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.”

> Discuss this entry

By January, there should be a JetBlue Airways tailfin on the plaza in front of BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, thanks to the Florida Panthers’ new sponsorship agreement with the airline announced last Friday.

Hugo Boss is outfitting the team’s television and radio broadcasters and even Coach Pete DeBoer. The in-arena host is known as the Celsius Girl due to the team’s deal with the Delray Beach company that touts calorie-burning beverages.

Despite not making the playoffs for eight seasons – the longest playoff drought in the NHL – and currently having a 5-9-1 record, the Panthers are still able to attract sponsors.

In all, the Panthers’ parent company Sunrise Sports & Entertainment has signed up 24 new sponsors for this season – for a value of more than $4 million annually. That’s on top of the already bursting roster of sponsor deals that total more than 100 – yes, that’s why so much signage! – for a value of more than $20 million a year.

The Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler signs that adorned the dasherboards and other parts of the arena have either been removed or covered, but there’s still plenty of advertising across the arena. New deals have been forged with Guinness, Lucas Oil, Mama’s Italian Ice, Bennett Auto Supply, Gran Thornton, Boar’s Head and HotelPlanner.com, among others.

SSE and Panthers President Michael Yormark is still hoping to sell the naming rights to the ice on which the team plays and to the team’s practice facility at Incredible Ice in Coral Springs.

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JetBlue Airways has been snapping up sponsorships with sports teams across the country in the past 18 months, including the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, Buffalo Bills, Texas Longhorns and New York Jets.

On Friday, the airline announced its first ever sponsorship with a hockey team and arena, becoming the official – and exclusive – airline partner of the Florida Panthers and BankAtlantic Center. Already, JetBlue’s signage is on the awnings over the arena’s doorways and dots the plaza in front of the building.

By January, a signature JetBlue tailfin is to be added to the plaza – the first ever installation for the airline. (See rendering above).

To honor the new multi-year partnership – and the addition of the airline’s 18th destination from Fort Lauderdale (starting Nov. 17 to San Francisco) – the airline is offering 18 percent off on bookings made today for travel Dec. 2-16 made at www.jetblue.com/bac

Officials would not disclose the financial details, but a release about the deal says it will include joint marketing and advertising through 2011. It is expected to include special travel packages for Panthers fans to attend away games and for fans in cities JetBlue serves to visit South Florida and take in a Panthers home game.

Panthers President Michael Yormark announced the partnership Friday on the arena’s front plaza, which will know be known as the JetBlue Tarmac, saying “Today, the BankAtlantic Center gets more leg room. Today the Florida Panthers become true blue.”

Marty St. George, JetBlue senior vice president of marketing and commercial strategy, said the airline considered other sponsor opportunities in South Florida, but chose to partner with Sunrise Sports & Entertainment, the Panthers’ parent company and operator of BankAtlantic Center, because of the variety of events the company oversees.

“It’s not just a team,” St. George said. “The building has 200 plus events a year. Over 2 million people have come in every single year to various events. And I think that’s something we saw as a great kicker on top of it, which is not only do we get to work with a dynamic team that I think has got a great future, we also have the opportunity to get our name in front of customers that come here for all the different events … This is a dream opportunity.”

The announcement also included a concert by Cobra Starship, and was attended by JetBlue employees, as well as Panthers coach Pete DeBoer and team limited partners Cliff Viner and Stu Siegel.

Viner and Siegel are expected to buy a portion of majority owner Alan Cohen's stake in the team and be named co-general partners. Cohen will retain a stake in the team, but will no longer make team decisions. Viner and Siegel weren't talking Friday, but the restructured ownership situation is expected to be announced next week.

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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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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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In advance of the Nov. 22 NASCAR Sprint Cup finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Sprint Cup driver Carl “ESPN Body Issue cover model” Edwards, made a stop in South Florida this week.

Edwards, now sponsored by Aflac, wore a company tie covered with ducks, and took a ride on a Duck Tours Miami land and sea vehicle. He even agreed to make one of his signature backflips off the vessel into the bay. See the video below.

The driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion is a fan of the Homestead track, having captured both the Ford 300 Nationwide and Ford 400 Sprint Cup series races during Ford Championship Weekend last year.

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The Quad City Mallards of the IHL are promoting what they say is another professional hockey first: a logo in the ice in the goal. Not in front of the goal. Not near the goal. Actually in the goal.

It’s a logo for Hardee’s in honor of the quick service restaurant’s “Biscuit in the Basket” promotion, which will award select fans with free biscuits for Mallards’ goals. Fans in a randomly selected row of seats will receive a coupon good for a biscuit for each goal scored by the Mallards at home games at the i Wireless Center in Moline, Ill., this season. Fans in the entire section get free biscuits, if the Mallards score at least four goals.

Hardee’s will also sponsor giveaway items at several games. Mallards players will be visiting select Hardees beginning this morning to promote the partnership.

The Mallards, you may recall, are the team that when I wrote about the Panthers’ new “locker room” seats, which allow fans to get autograph sessions and email cards from a Panthers player, pointed out they let fans into the actual locker room up to 30 minutes before game time. The Mallards’ home opener is Oct. 24.

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The Miami Dolphins are calling it “groundbreaking,” but grounds breaking seems more apt. The team and Café Bustelo have teamed up.

At a launch party announcing the new partnership at the Gansevoort Hotel on South Beach Thursday night, Café Bustelo was dubbed the “Official Espresso” of the team. The espresso coffee is now available at Dolphins home games in the club level at section 242 and the invitation-only Ocean Drive Club at Land Shark Stadium.

Today, the team and Cafe Bustelo, which is owned by Rowland Coffee Roasters (a Cuban family-owned South Florida company), are launching a contest on the Spanish channel of miamidolphins.com for a chance to win a cafecito break with team limited partners Gloria and Emilio Estefan during a home game this season, two tickets to the game, Dolphins merchandise and a year’s supply of Café Bustelo. Enter at MiamiDolphins.com through Nov. 6.

Next spring, the company will release Café Bustelo in Dolphins-branded coffee cans.

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The 2009 Gators cereal, which hits stores across Florida today, features UF coach Urban Meyer holding up the 2008 National Championship trophy from his team’s victory in the BCS national championship game at Dolphin Stadium in January.

The box of frosted corn flakes is the sixth in the limited edition series produced in a partnership between Florida’s Dairy Farmers and Gator Sports Marketing, which handles UF’s sponsorship and advertising. The cereal is distributed by Deerfield Beach-based Triton Innovative Marketing. (UF is among a number of college and pro teams with special edition cereals. Read the piece I wrote about the program in December here).

As part of this year’s release, the Dairy Farmers have also launched a contest to win a refrigerator and a year’s a supply of milk. (That’s 52 coupons good for a gallon of milk each week, in case you were wondering). Entrants must be at least 18 and explain why they want a new fridge and milk. Enter the contest until Dec. 15 – one entry per person per day -- at Floridamilk.com.

More than 20,000 of the boxes go on sale today at Winn Dixie, Albertsons, Sweetbay and at Gatorzone.com.

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+ Wondering why the Miami Dolphins haven’t struck a sponsorship deal with the Florida lottery now that the NFL allows such arrangements? The Dolphins told me they didn’t think a deal could be reached for this season. The SportsBusiness Journal reports the Dolphins nixed a three-team sponsorship deal with the lottery that would have also included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The journal says the Dolphins felt they deserved more in the deal. According to the piece, which you can read here, 18 teams have deals with 20 state lotteries.

By the way, through yesterday’s games, Florida’s three teams are a combined 3-11 on the season.

+ But the Dolphins don’t play until tonight – their highly anticipated matchup against the New York Jets at Land Shark Stadium. The MNF game marks the NFL’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The Dolphins are wearing their orange jerseys; team owner Steve Ross’ Latin limited partners Marc Anthony and wife Jennifer Lopez, Gloria and Emilio Estefan will be out in force. Gloria’s MNF theme video with Hank Williams Jr. complete with lines in Spanish, such as “Estos listos para futbol” debuts. Anthony is to sing the National Anthem. Latin stars perform pregame and during halftime. NFLatino.com has even created a series of videos in honor of the matchup that pit a Hispanic Dolphins and Jets fan. There are four – one for each quarter – with the first showing a child in a Mark Sanchez shirt beating up a dolphin piñata. Thanks to Advertising Age’s Laura Martinez for finding these. Here’s the first one:

Watch the others here: second, third and fourth quarters.

+ The Dolphins are 2-0 when they’ve worn their orange jerseys, but just in case the Jets do win, Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Company (14451 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach) reminds us, customers can get a free bagel the day after a Jets or Giants win. One bagel per customer who can share the winning score. Bagels are being given away today because the Giants beat the Oakland Raiders 44-7. If the Jets win tonight, same drill for customers who can recite the score.

+ Pro Bowl: Tickets for the 2010 Pro Bowl, which is being held the Sunday before the Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium, go on sale at 7 p.m. They cost $50 to $195. Buy them at NFL.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

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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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Sports consultant Rick Horrow’s new local show Beyond the Game began airing on WPEC Ch. 12 in West Palm Beach on Saturday. Yours truly was on the sports business panel along with former Miami Dolphin Troy Stradford and Brian Finkel, creative director of Horrow Sports Ventures and a student in FAU’s sports management program.

We touched on what to expect at Land Shark Stadium on Dolphins game days; the Dolphins’ new AT&T sponsor patch on practice jerseys, and sports business news around the NFL. Watch it here. The show airs Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

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As of today, the Miami Dolphins have now joined 17 other NFL teams in sporting sponsor patches on their practice jerseys.

NFL owners approved putting sponsor patches on practice jerseys earlier this year, but until today – the first day of regular season practice – the Dolphins hadn’t had worn a patch. Today they’re wearing an AT&T logo on their jerseys.

“It’s a league-wide initiative that does now allow for sponsorships on practice jerseys during the regular season,” Dolphins spokesman Harvey Greene said. “We took advantage to provide additional values to one of our largest corporate sponsors.”

Greene would not disclose financial details of the deal, but AT&T is already a team sponsor. Regular season practices are closed to the public and only open to the media for short periods on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and on Mondays when a full practice is scheduled. That means there is some potential media exposure for the corporate logos.

Under NFL rules, teams had until Sept. 1 to finalize deals with one corporate sponsor for a patch on practice jerseys. Separate deals can be made for the playoffs, an NFL spokesman said.

Other NFL teams with practice jersey sponsors include the Buffalo Bills with Sanyo, Chicago Bears with Northshore University Healthsystem, Cincinnati Bengals with Spongetech, Dallas Cowboys with the University of Phoenix, Indianapolis Colts with Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, and the New England Patriots with Gillette.

Leagues have been softening their stance on corporate logos on jerseys this year. The NBA is now allowing sponsor patches on practice jerseys. The New Jersey Nets announced Tuesday they have become the first NBA team to strike a practice jersey sponsorship deal. The team will wear the logo for PNY Technologies Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of computing and digital imaging products. PNY will also own the naming rights to the team’s practice facility in East Rutherford.

The WNBA this season allowed sponsor logos on its regular season uniforms and two teams took advantage: the Phoenix Mercury struck a deal with LifeLock and the Los Angeles Sparks forged a partnership with Farmer’s Insurance. MLS players also wear sponsor logos on their jerseys during the season.

How long before sponsor logos appear on jerseys during the big four sports’ regular seasons?

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The Miami Dolphins are trying to make it easier than ever to attend home games by expanding the Dolphins Express.

The new bus service unveiled last month to take Dolphins fans from southwest Florida (in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties) to and from Dolphins home games is going to provide service from Duffy’s Sports Grill locations from Deerfield Beach to Melbourne.

“We have a strong base of fans throughout the state of Florida and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to visit Land Shark Stadium,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said in a statement. “To our fans from the Palm Beaches to the Treasure Coast, the Dolphins Express will be leaving from a Duffy's near you in 2009."

To introduce the new service, team alumni, including Hall of Famer Dwight Stephenson, and fans took the bus from Palm Beach to last night’s team practice at training camp in Davie.

The service, which begins with the Dolphins’ Sept. 21 Monday Night home opener against the Indianapolis Colts, costs $69 for an upper corner end zone ticket, round-trip bus ride and a take- out Duffy’s meal. The buses leave two and half hours before kickoff and will be available from the following locations:

Duffy’s of Melbourne, 1700 Evans Rd., Melbourne
Duffy’s of Jupiter East, 185 E. Indiantown Rd., Jupiter
Duffy’s of The Villages Inc., 721 Village Blvd., West Palm Beach
Duffy’s of Boynton, 4746 North Congress Ave., Boynton Beach
Duffy’s of Superplay USA, 1608 NW Courtyard Circle, Port St. Lucie
Duffy’s of Royal Palm Beach, 11943 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach
Duffy’s of Jensen Beach, 4179 NW Federal Highway, Jensen Beach
Duffy’s of Deerfield, 401 N. Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach
Duffy’s of Delray, 1750 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach

For more information, visit www.DolphinsExpress.com or call 1-888-FINS-BUS.

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When he announced last summer that he was switching depots – from a sponsorship with Home Depot to one with Office Depot – starting this season, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart also got a new number, switching from No. 20 to No. 14.

Now Boca Raton-based Office Depot, which is a co-primary sponsor of Stewart’s No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala, is asking fans to “Show Us Your 14” with an online photo contest. Fans can submit photos showing their support for two-time Sprint Cup champion Stewart with creative displays of the No. 14. That means anything from ‘14’ carved into haircuts to tattoos to lawn ornaments. Already, fans have submitted photos of ‘14’ in lipstick, landscaping, and on their bare backs.

The grand prize is a Hewlett-Packard package that includes a desktop and notebook computers, fax-printer, ink packs, and photo paper. First and second prize winners will receive a selection of HP items as well. And all entrants receive a 14 percent off coupon at Office Depot.

Enter through Aug. 31 by submitting photos up to 2MB at OfficeDepotRacing.com. Stewart, who is the current points leader in this year’s Sprint Cup Series, will be judging the photos.

“NASCAR fans are the most passionate fans in all of sports, and I can’t wait to see all the creative ways people incorporate the number 14 into their lives. I think I’m going to see some very imaginative stuff!” Stewart said in a statement.

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That didn’t take long. The Los Angeles Sparks and Farmers Insurance Group of Companies announced a multi-year partnership Friday that will put the insurance group’s name on the WNBA team’s jerseys.

The partnership comes just in time for the Sparks home opener against the Detroit Shock on Saturday. It also marks the second such announcement this week. The Phoenix Mercury announced Monday that it will be wearing identity theft protection company, LifeLock Inc., on its uniforms for three years under a deal said to be worth at least $1 million a year.

The Sparks’ deal with Farmers Insurance also includes signage in the Staples Center, and visibility with other Sparks’ events in the community.

The idea is apparently sweeping the WNBA. The Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm are also considering partnering with jersey sponsors.

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The Phoenix Mercury will become the first WNBA team to wear a corporate sponsor’s logo prominently on its jerseys this season. In a deal being announced today, identity-theft protection company LifeLock Inc., will sponsor the team for three years in a deal said to be worth at least $1 million a year.

The Arizona-based company, which also sponsors NASCAR, will be the team’s presenting sponsor and get its name on the team’s warm-up jerseys and its arena. It is also to offer complimentary membership to WNBA season ticket holders.

The WNBA did a deal prior to last season with McDonald’s in which the fast food giant sponsored Tip-Off for the league’s 12th season. Players wore the Golden Arches on a Tip-Off logo on their jerseys during the home openers, but the logos weren’t as prominently displayed as LifeLock’s will be on Mercury jerseys.

The Mercury will still wear its team logo, but Mercury will be a much smaller badge-style logo on the upper left – similar to the way the L.A. Galaxy’s logo appears on the MLS team’s jerseys since Herbalife began sponsoring that team in 2007.

So, while we’re used to seeing corporate logos on jerseys overseas, they are beginning to seep into U.S. sports more frequently than they have in the past. The Boston Red Sox and Oakland A’s wore sponsor logos on their jerseys and helmets during the two games that opened the 2008 MLB season in Japan. The Puerto Rican team wore Best Buy logos on their jerseys during the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Since we used to seeing logos just about everywhere these days, does this bother you? Do you think the uniforms for NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL teams are still sacred?

Also, I’ve just joined the masses on Twitter. Follow me there: @sarahtalalay

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It’s too early to say if the name of the Hurricanes’ basketball arena, BankUnited Center, will change in the wake of the government seizure and new ownership of BankUnited.

The bank – the largest headquartered in Florida – signed a 10-year agreement to put its name on the Coral Gables arena in November 2005. So the bank has a contract and a bank spokeswoman said Friday that it’s “business as usual.”

It’s possible the contract will be honored and the name will remain, particularly since the bank is to continue being called BankUnited.

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Founded in 2006 to serve as the business backbone for a wide range of fantasy sports Web sites, Fantasy Sports Ventures is continuing to expand its footprint. The New York company that handles the marketing and advertising sales for some 400 Web sites across sports announced this week it has added 35 independent college Web sites, including NoleInsider focusing on FSU, and The Bulls Pen, which covers USF.

Other college sites now in FSV’s network include SECTalk, Tiger Droppings (LSU), and TotalUGA (Georgia).

FSV was formed early on in the growth of fantasy sports as a way to help sites – many of them niche – build their businesses through dynamic online advertising, contests and promotions.

“We started about three years ago when the notion of fantasy sports marketing was just evolving,” FSV CEO Chris Russo said. “We really pioneered the notion that marketers could do marketing programs online beyond banner advertising.”

That means content widgets and modules and a variety of programs that promote advertisers and sponsors across FSV’s network. With 400 sites in its network, FSV offers companies an attractive advertising opportunity. Because it can count traffic to all its affiliated sites – it owns about 25 percent of them and has affiliations with the rest – FSV is ranked fifth among online sports properties with more than 10 million unique visitors each month, according to Nielsen Online. (Yahoo! Sports is No. 1, followed by ESPN, CBSSports.com and Fox Sports).

Since fantasy sports boast some 27 million players in the U.S., leagues and other companies recognize the power of the industry as a business tool.

“By adding 400 sites together, you have enough scale. You really become relevant to advertisers,” Russo said. “Marketers want to be around passion points. People care about fantasy sports. That’s a hobby and an avidity. More and more money is going to continue to move from traditional media to new media.”

While FSV might not be recognizable to consumers – its Fantasy Players Network branding can be found on many of its affiliated sites – the company allows for smaller sites with avid fan bases to flourish because of the company’s business backing.

“We are providing, at the end of the day, a way for niche sites to grow and prosper and continue offering more and better content to their users,” Russo said. “We’re helping a whole cottage industry.”

Among the programs FSV created was a Gillette Young Guns fantasy game that allowed fans to pick winning drivers from among a group of drivers, including Gillette’s sponsored drivers. The game was on Gillette’s Web site, but was promoted and distributed across FSV’s affiliated sites. For college basketball, the company launched a site this year devoted to the NCAA Tournament that featured Bobby Knight and Billy Packer, who provided analysis, and was sponsored by Irish Spring.

Russo said the company plans to activate a number of its promotions around events throughout the year, including the upcoming NBA draft and the NFL season.

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Several hundred Dolphins fans and Parrot Heads dressed in jerseys, Hawaiian shirts, and everything from balloons fashioned into fins, stuffed cheeseburgers and parrots on their heads reveled and swayed at a quick Jimmy Buffett concert at newly re-named LandShark Stadium Friday morning. Check out a photo gallery here.

As LandShark Lager’s tagline says: “Let The Fin Begin.”

Buffett and new Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ushered in a brand new era at the Miami Gardens venue, merging football with fun.

“We gave half the tickets to the Parrot Head clubs and half to Dolphans and you can’t tell the difference,” Buffett said during his three-song set. “I know I’m home.”

He sang his anthem “Margaritaville,” at one point saying “It’s all Steve Ross’ fault,” rather than blaming a woman as the song does, followed up with “Volcano” and ended with his newly rewritten “Fins” to honor the DolPHINS.

We drive down on Interstate 95,
And up on U.S. 1.
It’s game day in Miami town
Where the Dolphins are Number 1 (numero uno)
We play down by the ocean
In the warm South Florida sun
The tailgate’s down so gather round
For some pre-game LandShark Fun

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Sharp-eyed colleague Ted Hutton, who was covering Thursday’s Marlins-Atlanta Braves game, looked up about an hour after the game ended and saw the Dolphin Stadium scoreboard outfitted with the LandShark Stadium logo. He snapped this photo quickly – when he looked up again, the image was gone. In anticipation of Friday’s press conference in which Jimmy Buffett and Dolphins owner Stephen Ross are to announce a business deal that is to include the branding of the Dolphins’ home as LandShark Stadium for one season, enjoy.

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Wondering what those Q’s are in left field at Dolphin Stadium during Marlins games? No, they’re not some obscure translation of the K’s that represent strikeouts.

Marlins fans sitting in the power alley are keeping track of yet another baseball stat -- what’s being called “Quick Outs” – outs recorded in three pitches or fewer. Nancy Olson, executive director of the Marlins Community Foundation, who came up with the idea, has a group of loyal foundation volunteers putting up a white sign featuring a black ‘Q’ every time a Marlins’ pitcher records a quick out. There’s one teal sign that’s used to delineate when a relief pitcher comes into the game. (See photo by Kelly Gavin, courtesy of the Marlins). The radio and TV broadcasters are aware of it -- and even asked that the Q's be clumped in sets of three to make it easier to keep track of them, Olson said.

Olson was urged by her brother, who saw Q’s at Arizona Diamondbacks games, to adopt the idea as a fundraiser for the foundation. Olson is hoping to secure a corporate sponsor, which would get its name on the Q’s -- and she hopes make a donation to the foundation either on a per game or per Q basis.

The team has 20 Q’s, which is typically plenty for a game, but when Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds stretched to 14 innings, the supply just ran out, Olson said.

Perhaps a sponsor will help pay for more signs, too. Some ideas for potential sponsors? A couple of suggestions I’ve heard are Sir Speedy and Jiffy Lube.

But what about the Nasdaq-100, former title sponsor of the tennis tournament on Key Biscayne? The Nasdaq-100 is an exchange traded fund similar to a mutual fund, but trades like a stock. It holds shares of the 100 largest companies on the world’s largest electronic stock market. Its ticker symbol? QQQ.

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We’ll learn a lot more at Friday’s press conference that promises Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross, Jimmy Buffett, “high profile sports personalities,” and a live music performance.

But the possibility of a short-term naming deal – perhaps a season – of LandShark Stadium is certainly intriguing and well, unusual. The name comes from LandShark Lager, the Anheuser-Busch-brewed beer that is produced in partnership with Buffett and his Margaritaville restaurant enterprise.

If you’re thinking it’s all about money, think again. Yes, it’s about some money, but not nearly the $10 million to $15 million that Dolphin Stadium officials would love to score for a new corporate name.

So, why change the name even for a short time at the risk of further alienating fans? The venue was Joe Robbie Stadium when it opened in 1987, named for its original owner who put together the private financing plan to build it. In 1996, it became Pro Player Stadium -- and remained that way years after the apparel company’s parent, Fruit of the Loom, filed for bankruptcy in 1999. It became Dolphins Stadium in 2005; the ‘s’ was dropped in 2006. Many fans still call it Joe Robbie; others like Dolphin Stadium for its connection to the team.

Dolphin Stadium officials weren’t commenting Friday, but what it seems LandShark is meant to do is aid in Ross’ plan to create an entertaining South Florida feel to the stadium. While we don’t know the financial terms of the deal, it’s expected Buffett will perform concerts at the venue with proceeds going to the stadium. A Margaritaville section or area of the stadium has also been contemplated.

There are reports Buffett has been approached about becoming a limited partner in the team, but this sounds more like a business deal. Perhaps Buffett will be called a limited partner as part of this arrangement, but it seems unlikely Buffett would spend the cash Ross has been seeking from potential investors. Ross is believed to have been asking $25 million for a 2.5 percent stake in the team.

Surely UM, which also wasn’t commenting Friday, must have paused when hearing about Ross’ plans for LandShark Stadium. After all, the school, which has tried to shed it’s Suntan U. image, was named the nation’s No. 1 party school by Playboy last month. Playing football in a stadium named for a beer couldn’t be high on the school’s things to do list, but apparently school officials have accepted it.

It’s likely this is a short-term deal so that Ross can infuse some South Florida lifestyle into the stadium experience while he waits for the economy to recover. Then, stadium officials can try peddling the name again.

Don’t be surprised if Buffett is song writing, perhaps a new version of Fins that honors the football team, rather than those hungry women-stalking male “landsharks”:

And just for kicks and since I’ve been receiving messages about that other “landshark,” enjoy this piece of SNL history:

via videosift.com

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Since R. Allen Stanford was charged with fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission in February, his Stanford Financial Group’s numerous sponsorships with local sports venues have begun to disappear.

Stanford’s name was blacked out – well, greened over – at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Key Biscayne prior to the start of the Sony Ericsson Open last month. Those with sharp eyes could see where the company’s name had been on the stadium court walls.

And thanks to my colleague, Heat beat writer Ira Winderman, for noticing the VIP lobby at AmericanAirlines Arena no longer bears the company’s signage. The lobby has been stripped of the Stanford logos, which have been replaced with just generic Heat logos. Heat President of Business Operations Eric Woolworth told Ira a missed payment led to cancellation of the deal, which he said had an additional year to run.

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With sports teams, leagues and events beginning to understand their Latino fan bases better, Hispanic Market Weekly has added the sports business to its roster of weekly features.

“HispanicSportsBusiness” appears on Fridays in the Coral Gables-based online publication that covers Hispanic business trends, advertising and media. The section focuses on deals, marketing, and other efforts sports are using to reach the Hispanic market.

The section first launched April 3 and in its first two editions has included stories about a study NASCAR commissioned to learn more about its Latino fans; Mexican beer Tecate title sponsoring boxing on ESPN; and how the Houston Astros are catering to their Hispanic fans, who represent a variety of cultures and income levels.

The section, which also has included sports business news briefs on broadcast deals and coverage of the IMG World Congress of Sports conference in Miami earlier this month, aims to cover the dollars associated with soccer, football, baseball, basketball, auto racing and extreme sports.

“We’re about following the money, following the dollars,” said Adam Jacobson, HispanicSportsBusiness associate editor. “The Hispanic sports fan represents a huge part of the U.S. consumer base. Retailers understand this. Sports franchises are just beginning to understand this -- that the growth lies in the Hispanic fan base.”

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When the NHL owners were on the verge of locking out players in 2004, Panthers management didn’t want to be caught without a business plan.

Panthers President Michael Yormark worked proactively to position the team and BankAtlantic Center as more than just a hockey team and an arena. In 2005, the team’s owners and arena’s operators renamed their business units “Sunrise Sports & Entertainment” to reflect better their wide ranging company that includes the Incredible Ice practice facility in Coral Springs, which is completing an expansion; and a publications business that is revamping its Panthers Insider magazine.

“We decided strategically to position the BankAtlantic Center and the Florida Panthers as a year-round sports entertainment and media company as opposed to a seasonal sports company,” Yormark said. “Furthermore, we realized the importance of creating customized and integrated, partnership opportunities across all of our business units, in order to deliver measurable results and a return on investment for our participating partners and it grew from there.”

Last week, Sunrise Sports & Entertainment unveiled its latest venture: the Sunrise Sports & Entertainment Media Network. It’s a way to integrate and incorporate all its business units and media partners to sell advertisers, sponsors and corporations on a one-stop shopping approach to all their media needs.

What it means is SSE will work with companies that sponsor the team or arena to develop advertising, sponsorship and promotional programs across 15 different platforms all brought together under the SSE Network roof. That includes: the team; arena; game program; Panthers Insider magazine; Incredible Ice; TV broadcaster Fox Sports Florida; cable partner Comcast; radio broadcaster 790 the Ticket; outdoor marquees; the team’s YouTube channel; Facebook and MySpace pages; Twitter account and more. Read more about the social networking portion here.

“Tonight everyone in this room must face the built in challenge of these tough economic times, which is why now more than ever we must provide unique marketing and advertising opportunities that drive results for our partners,” Yormark said during the network’s unveiling last week in the arena’s Chairman’s Club.

“The timing is absolutely perfect, in a fragmented marketplace where more than just traditional media outlets are needed to significantly effect your business, we give you fully integrated sports and entertainment programming,” he continued. “Tonight we touch every available media channel through one portal.”

It remains to be seen whether the network will drive more partnerships and foster more comprehensive marketing and advertising relationships, but Yormark says the company is breaking new ground. Check out the presentation here:

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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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Citigroup’s $400 million naming rights deal for the new New York Mets ballpark has gotten the attention of members of Congress. After all, the banking giant is receiving $45 billion in federal bailout money through the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). It agreed in 2006 to spend about $20 million a year for 20 years to name the new stadium.

Last week, U.S. Reps. Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, and Ted Poe, Republican of Texas, asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to push Citi to drop the deal. “Citigroup is now dependent on the support of the federal government for its survival as an institution,” the representatives’ letter said. “As such, we do not believe Citigroup ought to spend $400 million to name a stadium at the same time that they accept over $350 billion in taxpayer support and guarantees.”

When word surfaced the company might be looking for a way out of the giant stadium name deal, it reiterated Tuesday that it is committed to the legally binding deal and that no TARP money would be used on the Citi Field agreement.

But the question remains: should companies that receive federal bailouts be putting big money into these types of naming rights deals?

The question arose after Sept. 11, 2001, when the airline industry was laying off workers and seeking federal help, and yet several stadiums and arenas, including AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, bore the names of air carriers.

The conventional wisdom from the business community tends to be that in difficult times, companies should be spending a portion of their budgets on advertising, since that’s when they need it most.

Do you agree?

New Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross completed a deal valued at $1.1 billion to buy the team and Dolphin Stadium last week, even as he has joined a group of real estate developers asking for federal assistance in the struggling economy.

According to Richard Sandomir’s column in today’s New York Times, several financial institutions with their names atop sports venues are receiving TARP dollars. Among them: Bank of America, which pays $7 million annually for its name on the Carolina Panthers football stadium is receiving $45 billion; JP Morgan Chase, which pays $2.2 million a year to name the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field is receiving $25 billion; PNC Financial, which pays $1.5 million a year for the Pittsburgh Pirates PNC Park name is getting $7.6 billion.

Sandomir’s column quotes a Treasury official saying the department did not have the authority to command a bank to discontinue a naming rights deal. But Kucinich told Sandomir that TARP allows “broad changes.”

What do you think?

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NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Tony Stewart appears to have easily made the switch of depots this year. Stewart, who has replaced his longtime primary sponsor Home Depot with a co-primary sponsorship between Office Depot and Old Spice, visited the Boca Raton campus of the office products retailer earlier this month.

He signed autographs, posed for photos with employees and talked about what it’s like to run his own race team. And as he was getting ready to leave the stage, where he’d spoken with employees, he said, “Oh, one more thing,” and then he surprised Office Depot officials by pledging a $100,000 donation to the Office Depot Foundation.

Stewart is so popular that Office Depot, which previously sponsored Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards, has received a number of requests for NASCAR Hero cards featuring the driver, and has sent out about 200 just in the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, Stewart is getting support from another South Florida corporation. Miami-based Burger King signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Stewart last week. It’s also getting the primary paint scheme on Stewart’s car for two races this season: on July 4 at Daytona International Speedway and Sept. 27 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

It just so happens Burger King is also an Office Depot customer.

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FedEx isn’t advertising during Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, but the express shipping company got nearly four hours of television exposure during this month’s FedEx-sponsored Orange Bowl and BCS national championship games at Dolphin Stadium.

That’s exposure valued at $383 million measured against television ad rates during the games – with the value during the BCS game being higher than the Orange Bowl game, naturally. According to Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, that value was calculated this way: $256 million from the BCS game in which Florida beat Oklahoma, and $126.8 million from the Orange Bowl game in which Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati. Joyce Julius reported FedEx got 51 mentions and an hour and 59 minutes of screen time during the BCS game and 59 mentions and an hour and 56 minutes during the Orange Bowl game.

Two other BCS bowl game sponsors scored higher values than FedEx did for the Orange Bowl game during their traditional bowl games this year. Tostitos received 43 mentions and an hour and 58 minutes of screen time during the Fiesta Bowl for a value of $138 million; Allstate received 45 mentions and an hour and 51 minutes during the Sugar Bowl for a value of $131 million. Citi, meanwhile, got 25 mentions and an hour and 21 minutes airtime during the Rose Bowl for a value of $111.4 million, Joyce Julius reported.

The Michigan firm's research shows other companies that received significant exposure time during the BCS game included Nike with a value of $61 million and Southwest Airlines with a value of $31.3 million.

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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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Continuing their commitment to families, the Panthers are hosting Kids Day at Saturday afternoon’s game against the Atlanta Thrashers at BankAtlantic Center.

Tickets for children 12 and younger are $10 and there will be a variety of giveaways, including movie passes and BankAtlantic No. 7 piggy banks, and concession specials, including a $15 buffet at the Chairman’s Club. Kids will also serve in a number of roles around the arena during the 1 p.m. game – singing the national anthem, accompanying Panthers players onto the ice, interviewing players on the scoreboard, performing as ice dancers, sitting in the broadcast booth and reporting from the press box. For more info, visit the team's Web site.

Title sponsor for Kids Day? Boca Raton’s Dr. Larry Kawa, the Panthers official orthodontist. Don’t steer him toward the IT’SUGAR section on the arena concourse where the candy store chain sells sweets by the pound.

Kids Day is just another way the team is reaching out to families. In addition to IT’SUGAR, the team started a Kids Korner last season with kid activities and kid-friendly concession stands, and a pin trading program – in which fans can buy and trade hockey-themed pins – was launched last month.

“We pride ourselves on being one of the most family-friendly franchises in professional sports and Kids Day is just another example of how we continue to make Florida Panthers hockey fun for the whole family,” Panthers President Michael Yormark said in a statement.

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After 12 straight years of advertising during the Super Bowl – and a presence in 18 Super Bowls since 1989 – FedEx is bowing out of the 2009 game. At an average price of $3 million for a 30-second spot, lots of companies are making difficult choices about television’s most expensive advertising. Read FedEx Director of Advertising Steve Pacheco’s reasoning here.

But FedEx is likely to get plenty of exposure during the next week, with its name attached to the 75th annual Orange Bowl game tomorrow night and the BCS National Championship game a week later on Jan. 8.

When the BCS added a fifth bowl game to the mix three years ago, not only did the national championship host location get an extra bowl game, the title sponsors did, too. The eight-figure four-year agreement with Fox to broadcast the BCS games includes a number of ads for the title sponsors during the games and promotion during other Fox broadcasts and in print and radio advertising. FedEx is also the “official overnight delivery service of the BCS.”

Eric Wright, vice president of research and development for Joyce Julius, which measures sponsor exposure, says the title sponsor earns more mentions during the non-championship bowl game, but the value from the national championship game is higher.

“It looks like the sponsor grabs slightly more onscreen time and mentions in their traditional bowl than the championship game, but the ad rates being what they are [in the national championship game] were higher,” Wright said.

For example, Allstate received 61 mentions and two hours and 42 minutes of screen time during this year’s Allstate Sugar Bowl for a total value of $172.4 million, when measured against ad rates during the game. The insurance company got just 50 mentions and one hour and 53 minutes of screen time during the BCS National Championship game, but that time was valued at $231.1 million, Joyce Julius reported.

By contrast, the title sponsors FedEx for the Orange and Tostitos for the Fiesta and presenting sponsor Citi for the Rose Bowl, received less value from their exposure, even if there were more mentions or screen time. Joyce Julius figures show FedEx received 48 mentions and an hour and 49 minutes of screen time for a value of $117.3 million. Tostitos got 61 mentions and two hours and 12 minutes of screen time for a value of $142.3 million. And Citi got 29 mentions and an hour and 42 minutes of airtime for a value of $107.4 million.

The trend was similar in 2007, the first year the fifth game was added to the BCS rotation. Tostitos got 86 mentions and two hours 10 minutes of airtime for a value of $101.2 million for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. For the BCS National Championship game, the company got 36 mentions and an hour and 50 minutes of airtime for a value of $175.3 million.

Meanwhile, Fedex received 66 mentions and one hour and 55 minutes of airtime for a value of $88.6 million; Allstate received 56 mentions, an hour and 58 minutes of screen time for a value of $89.6 million; and Citi got 26 mentions and just 16 minutes of air time for a value of $26.6 million from the Rose Bowl.

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The Indianapolis Colts closed out their first regular season at Lucas Oil Stadium this afternoon. The stadium offers an example of how teams are working to generate more dollars from sponsors while giving companies more real estate and fans more things to do inside sports venues.

Sponsors don’t just get signage anymore. That’s been true for some time, but in Indianapolis, companies’ names are connected to an actual section of Lucas Oil Stadium. The companies work with the Colts to decorate and program the areas to maximize their businesses and entertainment for fans.

There’s the Lucas Oil Gate, naturally, the Huntington Bank Gate, the hhgregg Gate and so on. The Air Tran Food Court features a first class fuselage that people can sit in. The team’s five- to eight-year sponsor contracts are worth $10 million to $12 million annually.

“We are considered a small market NFL team so a new stadium was critical for us. Based on the way the economics of the National Football League work today, we needed a stadium that was going to drive revenue,” said Peter Ward, Colts senior executive vice president. “This helps us stay competitive on the field...This allows us the opportunity to maximize our revenue.”

At the Lucas Oil Gate, there are dragsters; old-fashioned gas pumps that have LCD TVs installed in them; over-sized oil cans that also serve as stations for TVs; planes that hang from the ceiling; and a horseshoe-shaped stage for bands and TV and radio shows.

“Our goal was to create areas that could be sponsored and themed that also create points of interest for the fans. It had to work for the sponsors as well as our fans,” Ward said.

Hhgregg, a TV and appliance retailer with stores in nine states including Florida, has a 26,000-square-foot interactive fan area at the stadium’s south entrance with flat screen TVs, digital cameras and even washers and dryers on display. There’s an interactive video game in which fans can throw or kick a football across a virtual screen designed to look like Lucas Oil Stadium.

There are also six 52-inch Samsung TVs, a seating area in the shape of a horseshoe, and poles that look like goalposts. There’s a product pavilion with Electrolux appliances, including refrigerators. Everything is wrapped in hhgreg signage, but there's also signage for Electrolux, Sony and other appliance brands.

In addition, the Colts’ official appliance retailer of flat panel TVs, has sales associates working the gate entrances, handing out coupons.

“We’ve had a long-standing partnership with the Colts,” said Jeff Pearson, hhgregg vice president of marketing. “We sell a large number of flat panel TVs. All of that helps us sell TVs … Lucas Oil Stadium is going to be a place a lot of people go through in the next number of years.”

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NASCAR, by its very nature, is the anti-green sport: fuel, fast cars, tires upon tires.

But that doesn’t mean efforts aren’t being made to recycle and cut down on printing.

Going to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for Ford Championship Weekend? You’ll find recycling bins throughout the concourse and hospitality areas. Workers will sweep the grandstand twice after each race – first for items that can be recycled, a second time to collect the trash.

Meanwhile, NASCAR is becoming more conscientious about its printing. For the 2009 season, media guides will be available in English, Spanish and French, but there will be fewer paper copies. The sport plans to print 1,750 media guides down from 6,000 and supplement those with some 2,000 flash drives that will include the media guides. Delray Beach-based Office Depot, a NASCAR sponsor, will supply the flash drives.

And speaking of sponsors, Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis has taken an unusual step for Saturday’s Nationwide Series Ford 300: covering Ryan Newman’s No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet with the colors and logo of Christopher Columbus High School. The car will not feature the names of any companies – just the colors and logo for the all-boys Catholic high school in Miami in celebration of the school’s 50th anniversary.

Lemonis is a 1991 graduate of the school. The value of putting the school’s name on the car is estimated at $250,000. Camping World agreed last month to a seven-year deal to title sponsor NASCAR’s truck series beginning next season.

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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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NASCAR driver Carl Edwards carried a marriage proposal on the back of his No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race in Charlotte in May.

The proposal was part of a contest sponsored by Edwards' primary sponsor, Delray Beach-based office products retailer Office Depot, and it came with a diamond ring and a trip to Sedona, Ariz.

Now Edwards, who is in second place in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup just 106 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, has turned to Office Depot for help with his own nuptials.

Edwards and fiancée Dr. Kate Downey, a friend from his hometown of Columbia Mo., picked out their wedding invitation stationery (see the pattern by Gartner) from their local Office Depot store and are letting Office Depot’s Design Print and Ship service do the rest.

How’s that for sponsor loyalty?

With NASCAR’s 10-month schedule that ends Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, there’s little time off, but Edwards’ big day is planned in January. He’s also switching primary sponsors next year … to Aflac. Looks like he got his wedding invitations in under the wire.

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Last year, Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury made sure Americans got a free lunch (taco) from Taco Bell when he stole second base during Game 2 of the 2007 World Series.

Taco Bell, which isn’t releasing the number of free tacos it dispensed last year other than to say it was in the “millions,” plans to serve up free tacos again this year. The quick service restaurant hopes the offer of a free Crunchy Season Beef Taco will help brighten these difficult times for consumers. After all, the company says there’s been a stolen base in every Fall Classic since 1990.

“Last year we gave away millions of tacos to America, and based on the wild popularity with consumers, we’re bringing back the promotion,” said David Ovens, Taco Bell Corp.’s chief marketing officer said in a statement. “With consumer sentiment near all time lows, ‘Steal A Base, Steal A Taco’ is our way of extending the magic of the World Series to everybody by celebrating the game and rewarding fans, no matter which team you root for.”

Taco Bell is in its fifth year as an official MLB sponsor and has hosted a range of promotions, which didn’t produce free tacos, such as when a player had to hit a home run to left or left center field during Game 3 of the 2006 World Series.

Redemption is once again limited to specific times, but Taco Bell has extended the time by an hour this year. If the first base is stolen during Games 1, 2, 3, or 4, consumers can pick up a Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco (retail value 91 cents) between 2 and 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Oct. 28; if it occurs in Games 5, 6 or 7, the redemption period is 2-6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 3. One taco per customer.

In addition, Taco Bell will make a $20,000 donation in the name of the player who steals the first base of the series to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Meanwhile, politics will play a role in the World Series, too. Presidential candidates Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama are reading quotes from famous Americans, including Martin Luther King Jr., and former presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, about baseball serving as “a beacon of hope through some of America’s difficult eras,” according to a FoxSports press release. The quotes will be included in the opening segments of Fox's World Series broadcasts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez continues to be in good company. He’s joining a dozen other MLB stars in endorsing Sharp Electronics – Sharp Aquos is MLB’s “official High Definition television” – the company announced Friday.

Ramirez will make appearances and do promotions on behalf of Sharp at local retailers and events. He joins a roster of Sharp endorsers that includes David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox; Mariano Rivera and Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees; Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies; and Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers.

In honor of the new deal, Ramirez is scheduled to appear at the Brandsmart in North Miami, 4320 NW 167th Ave., from noon to 1 p.m., next Friday, Aug. 15.

Sharp, which signed a deal with MLB Properties last year, sponsors the National and American League players of the month and Hank Aaron awards. The company also has a sweepstakes running for a trip to the World Series and HD TVs.

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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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Talk about coincidence.

Boca Raton’s Ryan Hunter-Reay won his first IndyCar Series race on Sunday.

It was good timing since he was already a towering figure in Times Square. Well, his likeness anyway, in an 80-foot tall billboard for sponsor Izod.

The billboard originally said “I am next,” but check out how Izod changed the ad to read “I am now,” after Hunter-Reay’s win at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

“The timing with the win and everything, it’s unreal,” an awed Hunter-Reay said by phone on his way to the billboard’s official unveiling Monday afternoon. “Right in Times Square, the busiest intersection in New York. It’s indescribable.”

Hunter-Reay loves the idea people might not be recognize the 2008 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year.

“That’s the beautiful thing about that,” he said. “They will say ‘Who is that?’ They’ll check out the IndyCar thing.”

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Looking for a way to save on your rising gas bill? NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon knows how.

He’s partnered with Sunrise-based N2Revolution to promote the company’s PurigeN98, a high-purity nitrogen tire inflation system. PurigeN98 helps keep tires properly inflated, thereby reducing fuel costs and improving the car’s handling. Nitrogen-filled tires also reduce fuel emissions, according to a company release.

The release quotes U.S. Department of Energy stats saying: “Americans waste 10 million gallons of fuel every day by driving on under-inflated tires. Annually this amounts to 3.6 billion gallons of wasted fuel and 77 billion pounds of greenhouse gases needlessly dispersed.”

Gordon has used the high purity nitrogen for his racecar’s tires for years, but he can use it in his non-racing vehicles as well. And so can consumers. The system is available at some car dealers, tire stores and service centers. Check here, to find a dealer.

The system is also being used by the Jeff Gordon and Mario Andretti racing schools, which operate NASCAR and IndyCar driving experiences, respectively, for fans at 16 tracks across the country, including Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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The winner of Office Depot’s and Harlequin Enterprises' “Say Yes to a Winning Proposal” contest will have his or her marriage proposal unveiled Saturday at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race in Charlotte.

The question will go spinning around the track on the back of Carl Edwards’ No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion. It’s just one of the many ways NASCAR sponsors are working to bring the regular fan as close as possible to the sport. The winner also gets a diamond ring and trip to Sedonar, Ariz.

Delray Beach-based Office Depot is collecting entries for its “Official Small Business of NASCAR” sweepstakes through June 22. That contest will allow a business with 99 or fewer employees to put its name on the back of Edwards’ car for one race – Sept. 28 in Kansas -- and in a less prominent spot for other races during the rest of the season. The company also gets a $10,000 business makeover and to use “Official Small Business of NASCAR” on stationery and business cards for a year.

The office products company has added a new component to the contest, now in its fourth year: the opportunity to increase your entries by asking friends and family to nominate your business online. The company launched “Connect with Carl,” which allows you to send recorded messages from Edwards asking to nominate your business, enter the sweepstakes or just visit the company’s racing Web site. The messages can be customized with your name and a variety of descriptions of the recipients – the technology isn’t new, but somehow it’s always entertaining.

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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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Jake Long may have a reported $57.75 million five-year contract with $30 million guaranteed with the Dolphins, but Chris Long has a deal with Subway.

University of Virginia defensive end Chris Long, who had been mentioned as a potential No. 1 pick for the Dolphins, is being paired with Subway spokesman Jared Fogle and Fox NFL reporter Jay Glazer for a series of Webisodes related to the NFL Draft. Watch interviews with Long and a series of workouts with Long and Fogle at subwayfreshbuzz.com.

Long is also expected to make appearances for the restaurant. His partnership with Subway follows deals between the restaurant chain and other NFL first-round picks, New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush and Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, who the Dolphins passed on picking in the first round last year.

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It took 50 starts, but Danica Patrick was confident she’d eventually win a race and would not become known as the Anna Kournikova of auto racing.

Now that she won the Indy Japan 300 – becoming the first woman to win an open-wheel race -- will the Indy Racing League’s most marketable star be even more marketable?

After all, her sponsor roster includes Tissot, GoDaddy.com, Motorola, and she appeared in a bikini in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit issue. AirTran capitalized immediately with a commemorative plane called “AirTranica Won” – that bears her photo and is expected to be on planes through the IRL season.

Bob Dorfman, executive creative director of Baker Street Partners in San Francisco, says her first win could be worth at least $1 million more.

“Her current marketing partners will spend more on her, and new companies who may have discounted her driving talents will now consider her more seriously,” Dorfman said. “This opens her up to more performance-based products, as well as any advertiser to women with an ‘achieve your dreams’ message. It means a marketing portfolio that’s less cheesecake, and more blue chip.”

But Mike Bartelli, president of motorsports for Millsport, isn’t convinced the win will do much more for Patrick or the IRL.

"I believe it will help her marketability some, but given that her success off the track these last few years has been disproportionate to her success on the track, and given that IndyCar is a niche sport and will remain so for the foreseeable future, I don't think it will make a
significant difference to the scope of her appeal," Bartelli said.

"Will she likely see a few more endorsement opportunities? Probably,” he said. “Will this win, alone, translate into substantial growth for the IRL? Probably not."

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FAU Coach Howard Schnellenberger put the school’s money where his mouth is. Sort of.

After teeth whitening dental spa, SmileXpress, pledged $1.25 million to FAU’s athletic department over the next 10 years, Schnellenberger agreed to be the inaugural patron at the company’s East Boca Raton location Monday.

See his new radiant smile in this photo by Caroline Schmitz Williams.

SmileXpress’ donation announced in March includes $500,000 for naming rights to one of the entrances of FAU’s planned on-campus football stadium and $250,000 for a memoriabl at the stadium to honor Schnellenberger’s son, Stephen, who died of cancer last month.

For more on FAU sports, visit Ted Hutton’s blog here.

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To celebrate the first decade of the NBA Store, the NBA has released a list of the store’s Top 10 most popular jerseys. Heat guard Dwyane Wade’s jersey ranks seventh – not bad for a guy who’s only in his fifth year in the league. Michael Jordan ranks No. 1, natch. See the full list below.

And speaking of jerseys, NBA Commissioner David Stern didn’t rule out the possibility of NBA players wearing sponsor logos on their uniforms during exhibition games in Europe this fall that will feature the Heat, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Washington Wizards. The Heat will play the Nets in Paris and London.

“We're mindful of the fact that baseball just did it,” Stern said in a media conference call last week. “Our history has been we've tended to do things that have honored the local venue where we're playing with sort of modifications in uniforms, but we're mindful that in Europe sponsorship on uniforms is more common than it is here, and it's something we would consider but we're not planning.”

The Boston Red Sox and Oakland A’s, who opened the 2008 MLB season with two games in Japan last week, wore sponsor logos on their jerseys and helmets. According to Joyce Julius & Associates, a Michigan firm that measures the impact of corporate sponsorship, the jersey logos – EMC on Red Sox sleeves; Pepsi on the A’s -- generated $851,000 in media exposure during the two game and two replay broadcasts.

The company figured the logos got more than 28 minutes of broadcast time and multiplied that against the estimated cost of commercial time during the broadcasts. Ricoh, the sponsor of the games, got exposure on both teams' batting helmets, worth a total of $498,000 from more than 16 minutes of screen time during the four broadcasts, the company said.

Here’s the NBA’s list of most popular jerseys sold at the NBA store, 1998-2008:

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Allen Iverson
4. LeBron James
5. Shaquille O'Neal
6. Tracy McGrady
7. Dwyane Wade
8. Jason Kidd
9. Vince Carter
10. Tim Duncan

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If you’ve been reading my stories or followed this blog, you already know that super high energy Panthers President Michael Yormark has an identical twin brother Brett, who happens to be CEO of the New Jersey Nets.

The two are so much alike they finish each other’s sentences and take credit for each other’s creative marketing ideas. In this item from December in an unusual moment, Michael actually gave Brett credit for coming up with a mini-mascot.

But it’s difficult to capture in print how fast paced the brothers are. CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell says he’s done that in Friday’s installment of CNBC's “High Net Worth.”

“The truth is their lives have been one big competition and so we’ve told it that way,” Rovell told me. “The piece is basically one big competition from who sold the most creative sponsorship to who wakes up earlier to who works out harder to who’s the best dresser.”

In a story I wrote about them in 2006, Michael insisted he was in the office by 4 a.m.; Brett by 5:15 a.m. This is also from that story:

The pair share business strategies, and occasionally take credit for the other's idea. For example, did "Pancakes with the Panthers" come before "Pancakes and Hoops," which both involved inviting lapsed season-ticket holders to breakfast with players and team executives to encourage them to renew?

Brett, who says he's three minutes older than Michael, launched a series of "Influencer Parties," in which Nets season-ticket holders host potential ticket buyers at catered cocktail parties at their homes. Next month, the Panthers will begin "Hockey House Calls," in which season-ticket holders will host block party-style gatherings for friends, family and neighbors who might be interested in Panthers tickets.

What Rovell says his piece is able to capture is their energy. “We try to open them both up and show people these guys are impossible to walk with, the speed, the pace of their walk. I mean you need a trainer to keep up with them,” Rovell says with a chuckle. “They tell us that one day they might foresee at the end of their careers, opening up a consulting firm together. You kind of wonder what client would attend a 6 a.m. meeting.”

The show airs tonight at 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.

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The University of Phoenix has received media exposure worth as much as $20 million from its naming rights sponsorship of the Glendale, Ariz., stadium where Super Bowl XLII unfolded, according to Joyce Julius & Associates.

The Michigan firm that measures the impact of corporate sponsorship figures the actual game broadcast generated a value of $10.2 million from the 1 minute and 33 seconds of time the online university's name appeared on screen and two announcer references to it. That’s measured against the average $2.7 million companies paid for 30-second ads that aired during the game broadcast.

The firm says the university got another $6 million worth of exposure from media stories and another $4.5 million of exposure from hosting the BCS national championship game last year.

The $10.2 million game exposure is down from $13.6 million for Ford when the game was played at Ford Field in Detroit in 2006 and up from the $2.1 million for Alltel, when the game was played at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville in 2005, Joyce Julius reported.

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