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.
World’s First Basketball Shoe Designed to Prevent Ankle Sprains, Ektio, Finally Available at Retail
Ektio, the world’s first physician-designed basketball shoe designed to prevent sprained ankles and endorsed by former NY Knick John Starks, becomes available for the first time at top athletic shoe retailers including Eastbay.com and Finishline.com this December, and Amazon.com in January. $199.99 a pair in men’s U.S. sizes 8 – 14.
This clinically-tested athletic shoe finally put to rest the decades long debate about the height of a shoe being a factor in ankle sprains. Dr. Sorin Seigler, Drexel University and Dr. Howard Hillstrom, Hospital for Special Surgery, showed the ankle sprain problem to be the separation of the sole of any shoe, at any height, to be the culprit. Ektio shoes marry the foot to the shoe with double straps built into the wall of the shoe and anti-rollover bumpers on the lateral sole. The studies showed that the shoes prevent ankle rollover without inhibiting mobility.
“According to NBA statistician Harvey Pollack’s NBA Statistical Yearbook,” said Ektio inventor, Dr. Barry Katz, “ankle sprains have for 46 years been the #1 or #2 injury. 3 million ankle sprains cause 1 million ER visits annually. Only 2 months into this year’s NBA season, 45 injuries have put players on the bench, 23 of which are ankle sprains. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors sprained his right ankle 3 times and will be out for up to 4 weeks.” Read more
Euroleague Basketball Renews Contract with Ticket2Final to Reserve Final Four Tickets
Fans Can Reserve Now and Pay Later for Official Final Four Tickets
Ticket2Final and Euroleague Basketball announced they have extended their contract for an additional three years. The agreement, worth €850,000, re-affirms Ticket2Final’s official Euroleague partner status.
Fans wishing to guarantee themselves an official ticket at face price for the Euroleague Final Four – May 6-8, 2011 in Barcelona – can purchase ticket reservations beginning December 15th, for each team in the Euroleague and decide later whether to purchase the ticket. This can be done through Ticket2Final’s website: https://www.ticket2final.com. Reservations are registered under the fan’s name alongside other reservations supporting their team and converted to the ticket’s face value only when the fan’s team makes it to the Final Four. The sooner a fan makes a reservation, the less expensive the reservation fee.
“Following the success of the last two seasons, we are pleased to reaffirm our partnership with Ticket2Final for an additional three years,” remarked Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Global Brand Senior Manager, Euroleague Basketball. “This unique service ensures that fans receive the official price for tickets to their favorite team’s event by pre-purchasing a reservation.” Read more