Miami Heat guard Carlos Arroyo will be appearing at the Miami Hoops Gear Store at Dolphin Mall on Saturday to meet fans and sign autographs.

Arroyo, who attended FIU, will be at the store from 3-4 p.m., at the mall, 11401 Northwest 12th St., Miami.

Customers who buy an 8 x 10 photo ($10); Spalding Basketball ($35) or adidas Swingman jersey ($80), will receive a free autograph on that item. One autograph per customer. More information at heat.com.

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A select group of media was invited Wednesday night to Temple House -- at 16,000 square feet, the largest single family home on South Beach -- for the unveiling of Michael Jordan’s newest shoe. We gathered in a white room with a concrete floor, where Jordan Brand logos were projected on white curtains. A video of Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade being interviewed for a spot on the Brand Jordan team was shown and it even poked fun at the spelling of Wade’s first name.

And then, we got to see the Air Jordan 2010. The 25th anniversary shoe in the popular Jordan Brand line is constructed for performance, but also pushes the envelope of design as the brand’s been doing now for more than two decades. Even Michael Jordan seemed a little stunned at the brand's longevity.

This one’s even got a hole – a window, if you will – in the side that allows sneaker fans and shoe aficionados into the Jordan Brand world. But only a little bit. Jordan Brand is calling it the “first see-through performance basketball shoe featuring a unique thermoplastic urethane window.”

That hole gives fans a glimpse into the line, but “doesn’t take away from the performance of the shoe,” Jordan said of the shoe designed by Tinker Hatfield, Nike vice president of special projects/design, and Mark Smith, Jordan Brand creative director. “We want to be trendy, we want to be stylish yet we still want to be a high performance shoe,” Jordan said.

The shoe will be released on Feb. 13 and is expected to retail for $170.

While other NBA players have worn Air Jordans on the court, the 2010 is being released with the idea it will be worn by a current player. Jordan Brand tapped Wade this summer for its elite brand that also includes Derek Jeter, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul. Wade had been the face of Converse for six years, but relished the idea of joining the brand and its already established team. It's expected he will eventually have his own signature shoe in the Jordan Brand line, but for now, he's honored to be heir to Air.

Jordan was asked about Wade being compared with him. He cautioned that he and Wade didn’t play at the same time.

“Two individuals that never played in same era,” Jordan said. “Yes, we’re very, very similar. Yes he has characteristics that I have … Is he Michal Jordan? No. Am I D Wade? No.”

Jordan went on to say his brand had been interested in Wade for years, but the Heat guard was already tied up with Converse. That changed this summer. Both Converse and Jordan Brand are owned by Nike.

“He has similar passions for basketball,” Jordan said of Wade. “I played in Chicago, he grew up in Chicago … I was very happy we had an opportunity to work with him. “

Jordan also said while comparisons are entertaining to debate, they’re not fair given how times have changed.

“I would give my one leg to be able to go out and play with today’s athletes,” he said. “Yeah, I’d love to play with Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James. You sit there and think what if, what if … I didn’t have a chance to play with Jerry West, I’d love to play with Jerry West or Elgin Baylor. And today’s athletes didn’t have a chance to play against myself or Magic Johnson or Larry Bird. That’s just the way things happen … We get caught up in these debates. And we live through them.”

And then he added with a chuckle, “But he is wearing my shoe, I’m not wearing Dwyane Wade’s shoe.”

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Knowing it was going to be a challenging year on the business side, the Miami Heat has made upgrades at AmericanAirlines Arena to increase sponsor and advertising opportunities. The team’s new MediaMesh – the giant LED marquee on the front of the arena – was unveiled in May. New high definition television screens and menu boards have been installed for this season.

In a meeting with reporters Tuesday, Heat owner Micky Arison said the innovations appear to have made a difference, although he can’t say for sure what’s helped drive sponsorship sales during the recession.

“On the cruise side, one of our brands recently did a consumer survey, trying to find out if people will buy vacations this year. The questions dealt with what will consumers cut back on next year, and sports was number one in the answer of cutting back. This is a national issue, probably a global issue,” said Arison, who is also chairman of Carnival Corp.

In the NBA, Arison said, “The league is dealing with significantly less ticket sales, but … sponsorship has held up better than I would have expected. We’re in a very tough market, because it’s very real estate and banking oriented. We’ve also had some sponsors like Stanford Financial, and others that have failed on us, so there’s no question this is going to be a tough year and a tough period, financially for the franchise. But I don’t think that’s unique to us. It’s a national and global problem.”

Stanford Financial had signage across the Heat’s VIP lobby entrance until earlier this year when R. Allen Stanford was charged with fraud. The signs were pulled from the lobby after the company missed a payment. Meanwhile, with law firm Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler now in turmoil since Scott Rothstein’s alleged involvement in what federal authorities are calling a massive fraud scheme, RRA advertisements are no longer appearing in the Heat’s game program.

But the team’s sponsors sales, including signing Assist-Card to the team’s first-ever presenting sponsorship this season, have been healthier than he anticipated.

“We’re in good shape with sponsorships, surprisingly good shape, but really struggling with ticket sales,” Arison said.

As for why sponsor sales have increased, Arison pointed to the new inventory such as the MediaMesh and speculated that some companies may be excited about the Heat’s young team.

“Because it’s such a banking, real estate oriented community, I thought it would be really murder. And last spring it looked that way,” Arison said. “As the summer progressed, it came around. Where we’re struggling is premium seating and ticket sales, which is really hard right now. People can watch it at home and consumers are very, very price conscious. It’s a unique product, you can sit at home and get it for free. You can’t do that with a cruise.”

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Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers and forward Udonis Haslem will be visiting fans and signing autographs in the Cubavera section at Macy’s at Dadeland Mall on Saturday.

The Heat stars will appear from 5 to 6 p.m. at the mall, 7303 SW 88th St., Miami. One autograph per customer. Fans who make a Cubavera purchase of at least $50 will be escorted to the front of the autograph line. And two free Heat tickets will be given to the first 50 fans who make a $50 purchase (clearance items excluded).

For more information visit the team’s Web site.

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If you’re a sports fan in South Florida, chances are you’ve seen RRA’s logo. Or heard of one of the companies Scott Rothstein’s invested in. That’s because Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler has been rapidly racking up sports sponsorships and teaming with local athletes and their charitable organizations.
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Remember those billboards featuring Rothstein with Dan Marino, promoting RRA’s partnership with the Dan Marino Foundation? RRA served as a presenting sponsor of The Summer Groove, hosted by Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade, held in July at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.

Ten days ago – not long before it became public Rothstein was under investigation -- RRA was the sponsor of the Miami Dolphins 2009 Alumni Weekend. RRA sponsors the Heat and messages promoting the firm's connections with Marino’s and Mourning’s charities have flashed from the giant MediaMesh LED marquee on the front of AmericanAirlines Arena that overlooks Biscayne Boulevard. There’s even an RRA ad in the Miami Heat’s opening night program.

RRA has a sponsorship deal at BankAtlantic Center with the Florida Panthers. Three other companies in which Rothstein has an investment -- Bova, Renato and V Georgio Vodka -- also have sponsorship agreements with the team and arena. Bova sponsors the Panthers' Ice Dancers.

The Heat, Panthers and Dan Marino Foundation all declined to comment Tuesday. But don't be surprised if RRA's logo is no longer included as part of the Panthers' game presentation.

The Florida Marlins are the only one of the four major pro sports team in South Florida that doesn’t have any sort of partnership with RRA or Rothstein-connected company.

In January, attendees at a VIP party before the BCS National Championship Game received a football-shaped luggage tag featuring the BCS and RRA logos.

On Monday, Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown broadcast his weekly radio show, “The Ronnie Brown Show,’” on WQAM-560 AM from Bova Prime in Fort Lauderdale, just as he's done all season.

Last month, Rothstein announced the formation of RRA Sports & Entertainment, a division to handle marketing and endorsement deals for athletes. Its first clients are Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder and junior tennis player Sachia Vickery.

Rothstein is also a member of the corporate marketing committee of the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee, but so far has been missing in action, host committee chairman Rodney Barreto said Tuesday.

“I did have lunch with him to discuss the Super Bowl and if he wanted to get involved with us. He’s involved with a lot of great charities. He agreed,” said Barreto, who met with Rothstein a few months ago.

“He’s attended no meetings, participated with no referrals or anything to date. As far as I’m concerned, he hasn’t done anything with our committee yet. I wish he would have,” Barreto said adding he thought someone of Rothstein’s stature and connections could help the host committee.

“He was a force, don’t kid yourself,” Barreto said. “It was brought to my attention, why don’t we consider having him help open doors for us, to help find potential sponsors. It didn’t work out.”

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Anyone else wonder what the “DOUBTERS” billboard on I-95 southbound just north of Miami was all about?

Clearly the idea was to catch your attention. A black billboard with just the word "DOUBTERS" in white and some birds perched atop it doing their business directly on the board. No word of whom or what had placed the ad.

As days went by successively more birds appeared atop the board and with them, more droppings. So that by this week, the droppings were covering the board, close to obliterating the "Doubters." And then a few days ago, the Miami Heat tag advertising 2009-10 tickets for sale appeared below the billboard.

Last season’s Heat ad campaign took aim at the doubters, too. Guard Dwyane Wade opened one of the team’s Something2prove ticket campaign ads by saying: “To the doubters…”

Soon the billboard message should change to this year’s tagline:

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When Miami Heat season ticket holders arrive at AmericanAirlines Arena for tonight’s 2009-10 season home opener against the New York Knicks, they won’t be carrying traditional stock tickets with them.

Instead, they’ll have the print-at-home variety. The team has chosen not to print up ticket booklets to “reduce environmental contamination from harsh inks and chemicals used in the printing process,” according to a message sent to season ticket holders.

“What I hope is it’s one more step towards new technology that’s coming out hopefully in time for next year, where we can embed the bar codes into credit cards, licenses, whatever, so you don’t even need anything,” said Eric Woolworth, the Heat’s president of business operations.

Meanwhile, the Heat's also promoting recycling, by having the plastic bag that wraps the Miami Herald serve as a tool for getting ticket discounts. Bring the bag to the arena's ticket office for discounts of $10 off 300 level tickets ($30 or higher) or $15 off 100 level tickets ($85 or higher). That's the bags with the Heat ad on them that look like this:

The Phoenix Coyotes became the first NHL team to go to a paperless ticketing system and are using a swipe card for entry to games. Read about it here.

Read about the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers experimenting with paperless ticketing here.

And here’s a story I wrote last year about sports – from golf courses to teams – making environmentally friendly changes in the name of going green.

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Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade is appearing in an ad for the Jordan Brand that broke on Sunday. Wade, who had been the face of Converse, signed a new shoe deal with Michael Jordan's shoe company this summer.

Last month, Wade held a "brand summit" with his endorsement partners to plan his advertising and marketing messaging for this season. Read more about his evolving business side in a today's piece here.

The Heat's 2009-10 season starts Wednesday, when the team plays the New York Knicks at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Here are some more of Wade's answers to questions about his off-the-court endeavors:

On moving from Converse to the Jordan Brand:

It’s a great decision. I need you to understand, Converse is under the Nike umbrella, so it was a decision from Nike, not only to put me into the Jordan Brand, where my individual things could be seen more, but also to help the brand as it continues to grow. So it was a corporate decision, and I just reaped the benefits from it. I had a great team at Converse, but I think it was time to move on from both sides, so it was great.

On whether he had concerns about moving from being the star of the Converse brand to one of several elite athletes at Jordan Brand:

When I was 24, I probably have thought about it, I probably wouldn’t have wanted it to happen. Being 27 and being smart and understanding that everyone has a place, I kind of relish it, I kind of open my arms to it. When I was 24 I would have said No, I would have said ‘I want to be the face of this brand, I want to be the all.’ But now knowing the team that we have at the Jordan Brand is only going to make it better for everyone else. It’s not pressure on one guy to build the brand, it’s going to be on a lot of different guys to help add to the brand that Michael has already built. So it sort of makes our job a little bit easier actually.

On whether he’ll have his own signature shoe at Jordan Brand:

That’s still to be determined. I just came into the brand two and a half months before the season, so a lot of stuff we have to get together … We’ve got some special things planned, but you know how we are at the Jordan Brand, we keep everything secretive…

What shoe he’ll wear this season:

I wear the 16.5 that’s a combination of Jordan 16 and Jordan 17. And also wear the Hallowed Ground, and another shoe they’re going to be putting them out. I’ll be wearing three different shoes throughout the year until they decide they want me to wear something else.

On holding a “summit” with his endorsement partners:

I think the biggest thing, which we always talked about just never could do, you want everyone you’re endorsing and partners of, to all be on the same page and tell a story, you don’t want everyone coming out with something different and telling different stories … It’s exciting for us to get everyone in the same room, and see what each other is working so we’re not overlapping, not crossing each other. It’s an opportunity to see the plans and say OK Gatorade is doing this, Jordan Brand we don’t have to do this, we can concentrate on this part. It’s just about getting everybody to work together.

On this year’s message:

This year so far, the message so far is simple … I think it’s self-explanatory to the point of where my team is and where other teams are, we’re still rebuilding , so I have to continue to keep proving myself and our team needs to keep proving themselves.

On what kinds of companies he’d like to partner with:

You always want to add the right things, and at the same time I don’t want to do too much, because I still want to have time for myself. There are certain categories I want to go after that at one point I did have. At one point, I had the car category with Lincoln, but that was only a one year deal. A lot of people still talk about my commercial now, years later. Car and food and maybe some other ones. Personally I want to do maybe Calvin Klein.

On whether he still has interest in acting in movies (he has a cameo role in Just Wright starring Queen Latifah set for release next year):

I’m going to say I’m going to hold off for a minute, on like really trying to get into movies. Like I wouldn’t mind doing cameos. It’s so long, it’s like I was there for like 13 hours and I wasn’t a major, major part of the movie. So I really have to have time to really do that. So right now I’m still going to make my cameos, and do certain things for fun that we want to do. But I don’t know if I really want to do a Space Jam or nothing like that. That takes a lot of time. It’d have to be the right time and the right thing.

On whether he’ll walk the orange carpet at a Miami Dolphins game:

We’ll see. I don’t know. I went to the first game, I was there supporting. I didn’t go on the carpet, that was for the owners. I was there to support. Maybe, maybe not.

Will he become a limited partner in the Dolphins?

Maybe, maybe not. It’s all exciting and interesting, it’s all just chatter. It’s a lot of chatter.

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The Heat is holding a series of events in the community to gear up for its 2009-10 home opener on Oct. 28 against the New York Knicks at AmericanAirlines Arena. Visit heat.com for more information.

Oct. 22: Heat dancers, Burnie the mascot, Xtreme team and DJ MDOT serve customers at McDonalds, 32nd Avenue and U.S. 1, Coconut Grove, 1-3 p.m.

Oct. 23: Heat Happy Hour at Tobacco Road, Miami, including Heat dancers, Burnie, Xtreme team, 5-8 p.m.

Oct. 24: Tweet with the Heat, Twitter scavenger hunt at Dolphin Mall, 1-3 p.m. Registrations starts at noon at Miami Hoops Gear store. Grand prize is Heat season tickets. Follow twitter.com/MHEAT.

Oct. 25: Open practice, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at AmericanAirlines Arena. Doors open at 10:30 a.m., parking and practice are free and first 500 fans receive an Adidas hat.

Oct.26: Rush Hour Heat. The team pays tolls and dancers and Burnie will hand out goodies and entertain commuters heading east on 836 at Northwest 17th Avenue, 7-9 a.m.

Papa John’s Pizza Deliveries, order between 6-8 p.m. and your pizza might be delivered by a player, dancer, Burnie or Xtreme team member. Vouchers for a free ticket to select November games will got out to first 20 deliveries in Broward, West Palm Beach and Miami-Dade locations during that time.

Oct. 27: Heat window decals will be given out at AmericanAirlines Arena, 5-7 p.m., while supplies last.

Oct. 28: Opening night versus the Knicks, includes Tim Hardaway’s jersey retirement ceremony pregame, 7:30 p.m., AmericanAirlines Arena.

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Last week, the NFL refs announced penalties in Spanish for the benefit of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets Monday Night Football game at Land Shark Stadium. The stadium took on a decidedly Latin flavor with a Calle Dolphins tailgating area; Gloria Estefan and Hank Williams Jr. singing a bilingual “Are you ready for some football?” in the MNF theme video; and Marc Anthony performing the national anthem.

Sports leagues certainly recognize the power of marketing to Hispanics. Today, the NBA announced its most comprehensive Hispanic marketing effort that encompasses all of its previous efforts, which have included Spanish-language radio broadcasts in 11 markets and Spanish language team Web sites, and new ones, including advertising, broadcasting and online components.

The league’s effort is called “éne•bé•a,” – or the Spanish pronunciation of ‘NBA,’ – and includes a dedicated Web site at www.nba.com/enebea, which currently features a story about the Miami Heat signing guard Carlos Arroyo (who is from Puerto Rico); advertising that features Heat guard Dwyane Wade along with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on Spanish networks; and content on Spanish language social networking sites. There will also be special merchandise. NBA TV even broadcast the NBA Mexico game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns in Spanish on Sunday.

Already recognized for its efforts to reach fans globally, the NBA wants to make further inroads with its Hispanic fans, who make up 15 percent of the league’s fan base. Some 25 NBA players hail from Latin America and Spain.

NBA Commissioner David Stern said the number of Hispanics living in the U.S. is close to 50 million that will have a spending power in the next several of years of $1 trillion.

“We pride ourselves on our diversity and inclusiveness as a league,” Stern said. “We’ve slowly begun to diversify our efforts to speak to our Hispanic market.”

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Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams is adding yet another job to his resume: restaurateur.

Williams and former Cincinnati Bengal Rudi Johnson have signed on as co-owners of PROOF on Ocean Drive, a health-conscious restaurant and lounge set to open next month in the Z Ocean Hotel South Beach.

“We are thrilled to have such highly-regarded, well-known backers as Ricky and Rudi in our new venture,” Douglas McAllister, president and CEO of the restaurant’s developers Hospitality Development Management Group, said in a statement. “Their leadership and determination on the field will translate just as well off the field, and will no doubt contribute to our commitment to making PROOF a major Miami Beach hot-spot and success.”

Read Ethan Skolnick’s blog item on the restaurant endeavor here.

Williams isn’t the only local athlete with ties to a South Beach restaurant. Last year, retired Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning joined a group of athletes, including retired Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis and the Denver Nuggets' Chauncey Billups, who together own about a third of Philippe Miami, the South Beach installment of the upscale Chinese restaurant Philippe Chow in New York. Philippe Miami is in the Gansevoort South Hotel.

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Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley is among the NBA players adidas is featuring in its 2009-10 “It’s On Me for My Brotherhood” marketing campaign, which begins airing Thursday.

Beasley is appearing in print ads (see photo) and an online ad at adidasbasketball.com. In the ad, Beasley goes to pick out his shoes and invokes the names of other adidas athletes, including Kevin Garnett and Chauncey Billups. He then pulls on his pair of TS Commander LTs with “B. Easy” on them.

While spots featuring the adidas athletes individually appear on the company’s revamped Web site, a separate ad with several adidas athletes, including Garnett, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose, will air on TV. Beasley does not appear in the group ad, but you can see his online ad here:

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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

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When the Miami Heat introduced Assist-Card as its first-ever season presenting sponsor last week, the team became part of a trend as teams look for new ways to generate more revenue.

Assist-Card, a Geneva-based travel insurance and assistance company, forged a five-year agreement with the Heat to help the company launch its services to U.S. customers. The 39-year-old company served 7.2 million international travelers last year, but is just entering the U.S. market.

The company assists travelers with everything from lost luggage to medical care to translators to legal services. Its name will appear on tickets, banners, schedules, advertisements and arena signage. For this season, the company’s name will also appear like this: “Heat ’09-10 presented by Assist-Card.”

For the Heat, the sponsorship is a way to generate more revenue. The Heat has had playoff presenting sponsors. Other teams have had sponsors for individual games or series.

The Florida Panthers have had a presenting sponsor for the past four seasons, starting with ADT and followed the past three seasons by the Seminole Tribe, whose Seminole Casino Coconut Creek was the presenting name and the “official Florida Panthers Post Game Party Spot.” The deals have been worth mid-six figures to low seven figures.

“First and foremost the benefit from a team standpoint is revenue generated from a piece of inventory that didn’t really exist before. And for us, it has been a significant revenue source,” Panthers President Michael Yormark said.

Yormark’s twin brother, Brett, who is CEO of the New Jersey Nets introduced basketball’s first off-season sponsor, signing Wrigley to sponsor the team’s summer activities in 2007.

The Panthers are always looking at new ways to forge sponsor partnerships.

“The presenting sponsorship of a season is just the tip of the iceberg,” Yormark said. “We have a sponsor for all of our player transactions – Coral Springs Moving & Storage. These types of things are only going to expand in the future because they provide a company with a customized exposure package that is unique to their partnership and will more efficiently help them meet their goals and objectives.”

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In a highly unusual collaboration, 10 South Florida sports teams and events have banded together to sell a package of tickets to 10 different sporting events that saves fans $150 to $550.

The South Florida Super Pass, being sold in limited numbers through Oct. 30, costs $330 for regular seats and $1,125 for premium seats to see the region’s four pro sports teams, NASCAR finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, horse racing at Calder and Gulfstream, soccer, and attend the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament and the World Golf Championship event at Doral.

Getting all the teams and events to agree wasn’t simple. But Aaron Davidson, chairman of the sports committee of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, which is selling the ticket, said everyone saw the benefit.

“The economy probably helped. Our South Florida sports market is a challenging one in general,” said Davidson, who is also president of Miami FC soccer team. “Everyone realizes we’ve got to promote our South Florida sports. I hope this joint initiative is the first of many.”

The Super Pass can be purchased at sportssuperpass.com.

Each event works differently and the revenue is shared based on the team or event’s cost, Davidson said.

The Miami Dolphins, for example, are providing a 400 level seat with a food voucher or a Hall of Champions suite seat with food and beverage to the Dec. 27 game against the Houston Texans. The Florida Panthers are offering a goal zone ticket or an ADT Club ticket with food and beverage to any home game this season. Homestead-Miami Speedway is offering a reserved grandstand or Speedway Club seat to the Nov. 22 NASCAR finale.

The idea is to give fans a discount and encourage them to attend an event they might not have considered. Other teams and events have teamed up to sell a joint ticket, but those partnerships typically involve two events or teams. For example, the World Golf Championship and Sony Ericsson Open sold a joint ticket that allowed fans to attend both events, when their schedules overlapped in 2007. This summer, the Cleveland Browns and Indians sold a suite package together that included two Indians games and one Browns game.

Bill Sutton, associate director of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, applauded the South Florida ticket plan, which he compared to an entertainment book of vouchers and discounts.

“It makes sense,” Sutton said. “It’s one of the hardest hit regions by the economy ... It gives people value and a sampling opportunity.”

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Better late than never…. I was again part of the sports business panel on sports consultant Rick Horrow’s local show, Beyond the Game, on WPEC Ch. 12 in West Palm Beach on Saturday. (The show airs at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays). Former Miami Dolphin Troy Stradford and Horrow Sports Ventures creative director Brian Finkel and I covered the Dolphins Monday Night home opener; games we were watching in Week 2; so-called “body bag games” in which lower level college programs travel to big-time programs for the cash payouts; and the Miami Heat’s staff pay cuts. Watch here.

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Heat forward Udonis Haslem is scheduled to sign autographs and visit with shoppers at BJ’s Whole Sale Club in Miami Lakes on Saturday.

Haslem is to appear at the store at 17250 Northwest 57th Ave., between 11 a.m. and noon. The first 200 fans will receive an autographed photo card.

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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.

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Last month, Heat guard Dwyane Wade and retired Heat center Alonzo Mourning helped bring attention to the problem of home foreclosures joining the Hope Now Alliance’s “Bringing Hope Home” bus tour of Miami. The pair was drafted to meet with needy residents and join a roundtable discussion about the problem.

Today, another Heat player stepped up to help fight foreclosures and assist local residents in buying homes. Heat forward James Jones, a Miami native, joined the Opa-Locka Community Development Corp. (OLCDC) and AT&T to launch the South Florida version of a national program known as the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Through the program, the OLCDC will acquire and rehabilitate foreclosed homes and then sell them to low- to moderate-income families in Opa-Locka and Miami Gardens. The OLCDC also plans to counsel needy residents, who wish to buy homes.

AT&T presented $50,000 to the OLCDC. James, meanwhile, said he would help families with house down payments and closing costs and committed to donate up to $5,000 per homebuyer.

“As a Miami native I’ve seen the good and bad parts of our community,” Jones said in a statement. “However, in order to make it a better place we all have to come together. Miami is my home and as such, I hope to continue to provide support and work with community organizations that are interested in building up our community and uplifting the residents who live here.”

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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.”

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Former Heat center Shaquille O’Neal finally unloaded his Star Island home on Wednesday, a day before he was traded from Phoenix to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Philip Freedman, a broker with Flagstone Realty, said the deal to sell the 2.5 acre property at 26 Star Island Drive closed Wednesday. The home sold for $16 million, far below the $18.8 million O’Neal paid for the mansion in 2004 and the $32 million he was seeking for the home in 2005. He was reportedly asking $22.5 million, but couldn’t get nearly that much in this economic climate.

The home has been on and off the market for years, including when O’Neal threatened to move to Broward County when his family grew tired of the gawking boaters who stopped by to look at the house.

The 19,440-square-foot, two-story home has eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a dock, gym, tennis court, indoor racquetball court and a separate guest house. Other Star Island residents include Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Rosie O'Donnell.

The home was originally owned by original Heat center Rony Seikaly.

O'Neal has had contracts out on the home that have fallen through, including one with New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez in 2007.

Freedman would not identify the buyer, but the Daily Business Review speculates it could be Peter Fine, a co-producer of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical In the Heights. Fine, the publication reported, had a contract to buy the property for about $19 million and the deal was supposed to close in January.

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Alonzo Mourning and Dwyane Wade are spending a lot of time together this summer promoting causes. Last week, they were at the White House with other notable fathers to promote the responsibilities of fatherhood alongside President Barack Obama.

On Thursday, Mourning, retired Heat center, and Wade, current Heat superstar guard, are joining Latino TV host Fernando Arau in bringing attention to the problem of foreclosures and how to prevent them. The trio is participating in Hope Now Alliance’s “Bringing Hope Home” bus tour of Miami.

No, the group will not be doling out financial or legal advice. Their role is to bring star power and attention to needy communities around Miami-Dade County. They’ll also participate in a roundtable discussion with community leaders and homeowners. The idea is use celebrities to let residents of needy communities know how and where they can get help.

Hope Now, an alliance of counselors and mortgage professionals helping homeowners avoid foreclosure, has arranged other celebrity tours, including with Queen Latifah and Wyclef Jean in Newark and Mary J. Blige and Big Boi in Atlanta.

Next month, Wade is helping host annual charity event Zo’s Summer Groove, now known as The Summer Groove hosted by Zo and D. Wade.

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The Heat unveiled its MiamiMediaMesh LED marquee Wednesday night with great fanfare. The 3,400-square foot stainless steel mesh screen covers a dozen window panels on AmericanAirlines Arena’s west façade – so it’s hard to miss.

I described it in today’s story as being like a curtain, but it’s really more like a screen since it’s attached to the arena. (See photos by the Heat's Omar Vega). But at just ¾ inch thick and 70 percent transparent, it doesn’t block your view from inside the arena, and you almost don’t know it’s there, if it’s not turned on.

When it is on – arena officials plan a 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. schedule – it’s the size of 320 50-inch plasma TVs blasting game and concert footage, sponsor advertising messages and even the public’s Twitter and email messages. Send Tweets to @MiamiMediaMesh or emails to MiamiMediaMesh@heat.com for possible display.

“One of the things we’ve never had here is a true marquee and almost as soon as we opened we started talking about how we might really get one,” Heat President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth said. “We’ve been through many versions of what we thought might work or what’s been done elsewhere. Because of some of the limitations of our site, because we’ve got a rounded building, we wanted to do it right.”

A couple of Heat employees saw the technology at a trade show about three years ago. The Heat’s marquee is the first use of the technology developed by a German company and installed and operated by Boston-based A2aMEDIA on a sports arena in the United States. A2aMEDIA is talking with other sports venues, as well as hotels, office buildings, retail centers, casinos and other large-scale buildings that are seen by lots of people.

The Heat’s arena, for example, gets 1.4 million visitors at its events each year, 65,000 cars traveling by each day on Biscayne Boulevard and more than 3.8 million cruise passengers passing through the nearby Port of Miami.

Although the Heat isn’t saying how much the marquee cost, it does expect to cover its expenses from the advertising dollars. Already, American Airlines, Bacardi, the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming and Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler are among several advertisers already signed up to place their messages on the marquee.

Martha Pantin, an American Airlines spokeswoman, said the airline plans to put up shortened commercials and other messages.

“We think it gives us great visibility,” Pantin said. “For us AmericanAirlines Arena is one of our crown jewels and this makes the crown a little bit sparklier.”

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You can already buy M&M’s chocolate candies in NFL and Major League Baseball team colors with team logos.

Just in time for the NBA playoffs, Mars Direct has added NBA team colors and logos to its My Team collection of candies. The candies are available for all 30 teams - including the Heat - in 7-ounce bags at $12.99 each, but you must order at least three bags. Or you can get 5-pound bags for $140. There’s also candy dispenser with team logos and three 7-ounce bags for $59.99.

Find the team M&M’s at the NBA Store in Manhattan or online at mymms.com/nba.

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Got time to sit around? The Heat is reprising one of its popular promotions to win playoff tickets: "48 Hours of Intense Heat."

Fans interested in winning free playoff tickets and a shot at free 2009-10 lower level season tickets are invited to sit for 48 hours (yes, there will be restroom breaks and food) in front of AmericanAirlines Arena starting at 5 p.m. Thursday through 5 p.m. Saturday, just in time for the 6:30 p.m. start of Game 3 of the Heat-Atlanta Hawks first round playoffs series.

Fans who sit for at least the first four hours will win a pair of tickets to Game 4 on Monday. Those who make it through all 48 hours will win a pair of tickets to each of the Heat’s 2009 home playoff games. If more than one fan makes it through the full endurance test, the team will hold a trivia contest to determine the grand prize winner of the season tickets that also come with free concessions and parking. Other prizes will be awarded throughout the 48 hours of the contest.

The contest is limited to the first 200 fans, who are at least 18 with identification and proof of residency. Registration starts at 3 p.m. Thursday. The team will provide hot dogs and soft drinks, water, umbrellas and entertainment by the four-time NBA Dance Team contest-winning Heat Dancers, the Xtreme Team and Burnie the Heat mascot.

For more information, visit heat.com.

The last time the Heat held this contest was prior to the playoffs in 2000. A total of 172 fans entered the competition with 91 making it through the full two days. The grand prize was awarded to the winner of a trivia contest. This time, the Heat is encouraging participants to chart their progress on their Facebook and MySpace pages and via Twitter.

More MV3

Meanwhile, Goodyear Blimps are encouraging fans to vote for their favorite candidate for NBA MVP from among Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. The blimps, which are providing aerial coverage for ESPN and TNT NBA telecasts flew over Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland and Staples Center in Los Angeles yesterday to gather votes by displaying the toll free number – 1-800-773-9614 – where fans can register their votes: 3 for Wade; 23 for James and 24 for Bryant.

Goodyear happens to have blimps in the area of each MVP candidate’s team. The Spirit of Innovation, based in Pompano Beach, is to fly over AmericanAirlines Arena from 6-10 p.m. Saturday.

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Last week, the Heat announced its home arena had received coveted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for making the building environmentally friendly. Now the team is taking its efforts a step further by turning its old banners into new products.

The team is partnering with RetroActif, a Pembroke Pines company that takes old banners and turns them into handbags, travel pouches and portfolio folders and sometimes sells them back to the banners’ original owners for corporate events. My colleague Doreen Hemlock wrote a piece about the company that ran last month – you can read it here. See Sun Sentinel photo of company founders Monica and Ziad Shuman with some of their products at left.

After the story ran, Heat officials saw an opportunity to recycle the team and player banners that hang from street poles at AmericanAirlines Arena.

"It's a simple equation of sports plus recycling equals fashion--and the solution is creative, chic and most importantly, it's environmentally responsible," said Lorrie-Ann Diaz, Heat director of marketing communications.

Ziad Shuman said the partnership is the company’s first with a sports team. He said he is waiting for the banners to be delivered. The company has agreed to make carry-all tote bags that will sell for $24 and letter size portfolio folders for $28. Both will be sold at the arena.

“I don’t think they’ll use banners showing faces of guys no longer there, like Shaquille O’Neal,” Shuman said.

I suggested that might be a collector’s item, but Shuman quipped: “We’d have to make a really big bag.”

The bags and folders won’t be ready in time for the playoffs, but the Heat says, look for the new products next season.

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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.

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Tidbits:

+ The Heat dancers still own the NBA’s dance bracket competition, winning the title for the fourth time in the contest’s four-year history. The teams are judged by fans who vote online. Wonder if Pat Riley has plans to trademark something with the number four...

+ In Dunkin’ Donuts bracket contest, Florida Donut Champ is … Boston Kreme. But runner-up Coconut gave the favorite a good run. And apparently there’s also precedent for Boston Kreme… in 2000, in honor of Dunkin’s 50th Anniversary, Americans voted Boston Kreme their favorite doughnut.

+ Win the World Series and your mascot gets an ice cream flavor. Or so it is for the Phillie Phanatic. The popular mascot for the 2008 World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies now has his own “Phillie Phanatic Double Play,” which is: “Bavarian cream-flavored light ice cream with caramel corn and caramel swirl” according to a release. It joins Turkey Hill Dairy’s official team flavor, Phillies Graham Slam. “Just like the Phanatic, this ice cream is a little unusual but it's something you can't help but love,” Turkey Hill President Quintin Frey said in a statement. The mascot flavor will be sold at Citizens Bank Park.

+ And from BankAtlantic Center, increasingly energetic Panthers President Michael Yormark has added blogging to his early morning duties. His “Sunrise Edition” blog is on the team’s Web site. Even after last night’s loss to the Philadelphia Flyers that hobbled the team’s playoff hopes, Yormark tries to push optimism, while he also touts a new sponsor, Fontainebleau Miami, and his personal trainer, whom he says he works out with most weekdays at 4 a.m. Sunrise edition, indeed.

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AmericanAirlines Arena is bathed in green for tonight’s Heat-New Orleans Hornets game, in honor of the venue receiving LEED (which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The coveted designation was bestowed upon the Miami venue and Philips Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks and Thrashers, this week. Heat and Miami officials announced AmericanAirlines Arena’s “green” stamp of approval Tuesday morning. My colleague Doreen Hemlock, who covers “green” business, was there to capture the sentiment.

Among the green features at the arena are its roof paints and sealants that reflect the sun, instead of absorbing heat; drought-resistant plants and irrigation system; and its purchase of chilled water from a nearby plant for more than $100,000 a month rather than building a water plant that would have cost about $30 million and requires high energy to operate.

Eric Woolworth, Heat president of business operations, said the decision to seek LEED certification was "strategic" to differentiate the arena from others and boost business.

"This is a really challenging time to attract sponsors, and this is one way to separate ourselves from the pack," he said, noting that Waste Management already has signed up as a partner in a multi-year deal. "And hopefully, it will attract entertainers and acts that want to play green venues and visitors who want to support green venues."

Costs for certification were minimal, because nearly all paperwork was handled in-house and few improvements were needed to qualify, said Kim Stone, the arena's general manager. The nearly 10-year-old building already boasted many of the electricity- and water-saving features to earn the certification, such as underground parking that produces less heat than above-ground asphalt lots.

Green has now reached the consciousness of sports teams and leagues. BankAtlantic Center has adopted environmental measures, and has explored LEED certification, but it not pursuing it at this time. The Sunrise venue that is home to the Panthers uses green cleaning products, recycles everything from cardboard to light bulbs to cell phones and is considering adding solar panels on the venue’s roof, arena officials said.

And Silver LEED certification is a requirement of the Marlins’ planned $515 million ballpark in Little Havana. Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami have agreed to contribute up to $1.75 million each toward the certification; with Major League Baseball pledging $1 million to the cost. The team would pick up any additional costs. The ballpark would become the second silver LEED certified building in the league, after the Washington Nationals’ ballpark.

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The Heat takes on the Charlotte Bobcats at 7 tonight, but the Heat dancers have already beaten the Charlotte Lady Cats in the NBA’s fourth annual NBA.com Dance Team Bracket Competition.

That means the three-time dance competition champion Heat dancers are in the championship round against the Houston Rockets Power Dancers.

Heat President Pat Riley allowed the dancers to use his trademarked “three-peat” term in their quest to win the dance competition last year. They wore “Three-peat” T-shirts and sent out email blasts reminding fans to vote for them. Riley trade-marked the term in 1988 when his L.A. Lakers were attempting to win their third straight NBA title. But the Detroit Pistons swept the Lakers in the 1989 Finals.

Fans can vote for the dance team they want crowned until 2 p.m. Monday online here.

Meanwhile, Dunkin’ Donuts’ bracket is down to its “Fabulous Four” today:

It’s No. 1 Glazed; No. 3 Boston Kreme; No. 5 Chocolate Glazed; and No. 10 Coconut (talk about an upset).

The Florida State Donut Champion will be crowned Tuesday. Doughnut fans can lobby franchisees to vote for their favorite via Facebook and Twitter.

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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.

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Heat guard Dwyane Wade didn’t play Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, because of a sore hip, but he’ll debut tonight in the NBA’s new playoff ads in the latest installment of the league’s “Where Amazing Happens” campaign.

Created by Goody Silverstein & Partners and NBA Entertainment, the series of ads ask: “Where Will Amazing Happen This Year?” and feature a number of players in remarkable moments in stark black and white footage. League broadcasters, ABC, ESPN and TNT, are all running the ads that began airing Sunday with ones featuring LeBron James and Joe Johnson.

Spots featuring Wade, James, Johnson, Paul Pierce, Manu Ginobili and other current players will run by the first round of the playoffs. Ads starring former stars, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, will air during the conference finals and Finals.

Check out Wade’s spot here:

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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.”

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It’s mostly sports fans who are using Twitter.com to update scores, pontificate about various players and plays and trash talk. Some are even “tweeting” live from games and placing friendly wagers. But teams and events are increasingly realizing they need to be tweeting, too.

My story today examines how teams and events are incorporating social messaging system, Twitter, which allows users to send and receive messages of up to 140 characters, into their media, marketing and promotions. Teams are posting news stories, updates, scores, ticket discounts, promotions and more.

Reach the Dolphins here; the Heat here. The Panthers are in the process of launching an account and the Marlins are in talks with Major League Baseball Advanced Media, which controls the league’s new media rights, about setting up an account.

Even Homestead-Miami Speedway just started using Twitter this month to post news, driver quotes and even responses to Speedway Motorsports CEO Bruton Smith’s diatribe against Homestead last week. Check out the speedway’s twitter page here.

Are you talking sports on Twitter? Live tweeting from games? Let me know....

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Those public service announcements by local athletes in which they say they don’t chew, dip or smoke, are having an impact. So much so that Gov. Charlie Crist proclaimed this week “Tobacco Free Florida Week.”

In an unusual display of teamwork, eight pro and college teams around the state along with Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports are continuing the anti-tobacco messages in force this week. The networks have taped more than 90 tobacco-free announcements with players and coaches. They’ll be played on scoreboards and during game telecasts.

Skeletons -- representing the nearly 29,000 Floridians who die each year from smoking, according to the Centers for Disease Control – will be dressed as sports fans and placed in the stands at participating arenas and stadiums (see photo of skeletons in UF and FSU gear). Street teams will promote anti-tobacco messages; smokifier vans, in which fans can see how they would age if they smoke, will be at the events.

"By combining efforts of professional and collegiate teams, local County Health Departments and other key tobacco prevention stakeholders, we can further extend the reach of the campaign's message," Kim Berfield, Florida Department of Health deputy secretary, said in a statement.

The festivities started Friday at the Orlando Magic-Detroit Pistons game and continued today at FSU’s basketball game against Clemson. Sunday afternoon’s Marlins-St. Louis Cardinals spring training game in Jupiter will also be a Tobacco Free Florida event. The rest of the week’s schedule: Monday night’s Heat-Cleveland Cavaliers game at AmericanAirlines Arena; Tuesday’s Tampa Bay Rays-Houston Astros spring trianing game; Thursday’s Panthers-Pittsburgh Penguins game at BankAtlantic Center; Friday’s Tampa Bay Lightning-St. Louis Blues game; and Saturday’s UF-University of Kentucky basketball game.

"Tobacco Free Florida Week presents a tremendous platform for us to utilize our unique media assets, along with those of our sports team partners across the state, in a concentrated, highly-visible way and encourage Floridians to pledge to be tobacco free," Fox Sports and Sun Sports Senior Vice President and General Manager Steve Liverani said in a statement.

Tobacco Free Florida Week is one part of this year’s campaign to promote anti-tobacco messages and help smokers quit. The campaign is funded by tobacco settlement dollars made available for anti-smoking programs when Floridians approved a constitutional amendment in 2006. Last year, $17 million was spent on the media campaign; the amount is up to $19.8 million this year.

The program directs smokers to the American Cancer Society’s Quitline for counseling and nicotine replacement patches, gum and lozenges. The message has been effective. Calls to the Quitline rose from about 4,000 in 2007 to about 45,000 last year.

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The NBA may have banned Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s personalized adhesive bandages, but the fad is already under way. Lil Wayne wore one at Tuesday’s Heat-Detroit Pistons game; so did Burnie the Heat mascot. On Thursday night, even the TNT NBA analysts, including Charles Barkley, were wearing them. Of course, Wade was a guest analyst.

Wade shed his personalized bandage Friday night after the NBA told the team bandages must be worn only for healthcare reasons and can’t have names or promotional slogans on them. Ira Winderman explains the league’s edict here and The Hater weighs in on the controversy here. Incidentally, Jermaine O’Neal did get to wear his headband during Friday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.

And fans can join the Band-Wade bandwagon on Saturday night. Heat staffers, AmericanAirlines employees, ticket takers and ushers will all be wearing decal versions of the Band-Wade, courtesy of Metro Signs Inc., which made Wade’s adhesive bandages, too. Read about Metro Signs’ involvement here.

The team will be selling special three-packs of the decals featuring Heat, Wade and 3 on them for $5 apiece at the Miami Hoops Gear store at the arena and online. A portion of the proceeds will go to Wade’s foundation. In addition, Saturday is jersey night, so fans wearing Heat jerseys to the game might be lucky enough to get a free decal if they’re spotted by the Heat’s Hoops Crew.

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It’s unclear what effect the Securities and Exchange Commission charging R. Allen Stanford with fraud this week will have on the dozens of sports sponsorships held by Stanford Financial Group, including several prominent ones in South Florida.

Stanford Financial’s name covers the VIP lobby at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. It’s the title sponsor of the No. 1 field at the International Polo Club of Palm Beach and one of the host sponsors at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne. The company has sponsor relationships with prominent golfers, including Vijay Singh, Camilo Villegas and Boca Raton’s Morgan Pressel.

The SEC’s complaint alleges Stanford was involved in an $8 billion scheme centered on certificates of deposits that promised unusually high rates. The SEC froze the assets of Houston-based Stanford Group Co.; Stanford Capital Management, also of Houston; and Antigua-based Stanford International Bank.

It doesn’t appear that Stanford Financial Group, which is the arm of the company with the sports sponsorships, is a target of the current investigation, but that doesn’t mean those sponsorships aren’t in potential danger. Team and sporting event officials contacted said it’s too early to say, and they’re waiting to learn more, too.

The Heat is believed to have a multi-year deal with Stanford Financial at AmericanAirlines Arena. For now, it appears the entrance lobby the company sponsors will continue to bear Stanford’s name. Eric Woolworth, Heat president of business operations, said: “We don’t know anything, therefore it would be inappropriate to comment.”

At the International Polo Club of Palm Beach, Stanford has been a sponsor of “Stanford Field” for three years and recently renewed for another three years, starting this year. “They paid up through this season, 2009, which ends in April,” said John A. Wash, president of club operations.

“Just as things progress in the news, we’re watching it closely,” Wash said. “We have sponsors come and go all the time. We hate to see this situation happen. We’re waiting to see how it all plays out.”

But Wash assured “polo will continue.”

He said sports don’t have control over corporations’ business operations. He reminded that the Houston Astros ballpark was originally known as Enron Field, until the Enron collapsed and it’s now known as Minute Maid Park.

At Crandon Park Tennis Center on Key Biscayne, Stanford Financial is now in its fifth year as a “host” sponsor for the Sony Ericsson Open. The company has court signage, display booths, a hospitality suite.

Tournament Director Adam Barrett said he isn’t sure what the SEC investigation will mean for the sponsorship, which runs another two or three more years.

“We hope it means very little, not as much for the tournament, but for anyone who has investment dollars with Stanford,” Barrett said adding the tournament will not be dramatically affected should Stanford’s contract end early.

“There’s not much we can do about it, we can’t really control the outcome of it,” Barrett said. “It’s more about you hope it’s not true, not because of our sponsorship, but because as a country, we can’t use another major fraud or fallout from our financial sector. That’s the bigger picture than our tennis balls going over a net.”

Stay tuned…

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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.

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They’ve renamed H-O-R-S-E after insurance company G-E-I-C-O for an event Saturday at NBA All-Star weekend, but Heat guard Dwyane Wade and sponsor T-Mobile are already thinking about H-O-R-S-E at the Eastern Conference Finals.

Wade and T-Mobile kicked off a promotion this week that will give one fan a chance to play H-O-R-S-E against Wade at the Eastern Conference Finals and a shot at winning $50,000. Oh, and the fan can bring along five favorite friends – this is T-Mobile, after all.

To enter, text MYSHOT to 72579 through May 1 or enter online beginning March 4 at www.t-mobile.com/nba -- where you’ll find more information on the promotion as well.

But be forewarned, Wade, who says he plays H-O-R-S-E “all the time,” is ready.

“We can both have fun, I will win, but we can both have fun. I think it’s an unbelievable opportunity for someone, the opportunity of a lifetime,” Wade said. “You can’t beat me. I’m very confident in my ability. I’ve got a couple of shots that will get me over the hump, but I’m sure people will make it hard on me.”

Meanwhile, Barkely is back with Wade in a new T-Mobile ad that also features Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. T-Mobile dropped the ads that paired Wade and Barkley, after Barkley's drunk driving arrest on New Year's Eve. Barkley also took a leave of absence from his position as an NBA analyst with TNT, but the network now says Barkley will be back, but after the All-Star game.

The new T-Mobile ad breaks Friday; Wade and Howard are on the coaching staffs of the rookies and sophomores, respectively, competing in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday night.

Check out the new spot:

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Then you’re in luck. In a statement to CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell, Converse confirmed it will re-release a limited number of Wade’s first shoe -- the version he wears on the court -- in April.

Rovell gives a full report here on Wade’s newest shoe, the Wade 4 (pictured), which the Heat guard isn’t even wearing this season.

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The sale of the Dolphins was big news today across the country. I discussed the sale on the morning show on Sports Radio 950 KJR-AM in Seattle. Listen here.

And I was featured on the sports business segment of the Wake-Up Zone on 104.5 The Zone WGFX in Nashville this morning, where we discussed the Dolphins sale, Marlins stadium, UM, the Panthers, among other sports business topics. Listen here.

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Heat guard Dwyane Wade made Charles Barkley’s “Fave 5” and their pairing in T Mobile’s humorous ads landed them in Time magazine’s “Top 10 TV ads of 2008.”

But now, according to Advertising Age, T Mobile is pulling the plug on the ads after Barkley’s drunk driving arrest on New Year’s Eve. Barkley, an NBA analyst with TNT Sports, has agreed to take a leave of absence from the network. A T Mobile spokesman told Ad Age the spots featuring Barkely would be replaced with general ads.

Wade told our Heat beat writer Ira Winderman that the latest in the series of ads had already been shot and was slated to break during NBA All-Star Weekend in mid-February.

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AmericanAirlines Arena is getting a new look: a giant digital marquee that will front Biscayne Boulevard and be able to broadcast advertising, announcements and video footage.

The Heat is to be the first U.S. sports team to incorporate the MediaMesh technology that is being used at spots in Europe.

The Heat and A2aMedia announced plans for the digital LED screen today and work to install it will begin immediately. The 3,400-square foot screen will cover a dozen window panels on the front of the arena. But the material, which is woven stainless steel mesh that contains linear tubes filled with LED nodes, is up to 70 percent transparent so it will not obstruct views both in and out of the arena. The screen is expected to be operational in March or April.

The screen, called a “Spectacular,” will allow the Heat to showcase upcoming events, sponsor advertising, and even video of Heat games. It will also give the team and arena another source of revenue.

“The new LED Spectacular will provide the official sponsors of the Miami Heat, AmericanAirlines Arena and the events taking place at the arena with an innovative sponsorship platform, and serve as a way to establish a more interactive relationship between the arena and the people and tourists of South Florida," Eric Woolworth, Heat president of business operations, said in a statement. "Most importantly, this installation will solidify the AmericanAirlines Arena as a trendsetting landmark and reinforce its importance in South Florida history.”

Watch a video rendering of the technology:

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The Heat is expecting a big crowd – possibly a full house – for tonight’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. The team’s won four games in a row and crowds tend to pick up during the holiday season.

But filling seats hasn’t been easy this season. That’s one reason the team launched the “Educator Appreciation Program” -- to help out South Florida school district employees and try to fill seats. School district employees in Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Collier counties can get one free ticket to select games this season (based on availability) and additional tickets – for friends, family and students -- at a discount.

The idea is to honor educators and fill seats. After all, the Heat expects school district employees, who take advantage of the offer, won’t want to attend alone. The program is in effect for these games:

Monday v. Milwaukee Bucks
Jan. 3 v. New Jersey Nets
Jan. 26 v. Atlanta Hawks
Feb. 2 v. LA Clippers
Feb. 8 v. Charlotte Bobcats
Feb. 18 v. Minnesota Timberwolves
March 14 v. Utah Jazz

Employees will need to provide proof they work at one of the participating school districts. To take advantage of the program, call 786-777-DUNK or visit the Verizon Wireless Ticket Office at AmericanAirlines Arena, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and at noon on Saturdays, when there is a Heat game.

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What a difference a lousy year makes.

Turnkey Sports & Entertainment released the results of its second annual Team Brand Index survey last week of all 122 NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL teams. The survey, which is purchased by teams and sponsors, measures the brand strength of each team based on the perceptions of fans in those markets.

The company surveyed 12,000 sports fans in 47 U.S. and Canadian markets on their perceptions of the team’s entertainment value, players, ownership and other factors. All four of South Florida’s teams fell in fans’ estimation between the 2007 and 2008 studies, especially the Heat, which was ahead of the Dolphins in the 2007 study. Here’s where the teams rank among the 122 in this year’s survey compared to last year:

Team 2008 rank; 2007 rank
Dolphins: 55; 42
Heat: 65; 33
Marlins: 78; 70
Panthers: 103; 99

THE TOP 5
Green Bay Packers
Boston Red Sox
Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots
Indianapolis Colts

THE BOTTOM 5
New York Islanders
Indiana Pacers
New Jersey Nets
New York Knicks
Seattle SuperSonics*

*The survey was conducted before the SuperSonics moved this season to Oklahoma City

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Heat guard Dwyane Wade finally made Charles Barkley’s "Fave 5" this year.

Now the duo has made Time magazine’s “Top 10 TV ads of 2008.” In fact, T Mobile’s NBA ads are No. 1 on the list of TV ads in the magazine’s “Top 10 Everything of 2008.”

The ad debuted during the Super Bowl.

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OK, so maybe designing a PlayStation and Xbox curriculum isn’t the best move for a charter high school.

Concerned plans for the curriculum at the schools was lacking, the Broward School Board this week denied an application to open three charter schools -- bearing the name of Heat guard Dwyane Wade -- designed for dropouts.

That’s despite several pleas that the unconventional plans for the Mavericks High D. Wade’s Schools, which would be run by private management company Mavericks in Education, might be just the ticket to help distracted students. A charter school is a public school that receives state funding, but is free of most state regulations.

But I’m wondering if it wasn’t the school’s name that was the problem: Mavericks High.

Are you kidding me?

The Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks to win the 2006 NBA Championship.

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Sports are supposed to be an escape from real life. Or at least, that’s what we’re always being told.

But in these difficult economic times, teams are increasingly getting involved in fans’ lives as a way to help out and strengthen their fan bases.

When the Heat launched its season ticket renewal campaign earlier this year, it entered early renewers into a sweepstakes to win prizes that included offers to pay fans’ property tax (up to $5,000) and FPL (up to $4,000) bills.

This week, the St. Louis Blues announced that at every Saturday home game beginning Nov. 29, the team will pay one fan’s mortage or rent payment for four months up to $4,000. The team will call the seat number of the lucky fan.

Today, the New Jersey Nets announced they are offering the unemployed free tickets and some assistance finding a new job. Up to 300 tickets for five different games will be released on a first-come first-served basis to unemployed fans, who sign up for the Nets Employment Program and submit their resumes. The resumes will be distributed to Nets sponsors – including UPS, TD Bank, Coca Cola Enterprises -- and season ticket holders who have businesses that are involved with the program. The fans will also have a chance to attend a Nets career fair later this month.

There are no guarantees the team will be able to provide fans jobs, but if you got one through the program, wouldn’t you be a Nets fan for life?

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If you’re a Heat fan, you’ve no doubt seen or heard the new “Something2Prove” advertisements or glimpsed the billboards. They’re part of the team’s first “substantial” advertising spend since Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Heat before the 2004 season.

Ad executives, fans and others I spoke with for today’s story about the campaign were impressed with the honesty of the message, that it didn’t hide from last year’s 15-67 debacle. Much of the marketing and advertising approach this year is to introduce fans to the team so they learn more about the players’ personalities.

The team has created a Something2Prove Web page with light videos of the players and a space for fans to share their love -- or even hate -- for the team.

But the question remains will all this effort lead to more ticket sales. Season ticket renewals dragged this offseason putting the team in the bottom third among the NBA’s 30 teams. The team is, however, in the top third in the league for new season ticket sales.

The team opened the 400 level at AmericanAirlines Arena for every game in the 2004-05 season – its first with O’Neal. The black curtains that covered the 400 level have not returned and they won’t this year either. You can buy season tickets in the 400 level for $10. New this year: individual game tickets for $10 in the 300 level and $5 tickets in the 400 level.

The team launched the advertising campaign because it has seats available in the lower bowl for the first time in years. You could see the pockets of empty seats – particularly in the lower bowl – for the first two home games of the 2008-09 season.

Empty seats are expected to be common this season. In fact, the crowd of 15,103 announced for the second home game this past Wednesday, was the team's smallest since the 2003-04 season when the curtains still covered the 400 level.

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You’ll no longer be able to feel the Heat.

The giant flames that shoot from the court at AmericanAirlines Arena during the Heat’s pre-game player introductions are no more.

That’s thanks to pyrotechnics mishaps during last season’s playoffs, including the 22-minute game delay when a New Orleans Hornets’ mascot jumped through a ring of fire and extinguishers used to douse the flames left a mess on the court. Smoke from pregame fireworks in Boston and Cleveland were also deemed a health hazard to players.

At the time, NBA Commissioner David Stern called the displays “ridiculous.” New league guidelines limit fire effects of any kind to pre-game player introductions and halftime. They also cannot be set off from the playing court and must be kept at least 15 feet from the audience, players, coaches and game officials.

But the Heat, whose logo features a flaming basketball, has a replacement planned. Look for it at tonight’s home opener.

“Our overall player introduction sequence will certainly compensate for the lack of flames,” said Michael McCullough, Heat executive vice president. “Fans will certainly not be disappointed.”

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Last season, the Heat sold $10 season tickets in the 400 level at AmericanAirlines Arena. This season, $10 will get you a 300 level seat and for $5 you can sit in the 400 level.

Responding to the difficult economy, the Heat is also offering a concession special at its 11 Monday night games: 16-ounce sodas and a box of popcorn for $1 each. The team is billing the promotion as “Monday Night Madness” and points out that for $7, you can get a game ticket in the 400 level, a soda and snack.

Other promotions this season include a "Guys Night Out," which features a game ticket, promotional size beer or soft drink, regular size hot dog and a half-time meet and greet with the Heat Dancers. Those specials are limited to certain nights.

“We’re all feeling the pinch and coping with the stress of living through tough economic times,” Eric Woolworth, Heat president of business operations, said in a statement. “We thought this was a great way to give all fans an opportunity to see a Heat game and grab a snack for less than the cost of going to the movies.”

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A running theme in Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s life as a basketball player has been disproving his critics. That sentiment comes up again and again in the Heat’s “Something to Prove” television and radio advertising campaign for the 2008-09 season.

Now you’ll see it in an ad for Wade’s new Converse shoe, the Wade 4, that begins airing on Tuesday in conjunction with the $90 shoe’s release. The tagline for the ad is “Wade’s belief is stronger than your doubt.”

In addition, the Wade 4 is all about Wade stepping up his game in the fourth quarter – the last 12 minutes of the game. That’s why there are 12 red chevron stripes on the sole of the shoe. Other details, include the his sons' names -- Zion and Zaire -- on the tongue of each shoe and the date 6/20 on one lace and 2006 on the other to remind him of his MVP performance in the Heat’s 2006 NBA championship.

Watch the ad here:

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With his gold medal performance at the Beijing Olympics, renewed health and drive to make the Heat competitive again, Dwyane Wade made for a compelling player to feature in the NBA’s “Where Amazing Happens” ad campaign.

His personal journey to the NBA, to the Heat’s 2006 NBA championship and beyond are documented through photos – which he selected – in one of a new series of ads in the campaign that will air during the NBA season tip off on ESPN, TNT and NBA TV. You can watch the spot here.

The campaign, which launched last year, became so popular that NBA fans began making their own versions – including humorous ones – and posting them on YouTube.

This year, the Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki and Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard will also be featured in their own personal journey versions of the ad. Other ads in the campaign will be multi-player spots that include Chris Paul, Chris Bosh, Tayshaun Prince, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Steve Nash and Paul Pierce, among others.

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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

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T-Mobile and the NBA are announcing today a multi-year extension to their partnership that began in 2005.

The partnership includes the NBA, WNBA and now the NBA Development League. In addition, Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley will film new T-Mobile ads to add to the popular ad campaign that has previously shown Wade’s effort to be included in Barkley’s "Fave 5." Perhaps Wade is regretting being among Barkley’s "Fave 5," after Barkley took that as license to call Wade at all hours of the day and night.

No word yet on details of the campaign.

In addition to the ads, T-Mobile will continue and expand its platform of fan involvement programs that include NBA All-Star balloting, fan voting for top performers in the Finals, rookie of the month and other honors. There will also be in-arena signage and promotions.

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Author. Voter registration advocate. Medical center spokesman.

Heat center Alonzo Mourning is busy these days. His autobiography, Resilience: Faith, Focus, Triumph, is scheduled to be released on Tuesday.

He spent Wednesday on Florida college campuses – stopping at FIU, Florida Memorial University and the University of Central Florida – to register voters and encourage them to vote for Barack Obama.

Read about his appearance at UCF here.

And this morning, the kidney transplant recipient became the spokesman for the Miami Transplant Institute at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. See photo (by Robert I. Siegel) of Mourning shaking hands with Dr. Pascal J. Goldschmidt, senior vice president of medical affairs and dean of the Miller School.

Mourning, who was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease in 2000, discussed how his own experience, including being surprised by the cost of anti-rejection medications, and struggling to make his return to basketball, inspired him to want to help others.

The institute has performed 7,000 kidney transplants.

“I know firsthand that transplantation saves lives and I want to lend my voice and influence to build the Miami Transplant Institute into a world leader in clinical care and research,” Mourning said in a statement.

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Heat rookie Michael Beasley confirmed today that he has signed a shoe deal with adidas. The deal was first reported by the SportsBusiness Journal’s Liz Mullen, but Beasley, the No. 2 pick overall, spoke briefly about it this afternoon to reporters, including our Heat beat writer, Ira Winderman.

"It was the best situation for me," Beasley said. "I've been playing in adidas since I was 13 years old. I established a relationship with some of the guys on the staff and financially it was the best situation for me and my family."

Read the rest of Ira’s story here.

Mullen reported that Steven Reed, Beasley’s business manager, said his client agreed to the deal “enthusiastically” because adidas is the brand he’s worn “his whole playing life.”

Clearly Beasley has worn other shoes, including Nike’s Jordan brand. CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell looks at why Reed’s comment doesn’t make sense here.

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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.

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The Heat could be invading an office near you.

The Heat Experience, anyway. That means Burnie the Heat mascot; the Heat Dancers, members of the Xtreme Team; the 2006 NBA Championship Trophy; the team’s Fireball Express – the firetruck that contains baskets, water cannons and a stereo system; Heat flags; noisemakers; and air fresheners.

And of course, sales representatives with information about purchasing season tickets and mini-plans.

Dubbed “office takeovers,” the idea of the lunchtime invasion is to get fans and potential ticket buyers excited about the Heat’s upcoming season. After going 15-67 last year, the team is employing grass-roots approaches to marketing and ticket sales.

The “Heat Experience” has already stopped at offices on Brickell and Biscayne Boulevard in Miami and has plans to make more stops at the Suntrust Building, the Bank of America Tower and the Wachovia Tower in the coming weeks. Check out this photo from One Biscayne Tower earlier this month.

The Heat gang made its first stop in Broward today, showing up at New River Center, which just happens to be the home of the Sun Sentinel. The hip hop music was so loud it could be heard several floors above the lobby and Heat dancers signed autographs on posters of last year’s dance squad. Sales representatives handed out ticket brochures and implored office workers to take noisemakers, only if they planned to attend games.

“We’re trying to get people excited for the season. We know last season wasn’t the best, but Dwyane Wade is healthy,” said Chris Cordero, a Heat account manager. “Everybody is always excited. People want to come out and see the trophy. People don’t believe it’s real.”

Heat representatives said the efforts have been successful in securing sales leads on potential ticket buyers.

“The whole purpose of this is to bring the Heat Experience out of the arena,” said Joshua Goshin, Heat marketing event coordinator.

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Heat guard Dwyane Wade is continuing his partnership with Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers with new commercials, games and activities that encourage kids' fitness. The official launch of Goldfish Games will come Thursday at the NBA Store in Manhattan, but you can check out the program and the TV spots -- airing on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and other kid-focused networks -- at pfgoldfish.com.

The 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist will lead Jr. NBA and Jr. NBA teams in a clinic of Goldfish games and kids' activities all aimed at promoting fitness. Goldfish Games includes a variety of games and activities to encourage kids to be active. The Goldfish Games Xtreme Challenge, starting on Oct. 1, is a contest in which kids will be asked to create their own games for a shot at attending the 2009 NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix and a $1000 grand prize.

“As both a professional athlete and the father of two young children, I know firsthand the importance of teaching our children the significance of a healthy lifestyle, so they have the tools and knowledge to make good choices about nutrition and fitness,” Wade said in a statement.

With the launch of Goldfish Games, Pepperidge Farm has also released two new Goldfish cracker flavors -- Monstrous Mozzarella Stick and Racing Ranch -- which are already in stores.

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The Heat is holding auditions for its beloved Golden Oldies senior dance team on Friday. You must be "at least 60-years young” to try out for the 2008-09 squad.

Typically this item would go unnoticed, but another NBA team’s audition release popped into my email this afternoon: The New Jersey Nets will hold auditions Sept. 25 for this season’s NETSational Seniors dance team.

And that got me wondering about the popularity of these teams. The Heat was the NBA’s first team with a senior dance squad. The Golden Oldies first performed in the 2004-05 season and will mark their fifth season this year. The co-ed troupe of energetic seniors performed at the NBA All-Star Game in Houston in 2006.

Nets owner Bruce Ratner happened to see the Golden Oldies perform at a Heat-Nets game in Miami a few years ago and asked Nets CEO Brett Yormark to look into creating a Nets senior dance team, Nets spokesman Barry Baum said.

And yes, the NBA encourages teams to share their “best practices” across the league.

The NETSational team launched in 2006-07 and has attracted national attention on television's Good Morning America and Today show and documentary filmmaker Dori Berinstein followed the squad for a year and made it the subject of her film, Gotta Dance.

If you’re interested, the Golden Oldies auditions are scheduled at noon Sept. 19 at SW Focal Point Senior Center, 301 NW 103rd Ave., Pembroke Pines.

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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.

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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

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Last August, Heat guard Dwyane Wade and a company called D Wade’s Place signed a contract to open restaurants with Wade’s name on them. In exchange, Wade would receive a 10 percent interest in the business.

Almost a year later, two D. Wade’s Sports Grills have opened and shut – one each in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale – and D Wade’s Place is suing the Olympics-bound Wade for breach of contract.

In the suit filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court on Friday, D Wade’s Place representatives Mark Rodberg and Richard von Houtman allege Wade breached the contract by not making the required marketing and promotional appearances on behalf the restaurants. That has led to the restaurants’ failure and delay in opening a third location in Aventura, the suit says. The Boca location closed a couple of months ago; the Fort Lauderdale one was shut June 12.

The company is seeking more than $15,000 in damages plus attorneys’ fees and costs.

But according to Steven Peretz, an attorney representing Wade, it’s the star basketball player who has been hurt by the arrangement. He said Wade, who has met his promotional obligations, told company officials in May to concentrate on its existing businesses “before he’d agree to have any expansion of the restaurants take place.”

“If anything, Dwyane has a concern that the value of his name has been tarnished by ceasing operation of the restaurants,” Peretz said, adding that it was Wade who tried to put the brakes on the company from growing too quickly. “This is an instance where D. Wade called a timeout on the expectation of the restaurants. The pilot restaurants have not shown any record for success.”

Peretz said Wade also has the right to view the company’s finances, but the business has failed to share any meaningful information.

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The Heat is offering fans a chance to meet the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft with its “There Can Only Be One” online sweepstakes. The play on the league’s popular playoff ad campaign is about the hype over who the Heat will draft on June 26.

Fans can log into the team’s Web site through June 25 for a chance to choose who they think the Heat will pick. All fans who are South Florida residents, who make the correct pick, will be entered into a drawing to meet the player at a future event. The team will choose 20 winners for the honor.

Meanwhile, leave it to creative marketer Brett Yormark, CEO of the New Jersey Nets, to come up with a useful way to reward season ticket buyers.

The Nets hope to give away more than $250,000 worth of free gas to season ticket buyers. The team is dangling free gas cards worth 10 percent of the price of full season ticket packages to buyers, who purchase packages through June 26.

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Rapper and music executive Jay-Z can add another title to his resume: NBA Draft Lottery good-luck charm.

At least that’s what the New Jersey Nets are hoping. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, a Nets investor, is representing the team onstage at tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery in Secaucus, N.J.

“This is very exciting and I hope my nickname, ‘Lucky Lefty,’ holds up,” Jay-Z said in a statement.

“He’s obviously one of the most recognizable figures in the world. To have him represent us at the lottery, we’re very excited about it,” Nets spokesman Barry Baum said. “We’re all about doing things differently to generate some buzz and excitement.”

Jay-Z’s presence along with guard Dwyane Wade, who will be there on behalf of the Heat, is somewhat new for the NBA. Owners have represented teams in the past, as have current players, but it’s more typical for front-office types — presidents, coaches and general managers — to do the honors.

The Sacramento Kings are sending the winner of their luckiest fan contest.

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Dunkin’ Donuts is continuing to push its iced coffee and its partnership with the Heat. Customers who purchase an iced coffee at participating Broward or Miami-Dade stores through May 20 will receive a coupon for a free limited edition 1988 inaugural season Heat draft cap.

You need to attend the Heat’s Draft Lottery party at AmericanAirlines Arena, 6-9 p.m. May 20 – where the team will learn when it will pick in this year’s draft (somewhere between first and fourth) -- to cash in the hat coupon. But you’ll also get gift cards for Dunkin’ Donuts purchases and a chance to attend a meet and greet with the Heat’s 2008 draft pick on June 27.

To kick off the promotion, which begins today, the Heat dancers, Burnie and others will stop by the Dunkin’ Donuts at 3280 Davie Blvd., Fort Lauderdale from 3-5 p.m. today. And Dunkin’ Donuts will host its second annual “Free Iced Coffee Day” from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday. Stop by AmericanAirlines Arena between noon and 4 p.m. on Wednesday for free samples, as well.

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The Heat might be the worst team in the NBA this season, but that doesn’t mean it’s not getting any notice.

The Heat ranked fourth in the number of visits to its Web site, according to the NBA, behind only the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics -- and each of those teams is headed to the playoffs. In addition, Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s page ranked 10th in popularity among player sites. For the second consecutive season, Los Angeles Laker guard Kobe Bryant’s page ranked first among player sites and Laker forward Pau Gasol’s page ranked first among international player sites.

Overall, visits to nba.com are up from last season. The site averaged more than 5.3 million daily visits during 2007-08 up 57 percent from 2006-07, and 23.7 million daily page views, up 42 percent from the previous year, the NBA reported.

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He’s not playing at the moment, but Heat guard Dwyane Wade is still a draw. That’s why Ocean Drive has made him just the third cover man in the magazine’s 16-year history.

The story about Wade examines his future plans, his thoughts about rebuilding the Heat, his philanthropy and D Wade’s Sports Grill chain of restaurants.

The other men on the magazine’s cover were former Heat center Shaquille O’Neal in 2004 and Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2006.

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At least someone at the Heat is having success.

With his team in the cellar, it probably wasn’t the kind of success he was hoping for. But Heat coach Pat Riley agreed to let the Heat dancers borrow his trademarked term “three-peat” in their quest to win the title of best NBA dance team for the third consecutive year.

The Heat dance team is pitted against the Los Angeles Clippers Spirit Dance Team in the finals of the league’s Dance Team Competition. Fans can vote until noon today here or at heat.com.

The dance team bracket competition was launched in 2006 as the NBA’s answer to March Madness. Each team’s dancers “compete” online for votes with bios, photos and videos. This year’s competition has drawn more than 7 million page views — up from last year’s 2.6 million.

Heat dancers have been wearing “Three-peat” T-shirts for appearances, and e-mail blasts reminding fans to vote for the team include the term, which Riley trade-marked in 1988 when his L.A. Lakers were attempting to win their third straight NBA title. But the Detroit Pistons swept the Lakers in the 1989 Finals.

“It was probably not the context he had hoped,” Heat Executive Vice President Michael McCullough said.

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Heat guard Dwyane Wade and a growing list of other injured players will be pressed into service, helping to sell 2008-09 season tickets during halftime of tonight’s Heat-New Orleans Hornets game.

Wade, Jason Williams, Udonis Haslem, Alonzo Mourning and Shawn Marion, among others, will join Heat dancers and season ticket sales staffers in answering phone calls from season ticket buyers.

The effort is being billed as a "rare opportunity" for fans to speak with Heat players and is part of the team’s new brand philosophy “The Heat Experience. Feel It. Live!”

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The Heat got help from some politicians Wednesday night in debuting a new public service announcement aimed at keeping South Florida litter-free.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dennis Moss were on hand for the debut of the county's “SLAMIT JAMIT STUFFIT” ad, which was shown during halftime of the Heat-Knicks game. The campaign, which shows Heat coach Pat Riley; players including Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem; and a dancer exiting a bus and shooting bottles, foil and other bits of garbage into a trash can, is being accompanied by in-arena anti-litter messages and contests.

The ad by Beber Silverstein Group was shot before the 2007-08 season started. That meant there had to be some re-shooting and a little creative editing after Shaquille O’Neal was traded last month to the Phoenix Suns. Watch the ad:

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It’s renewal time for Heat and Panthers season ticket holders and both teams are offering incentives to entice fans back.

The Heat is lowering or freezing some prices in the upper levels at AmericanAirlines Arena and charging 100 level ticket holders $1 to $5 more per game, although prices could be quite a bit steeper if you had a three-year contract that just expired. The team is still offering one-year and three-year renewal options, with the longer contract including larger savings.

Current season ticket holders must renew by March 21, but if they do so by March 7, they’ll get a limited edition 20th anniversary Heat wristwatch. In addition, the team is scheduling a number of activities for fans who renew, including a “Speak to the Heat: Season Ticket Holder Town Hall Meeting,” during which season ticket holders will get to ask questions of Heat owner Micky Arison, head coach Pat Riley and President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth; a chance to stand with the players on court during the National Anthem; and a series of parties with Arison and Alonzo Mourning in an arena suite.

Those who renew by March 21 will also be entered into a sweepstakes that includes prizes such as two free lifetime Heat season tickets; a 42-inch plasma TV; gift cards for gas, groceries, and Dunkin’ Donuts; a chance to be “broadcaster for a game”; your property tax or FPL bills paid; or a one-year membership to 24 Hour Fitness.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are freezing prices for season ticket holders who renew by March 14. Those fans will also get 5 percent of their investment in “Panthers bucks,” which can be used to pay for concessions at BankAtlantic Center. In addition, the Panthers want season ticket holders to be actual “seat owners” with even more of a say in the franchise.

Panthers privileges include personal nameplates on your seats; a team windbreaker; access to an exclusive “season seat owner” section on the team’s Web site; special team road trip travel packages; quarterly shareholder meetings; and priority playoff benefits.

Are you renewing for either team? Do these incentives make a difference? Are you giving up your tickets? If so, why?

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The NBA All-Star Game is just as much about showcasing business as it is about the game’s top players. Last year, Heat guard Dwyane Wade was the toast of Las Vegas with his new T-Mobile sidekick, Converse shoes, Topps collectible card with a gambling chip and brand summit with his business partners.

Tonight during the NBA All-Star Rookie Game in New Orleans, Gatorade will debut a new ad featuring Wade for its low-calorie G2 drink. The 30-second ad is in keeping with the theme of the one featuring New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter that ran during Super Bowl XLII and showed grass growing under Jeter’s feet even as he walked city streets. The Wade ad will show the pavement under Wade's feet turning into the boards of a basketball court.

Watch a behind the scenes video for the ad:

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Luckily, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s performance in Super Bowl XLII was clutch. Manning, a Gatorade endorser since 2005, is featured in an ad for the sports drink’s new “League of Clutch” campaign that promotes athletes who make the plays that win games, in spectacular fashion.

The new ad, which began airing Wednesday, includes images from the Giants’ final drive that led to the team beating the undefeated New England Patriots and, of course, an image of the Gatorade being dumped on Giants Coach Tom Coughlin. Some expect Manning to continue to be in demand from Madison Avenue.

Gatorade is also auctioning five Giants commemorative Super Bowl bottles autographed by Manning on eBay.com. Proceeds from the auction, which runs through Sunday, will benefit the United Way.

Other League of Clutch athletes include Eli Manning’s brother Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, Heat guard Dwyane Wade, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and 2008 Australian Open champion tennis star Maria Sharapova.

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Chew on this: Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish brand is teaming up with the NBA to promote youth fitness and healthful eating through the league’s Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and NBA FIT program. Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh are serving as the program’s ambassadors.

The partnership rolls out this week in New Orleans at NBA All-Star 2008 with clinics and activities on Friday and Saturday. Pepperidge Farm is also making a donation to the Wade’s World Foundation, which supports programs that promote education, health and social skills for at-risk kids.

Wade will appear in advertising and marketing programs and on a special NBA-themed Goldfish crackers package.

“I’m honored to work with the Goldfish brand in my quest to leave the world a better place than I found it,” Wade said in a statement. “Their long-standing commitment to American youth is inspirational and our mutual interest in helping kids has created a meaningful partnership that will benefit countless children.”

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Heat center Shaquille O'Neal will make his debut in a vitaminwater ad during Super Bowl XLII as a ... jockey. Yep, the 7 foot 1, 325-pound O'Neal sports jockey silks and rides a horse in the 60-second spot, which is being kept under wraps until it airs at the beginning of the third quarter of Sunday's game on Fox. In the meantime, check out O'Neal in his silks, courtesy of vitaminwater maker Glaceau.

O'Neal became a vitaminwater endorser and investor last year, appearing on 32-ounce bottles of power-c flavor. He has been wanting to appear in one of the company's off-beat ads. In fact, he came up with the idea for the spot.

"I grew up in Texas, so I'm no stranger to riding horses, but I've always wanted to try being a jockey in an actual horse race - so vitaminwater and I decided to give it a try," O'Neal said in a statement.

It didn't hurt that Glaceau President Mike Repole is among the top 50 race horse owners in the country.

WADE AND BARKLEY

Meanwhile, Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Charles Barkley continue their T-Mobile ad campaign during the Super Bowl. The company is running this teaser ad on YouTube encouraging the public to tune in to find out if Wade will finally make it into Barkley's "Fave 5":

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Following a trend in the sports industry, the Heat will test a limited number of “all-you-can-eat” seats at three games this month.

The seats, which cost $45 piece, are on the 400 level at AmericanAirlines Arena and come with a chance to pick up four items from a very narrow list of options – regular hot dog, regular nachos and cheese, small popcorn, peanuts, small soft drink and bottled water - on an unlimited number of trips to the concession stand. Fans are required to buy at least two tickets to qualify for the promotion.

Fans with season tickets in the designated area can get the food for an extra $10 per seat per game. The games are Dec. 13 versus the Washington Wizards, Dec. 17 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dec. 20 against the New Jersey Nets.

The Heat is trying out the promotion earlier than anticipated. Team officials told me earlier this fall they were developing a food included ticket option for the 2008-09 season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers helped spawn the growth of tickets with food when they designated 3,000 bleacher seats as the All-You-Can-Eat Right Field Pavilion last season. The food included Dodger dogs, peanuts, popcorn and soft drinks and ran $20 for group tickets to $40. They sold 70 percent of capacity for the season and a half dozen other MLB teams have since added all-you-can-eat sections.

Meanwhile, the Panthers and Dolphins have created higher-end seating options that come with upscale food. The ADT Club at BankAtlantic Center offers fans who spend $7,500 to $9,000 a year, depending on the length of the contract, to get a seat and fancy food for every hockey game and every concert in the building for a minimum of 75 events. The idea is to create the exclusiviity of a suite, but at a more affordable price. A hockey-only option on the 400 level with sports bar style food averages $2,000 a season.

The Dolphins offer a couple of higher-end options with food, including 10-person suites in the east endzone of Dolphin Stadium that include food in a common area shared by three others suites, and run $80,000 a season.

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