NCAA Men’s College World Series Tickets Available on Flash Seats
Veritix, the Cleveland-based ticketing technology company, will provide the technology platform to sell tickets for the games at the 2011 NCAA Men’s College World Series.
For the first time, Flash Seats, the patented digital ticketing platform from Veritix, will be used to buy, sell, transfer and deliver tickets to the games being played from June 18-28/29 at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
“The CWS is a premier sporting event and the demand for tickets has increased significantly in recent years,” said Dennis Poppe NCAA vice president of football and baseball. ”The NCAA’s agreement with Veritix provides our fans with a legitimate and safe means to purchase tickets on the secondary market.”
The tickets are available on a College World Series and NCAA endorsed Flash Seats marketplace (http://cws.flashseats.com).
“Once again, our relationship with the NCAA gives us the opportunity to provide a dynamic, convenient, safe and reliable experience for fans – this time for college baseball fans,” said Jeff Kline, president of Veritix. ”It’s a privilege to be working with an organization with the stature of the NCAA and obviously we welcome the opportunity to be involved in the most high-profile and prestigious events in college athletics.”
Veritix signed a multi-year agreement with the NCAA in 2010 to provide primary ticketing services for NCAA Championships, along with advanced ticketing registration for selected NCAA Championships, and continued use of Flash Seats technology.
NBA All-Star Blake Griffin Donates 2011 Kia Optima from Sprite Slam Dunk for Auction to Benefit Stand Up To Cancer
Los Angeles Clippers forward and 2010-11 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin has donated the autographed 2011 Kia Optima midsize sedan used in his jaw-dropping dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk at NBA All-Star 2011 for a public charity auction on AutoTrader.com to benefit Stand Up To Cancer.
Proceeds from the auction of the automobile will go directly to cancer research funded by Stand Up To Cancer in tribute to Griffin’s friend and former high school teammate, Wilson Holloway. A Tulsa native, Wilson passed away on February 16 after a three-year battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Griffin will work with Stand Up to Cancer to identify the best way to utilize the funds to target research done specifically for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
The auction is now open on AutoTrader.com and will run through 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET on Sunday, May 15. To find out more information and to bid on the auction package, go to www.autotrader.com/BlakeDunk
“I am honored to memorialize Wilson’s legacy by helping to raise funds for cancer research,” said Blake Griffin. “Wilson was an inspiration to everybody who knew him, and a very dear friend and teammate. I dedicated my All-Star weekend to him.”
To further support Griffin’s commitment to raise funds for cancer research in honor of Holloway, Stand Up To Cancer has created a fundraising team called Team Blake: In Honor of My Friend, Wilson Holloway, through which the public can donate any amount of money at www.su2c.org/BlakeDunk. Read more
NBA All-Star Blake Griffin Signs Exclusive Multi-Year Deal With Panini America
Trading card and memorabilia deal places the 2011 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Champion alongside Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and John Wall on Panini’s roster of world-class ambassadors
Panini America, the NBA’s exclusive trading card and sticker partner, has inked Los Angeles Clippers slam-dunk sensation Blake Griffin to an exclusive multi-year agreement.
Griffin joins a growing roster of exclusive athletes that are part of the Panini family, including five-time NBA Champion Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick of the Washington Wizards in the 2010 NBA Draft. Panini originally signed Griffin to an exclusive rookie deal for the 2009-10 season when Griffin was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, but Griffin’s season ended early due to injury.
“Panini America will forever hold a special place for me because it’s the company that helped make a dream come true by producing my first NBA trading cards,” Griffin said. ”The opportunity to join the Panini family and work with a company that is at the forefront of innovation and has reinvigorated the trading card category is special.”
As part of the exclusive multi-year agreement, Griffin’s autographs and memorabilia will be found only in Panini products. He also will be featured on Panini products and packaging, as well as in Panini’s national advertising, marketing and social media initiatives. Read more
Coach K Talks with Bob Knight on SiriusXM’s Basketball and Beyond
Coach K and Coach Knight, the only two coaches in NCAA history with 900 career wins, discuss their milestone, the NCAA Tournament and other topics
Next edition of Mike Krzyzewski’s weekly talk show debuts Wednesday, March 23 (7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT)
Sirius XM Radio announced that the next edition of Basketball and Beyond with Coach K, the weekly show hosted by Duke University and U.S. Men’s National Team coach Mike Krzyzewski, will debut Wednesday, March 23 (7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT) on Mad Dog Radio (Sirius channel 123 and XM channel 144) and feature a special interview with Coach K’s mentor and former coach, Bob Knight.
Krzyzewski recorded his 900th career coaching victory Sunday with the Blue Devils’ third-round win over Michigan, becoming the second coach in history to reach that mark and putting him two wins behind Knight who holds the all-time record with 902.
Coach K’s and Coach Knight’s careers have been intertwined since Krzyzewski played for Knight at the U.S. Military Academy in the late 1960s. Coach K’s first job in college basketball came when he was offered a graduate assistant position by Knight at the University of Indiana and, like Knight, Krzyzewski’s first head coaching job was at West Point.
On this week’s show, Krzyzewski and Knight discuss what reaching the 900-win milestone means to them and their players:
Coach Knight : “It isn’t how many games that you’ve won or you’ve won the most or you’re going to win the most or whatever. It’s kinda the fact that you’ve gotten to a plateau that during the time that you’ve coached nobody else has ever gotten to. And that’s a reflection, as you well know and as you’ve said, on all the people that have played for you. … It includes everybody that helped you win a game during all that time and each of those kids can remember back to some game they hit a free throw or they stole the ball, blocked a shot or made a basket or whatever.” Read more
GUINNESS Encourages Fans to Take a Time Out From Work This March 17th
With St. Patrick’s Day and Basketball’s Biggest Tournament Starting on the Same Day, Guinness Says ‘Be Bold’ and Take the Day Off to Celebrate
March is known for two things: St. Patrick’s Day and bracket-busting basketball action. Imagine if you could experience them simultaneously, all while enjoying a pint of GUINNESS, the world’s most iconic Irish stout. This dream will soon become a reality as St. Patrick’s Day and the start of basketball’s most exciting tournament both occur on March 17th this year. Which is why GUINNESS, the boldest of beers, is calling on consumers to be bold by taking the day off from work to catch every minute of basketball while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a pint of GUINNESS.
Knowing that, on average, Americans end each year with three unused vacation days (1), GUINNESS has teamed up with one of the boldest basketball players of all time — Bill Walton — to declare that now, more than ever, is the year to step up and take the day off from work. It’s time to submit that vacation request to enjoy the day, and not worry about clicking ‘refresh’ on the online score tracker, taking an extra long lunch break, or living vicariously through your friends and their bar visits via social media posts and updates.
“With St. Patrick’s Day and a day of must-see basketball both taking place on March 17th this year, I can’t think of a better time to take a day off from work,” said legendary basketball player Bill Walton. “It’s a day to step back, enjoy the important things in life with a perfectly poured pint of GUINNESS and take bold action. If you’re the type who plays it safe and is all about picking No. 1 seeds to go all the way in your bracket, this is not for you. But if you like making bold choices, perhaps we’ll raise a pint together at a sports bar on St. Patrick’s Day!” Read more
SiriusXM Offers Every Game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship
Sirius and XM listeners nationwide get every minute of every game
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s exclusive SiriusXM show, ‘Basketball and Beyond with Coach K,’ will air throughout the tournament
SiriusXM College Sports Nation and Mad Dog Radio channels to offer daily analysis, interviews with coaches and players, and fan reactions
Sirius XM Radio will broadcast every game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship nationwide, offering both Sirius and XM subscribers uninterrupted access to play-by-play of every match-up from the First Four on March 15 and 16 through the Final Four and National Championship game in Houston on April 2 and 4.
All tournament games will be available to both Sirius and XM listeners in their entirety, with no blackouts, on Sirius channels 91, 122, 125, 126 and 127 and XM channels 143, 241, 242, 243 and 244. SiriusXM’s Steve Torre will anchor the coverage on these channels, providing up-to-the-minute scores and highlights during game breaks and directing listeners to other games around the dial.
Tournament match-ups and Sirius and XM channel assignments will be available at www.siriusxm.com/collegesports starting Monday, March 14.
On Selection Sunday, March 13, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Steve Torre will host a special Mad Dog Radio Tournament Selection Show live from 5:00 to 9:00 pm ET on Mad Dog Radio, Sirius channel 123 and XM channel 144, providing listeners with live updates as tournament teams and match-ups are announced. Russo and Torre will interview special guests, including team coaches as well as selection committee chairman Gene Smith, and give fans a place to call in and share their reactions and opinions as the field is revealed. Read more
College Basketball Fans Score Big With New NCAA March Madness Fan Zone App Powered by AT&T
Track Scores, Chat with other Fans about Teams, Games and More
AT&T today announced the availability of the new NCAA March Madness Fan Zone app, powered by AT&T. The free app is available today for all NCAA Basketball fans – regardless of carrier – across select Android devices.
The app integrates user’s conversations with real-time NCAA Basketball scores, news and rankings through the regular season and Men’s Final Four. Fans of all Division I teams can post messages on team and game-specific groups, create private groups and invite friends to any group via Facebook, Twitter or SMS.
To join the college hoops conversation, just download the free app and choose the teams that you want to follow. Fans can cheer, rant, make predictions, chat with friends, partake in post-game analysis and even upload photos in posts.
NCAA March Madness Fan Zone is available for free on Android Market today. Fans can text BB to 483353 to receive a direct link to download the app on their phone. (Messaging and data rates apply. Compatible device required.)
AT&T is the exclusive wireless partner of the NCAA.