Events application from the Apple App Store, and watch LIVE action of their favorite youth hockey team, including teams from around the globe.
FASTHockey is the most comprehensive amateur hockey destination on the web and helps unite youth hockey around the world through community, connections, and content. FASTHockey streamed almost 4,000 games LIVE during the 2008/2009 season, making it the premier destination for players, parents, coaches and fans that love watching great hockey action online. The partnership with Orb extends this community – including LIVE broadcasts of thousands of games – to the iPhone.
“Hockey has a tremendous following worldwide, and the fans are super-passionate,” said Marc Ruskin, CEO of FASTHockey. “For the first time, hockey fans – and families and coaches – can watch games LIVE on the iPhone worldwide. We selected Orb and its Orb’s Live Events technology because it is proven and approved in the App Store, and because it was fast, easy and inexpensive to implement in a geographically distributed way. Next season we will have LIVE events being broadcast from hundreds of venues around the world.”
Orb was the first company to stream LIVE TV to the iPhone in May, 2008. The Live Events technology has been used to power live broadcasts of the NBA’s All-Star Weekend with Turner Sports and The Masters Golf Tournament on the iPhone.
“We are really at the tipping point for user-generated-content. Till now, the state of the art has been to upload static video clips to a website for all to see. While this is all well and good, the next frontier will be LIVE content, available on a worldwide basis, to anyone who has an internet connection,” said Joe Costello, CEO of Orb Networks. “FASTHockey is leading the pack in this regard. Using Orb Live Events, they are going to bring thousands of youth hockey games around the world to the iPhone.”
For more information on watching the more than 300 games on tap during the OneHockey International Tournament, please visit: http://www.fasthockey.com/information/events/fasthockey_and_orb_deliver_live_hockey_to_iPhone.php
LIVE coverage of the Tournament begins June 24.
Download the FREE Orb Live Events application now from the Apple App Store, and look for LIVE youth hockey games beginning June 24.
FASTHockey.com is the premier online network for ice hockey players, coaches and fans to organize their hockey lives while developing personal connections rooted in shared hockey interests. FASTHockey.com provides the online platform so that athletes and coaches can create player and team profiles, upload videos and photos, track and view statistics, check out opponents before games, and discover the best ice hockey players in the world.
Orb Networks is a leading provider of media access applications. Its OrbLive application was the first to stream LIVE TV to the iPhone and iPod touch, and the OrbLive application is available today in the Apple App Store for $9.99 (a Free Sampler version is also available). For more information about OrbLive on the iPhone or iPod touch, please visit: http://orb.com/en/orblive
Source: Orb Networks, Inc.
Table Tennis, this years trendiest game, has a Big Fan at the White House
Obama Purchases Stiga(R) Table Tennis Table
Shouts of “Yes, We Can!” will undoubtedly reverberate from the White House walls as President Obama, his family and their friends engage in spirited matches on the family’s new table tennis table.
The Obama purchase is the most recent piece of “stimulus” the sporting goods industry has received from the popular resurgence of table tennis. Once the staple of church basements and family rec. rooms, table tennis has emerged as the latest craze of the entertainment community. The game’s coolness factor was solidified by its appearance in an episode of “Entourage” during the show’s most recent season. Hollywood Table Tennis enthusiasts include Edward Norton, Matthew Broderick and rap star 50 Cent. Actress Susan Sarandon is so passionate about the game she is a backer of SPiNYC, a “swanky” members-only table tennis club.
A personal purchase by President Obama, the Obamas selected a Tournament Series Table Tennis Model from Stiga for the White House. With its tournament-grade top and heavy duty chassis, the table is designed for aggressive play and family fun, which are the qualities the Obamas were looking for in a table tennis table.
“We are proud that the President and his family selected a Stiga table for the White House. Table Tennis is the perfect way for a busy executive like the President to spend quality time with his friends and family,” said Nick Martin, product manager Stiga. “With its fast pace, the game requires total concentration. And, because it can be played by people of varying skill levels, it is a great family game.” As a fitness oriented family, table tennis is a natural activity for the Obamas,” continued Martin. “The game is often called the “brain game” because it gives players a mental and aerobic work-out. It is also a great way for children and adults alike to improve their hand/eye coordination.”
While the White House and Hollywood are leading the Table Tennis trend, the current economic downturn may also be a contributing factor in the game’s current popularity. “For many Baby Boomers, Table Tennis may symbolize the happier, more care-free times in their lives,” continued Martin. “And, in lean times, it is an economic and fun activity for the whole family.”
Source: Escalade Sports
MLS presents the most prolific summer of soccer ever – 51 Days, 26 Cities, 101 Top-Flight Games
Beckham, Messi, Henry, Kaka and Ronaldo among the world-famous stars scheduled to appear
Soccer fans are salivating because beginning June 20, an unprecedented number of top-flight matches will take place in the United States and Canada this summer. Most of the 101 games in the 51-day period dubbed “The Summer of Soccer” involve Major League Soccer, whose clubs will take on heralded European and Mexican clubs such as FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Chelsea FC, Club America and Real Madrid, and whose marketing arm — Soccer United Marketing — helps stage international tournaments such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup and SuperLiga and tours by Mexico’s national team and famed Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara. Nearly 2 million soccer fans are expected to attend “The Summer of Soccer” in 26 cities.
Less than a year before the FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa, fans across North America have opportunities to see, in person, some of the sport’s biggest names, including David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry (FC Barcelona), and recent Real Madrid acquisitions Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. Fans can also enjoy games with cultural flair and high intensity as clubs and national teams vie for supremacy in this region of the world.
“The Summer of Soccer” encompasses Major League Soccer’s involvement in the top professional league in the United States and Canada, as well as international soccer events that are taking place in both countries. Included in the 51-day span are 48 MLS League games, 15 games of the 2009 SuperLiga tournament, all 25 games of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, two games of the Mexican National Team’s annual tour of the United States, two CONCACAF Champions League matches, eight international exhibition games involving FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Chelsea FC, Chivas de Guadalajara, Club America and Real Madrid, and the MLS All-Star Game featuring Everton FC on July 29.
“The Summer of Soccer” begins Saturday, June 20 with the third annual SuperLiga tournament that features MLS clubs against their Mexican counterparts, and concludes Sunday, Aug. 9 when D.C. United hosts Real Madrid in an international exhibition match at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
“The Summer of Soccer” will provide an important boost to many local economies during tough times. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., will host 10 games during this span, while The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., will host eight games. Nearly 30 venues will host major soccer events during “The Summer of Soccer”, making access possible for millions of Americans. An estimated 7,000 hotel rooms will be booked by participating teams for all soccer events and more than 21,000 people will staff the events.
The collective volume of sponsorship, broadcast agreements, advertising and fan support behind these soccer events — along with new investors and teams joining MLS — illustrate the vibrancy of the world’s game in North America.
MLS’ newest team, Seattle Sounders FC, is enjoying arguably the most successful U.S. professional sports team launch in recent memory. The first-year club is well on its way toward setting an all-time MLS attendance record, averaging nearly 30,000 fans per game. Next spring, Philadelphia Union will take the field as the 16th team in MLS, and in 2011, Portland and Vancouver join to bring the total to 18 teams. The League is the linchpin of the game’s growth in the United States and hosts events like those in “The Summer of Soccer” to bring the game to the diverse audiences across North America and to increase the profile of MLS clubs.
Having just enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in European club history — where they captured the UEFA Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey titles — FC Barcelona will conduct their third tour in conjunction with Soccer United Marketing, and will play against the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC, and Mexican powerhouse Chivas Guadalajara.
Other notable highlights of “The Summer of Soccer” are the long-awaited opening of the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which will host its first sporting event on July 19 — a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal doubleheader. In addition, major international soccer will be held for the first time at two venues – Atlanta’s Georgia Dome and Florida International University (FIU) Stadium in Miami. The Georgia Dome will host the Mexican National Team versus Venezuela on June 24 as part of the Mexican National Team tour of the United States, while FIU Stadium will host group play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on July 10.
Major League Soccer’s annual All-Star game versus 2009 FA Cup runners up Everton FC on Wednesday, July 29 in Sandy, Utah’s Rio Tinto Stadium will highlight the MLS schedule during the 51-day “Summer of Soccer.” For a more detailed by the numbers breakdown of “The Summer of Soccer” click here.
Source: Major League Soccer
Easton Hockey Dominates NHL Postseason Scoring
Easton follows up record regular season with more postseason goals, points and game-winners than any other manufacturer
Easton Hockey, manufacturer of the No. 1 stick and glove in the NHL, contributed to more goals, points and game-winners than any other equipment manufacturer in the 2009 NHL postseason, including Bauer, Warrior and RBK for the fifth straight year.
A 2009 postseason-best 182 goals, 478 points and 38 game-winners were scored using Easton’s industry-leading composite stick technology. Seven of the top-15 goal scorers in the Stanley Cup playoffs used Easton hardware including the Red Wings top three scorers – Dan Cleary (9), Johan Franzen (12) and Henrik Zetterberg (11), plus Bill Guerin (7) of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We had a record 371 players using Easton composite sticks during the 2009 regular season,” said Geoff Sadowy, executive vice president of Easton Hockey. “But what this postseason really shows is that the guys using our sticks aren’t riding the pine – 478 points really speaks for itself.”
Easton’s SE16 was the stick of choice during the 2009 postseason.
Introduced in 2008, the SE16 combines the same proven construction of the renowned Synergy Elite line with Easton’s patented, industry-first Focus Weight Technology(TM) to create a next generation Synergy stick unmatched on the ice.
Easton’s Focus Weight Technology uses a concentrated weight strategically placed in the blade’s impact zone to keep the puck on the blade, and in the shaft to counter-balance the stick and give added control. For the ultimate in power, Easton’s impressive Synergy construction is combined with its compression molded process to yield one of the most powerful shots in the game.
Source: Easton Hockey