The Sports Legends Challenge Invites Fans To Go All In for the Ultimate Sports Fantasy Event
World-Class Sports and Gaming Event Teams 25 Sports Legends, 25 Poker Pros and Avid Sports Fans Liddell, Couture, Hawk and Messier Added to Roster of Sports Icons
For the first time ever, sports fans have a chance to go beyond a typical athlete meet and greet or autograph session to actually play with and against 25 of the world’s greatest sports superstars. The Sports Legends Challenge is the sports fan’s ultimate fantasy featuring four days of casino gaming and golf cash prize tournaments with some of the biggest names in sports, including: Troy Aikman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Richard Petty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joe Namath, Reggie Jackson and many others. To up the ante, the event will also feature 25 of the world’s top Poker Pros such as Jamie Gold, Annie Duke, Johnny Chan and Mike Sexton, who will play with and coach event participants.
The Sports Legends Challenge announced today that it has secured mixed martial arts super stars Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture; skateboard icon Tony Hawk; and hockey legend Mark Messier to round out the list of 25 athletes who will participate.
The event is confirmed for Sept. 14 – 17, 2009 at the luxurious Atlantis Paradise Island resort and casino in the Bahamas. The Sports Legends, Poker Pros and participants will compete in a variety of events including No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, blackjack, slots and golf tournaments to vie for up to $10 million in prize money.
“The Sports Legends Challenge is one of the most elite and exclusive sporting events in the world,” said Bruce Bibbero, founder and chief executive officer, Sports Legends Challenge. “There has never been an event where a select group of sports fans can cross the line from spectator to competitor in a multi-day gaming and golf experience with 25 of the biggest names in U.S. sports history. It’s simply unprecedented.”
Event participants will compete individually and with a team in a variety of events including No Limit Texas ‘Em, blackjack, slots and golf tournaments during the four-day event. The week culminates with the Sports Legends All-Star Poker Challenge, matching up the Sports Legends, Poker Pros and top-finishing competitors in a winner-take-all, No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em grand finale. This event will pair the top 25 finishing poker players with a Sports Legend in two-player teams, along with a Poker Pro as their coach, for a cash prize. The Sports Legends All-Star Poker Challenge will be televised nationally by FOX Sports Network on Nov. 26, 2009, Thanksgiving Day.
“With the addition of Liddell, Couture, Hawk and Messier, we will enhance the experience for participants and entice a whole new audience of sports fans to be part of this event,” Bibbero said. “We’ve had an unbelievable response to this first-ever event. The support from the sports, poker and fan communities reinforces our vision to turn the Sports Legends Challenge into a series of worldwide events.”
The Sports Legends Challenge also announced today that PokerNews, the world’s leading Poker Web site, has been named as the title sponsor for the organization’s ultimate sports fantasy and gaming event now known as the PokerNews Sports Legends Challenge presented by AbsolutePoker.net. PokerNews will provide unique coverage and content of this event to millions of readers across the international poker community.
Additionally, the World Series of Poker Academy will hold a special three-day academy program as part of the Sports Legends Challenge headlined by all 25 of the Poker Pros in attendance. The Poker Pros will provide strategy, tips and offer instruction to the event participants.
In addition to the casino gaming, the Sports Legends Challenge also features a series of golf tournaments at the world-renowned Ocean Club Golf Course.
The sports icons participating in the event include:
– Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — Julius Erving (Dr. J) — Bobby Hull
– Troy Aikman — Mike Ditka — Ozzie Smith
– Richard Petty — Mark Messier — Laffit Pincay
– Sugar Ray Leonard — Fuzzy Zoeller — Brooks Robinson
– Emmitt Smith — Jerry West — Gale Sayers
– Reggie Jackson — Herschel Walker — Kyle Petty
– Chuck Liddell — Jim Brown — Michael Strahan
– Tony Hawk — Randy Couture — Rocco Mediate
– Joe Namath
Sports fans interested in participating should visit www.sportslegendschallenge.com or call 404-869-5000 for information on how to register. Prices start at only $3,799 per person based on double occupancy.
“For most sports fans, the opportunity to meet just one of these athletes is something they would remember and talk about the rest of their lives,” Bibbero said. “We are creating an opportunity for participants to not only meet all of these athletes, but spend significant time with them playing poker, golf and hanging out for four fantastic days. There are a variety of packages available at a great value for an event of this caliber.”
The Poker Pros participating in the event include:
– Annie Duke — Men “The Master” Nguyen — Marsha Waggoner
– Johnny Chan — Mark Seif — Kathy Liebert
– Mike Sexton — Cyndy Violette — Chip Jett
– T.J. Cloutier — Robert Williamson, III — David Singer
– Jamie Gold — Gavin Smith — Marco Traniello
– Layne Flack — Barbara Enright — Karina Jett
– “Cowboy” Kenna James — Amir Vahedi — Robert Daily
– Antonio Esfandiari
Corporate partners for the Sports Legends Challenge include PokerNews, AbsolutePoker.net, Rovia, WorldVentures, Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas, FOX Sports Radio, NTN Buzztime, Inc., VegasInsider, World Championship of Fantasy Football, The World Poker Store, Legendary Auctions, Golf Now powered by The Golf Channel, JetBlue, World Series of Poker Academy, Magellan Jet, Alchemy 3, Bluff Media, World Poker Association, Playboy Golf, and Imperial Jets.
Source: Sports Legends Challenge
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