LeBron James hate is well-documented. So is the target on the backs of the Miami Heat – after all, Sports Illustrated included the team among its 25 Most Hated Teams of all time back in July, before James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh had even played a game together.

So it isn’t strange that a “Let’s Beat The Heat” campaign has emerged online (letsbeattheheat.com) complete with theme song, promotional products, and ring tone. This campaign, however, takes a playful approach to the Heat being the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys of the NBA.

Warren Avery and his brother Acarren, who run Avery Marketing, are behind “Let’s Beat The Heat.” Acarren Avery, you see, is a huge Chicago Bulls fan, who took it somewhat personally that both James and Wade seemed to toy with Bulls fans' hearts and spurned his hometown team for the Heat, his brother Warren says. Yes, the brothers believe there was inappropriate conspiring that went on to bring the Big Three to Miami and they hope to rally other like-minded NBA fans across the country.

“My brother turned to me and said, ‘we might have a market here, we’re not the only ones upset,’” Warren Avery said.

Continue reading "Bulls fans create Let’s Beat The Heat campaign (with video)" »

The Miami Heat kicks off "Saturday Night Jersey Night" tonight at the Heat-New Jersey Nets game by rewarding fans in Heat jerseys with a placard shaped like an album cover featuring forward Chris Bosh.

The album covers feature Bosh in his jersey on one side and Bosh in a suit on the other. The Jersey Night promotion, sponsored by adidas, rewards the album covers to fans sporting any type of Heat jersey and anyone who purchases a new Heat jersey Saturday at the Miami Hoops Gear store at AmericanAirlines Arena. Fans wearing Heat jerseys can pick up their album covers (one per fan while supplies last) outside section 102.

The album covers were Heat Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Michael McCullough's idea. McCullough has a voluminous collection of albums and decorates his office with the covers, changing them up periodically.

“This is the fourth year we’ve hosted the Saturday Night Jersey Night program presented by adidas, and we think fans will love this year’s gift, the HEAT player album covers,” McCullough said in a statement. “Having thousands of fans wearing HEAT jerseys creates an intense atmosphere of love and support inside AmericanAirlines Arena, which is noticed by and motivates our players. This initiative is another way to reward our HEAT fans for their loyalty.”

The promotion offers a different player album cover at each Saturday night home game. The schedule going forward: Nov. 13, Udonis Haslem; Dec. 4, LeBron James; Jan. 1, Dwyane Wade; Jan. 22, Mario Chalmers; March 12, Carlos Arroyo; March 19, Mike Miller.

The Miami Heat’s highly-anticipated home opener against the Orlando Magic at AmericanAirlines Arena on Friday is expected to have a little bit of everything. As a result, the team is encouraging fans to arrive early to avoid traffic and a protest rally planned nearby the arena on Biscayne Boulevard by Miami police and firefighters upset about paycuts.

Black is back. Again. The team wants fans clad in black and is giving out 20,000 black “I. Was. There.” T-shirts (courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines) and commemorative programs. (“Yes. We. Did.” was the slogan for the team pulling off the free agency bonanza in getting LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade on the Heat. The team handed out “Yes. We. Did.” signs at the welcoming event July 9).

“Wear black or shop black,” said Andy Montero, the Heat’s senior director of retail operations.

Merchandise: A merchandise tent – typically reserved for the playoffs – is expected to open for business in front of the arena at 3 p.m. Gates to the arena’s east plaza open at 5:30 p.m. for the T-Mobile Tip-Off celebration. T-Mobile, which just entered into a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Heat (it has had a partnership with Wade since the 2006-07 season), is holding a pregame celebration on the plaza for fans with game tickets that includes a performance by Miami rapper Pitbull. DJ Irie and the Heat dancers will entertain and T-Mobile will show off its newest smartphones.

Tickets/Doors/Pregame: Tickets are still available at heat.com. Doors to the arena open early -- 6 p.m. Security could take longer because of the large crowd, but fans can enter at Gates 5 and 6 on the northeast and southeast sides of the arena – not just Gates 1 and 2. Even fans sitting upstairs can go courtside pregame to watch the teams warm up.

Get a Heat license plate: A kiosk outside section 102 will allow fans to purchase or renew their license plates with specialty Heat tags. The tags costs an extra $25, which is tax deductible and goes to charity. To get the license plates, you must have a driver’s license, proof of registration and insurance and cash or check.

Fan Up, Miami!: Fans are being encouraged to get to their seats in time for pregame ceremonies, which will include the debut of the team’s new player introduction video. Read about it here. At halftime, a video highlighting the summer’s events will be shown. A new song celebrating the new-look Heat, called “Celebrate” and written by Emilio Estefan will be officially unveiled. Estefan has created a percussion group called the Miami Heat Rhythm Section to perform at select games. Listen to the song here.

Oh, and there’s a game too. Starts at 8 p.m. on ESPN and Sun Sports.

As if any more build up were needed before this highly-anticipated Miami Heat season, the team is keeping with tradition hosting community events and giveaways leading up the 2010-11 home opener Oct. 29.

Heat Week kicks off Friday with a free Heat car decal giveaway at AmericanAirlines Arena. For more information, visit heat.com. Here’s what’s scheduled this week:

Friday: Heat car decal giveaway from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at AmericanAirlines Arena, while supplies last.
Then join the Heat for Happy Hour, 5 to 7 p.m. at Brickell Irish Pub, 1471 S. Miami Ave., Miami, along with Burnie the Heat mascot, Heat dancers and the Xtreme team.

Saturday: Feel like a pizza? Order from Papa John’s in Broward or Miami-Dade counites between 5 and 7 p.m. and you might just get it delivered by a Heat player, dancer, Burnie or Xtreme team member.

Sunday: The Heat’s Fireball Express bearing giveaways will visit local bars in downtown Miami starting at 4 p.m.

Monday: Fans 18 years or older can participate in a pickup basketball game at AmericanAirlines Arena during Heat After Dark, 7 p.m. to midnight. It’s free and participants get a Heat After Dark T-shirt.

Tuesday: Join other fans for the Bacardi Road Rally at AmericanAirlines to watch the Heat’s opening game against the Boston Celtics on the road. The event starts at 6:30 p.m. and is free, but parking in the arena lot costs $5.

Wednesday: Watch the Heat’s second game of the season against the 76ers at the Bacardi Road Rally at Sandbar Sports Grill starting at 7 p.m., 3064 Grand Ave., Coconut Grove.

Oct. 28: Burnie will be giving out free tickets to the team’s home opener on Oct. 29 at AmericanAirlines Arena at various spots around South Florida. You’ll get clues to his location by being a friend on Facebook and checking out details at Facebook.com/MiamiHeat.

Oct. 29: The home opener against the Orlando Magic will include commemorative game programs and 20,000 “I. Was. There.” T-shirts for those in attendance. And the debut of the team’s new player introduction video. The game begins at 8 p.m., but doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the Heat’s encouraging fans to arrive early.

Rawlings Football – yes, football – has signed up two NFL running backs with ties to Miami to endorse its Skeletal Responsive Gear (SRG) protective apparel.

Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown and San Francisco 49ers running back and former Hurricane Frank Gore are Rawlings' new endorsers. Brown is representing the PORON XRD line and Gore, the Zoombang line. The players will appear in print and digital advertising to promote the lines. Check out the video below, where the two players show off the gear.

More than 200 NFL players are wearing Rawlings’ protective gear, the company says.

“Enhanced by PORON® XRDTM and ZoombangTM, Rawlings SRG protective apparel is faster, lighter and stronger than the competition, and we receive weekly validation of its performance capabilities throughout the football season,” Mike Thompson, Rawlings senior vice president of marketing said in a statement. “ We’re excited to add Ronnie and Frank to our Football Advisory Staff as we continue our commitment to develop equipment and apparel that fully meets the protective needs of today’s athlete at all levels.”

Rawlings is most known for its baseball equipment, but has a long history with football, as well, launching a set of football shoulder pads in 1902. The company stopped making football helmets in 1989, but has decided to re-enter the football helmet market.

Denver Broncos and former Gator quarterback Tim Tebow still holds the top spot for NFL jersey sales during the past six months, but Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s jersey is now up to 15th.

That’s according to sales figures from NFLShop.com covering the period of April 1 through Sept. 15. Marshall’s jersey sales ranked 16th in May. Meanwhile, the Dolphins merchandise is up a notch, too, to eighth for the time period – up from ninth in May.

Behind Tebow are New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb. The top-selling team gear is that of the Dallas Cowboys, who have four players among the top 25 best-selling jerseys, but are 0-2 so far this season.

Here are the full lists from NFLShop.com:

Top 25 best-selling jerseys

1. Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos
2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
3. Donovan McNabb, Washington Redskins
4. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings
5. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis colts
6. Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
8. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
9. Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
10. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
11. Eli Manning, New York Giants
12. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
13. Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys
14. DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
15. Brandon Marshall, Miami Dolpins
16. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
17. Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
18. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
19. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
20. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals
21. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
22. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
23. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs
24. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
25. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Top 10 best-selling team merchandise

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Denver Broncos
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. New York Giants
6. Minnesota Vikings
7. Washington Redskins
8. Miami Dolphins
9. New York Jets
10. Chicago Bears

Alabama may have won the national championship, but Texas still sells the most gear, Collegiate Licensing Co. reports. For the fifth consecutive year, Texas ranked No. 1 among CLC institutions based on royalties between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010.

Alabama ranked 2nd up from 5th in 2009 and bumping the University of Florida -- which held the No. 2 ranking in 2009 -- to No. 3.

In fact, royalties for all the Florida schools in the top 75 dropped between 2009 and 2010, except for the University of Miami, which ranked 27th in both years. FSU dropped to 19th from 16th in 2009; the University of South Florida dropped to 57th from 53rd; and the University of Central Florida fell to 66th from 61st.

CLC handles the licensing for about 200 colleges, bowl games and conferences.

Also of note, CLC reported, Knights Apparel Inc., the largest supplier of collegiate apparel to Wal-Mart, ranked as the No. 1 collegiate apparel licensee, knocking Nike from the top spot. And Fabrique Innovations became the No. 2 non-apparel licensee, behind EA Sports, because of its collegiate Snuggies.

The Miami Heat has been the top-selling team and its Three Kings’ jerseys rank Nos. 1, 2 and 5 for the two weeks since LeBron James and Chris Bosh said they were joining a returning Dwyane Wade on the Heat, according to the NBA.

The league measures sales at the NBA Store and on NBAStore.com. Those figures show James’ new No. 6 Heat jersey as the top seller, followed by Bosh’s new No. 1 Heat jersey. Jersey sales for Kobe Bryant, of the 2010 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers, rank third, followed by Amar’e Stoudemire, who signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks. Wade’s jersey rounds out the top 5.

SportsOneSource is reporting that at large sporting goods retailers, the Heat ranks second in jersey sales among NBA teams. Last week, Heat jersey sales represented 15.3 percent of the overall NBA jersey sales market, behind only the Lakers, and representing a 142 percent increase from a year ago. Lakers jersey sales represented 28.26 percent of the market share last week – up 26 percent from last year.

Meanwhile, rather than burning James’ Cleveland Cavaliers jerseys, Ohioans are collecting them and sending them to South Florida homeless shelters.

Talk about a “Hot Market.” Better yet, a “Heat Market.”

Printing machines were working overtime overnight to ready name and number Heat T-shirts for sale today. LeBron James No. 6, Dwyane Wade No. 3 and Chris Bosh No. 1 Tees are available.

Jerseys will take a little bit longer, but you can pre-order at heat.com. And apparently, fans were ordering even before they knew which players would actually land with the Heat, says Andy Montero, Heat senior director of retail operations.

The Heat doesn’t release sales figures, but Montero said the orders placed since James made it official last night he was coming to Miami, were equivalent to a typical two months of sales.

“It’s like getting Elvis,” Montero said. “It’s hot market, it’s code blue, whatever you want to call it. One of the key things it is helping the local economy.”

That’s because printing is taking place in South Florida.

5th & Ocean Clothing of Hialeah, which specializes in women’s merchandise, is making shirts with the names and numbers of the Heat’s big trio on the front. The items are expected to be delivered to the Miami Hoops Gear store at AmericanAirlines Arena this afternoon, said Robert Fonseca, 5th & Ocean director of sales.

The arena store is open today starting at 10 a.m. until at least 4 p.m. Merchandise is also available at the Hoops Gear Store in Dolphin Mall in Miami.

“This is huge and I think it’s going to be for a while,” Fonseca said. “It’s a big thing, the next Michael Jordan. I think it’s good for sports licensed business, it’s good for the league, for the NBA, which has been a little weak as far as sales and attendance and good for the economy.”

When Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Heat in 2004, it was big, but this – this is different.

“You’ve got three of top five players in the league on the same team and then you’ve got the mastermind of Pat Riley putting this deal together, preparing for this for x amount of years.”

So much that the team has sold out of its available season ticket inventory. But fans who want to get in are being encouraged to call 786-777-HOOP to be placed on a waiting list because some tickets should become available “in the near future,” Heat President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth said in a statement.

The Heat won’t release sales figures, but Woolworth said,” the sale of premium seats and season tickets over the last couple of weeks has been extremely brisk, peaking in a new intensity the last couple of days.”

The team has raised prices for any future season ticket sales.

We make a big deal of Florida being one of the few states without an income tax. It’s one reason lots of wealthy athletes make their homes here.

While it’s doubtful any of the top free agents, including LeBron James, still mulling where they plan to play for the next several years will make their decision solely based on the potential tax savings, we still wondered how much that savings could mean.

Martin R. Press, a tax attorney, and Brandon L. Chase, a summer associate, at the Gunster law firm in Fort Lauderdale crunched the numbers for us. Of course, there are a number of caveats, but Press and Chase looked at last year’s Miami Heat schedule and figured James’ max free agent salary next season – expected to be $16.6 million – and compared that to the tax rate in states the Heat visited last year. They excluded the two games in Toronto and didn’t figure in credits, deductions, real estate taxes and other sources of income, such as endorsement deals, which would also be taxed in tax-levying states.

Florida doesn’t have a state income tax, but states that levy taxes may tax them for the days they work there. If James were to play for the Heat – he’d likely pay other states $436,818 in state income taxes. Play in New York for the Knicks, and that number, which includes the New York City tax, rises to $1.45 million. It costs more than a million in New Jersey to play for the Nets, too: $1.16 million, Press and Chase figured. Find the chart that compares playing in Florida versus Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey and New York here.

The $16.6 million salary works out to $202,439 per game. There would be no state income tax implications for the 41 games played at AmericanAirlines Arena, two games in Orlando and three played in Texas, which also doesn’t have a state income tax. The state on the Heat’s schedule with the highest tax rate appears to be Oregon – the one game played there would cost $21,863 in state taxes. Four games in California cost $77,236; two in New York $31,783 and so on.

+ Meanwhile, decisions are yet to be made as to which free agents will actually play for the Heat, but the team is already prepared and selling jerseys.

Of course, right now the jerseys are listed at heat.com with a question mark, but you can place a pre-order.

They’ll be shipped out 14 business days after the new players choose their numbers. You’ll then need to email or call the team with your preference. The items include this description: “Your Miami HEAT is set to rock the NBA world with blockbuster player moves during the HEAT Summer of 2010. Be among the first HEAT fans to sport the jersey of our next new superstar!” Replica jerseys are $55, shooting shirts $65, authentic jerseys $170.

+ And while Burnie continues his vigil atop a ledge at AmericanAirlines Arena until Wade signs with the Heat, "We Want Wade" week continues Monday with fans encouraged to wear Wade gear. Jungle Island is celebrating Wade too, naming its new camel “Flash” after the superstar Heat guard.

Jungle Island is calling Monday “Wild for Wade” day and inviting fans to have their photos taken with the new camel. If you’re wearing Wade gear, you can get the photo for free. The event is all day, but photos with the camel will be taken from 11 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Heat dancers and the Heat Banana Man will appear from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

As if this summer of superstar NBA free agency couldn’t get any more bizarre, the Harlem Globetrotters have stepped into the fray.

The Globetrotters are pursuing Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and have even made Globie jerseys -- D-Wade # 3; King # 6 – available for preorder on their website for $75 apiece. “Coming Soon?...We’ll find out July 1,” the site says.

Now, as unlikely and implausible (and all the other no it’s not going to happen synonyms you can supply) as it seems, consider what the Globetrotters are prepared to offer: part ownership in the team (that’s prohibited in the NBA) and 51 percent of revenue from sales of licensed merchandise with their name and likeness, a Globebtrotters source says. There are no salary cap restrictions either.

And perhaps most important of all? Especially if Wade and James are only concerned about winning?

The Globetrotters have an unrivaled winning streak that dates back nearly four decades. The last time the Globetrotters lost to the Washington Generals was in 1971.

The Globetrotters were expected to contact agents for Wade and James, but it’s unknown if they’ve connected yet. No word yet from Wade’s agent Henry Thomas on the unusual offer.

Brandon Marshall’s Miami Dolphins jersey with a No. 19 on it was the 16th best-selling jersey in the NFL for the past two months, based on sales at NFLShop.com.

As recently as two weeks ago, Marshall said the No. 19 he was wearing at OTAs was only temporary and he hadn’t yet settled on an official number.

“This’ll be my number for now,” Marshall said on May 19. “We'll have one in stone before camp.”

At the time, fans could order Marshall’s jersey online, but it wouldn’t be shipped until the number was official. A disclaimer on NFLShop.com read: “The player's number is subject to change and the jersey will not ship until the official number is issued.”

According to both the NFL and the Dolphins, Marshall is wearing No. 19 – yep, Ted Ginn’s old Dolphins number. That’s the number Reebok is printing and NFLShop.com is shipping. The online listing now reads that the jersey is in stock and ships in one to two business days.

“As of this point, he’s wearing No. 19,” Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said.

Players can, of course, change their numbers.

Marshall had hoped to secure No. 15 – the number he wore with his previous team, the Denver Broncos, but his new teammate wide receiver Davone Bess, who wears No. 15, has told Marshall the number isn’t for sale. Bess reiterated his plans to hang onto No. 15 as recently as Friday.

The NFL sales rankings are based on sales at NFLShop.com from April 1 to May 31. Denver Broncos quarterback (and former Gator) Tim Tebow still has the top-selling jersey, followed by Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

The Dolphins ranked ninth in team merchandise sales. The Broncos were the top-selling team, followed by the Super Bowl Champion Saints and the Dallas Cowboys.

The NFL disagrees, but experts say the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling today in the American Needle case could bolster the NFL Players Association in its ongoing labor negotiations with the league.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously the league could not be considered a single entity, but rather must be treated as 32 separate competing businesses when it comes to the licensing of branded products, such as caps and jerseys. The court agreed with American Needle, an Illinois hat maker and former NFL licensee, which sued the NFL claiming the league violated antitrust laws when it gave Reebok an exclusive 10-year license for hats in 2000.

“Although NFL teams have common interests such as promoting the NFL brand, they are still separate, profit-maximizing entities, and their interests in licensing team trademarks are not necessarily aligned,” Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in the decision.

The Supreme Court’s decision sends the case back to the district court.

The NFL downplayed the decision.

“The decision will simply result in American Needle’s claim being sent back to the federal district court in Chicago, where the case will resume in its early stages,” the league said in a statement. “We remain confident we will ultimately prevail because the league decision about how best to promote the NFL was reasonable, pro-competitive, and entirely lawful. The Supreme Court’s decision has no bearing on collective bargaining, which is governed by labor law.”

The Players Association, however, lauded the ruling. In a statement, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith called it, “not only a win for the players past, present and future, but a win for the fans.”

While the league says the decision has no bearing on labor negotiations, experts disagree.

Barry University law professor Marc Edelman said while bargaining is governed by labor laws not antitrust laws – if workers are represented by a union – the ruling strengthens the players' argument, if the union were to decertify and challenge the league under antitrust laws.

“If they decertify, they can’t be a union. If they decertified, the NFL would be allowed to put in place any terms they wanted,” Edelman said.

If the union decertified, and the league set wage and draft rules players didn’t like, players could challenge the league under antitrust laws. “The Players Association now has this sitting in their back pocket, the threat of decertification,” Edelman said.

Some observers suggest the decision may increase the pace of labor negotiations, which the players association says have been going slowly.

Gary I. Blackman, a partner in the sports law practice at Levenfeld Pearlstein LLC in Chicago, said in a statement that the ruling affects “all dealing by the NFL and leaves open the possibility of an antitrust claims and the scrutiny that follows in whatever it does, including in its dealings with its players. Antitrust laws have been a tool for the unions. The players union has always had the threat, for example, that it would disband and sue the league if ever it was locked out. Now, that tool is still in the toolbox."

While the big news out of OTAs today was new Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s surgery for an undisclosed injury, Marshall’s jersey number also remained undisclosed.

There was some hubbub that Marshall had settled on Ted Ginn’s old No. 19, which he was sporting in Davie today, but he says that’s not a certainty.

“This'll be my number for now,” Marshall said. “We'll have one in stone before camp.”

Davone Bess, who wears Marshall’s favored No. 15, didn’t stop to talk to reporters, so no word yet on whether negotiations for No. 15 are continuing.

Fans can order Marshall’s jersey now – it’s for sale at NFLShop.com for $79.99 for replica versions – but it won’t be shipped until he has his official number. The items listed online come with a disclaimer that reads “The player's number is subject to change and the jersey will not ship until the official number is issued.”

Neil Schwartz, director of business development for the SGMA or Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association in Jupiter, said Marshall waiting to pick a number isn’t likely to cause a dip in jersey sales.

“I don’t think these OTA situations necessarily represent a huge selling opportunity," Schwartz said. "I think once camp starts, I think then if he hasn’t settled on a number, he might be missing a little bit of sales momentum.”

Fort Walton Beach-based Edwin Watts Golf announced this week it is partnering with Sears and opening a dozen “store within a store” locations across the country, including one at the Sears in Pembroke Pines.

The partnership allows Edwin Watts to expand its reach to more customers through a national retailer both in store and online. The Edwin Watts sections of the stores are expected to be 2,700- to 3,000-square feet and be modeled on the company’s free-standing stores. They will be staffed by Edwin Watts Golf associates and will feature a variety of brands of equipment and apparel, including Callaway, TaylorMade, Titleist and FootJoy.

“We chose to partner with Sears based on our strategic need for a mall-based retailer with a national footprint, as well as affiliations with leading brands such as Craftsman Tools and Nordic Track, which strongly align with the golfer demographic,” Edwin Watts Golf Shops CEO John Watson said in a statement.

The first Edwin Watts Golf within a Sears is scheduled to open May 31 at the Murray, Utah Sears. The Pembroke Pines location is expected to open in mid- to late July.

“We believe they are the perfect complementary retailer to our expansive sporting goods business and we look forward to seeing them surprise and delight customers with their first-class array of products and customer service,” Jeff Stollenwerck, Sears Holdings president of real estate, said in a statement.

Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant’s jersey was again the most popular in the NBA for the second consecutive season, according to sales figures from the 2009-10 season at the NBA Store in Manhattan and NBAStore.com.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade's jersey ranked 6th most popular. Heat gear ranked eighth among the league's 30th teams, with Lakers gear also registering as the most popular.

The Boston Celtics - who knocked off the Heat on Tuesday in the first round of the playoffs - had four players' jerseys among the top 15 best-selling jerseys. Here's the list of the top 15 selling jerseys, followed by the top 10 best-selling teams for the 2009-10 season:

Top 15 Most Popular NBA Jerseys:

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
4. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
5. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
6. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
7. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
8. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
9. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
10. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
11. Nate Robinson, Boston Celtics
12. David Lee, New York Knicks
13. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
14. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
15. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Top 10 selling NBA teams

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. Chicago Bulls
5. New York Knicks
6. Denver Nuggets
7. Orlando Magic
8. Miami Heat
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Phoenix Suns

New England Patriots cornerback and Fort Lauderdale native Darius Butler is helping to reopen the remodeled Nike Factory Store at Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise this weekend.

The upgraded store, which has gotten a modern look, reopens on Friday and will host a variety of special events on Saturday and Sunday. The first 200 customers on Saturday will receive a free gift; customers can enter a contest to win a $1,000 shopping spree.

Butler will host a question and answer session from 1 to 2 p.m. Sunday at the store in the mall at 12801 West Sunrise Blvd., Sunrise.

As anticipated and repeatedly reported, former UF quarterback Tim Tebow IS gracing the cover of EA Sports’ NCAA Football 11.

The videogame will be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation2 and PlayStation3 on July 13. Find out more about the game and watch a video of the cover shoot at ncaafootball11.com.

ESPN shadowed Tebow during the cover shoot. Read the Q&A here.

Meanwhile, Nike announced this week that it has signed a partnership with the NFL hopeful. The deal is reportedly for shoes and apparel, but a Nike press release dated Monday says only “Nike plans to utilize Tebow to assist in elevating the training products and tools the company has developed to build championship athletes.”

Want to go shopping with Michael Beasley?

The Miami Heat forward is trading in his NBA uniform to dress like a Champs Sports employee on Friday. He’ll be manning the cash register and working as a personal shopper to help a few fans pick out adidas NBA duds at the Champs Sports location at Aventura Mall.

Beasley is appearing from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to help promote the new Official NBA Shop at Champs Sports. The NBA announced last month that it was partnering with adidas and Champs stores to add the NBA Shop-branded sections starting in 69 stores, including in Miami, and then rolling out to the company’s other 468 stores by the start of the 2010-11 NBA season.

Fans who attend Beasley’s visit can enter raffles to win prizes including adidas gear and Champs Sports gift cards. The store is located at the mall at 19575 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura.

More information at heat.com.

Starting with tonight’s game, the Miami Heat is being prominently featured in this season's NBA’s “éne•bé•a” “Noche Latina” tribute to Latin heritage.

The Heat isn’t pulling out the “El Heat” jerseys again until next week’s games at AmericanAirlines Arena – on Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs and Thursday against the Orlando Magic – but the Chicago Bulls will be “Los Bulls” at AA Arena tonight.

The NBA launched a comprehensive Hispanic marketing initiative last fall with the creation of “éne•bé•a,” – the Spanish pronunciation of NBA. This month’s Hispanic Heritage/Noche Latina celebration is aimed at celebrating the league’s Latin players and more than 16 million Hispanic fans across the country.

Celebrations are taking place at games this month in nine NBA markets – Miami, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, New York and Orlando. Noche Latina was first held during the 2006-07 season.

The special nights include the uniforms with team names in Spanish, musical performances, giveaways and other activities. The uniforms and other products with the teams’ Spanish names are for sale at the NBA store in Manhattan, Champs stores, NBAStore.com and at the in-arena stores for the participating teams. The Miami Hoops Gear store sells a variety of El Heat items.

Meanwhile, the Florida Marlins this season are dubbing Friday night home games at Sun Life Stadium as “Fiesta Fridays” replacing “Fish Fridays.” Fiesta Fridays will have a heavy Latin flare, says Sean Flynn, the team’s vice president of marketing.

Hispanic baseball legends will sign autographs and salsa and pleneros bands will perform before games. And with the exception of Opening Night on April 9, the Marlins will be known as “Los Marlins” at Friday home games and will wear a Los Marlins patch on their uniforms.

Champs Sports retailers have typically featured a limited inventory of NBA jerseys for a couple of the local team’s players and perhaps some T-shirts. The stores, known for featuring “lifestyle” sports apparel, launched a line of black on black adidas jerseys for a handful of star players at the start of the 2009-10 season.

Now, the NBA and the athletic retailer are teaming up to feature dedicated Official NBA Shops inside Champs stores that will include a broader selection of jerseys, on-court apparel and fashion clothing. There will be shooting shirts, shorts, hats and track jackets.

The partnership was announced Monday and will roll out in 69 stores this month, including in Miami Champs locations. The other initial markets include Orlando, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Portland and San Antonio. The company’s other 468 stores will have NBA Shops by the start of the 2010-11 season.

“The NBA Shop at Champs Sports provides us with a terrific opportunity to engage our fans year round with a wide selection of the newest and most popular NBA adidas products,” Chris Brennan, NBA senior vice president sales development and retail marketing, said in a statement.

The NBA shop areas will feature between 8 feet and 10 feet of wall space and will be between 80 and 100 square feet. They will be decorated with a replica NBA backboard and hardwood floor graphic. South Florida stores will carry Miami Heat items, but also gear for other popular NBA players.

The gear in the Champs NBA shops will all be made by adidas and different products will be featured year-round, including a special white on white line for this spring.

T-shirts, caps and towels touting the Indianapolis Colts as Super Bowl XLIV champions were boxed up and shipped Tuesday to a distribution center near Pittsburgh where they will be sorted for eventual delivery to Haiti.

There was a moment Sunday night, when the gear sat in four Reebok athletic bags on the Sun Life Stadium field. But when it became clear in the closing minutes of the game that the New Orleans Saints would be champions, the Colts' gear was returned to the "secret room" in the bowels of the stadium. The four bags of Saints gear was rushed onto the field at the end of the game and shared with victorious Saints players.

For years, the league would destroy the losers’ items after the game.

“We would literally incinerate it or shred it,” said David Krichavsky, NFL director of community affairs. “Then it dawned us, it probably wasn’t the best use because others around the world could use it.”

The NFL now designates the losers’ product for a new assignment. International relief organization World Vision has been sending the gear to needy populations in developing countries since 1994. Product is also collected from the retailers, such as Sports Authority, which order it to have on hand once the game is won.

World Vision typically receives about $2 million in donated NFL apparel from the Super Bowl and conference championship games, organization spokeswoman Karen Kartes said.

This year, the league and World Vision had chosen Haiti -- the poorest nation in the western hemisphere -- before the Jan. 12 earthquake rocked the country. In the next few months, as the post-earthquake needs in Haiti grow less critical, palettes of shirts and caps will make their way to the country.

Last year, Arizona Cardinals product went to El Salvador. Those New England Patriots 19-0 shirts and caps? To Nicaragua. In 2007, Chicago Bears’ merchandise went to Zambia. (See photos courtesy of World Vision).

The NFL gets a tax deduction and avoids putting the product into landfills.

“It helps us meet really critical needs,” Kartes said. “A lot of these children and families, literally haven’t had a new item of clothing in their lives. It’s really touching. They don’t care what’s written on it.”

Major League Baseball partnered with World Vision three years ago. “The Phillies merchandise started arriving in Indonesia in December,” Kartes said.

In all, World Vision, which works with 100 countries, takes in $400 million in donated corporate product each year, including the sports gear and pharmaceutical and school supplies, Kartes said.

Kartes said while the inaccurate product could end up somewhere that someone notices it, “the benefits outweigh the risks.”

But some wonder if it would make more sense to sell the inaccurate gear for big money -- like a collector's item -- and send the money to the needy countries instead. The leagues don't want incorrect gear floating around the United States, but the idea is an interesting one. Check out Dan Shanoff's "You Lost, They Win" concept here.

+ It might not be the matchup South Florida businesses had hoped for – New York Jets v. Minnesota Vikings would have been more lucrative, some say – but officials recognize they’d better be embracing this year’s Super Bowl teams, the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints.

And it might not be as slow as some worried, judging from a story Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau President Bill Talbert told my colleague Doreen Hemlock. A volunteer for the CVB was in New Orleans Sunday and reported to the CVB’s board meeting Monday that the Big Easy is excited about its team’s first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.

"They're all coming, whether they have tickets, whether they have a room,” Talbert said the volunteer reported. "This is a dimension you don't often see. This seems to have gone beyond football fans to the entire community. They all want to celebrate the ultimate victory at the Super Bowl... This is driveable. It's a short flight. It's off the charts."

Talbert added: "You better clear the roads: Here come the Saints."

+ Fans interested in snapping up AFC, NFC champion and Pro Bowl and Super Bowl gear can now shop at the NFL’s Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV Store in parking lot 2 at Gate E at Sun Life Stadium. The store opened Monday morning and will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. It'll be open the same hours next week.

+ Meanwhile, at least one little Saints fan couldn’t be happier that Drew Brees is in the Super Bowl. Wesley Warren, 7, of Metairie, La., a suburb of New Orleans, won the NFL’s Play 60 Super Kid contest and will deliver the game ball to the officials on the field at Sun Life Stadium on Feb. 7.

Here’s part of Wesley’s essay where she explained which player inspires her to stay fit: “Drew Brees because he has done so much to help my city New Orleans. The Saints have made me realize how important team work is and how sometimes you have to work really hard for a long long long time to get what you want. My mom and dad think the Saints will go to the Superbowl and with Drew Brees I think so too. He is Saintsational (my mom told me to say that.)”

+ And just because you haven't heard about it officially since the Dolphins unveiled proposed renderings for Sun Life Stadium earlier this month, doesn't mean the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee hasn't been hard at work. The committee on Monday named former Miami Dolphin Dick Anderson chairman of the subcommittee exploring proposed stadium improvements. The committee also includes Talbert and his counterpart from the north, Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors' Bureau; Bruce Jay Conlan, chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce; Beatrice Louissant of the Florida Regional Minority Business Council; and Adam Grossman, Dolphins senior vice president of public affairs.

+ There are plenty of opinions on which teams in Super Bowl XLIV would be better for South Florida’s economy and those differ from which would be better television matchups.

As unseemly as it sounds, lots of hotel and tourism officials have been happy to talk about the New York Jets being the best team for local businesses because of the influx of well-heeled fans, who will be happy to plunk down lots of cash if their team makes it. There are concerns the Indianapolis Colts aren’t good for business because they were just here in the game in 2007.

CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell explains why CBS would prefer the Jets not make the Super Bowl here.

Some just want the Minnesota Vikings in because of superstar quarterback Brett Favre.

“I think the best thing that could happen would be Brett Favre,” Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau President Nicki Grossman told me.

But it just so happened Grossman was spending the weekend in New York, to make the bureau’s winter tourism pitch in one of its favorite target markets. It’s been chilly in New York, where the bureau has ads on 250 taxicabs and is making the rounds of TV shows to promote South Florida.

“Timing is everything,” Grossman said. “It turned out to be fortuitous on the Super Bowl.”

The bureau is running TV ads during both the AFC and NFC championship games today.

+ Meanwhile, CEOs of the official airlines of the Colts and Jets have placed a wager on today’s AFC Championship game. AirTran Airways (Colts) CEO Bob Fornaro has wagered a steak lunch from Indianapolis steakhouse St. Elmo’s if the Jets win, while JetBlue Airways (Jets)
CEO Dave Barger has promised a pit barbecue lunch from New York’s Blue Smoke restaurant if the Colts win.

“With the Colts being such a great team and the game being at home, it’s only fair that I put up a steak against a pulled pork platter,” Fornaro said in a statement. “Seriously, does anyone think the Jets can really stop Peyton Manning and the rest of the team on the fastest turf in the league?”

Barger said “I like my steak medium rare and make sure there are plenty of fries to go with it.”

+ If you just look at merchandise sales, the Jets rank third among the four teams playing today in gear sold this month compared with a year ago, according to figures from NFLShop.com. Those figures show sales of New Orleans Saints gear are up 650 percent from last January, Vikings up 533 percent, Jets up 252 percent and the Colts up 189 percent.

From April through Jan. 18, however, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the top selling team in the league followed by the Dallas Cowboys, and then the Vikings. The Saints ranked 6th, Colts 7th and Jets 11th. And the Vikings had two of the top four selling jerseys during the same period – Favre at No. 1 and Adrian Peterson at 4. Colts QB Peyton Manning’s was second, followed by Saints QB Drew Brees at third. New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez’s ranked eighth.

+ Is it me or has the number of Pro Bowl and Super Bowl billboards in South Florida quadrupled in the past week?

The Miami Dolphins are auctioning off those orange jerseys their players wore in the Monday Night victory over the New York Jets at Dolphin (it was Land Shark then, in case you’re keeping track) Stadium.

Jerseys for 31 players are on auction until Wednesday at miamidolphins.com. Some are already running more than $1,000. As of this posting, quarterback Chad Henne’s is more than $4,000. Proceeds will benefit the Haiti earthquake relief efforts. .

“This was only the third time in team history that our team wore orange jerseys,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said in a statement. “The game was an electric night and exciting contest for all of our fans.”

In preparation for becoming the “Miami” Marlins when they move into their new ballpark in 2012, the Florida Marlins are dropping “Florida” from their gray road uniforms this season and replacing it with “Marlins.” They’re also dropping the ‘F’ from the left sleeve. See photos at left.

Symbolic for now, of course, but a significant move nonetheless.

"This is just the first of many re-branding initiatives that will be introduced during the transition to the new ballpark in Miami," Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria said in a statement released by the team. "We believe this change will better reflect the team’s commitment to the South Florida community and will provide an enhanced look to the Marlins brand that fans will embrace."

Just in time for bowl season, Threadless has reprinted its All-Conference Squirrel T-shirt – the one with the squirrel in the Heisman pose carrying an acorn where the football would be. And it’s on sale -- $10.

(In the spirit of full disclosure – I have one of these. It was given to me as a gift. And yes, I love it.)

Another Christmas Day, another merchandising opportunity for the NBA.

With another slate of five Christmas Day games, NBA players, including the Miami Heat, will get a lot of exposure on Friday. That’s when the NBA will officially unveil new shooting shirts bearing players’ names.

When the Heat faces the Knicks at Madison Square Garden at noon on Friday, they’ll be sporting the new shooting shirts. So will the rest of the players performing on Christmas Day. The other teams will unveil theirs over the weekend during their first games after Christmas. They’re actually already for sale at NBAStore.com, JCPenney and Dick’s Sporting Goods. They’re $59.99 for adults, $49.99 for kids at NBAStore.com.

There’s a charity component to the holiday, too. Spalding has created a “snowflake” basketball that each team’s players will autograph that will be auctioned off starting Friday to benefit NBA Cares partners. Local kids at the five games will receive basketballs – without autographs – as part of a gift exchange.

And in New York, the court will look festive as well with the Heat wearing their red uniforms and the Knicks their green St. Patrick’s Day ones.

+ The Florida Panthers unveiled their new third jersey this week. It’s dark blue and with pale blue (which is not one of the team’s colors), a new center jersey logo, and a “FLA” and sun logo on the sleeve. Reviews are mixed; Uni Watch wasn’t kind. They'll wear it a dozen times at home games this season, including on Friday against the Maple Leafs at BankAtlantic Center.

+ NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson made the rounds of New York this week to celebrate his record-breaking fourth consecutive Sprint Cup championship, which he sewed up at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. He and New York Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon posed (see below) on the top of the Empire State Building. Read NASCAR’s Andrew Giangola’s take on Johnson’s feat and need for a nickname. My favorite line in Giangola’s piece? “Just when a NASCAR driver absolutely deserves it, Sports Illustrated will probably give Sportsman of the Year to a horse.”

+ And Fathead has added Ray Lewis in his Hurricanes uniform to its product line of giant wall graphics. The company already had a version of the linebacker in his Baltimore Ravens uniform. Each version costs $99.99.

The Florida Panthers are trying to hold their third jersey "hostage," sending the media a note saying it won’t be revealed until Monday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at BankAtlantic Center. See the letter at left sent to media members with the teaser jersey swatch.

Players will wear the third jersey, which will have an alternate logo and colors, at 11 additional home games after Monday, including at next Friday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Fans can pre-order the jerseys and pick them up starting at 7:45 p.m. Monday. Call Pantherland at the arena 954-835-7025; Incredible Ice at 954-341-9956; or visit the Panthers’ Web site for more information.

Also, on Monday, Panthers fans can meet new majority owners, co-general partners Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel, who are scheduled to greet fans arriving at the game. The pair plan to be on the arena’s main plaza level.

Viner and Siegel, who were introduced as new majority owners this week after taking control from Alan Cohen, have been vowing greater accessibility to fans. They plan to hold regular town hall meetings and meet and greets, write blogs and make radio appearances.

In advance of its 100th anniversary next year, Everlast Worldwide is capitalizing on the popularity of boxing for fitness by expanding its relationship with 24 Hour Fitness.

An updated version of the Everlast Shadow Box workout is being offered at all 24 Hour Fitness locations.

To help South Florida 24 Hour Fitness centers kick off the upgraded classes, WBC Welterweight World Champion Andre Berto, who is originally from Miami, will lead a class (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) and then sign autographs and pose for photos (12:30-1:30 p.m.) on Saturday at the 24 Hour Fitness Town & Country location, 8420 Mills Rd., Miami.

The workout is 45 minutes that includes traditional boxing conditioning in a dozen three-minute rounds. Everlast equipment is incorporated into the exercises.

“The Everlast Shadow Box Workout class allows us the opportunity to demonstrate the health benefits of boxing for fitness through an authentic Everlast boxing workout and introduce consumers to quality equipment and apparel that will enhance their overall fitness experience,” Everlast President Adam Geisler said in a statement.

The company is also celebrating the 35th anniversary of Muhammad Ali’s “Rumble in the Jungle” with a vintage line of Ali products.

Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant had the top-selling NBA jersey in China for the third consecutive year during the 2008-09 season, according to sales figures from NBA stores in China released by the league on Thursday.

Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s jersey moved up to fifth in 2008-09 from eighth in 2007-08.

Here’s the top 15 for 2008-09:

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
4. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
6. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
7. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
8. Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets/Detroit Pistons
9. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
10. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
11. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
12. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
13. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
14. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
15. Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers

It helps to be a 3-0 quarterback.

Brett Favre’s jersey remained the top seller between April 1 through Sept. 30, according to sales figures from NFLShop.com.

Fellow 3-0 quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (Jets); Eli Manning (Giants); and Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens) have all seen their jersey sales spike according to the latest figures. Sanchez is now up to 4 from 7; Manning is up to 7 from 10 and Flacco is ranked 14 from 17.

No Miami Dolphins jerseys ranked in the Top 25, but the NFL says Ronnie Brown is now in the top 50. And despite their 0-3 start, Dolphins gear is close to cracking the Top 10 in team sales. The league only releases the rank of the Top 25 players and Top 10 teams.

Below the Top 10 best-selling jerseys and team gear:

1. Brett Favre
2. Troy Polamalu
3. Jay Cutler
4. Mark Sanchez
5. Michael Vick
6. Tony Romo
7. Eli Manning
8. Tom Brady
9. Ben Roethlisberger
10. Adrian Peterson

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Chicago Bears
5. New York Giants
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. New England Patriots
8. Green Bay Packers
9. San Francisco 49ers
10. Washington Redskins

This morning, the Marlins will make history, holding the official ceremonial ground-breaking for their loooong awaited ballpark.

The ceremony is expected to be full of optimism and forward-looking, but it will also include a tinge of history: the Marlins’ first-ever pitcher-catcher battery of Charlie Hough and Benito Santiago will perform a ceremonial first pitch at the former Orange Bowl site.

With that in mind, when the Marlins take their new field, expected in 2012, they’ll be making another nod to the past -- changing their name to Miami Marlins. It’s a requirement of the ballpark deal struck with Miami-Dade County and city of Miami, which are paying the bulk of the ballpark’s price.

While the name isn’t expected to change until the new ballpark opens, the team is already quietly easing into the transition. Its Web site is now just marlins.com without the Florida.

As for the original Miami Marlins, they were a minor league team that played in the International League from 1956 to 1960 at Miami’s famed and now-demolished Miami Stadium (renamed Bobby Maduro in 1987). Satchel Paige pitched for the team. Later, there was a Florida State League team named the Miami Marlins, which played at the stadium from1962-1970 and then from 1982-1988.

The original Miami Marlins are immortalized in a T-shirt produced by Ebbets Field Flannels, a Seattle mail order company (ebbets.com) that sells authentic flannel and felt-lettered reproductions of minor league baseball jerseys, jackets and caps, favored by the likes of Spike Lee, David Letterman and former Sex Pistol John Lydon. As you can see, the shirt’s orange – one of the Major League Marlins’ colors - and shows a baseball bat-wielding marlin popping out of old Miami Stadium.

Heat superstar guard Dwyane Wade is joining Nike's Jordan Brand.

Wade, who signed a modest $400,000 deal with Converse as a rookie, is abandoning his deal with Converse, which was set to run through the 2011-12 season. He’s joining Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Derek Jeter, among others, with Team Jordan, the brand named for Michael Jordan.

Wade’s first Converse shoe was released during the 2005-06 season.His signing was viewed as a way to spark the struggling brand, which is also owned by Nike. The Wade 4 was released last season, but Wade wore the Wade 1 on the court. Converse re-released a limited number of the Wade 1 last season.

“For me, the move to Jordan Brand is a dream come true,” Wade said in a statement. “As a kid, I grew up on the south side of Chicago idolizing Michael Jordan and have worked hard to achieve the same success that he’s had on the court. I have enormous respect for this brand and all that it stands for. I’m humbled to be a part of the Team Jordan family and I’m looking forward to a great future.”

The Jordan Brand, which also includes apparel, was launched in 1997.

The introduction of Gloria and Emilio Estefan as minority investors in the Dolphins on Thursday had a festive air: an Estefan greatest hits soundtrack, a Cuban coffee station, plenty of Latin entertainment and lifestyle media – and even a journalist from an Italian style magazine.

Among the media, Dolphins and stadium officials were Related Group CEO Jorge Perez, who is Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross’ business partner and the guy who introduced Ross to the Estefans, and luxury shoe designer Donald J. Pliner.

Pliner made a beeline for Ross after the press conference. He offered to make slip-on street shoes for the Dolphins. The two pairs he’s considering for the team are his T Rex (photo left) and Uwait (photo below).

Pliner makes shoes for former Heat center Shaquille O’Neal and retired Heat center Alonzo Mourning. He works with the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. Perez wears Pliner’s shoes. So does criminal attorney Roy Black. The Estefans are his neighbors on Star Island.

The shoes Pliner has picked out for the Dolphins are made of breathable micro-fiber. “It’s more expensive than leather, but it stimulates the blood vessels, stops your feet from getting tired, keeps the blood flowing it has memory,” Pliner said. “They’re water resistant, it looks like leather.”

He added: “The point is if your feet are uncomfortable so is the body and so is the mind.”

So what was Ross’ reaction?

“He gave me his size and which size to send him first,” Pliner said.

For the record, Ross wears a size 13B. “That’s narrow, which is difficult,” Pliner said. “We’ll fit him.”

As part of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig’s “Fan Initiative” aimed at providing ticket discounts and special offers, teams will give fans two free tickets to an upcoming game this season with the purchase of a replica jersey.

The Marlins launch the program starting at Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds at Dolphin Stadium. Majestic Athletic replica jerseys cost $99.99. With the purchase at the stadium or the Marlins En Miami store, fans will receive two tickets in the stadium’s Bullpen Box seats.

For more details on about Marlins and other teams’ special offers, check out the MLB’s Fan Value Corner.

Sharing a few bits of tid:

+ On behalf of UF, the Collegiate Licensing Co., sent a cease and desist letter to Teebows.com, which is selling underwear bearing the letter ‘T’ and a bow, in honor of the school’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow. The school’s logo and Tebow’s image have been removed, but the site is still selling three different styles of panties for $6 apiece.

+ The Los Angeles Dodgers debut “Mannywood” starting with today’s homestand at Dodger Stadium against the San Diego Padres. It’s two sections of seats closest to the Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez in which fans can buy two field box seats and get two free limited edition Mannywood T-shirts for just $99 in honor of the enigmatic player’s No. 99. On May 5, for Cinco de Mayo, the shirt will say “Yo estuve en Mannywood,” meaning “I was in Mannywood.”

+ And those interested in a rather intimate – in a TMI sort of way – portrait of former Marlins and current Boston Red Sox owner John Henry’s courtship of second wife-to-be Linda Pizzuti can check out Boston Magazine’s lengthy and revealing piece in the May edition. With photos. The wedding is planned in June.

Remember how FIU Provost Ronald Berkman butchered his new basketball’s coach’s name, introducing Isiah Thompson to the FIU community and media last week?

FireThatGuy.com figured it wouldn’t just sell Fire Isiah University T-shirts in honor of Isiah Thomas. Web site founder Justin Forer has added “Hire Isiah Thompson” to his roster of $20 shirts.

Even before Isiah Thomas was introduced as Florida International University’s new basketball coach this morning, Justin Forer saw another merchandising opportunity –- and outlet for fans, who might not think too highly of the controversial Thomas.

With the ink barely dry on Thomas’ contract on Tuesday, Forer had already posted “Fire Isiah University” (FIU, get it?) T-shirts for $20 apiece on his FireThatGuy.com Web site. They’re in Golden Panthers colors, too: blue and white and blue and gold.

Forer, 31, a Miami native, who recently moved back to the Magic City after a decade in New York, including Thomas’ rocky tenure with the New York Knicks, actually launched the business in 2005 with shirts calling for the firing of former University of Miami football coach Larry Coker. The shirt was so popular that Forer’s side business was born.

“At the time there was a big move to have Larry Coker fired,” Forer said. “FireThatGuy is not necessarily to hate coaches, but to give fans a chance to voice how they really feel.”

Although not an alum, Forer knows a thing or two about Miami football, having, as he says, “grown up in the endzone of the old Orange Bowl.” And about South Florida sports: his first foray into the sports souvenir business was in 1996 during the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup run when he bought cases of plastic rats and he and some friends sold them out of boxes on street corners in Miami.

For his second sports business, other coaches and general managers followed Coker. There were Isiah Thomas shirts from his time with the Knicks. And hats and baby bibs, too.

“I don’t know that we sold any baby bibs, but they were out there,” Forer said. “After Larry Coker, Isiah became the No. 1 seller.”

Forer said he thought about starting a blog, but decided the merchandise was a more proactive way to get fans involved. His other victims have included former New York Mets manager Willie Randolph and former Detroit Lions President Matt Millen. Current ones include Miami football coach Randy Shannon and Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis. Forer insists that only two targeted coaches – Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics and Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants -- “not only did not get fired … but went on to win championships.”

“I hope that Isiah is not walking around with a 'Fire Justin' T-shirt,” he said. “And to be honest, the shirts are all in good fun. Fans deserve a chance to voice their opinion, too.”

In honor of Dwyane Wade’s MVP-caliber season and because fans have been asking for it, Converse has reissued a limited number of the Heat guard’s original signature shoe, the Wade 1.

Fewer than 2,400 pairs of the black shoe with the red accents that Wade wears on the court – yes, he’s been wearing it this season, too – have been released and are currently on sale only at Champs Sports, according to Converse. The shoes, which were first launched before the 2005-06 season, are $90.

The shoe features 0.8 (or 8/10ths of a second) on the inner heel to symbolize the time the ball left Wade's hands when he made two game-winning shots during his first two NBA seasons. His No. 3 appears on the shoelace eyelets and his name is on the shoe’s back and top.

But those nifty “MV3” shirts some were sporting at yesterday’s game against the Knicks, in which Wade scored 55 points, aren’t for sale. They were made just to promote Wade’s candidacy for MVP.

Never one to miss a merchandising opportunity, the Heat has created a line of products it is calling the "Alonzo Mourning Retirement Collection." The items are available in conjunction with tonight’s jersey retirement ceremony -- the first ever in franchise history for a Heat player -- during halftime of the Heat-Orlando Magic game.

The team created a special jersey retirement ceremony logo that is featured on T-shirts for $20 apiece, on 33 limited edition Spalding basketballs for $150 each and on 133 gold-plated coins for $25. The team is also selling mini-basketballs with the logo and a white panel (for autographs, naturally) for $15.

The items were already on display at the Miami Hoops Gear store in AmericanAirlines Arena on Saturday night. There are lots of other Mourning items, too, including bobblehead dolls. The items are also for sale online.

It didn’t take long for the Heat to capitalize on Dwyane Wade’s new signature phrase: “This is my house.” Wade said that after scoring 46 points when the Heat defeated the New York Knicks 120-115 on Feb. 28 at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Heat Executive Vice President Michael McCullough said the team spent the next day working on T-shirts with Wade’s image that say “This Is My House.” The shirts were available for sale at AmericanAirlines Arena in time for the March 2 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The shirts cost $20 with a portion of the proceeds going to the Wade’s World foundation. They’re only for sale at the arena for now.

With Wade’s heroics nearly every night – he’s averaging 29.7 points a game and scored the three-pointer in double overtime as time expired to beat the Chicago Bulls Monday night – McCullough says the shirts are “selling very well.”

Jermaine O’Neal, who will make his debut with the Heat on Wednesday, didn’t offer up anything like a Mercedes or a few thousand dollars to new teammate Mario Chalmers for the No. 6 – the number O’Neal wore in Toronto.

No, O’Neal has chosen to go back to wearing No. 7 – the number he wore as a member of the Indiana Pacers. His jersey is already for sale at miamihoopsgear.com or by going to heat.com. And Andy Montero, Heat senior director of retail operations, tells us there will be O’Neal jerseys for sale at AmericanAirlines Arena at Wednesday’s game.

But upstairs on the 300 level of the arena are No. 32 O’Neal jerseys – remaining from Shaquille O’Neal’s tenure with the Heat – at a steep discount. Those are for sale for $10 apiece and fans are still buying them, Heat officials say.

There was no encouraging Jermaine O'Neal to pick No. 32 or special program to pay a few dollars to have your No. 32s replaced with No. 7s. This is, after all, another merchandising opportunity.

“He’s a former Heat player, just like Glen Rice is a former Heat player. We’re happy to see people show up in No. 32 O’Neal jerseys,” Heat executive vice president Michael McCullough said. “We hope more of them get No. 7 O’Neal jerseys.”

“It’s a different player,” Montero added. “It’s a new era.”

The team even has some remaining No. 7 jerseys for Shawn Marion – who was traded to Toronto for Jermaine O’Neal, Montero said.

Additionally, Jamario Moon's No. 8 Heat jerseys will be available at the arena on Wednesday. Moon wore No. 33 in Toronto -- the same number Alonzo Mourning wore with the Heat.

COOK THREE-POINT MERCHANDISE

Meanwhile, the Heat has ordered 60 commemorative versions of the orange and purple “money balls” from this past weekend’s NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix to sell in honor of Daequan Cook winning the three-point contest. The team will also sell 8 x 10 photos of Cook shooting the “money ball.” Those should arrive within a week and will sell at the Miami Hoops Gear store and online -- $70 for the basketball and $5 for the photos, Montero said. He said the same thing was done to honor Jason Kapono, who won the three-point contest in 2007.

The NBA must be in a giving mood. In addition to a record five nationally televised games on Christmas Day, there will be plenty of extras surrounding the games.

The league is introducing a series of new comical ads in its popular “Where Amazing Happens” campaign. These ads feature the “Amazing Tour Bus” – a mini double-decker bus complete with an open roof filled with fans on a tour of some insider NBA moments: on the practice court with Greg Oden, during a game with Pau Gasol, and in the locker room with LeBron James.

The spots were directed by Randy Krallman of the talking baby E*Trade commercials and feature character actor Joey Slotnick, who has been on Boston Public, Boston Legal and Family Guy. Check out Oden’s spot here and behind the scenes filming from James’ ad, where we see him sing to Cyndi Lauper’s "Time After Time." The league is launching nba.com/tour with extra features such as James’ favorite songs, which will be available on iTunes.

Meanwhile, if you have extra holiday cash or didn’t get enough gifts, the league is offering fans a chance to bid on the jerseys players wear during the Christmas Day games. There will be a total of 120 jerseys, each featuring a Christmas Day patch – with snowflake and NBA logo – and a tag to mark the event. Interested fans can bid at NBA.com at the tipoff of each game. These are the matchups:

New Orleans v. Orlando (noon, ESPN)
San Antonio v. Phoenix (2:30 p.m., ABC)
Boston v. Los Angeles (5 p.m., ABC)
Washington v. Cleveland (8 p.m., TNT)
Dallas v. Portland (10:30 p.m., TNT)

The Panthers wouldn’t say how many tickets were sold at discounts of 30 percent to 50 percent during their one-day sale from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday, other than it was one of the team’s most successful selling days in the past few years.

Around pro sports, Black Friday was a good day.

The NFL recorded an 85 percent increase in sales at NFLShop.com on Black Friday compared to 2007, making the day the league’s third highest grossing sales day. The biggest day was yesterday (Thanksgiving Sunday), followed by Thanksgiving Sunday in 2007.

The best sellers since Thanksgiving? Brett Favre’s replica men’s green jersey and youth green jersey, followed by Giants-custom hooded sweatshirts and Eli Manning’s replica men’s blue jersey.

Meanwhile, the NBA said its online store recorded its best Black Friday sales ever, more than doubling last year’s figures. Sales at NBAStore.com were up 95 percent for the full weekend. Together, sales at the online store and at the NBA Store in Manhattan rose a combined 38 percent from last year.

Chris Paul’s jersey was the top seller over the weekend, followed by NBA team logoed T-shirts.

And the league kicked off a 12 days of deals promotion at NBAStore.com today. A new discount will be announced each day.

MLB.com, which sold select jerseys at 40 percent off, said sales were up 25 percent compared with 2007.

The NHL said sales at Shop.NHL.com were up 67 percent on Black Friday compared to 2007 and that sales were up 25 percent from a year ago on Cyber Monday. For the full weekend sales rose more than 10 percent from 2007 at the NHL Store in Manhattan.

Could it be a better time to outfit Texas Tech?

With the football team’s resounding 56-20 win over Oklahoma State on Saturday, it is now vying for the No. 1 spot in the BCS polls with Alabama. Texas Tech is now first in the computer rankings and second in both the Harris and USA Today Coaches polls.

Already in the midst of a five-year agreement – that began in 2006 -- with the football team, Under Armour is to announce Monday in Lubbock that it will outfit all 17 of Texas Tech’s teams. The new five-year $11 million agreement includes uniforms, other apparel and shoes. The partnership with men’s basketall begins this season with the other relationships launching in July 2009.

The Baltimore-based company already has partnerships with the University of Maryland, Auburn, University of South Florida, University of South Carolina, University of Hawaii and the University of Utah.

The Heat plays exhibition games against the New Jersey Nets in Paris on Thursday and again in London on Sunday, but guard Dwyane Wade’s jersey is no longer No. 1 in Europe. Wade had the top-selling jersey in Europe during the 2006-07 season, but fell to No. 8 last year.

Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant’s jersey topped the list in Europe for the 2007-08 season, according to the NBA. This year five European players are in the top 10, including Pau Gasol (Spain) of the Lakers; Tony Parker (France) of the San Antonio Spurs; and Andrea Bargnani (Italy) of the Toronto Raptors. Newcomers on the list are Marco Belinelli (Italy) of the Golden State Warriors and Jose Calderon (Spain) of the Raptors.

International players account for about 20 percent of NBA rosters. International sales make up more than a quarter of the league’s global merchandise business. And international visitors represent about 40 percent of the customers at the NBA Store in Manhattan.

The top 10 best-selling jerseys in Europe last season were:

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
3. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
6. Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
7. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
8. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
9. Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors
10. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors

When the Orlando Magic unveiled its new jerseys this afternoon it had some big help. Really, really big help: A 15-foot tall inflatable jersey that measures 22 feet from cuff to cuff.

The giant jerseys, billed as the “world’s largest jersey,” are the work of Action Sports America, a company that started 14 years ago and has made the giant jerseys for the past decade. They’re used to promote new teams, new uniforms, big events, college football games, says company founder Doug Verb.

They’re hand-sewn, hand-painted and cost $6,500 to $7,500. They’ve even been made to fit over statues, like the Flyers jersey that covered the statue of William Penn atop Philadelphia City Hall. Verb says he’s up to 237 different jerseys.

South Florida sports fans have probably seen the company’s handiwork at the Panthers or when the Heat won the NBA Championship in 2006. Or perhaps at Zo’s Summer Groove.

This afternoon, a giant Magic jersey stood outside the Cheyenne Saloon, where the new 20th anniversary uniforms were unveiled inside.

Action Sports America is also responsible for the hot dog launcher and inflatable Big Balls that mascots can get inside for promotional events and, of course, human bowling.

Olympic gold medalist and Heat guard Dwyane Wade has renewed his endorsement deal with McDavid Inc., Illinois-based maker of HexPad protective apparel Wade routinely wears.

After a three-year deal signed in 2005 expired, Wade has signed on to promote the company for another two years, the firm announced this week. Financial terms were not disclosed.

You’ve regularly seen him wear the company’s Hex Power Shooter Arm Sleeve, among other items.

”Dwyane is the perfect example of how McDavid can help athletes stay in the game,” McDavid Vice President Terry Fee said in a statement. “He was among the first in the NBA to make HexPad an everyday piece of equipment. After rehabbing from a string of injuries Dwyane felt secure enough wearing HexPad to not only get back on the court but perform at the highest level.”

The company partners with a number of other athletes including Arizona Cardinals and former Hurricanes running back Edgerrin James and Golden State Warriors forward Corey Maggette, as well as international soccer, basketball and volleyball players.

Michael Phelps’ dominance in the swimming pool and five gold medals on his quest for eight in Beijing have boosted exposure for his sponsors to the tune of $9 million.

That’s what Joyce Julius & Associates, a Michigan firm that measures sponsor value, figures adidas, Nike, Speedo and Visa have picked up in primetime broadcast exposure on NBC.

Logos for those companies on Phelps’ apparel have garnered six minutes of on-screen time during NBC’s broadcasts. Joyce Julius measures on-screen exposure by the cost of advertising during the broadcasts.

The Nike logo on the warm-up jacket Phelps has worn during the medal ceremonies has a gotten three minutes and 33 seconds of airtime, which Joyce Julius believes is worth $5.3 million. Another $3.6 million in media exposure comes from Speedo logos on his warm-up jacket, swim cap and bodysuit.

Meanwhile, Phelps has an impressive diet, too. Read about the 12,000 calories he consumes daily, according to this piece at Yahoo! Sports.

Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant still has the top-selling NBA jersey in China based on sales at retail stores in China during the 2007-08 season, according to the NBA. Bryant’s jersey was the top seller in 2006-07, too.

Meanwhile, Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s jersey has dropped from 4th most popular in 2006-07 to 8th this past season. Kevin Garnett, of the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, has the most popular jersey in the U.S. and second most popular in China.

Of the 10 top-selling jerseys in China, Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs and Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets have fallen off the list between 2006-07 and 2007-08, replaced by Paul Pierce of the Celtics and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

The league opened its first two NBA stores outside the U.S. in Beijing in July. Sales at the stores have exceeded projections by almost 70 percent already and 1,000 people were lined up outside for the grand opening of one of the stores.

Here’s the list of top 10 best-selling NBA jerseys in China compared with 2006-07:

2007-08 Top Selling Jerseys in China
1) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2) Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
3) Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
4) Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
5) Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
6) Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards
7) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
8) Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
9) Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
10) Yao Ming, Houston Rockets

2006-07 Top Selling Jerseys in China
1) Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2) Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
3) Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
4) Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
5) LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
6) Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
7) Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
8) Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
9) Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
10) Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards

Brett Favre’s jersey is so popular it occupies the top two spots in the list of the NFL’s top-selling jerseys at NFLShop.com. That’s right: his brand new New York Jets jersey ranks No. 1 among jerseys sold between April 1 and today and his Green Bay Packers jersey ranks No. 2.

The NFL’s online store sold 6,500 Favre jerseys on Thursday – that’s a one-day record for a single player’s jersey. Between Thursday and Sunday, the total number of Favre Jets jerseys sold reached 12,000 – another record for a four-day period, according to the NFL. Check out the variety of Favre items for sale.

Meanwhile, Madden NFL 09 will be released Tuesday with Favre in his Packers jersey on the cover. The photo was planned even as Favre was “in retirement” as a way to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the popular Madden game.

“We wanted to pick someone to show what Madden was about,” said Katherine Coulthart, EA Sports senior publicist. “For us, it was a no brainer."

But since it’s a unique situation, EA is also providing a unique opportunity for Madden NFL 09 buyers to print out a free cover of Favre in his Jets uniform that can be inserted into the game’s case. No predictions on how many of the new games will be sold, but the Madden game has sold 70 million copies in its 20 years.

Donruss also announced last week that it is rushing a Favre trading card – in which he’s holding his No. 4 Jets jersey -- into its Playoff Absolute Memorabilia packages scheduled to be in retail stores the first week of September.

And the Dolphins, who host the New York Jets at Dolphin Stadium on Sept. 7, are expecting a sellout. It’s the home opener and the Jets, but the prospect of seeing Favre - and former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington face his old team - might have helped drive individual ticket sales up about 20 percent from last year, when they went on sale Saturday.

Interested in the top 25 selling jerseys at NFLShop.com between April 1 and today? Here’s the list:

1 Brett Favre, New York Jets
2 Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers
3 Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
4 Tom Brady, New England Patriots
5 Eli Manning, New York Giants
6 Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
7 Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
8 LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. Chargers
9 Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys
10 Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
11 Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
12 Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
13 Devin Hester, Chicago Bears
14 Randy Moss, New England Patriots
15 Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
16 Michael Strahan, New York Giants
17 Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
18 Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys
19 Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants
20 Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
21 DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys
22 Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
23 Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers
24 Jay Cutler, Denver Broncos
25 JaMarcus Russell, Oakland Raiders

Limited edition items from the much-hyped historic matchup of the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals that begin Thursday night are being made available for sale to fans.

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and adidas have teamed up to produce a limited edition version of Garnett’s 2008-09 adidas Team Signature Commander Shoe. The KG Commander is to launch in October, but the special edition shoes are being made specifically for the Finals.

Only eight pairs per Finals game will be made available for $1,017 each (in honor of the Celtics going for their 17th championship) at celtics.com; the TD Banknorth Garden Pro Shop and at the NBA Store in Manhattan. The shoes feature the Larry O’Brien Trophy on one side and numbers indicating that particular night’s Finals game on the other.

Meanwhile, the NBA will be auctioning the players’ game-worn jerseys from Finals Games 1 and 3 – giving fans a chance to bid on a home and road jersey for each player. The Game 1 auction will be at NBA.com from June 5-24 and the Game 3 auction from June 10-26. The jerseys will be specially authenticated with coding, tags and security numbers.

Want to show pride for your favorite baseball team around the office? Major League Baseball has formed a partnership with vineyard vines for a line of men’s and women’s accessories, including ties, belts and sashes; swimwear; and sleepwear.

The partnership is the first with a pro sports league for vineyard vines, the preppy accessories and apparel company founded on Martha’s Vineyard a decade ago. The items, which will be produced with the logos of all 30 teams, are available at MLB Clubhouse shops, and MLB.com and will be sold at other shops in the coming weeks. Vineyard vines also sells items online at vineyardvines.com and at eight free standing shops, including one at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo.