This week on “Five for Friday” we bring you two home videos from a Florida Marlins marketing campaign that are better than the LeBron James dunk tape, the new strategy behind the PGA’s FedEx Cup commercials, and a new type of breakfast for champions. We’ll also cover RadioShack’s sponsorship of Lance Armstrong and Under Armour’s newest business move. Sit tight.

1. What’s Your Reason Contest - The Florida Marlins came up with a fan participation contest called “What’s Your Reason” in which fans were encouraged to make a home video showing what their reason was for owning a rival team’s jersey. Fans were then allowed to go to the Marlins website to vote for their favorite video entries. As of right now two finalists remain. What a great marketing gig for the baseball club accompanied by two great finalist home videos.

2. PGA Tour Today Launching Latest Series of Ads Around FedEx Cup - Yesterday the PGA tour launched the second of three promotional ads for the FedEx Cup. In the new set of ads that broke on Thursday, PGA players discussed the means to winning the cup and playing well during the playoffs. In previous years, ads were scripted and used personalities outside of the sport itself to bolster the excitement of the playoffs. This year it was decided that the players themselves could best explain the reasons why fans should tune in.

3. RadioShack to sponsor Armstrong’s team- RadioShack has decided they want to be the new lead sponsor for Lance Armstrong’s new cycling team in 2010. Armstrong will compete for Team RadioShack as a cyclist, runner, and triathlete which will include racing in the Tour de France.

4. Under Armour taps former Nike, Reebok exec McCarthy to lead footwear business - Gene McCarthy will begin in August as the senior vice president of Under Armour’s shoe department. McCarthy comes to Under Armour from Timberland but has held past positions with Nike and Reebok. It seems the sportswear company is making moves to bounce back from a rut by adding experience to their staff and coming out with even more creative products as of late.

5. New Wheaties Cereal Sounds Very Familiar- Wheaties has been called “The Breakfast of Champions” for some time now but has never really been a “breakfast to help champions.” The cereal never had much nutritional value and was instead very appealing to your tastebuds. Now that has all changed as the new Wheaties cereal is designed to included the right amount of protein and carbs to fuel an athlete’s day.

(Editor’s Note: I want to include an extra link today for your reading pleaseure.  Brian Gainor of PartnershipActivation.com released his July newsletter, which features some great content on new trends and technology in sports sponsorships.  You should definitely check it out.)

With the MLB All-Star game behind us, this week’s “Five for Friday” looks into the future of the NHL and NBA. We also bring you the latest news regarding sports technology via Under Armour’s new recovery suit.

1. NHL’s Winter Classic set for Fenway Park – It has been confirmed that Fenway Park will host the Flyers and Bruins in the NHL Winter Classic on New Years Day. Details about ticket pricing have not yet been released but as in the past years, this event is sure to bring in huge sponsors. Bridgestone has already signed on as the game’s title sponsor for this year as it did last year. There are also rumors that a college hockey game and public skating will be part of this year’s event.

2. Fan Frenzy: Season-ticket sales soaring for Cleveland Cavaliers -  Over this past year the Cleveland Cavaliers have held the number one spot in a few different regular season ticket categories. LeBron James has had a lot to do with those statistics, just as he has with almost every other statistic in the basketball games he plays in. However with the recent addition of Shaquille O’Neal, the Cavaliers have seen pre-season ticket sales soar higher than ever with trends suggesting the possibility of a sell-out crowd for every game this upcoming season.

3. NBA salary cap lowered, team profits sink – More than half of the NBA’s teams lost money this past year and expectations are that ticket sales and sponsorships will decrease even more this upcoming season. As a result the NBA recently lowered the league wide team salary cap from $ 58.68 million to $57.7 million for the upcoming 2009-10 season, and the number will probably drop even lower for the 2010-11 season.

4. Under Armour’s New Recovery Suit – Recharge is the name Under Armour has given to their most brilliant product which is a full body compression suit designed for athletes to wear for 24 hours after an extremely intense workout. The suit is said to help reduce soreness and swelling while helping to recharge the athletes body for the next workout. Sounds like an excellent idea to me. Do you think this product will work for the athlete and work to help Under Armour bounce back from their current struggles?

5. NHL and NBC Announce Extension – The NHL and NBC started a revenue sharing plan in 2006 and have most recently extended this contract for the second time since they became partners. Game 7 of  this years 2009 Stanley Cup Finals was the most watched hockey game in 36 years which leads both parties to understand that they work well together. NBC’s coverage for this upcoming season will begin with the Winter Classic to be held at Fenway Park in Boston as mentioned above.

Twitter has become so big over the past year that new articles are surfacing online about how it will no longer serve a practical use. Too many people are using the platform for personal marketing which ruins the entire purpose of logging on to find quick and useful information. Whether these claims are accurate, they are interesting. This brings me to this week’s “Five for Friday” which includes the conclusion of a celebrity Twitter lawsuit.  Of course we’ll also bring you the viral story of LeBron James’ mishap at his summer league basketball camp and three other top stories.

1. NASCAR Racing Experience bring track action to fans - NASCAR announced yesterday that they formed an agreement to rebrand the former Jeff Gordon Racing School into the NASCAR Racing Experience. This racing experience, which puts fans behind the wheel of a real race car traveling upwards of 100 miles per hour, will now hold a name that doesn’t just imply the experience of a single driver. A smart move for NASCAR all together, as I’m predicting that not all fans are simply Gordon fans.

2. Tony La Russa drops Twitter lawsuit - Tony La Russa, manger of the St. Louis Cardinals recently dropped his lawsuit charge over a fake Twitter account in which an imposer pretended to act as La Russa. The baseball coach claimed to Twitter representatives that this impostor made derogatory and damaging comments in regards to his image as well as the St. Louis franchise. Twitter responded by explaining that they are in no way responsible for such allegations but have since added a program that verifies celebrity accounts.

3. Detroiter Jordan Crawford dunks on LeBron James - So the newest “viral video” if you can call it that, would be the sophomore college basketball guard, Jordan Crawford, supposedly dunking on LeBron James at his camp this past week in Akron, Ohio. Why is “viral video” in quotations? Because no video footage of the dunk has made it public since it supposedly happened. Sources say once Crawford made his move on James, Nike representatives present at the scene immediately confiscated all video material from anybody who may have been filming. The question looms, did Crawford actually dunk on James? Better still, why wouldn’t James embrace this? By avoiding it, this dunk has become a thousand times bigger than it ever would have been. Do you agree?

4. MLB Finalizes Promotional Giveaways For All-Star Game Events – The starting rosters of the MLB All-Star game have been set.  Major League Baseball has also finalized the lineup of promotional and sponsor give aways for the game that is to take place in St. Louis. The strategies for such give aways are the most interesting of those I’ve ever seen. For example, at Taco Bell All-Star Sunday, the fast-food restaurant is giving out lanyards and ticket holders designed to look like their hot sauce packets.

5. Report: Staples Center to switch to Coca-Cola - Staples Center is the home to many Los Angeles events besides just the Los Angeles Lakers. It is also considered home court to the Los Angeles Clippers and  it’s a major venue for many musical concerts. What is interesting about the Staples Center is that ever since it opened it has served Pepsi products. However, starting in September it will switch over to serve all Coca-Cola products for the next eight years.

We are just one day away from fireworks, hot dogs, and hamburgers but no Fourth of July would be fun without something exciting to talk about with your family and friends. So this week on “Five for Friday,” we bring you news about the NFL’s first off-season sponsorship deal, increased incentive to visit Miami, and Nike’s contract with recent NCAA basketball champion North Carolina Tar Heels.

1. Marlins ballpark ground-breaking tidbits – The Florida Marlins new stadium will be ready for the 2012 baseball season, but before we can get that far we have to have a ground-breaking ceremony in honor of the team and in honor of such a large construction project. The Marlins franchise announced yesterday that the ground-breaking ceremony will take place on July 18 at 10am at the former site of the Orange Bowl and where the new stadium will be built. Entrance to the event is free and all fans will be able to shovel dirt at the exact location where home plate will be placed. Contests and other promotions help to hype the event as much as possible and build anticipation from Marlin fans for a great 2012 opening season.

2. St. Louis sets new tone for All-Star Game - Last years MLB All-Star Game in New York featured a ton of high-dollar glitz and glamor that helped promote the event so much that the economic impact on New York was estimated at $150 million. This year in St. Louis the All-Star game theme strays away from all those bright lights in order to concentrate efforts on a community service and charity theme. Partly as a result, the economic impact for the area is estimated at $60 million.

3, Dolphins team with marketing company for travel packages – Recently the Miami Dolphins partnered in a multi-year contract with Premiere Global Sports to provide travel packages to Miami Dolphins fans for home and away games. Premiere Global sports is working on packages for away games that include a 2 night hotel stay, game tickets, and a game-day souvenir all for a starting price of $245. Prices will of course be different for home games, but none the less what a brilliant way to help fans get to the game and increase ticket sales.

4. NFL adding IHOP to 2009 sponsor menu – The International House of Pancakes signed a sponsorship deal with the NFL which marks the first off-season deal for the league this year. IHOP was among many casual-dining chains that the NFL targeted for a possible off-season sponsorship. The deal is set for a three-month span from August through October. The QB Scramble is one of the new items that the restaurant chain will offer. Is anybody hungry all of a sudden?

5. UNC, Nike reach 10-year deal – The North Carolina Tar Heels will run the court, shred the field, sprint the bases, whack the tennis ball, swim through water, and throw a softball among other sports for the next 10 years wearing nothing but Nike athletic apparel. The contract between UNC and the Oregon-based footwear company was signed in May but was retroactive until July 1st of last year. It seems both parties are happy with the deal and so we will see the Nike swoosh on everything baby blue for several years to come.

On this week’s “Five for Friday” we talk about how this is a lackluster year for shoe endorsements as an NBA draft pick, how Apple landed a patent that could revolutionize sports, and the new plans for the Phoenix Coyotes. (Editor’s Note: This week’s Five for Friday post was delayed by one day so that Joshua Duboff could share his sponsorship recap of the 2009 NBA Draft.)

1. “Profitwood”: Dodgers Likely Made Money From Manny Loss - When Manny Ramirez was suspended from the Los Angeles Dodgers, most suspected that the team would begin a long downward spiral. Ticket sales were expected to drop along with the team’s standings. Since Ramirez’s absence the Dodgers attendance has actually risen an average of 54 fans per game. Taking into account that the team has saved $7.7 million that they would have been paying Ramirez and it makes sense that they are making more money. Who would have thought?

2. Apple TV to Take Sporting Event to a Whole New Level – Apple was officially granted a patent this week to use the technology necessary to record real-time velocity, rotation, movement, and impact that professional athletes experience during sports. A network of sensors placed on experimental athletes will record such data and relay it to an Apple television station or your iPhone. NASCAR fans, imagine watching your favorite driver on television while receiving information regarding this heart rate, stress level, and respiratory rates in addition to the speed, pressure, and force that his car is withstanding around a corner. Now that is technology at its finest.

3. NHL’s bankrupt Coyotes to go to Aug or Sept – The Phoenix Coyotes have never made a profit since moving to Arizona in 1996, yet there are a few avid fans that are willing to buy the team to keep them in Arizona. In August an auction will take place that allows an open chance for bidders to buy the Phoenix Coyotes franchise and keep them put in the desert. If no bidders offer a decent amount in the eyes of Judge Redfield Baum of the U.S. bankruptcy court, then in September another auction will allow bidders the chance to buy the team and relocate them.

4. The U.S. Open Scorecard Auction – The U.S. scorecard auction ended yesterday and it was a brilliant event. The Metropolitan Golf Association or MGA held an auction selling the scorecards of ten golfers which participated in the 2009 U.S. Open. The proceeds allow the foundation to continue to help and educate underprivileged children, youth golfers, and the disabled. With this auction MGA raised over $3,600 just for Lucas Glover’s scorecard alone.

5. Bad Year For NBA Draft Pick Shoe Deals – In 2003 Nike agreed on contracts with LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony that would pay these players $108 million combined. Now these were not 1 year contracts but obviously when you equate how much these players were recieving a year, it was on average over $10 million. The NBA draft is tomorrow and most likely no draft pick will sign a contract worth more than $750,000 a year – just a slight dropoff!

This week on “Five for Friday” we discuss a new sponsorship deal for the New York Giants, merchandise sales by the Los Angeles Lakers, and ESPN coverage of the U.S. Open. Perhaps most interestingly, we include the NBA’s decision to remove a courtside ban on advertising by spirit brand companies. Maybe increased liquor consumption by basketball viewers will help fuel the idea that the NBA is where amazing happens?

1. New York Giants announce deal with Timex for practice facility naming rights – The Giants announced Wednesday morning that their practice stadium has a new name, The Timex Performance Center. The Giants signed a 15 year deal worth an estimated $35 million with Timex that includes the naming rights to their practice facility along with the right to sew Timex logos on all of the team practice jerseys. It is fun to note that Eli Manning, the star quarterback of the team, has a deal with Citizen Watch. What do you think is a better investment as a watch company - the star quarterback of the team or the practice jerseys and facility? 

2. Tiger Gives Boost to Golf Betting - The new sport to bet on is golf. Due in part to Tiger Woods’ dominance, more gamblers are looking to take advantage of a “sure thing.” In golf you can bet on an individual player to win or on the odds that a player won’t win.If you bet on Tiger at the U.S. Open this year and put down a $100 your return if Woods hoists the trophy is $175. Gamblers and golf analysts see this as basically free money.

3. Liquor deals start to flow – The National Basketball Association has a social responsibility initiative program with the slogan, “The NBA, where caring happens.” However this past week the NBA removed a longtime ban on courtside advertising by spirit brand companies. Bacardi, which has a deal with the Miami Heat, already plans to use this new option in order to advertise down at the court level during the 2009-2010 NBA season. Do you think this is a smart endorsement move by the NBA?

4. Lakers Set Champs Sale Record- The Los Angeles Lakers team won more than a championship for their franchise this year. They also won the record for most championship merchandise sales in the 48 hours following their series victory. As a matter of fact, they sold twice as much merchandise as the Boston Celtics did last year after they won the 2007-08 NBA title. Why was there such a greater volume of sales this year? The NBA’s senior vice president of global retail development explains that is has to do with a larger global fan base.

5. Full-court press on U.S. Open- ESPN has plans to cover close to 87 hours of U.S. Open play via the television or internet this weekend. ESPN360 has the rights to 30 hours of Open play and the other 57 hours can be seen on television. However if you have plans to watch golf action from your computer be aware that ESPN hasn’t exactly made it clear that they require an ESPN360 subscription from internet users to watch on their site. They want you to make plans to watch it on your computer and then give in to a subscription once you realize one is required.

Did you wear Starter gear as a kid growing up? Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo did, and since last year he has been helping the organization known as “Starter” work its way back into the sports industry mix. Be sure to make your way to the bottom of this week’s “Five for Friday” article which also features stories on Rodger Federer and a risque move by ESPN The Magazine.

1. Yahoo sues NFL players union over fantasy stats – As funny as the headline sounds, it is real. Yahoo’s fantasy sports games gross an average revenue of more than a billion dollars a year. Recently, the NFL player’s union has threatened to sue Yahoo, arguing it doesn’t have the right to use player’s names, photos, or stats.

2. Off the Court, Federer is Trumped – Statistically Rodger Federer is atop the world on the greatest athletes list; however he receives proportionally few sports endorsements . Why is this the case? Well it seems tennis players need a certain personality to gain a fan’s attention outside of being dominant inside the sport. There are certain characteristics that American tennis fans look for and Federer simply does not fall into many of these categories.

3. NBA Finals: This Year Is Outrating 2008′s Matchup – Last year’s NBA Finals match-up revived a classic rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. It included a ton of star power and overall boosted a great series. However this year’s NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic has been attracting more viewers. Maybe this proves that the increased marketing and emphasized dream Finals series between LeBron and Kobe has helped the league out. What are your thoughts?

4. ESPN The Magazine floating idea of risque ‘Body Issue’ – ESPN The Magazine has made what could possibly be a regretful move to enter into the world of nude photography. They aren’t completely engaging in a new style of photography, but they have been approaching professional and semi-professional players to take semi nude photographs where sports equipment will cover specific body areas. The players’ photographs are planned to be tasteful and will show no visibility of body parts that ESPN The Magazine hasn’t already included before.

5. Iconix Using Romo To Resurrect Starter – Iconix, a company whose brands consist of  Danskin and Candie’s and Joe Boxer, currently owns the athletic retailer Starter. Last year Iconix signed Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo to one of the league’s highest paid endorsement contracts. It is their hope that Romo can help revive Starter to the level it was at back when Romo was a child. The investment Iconix has made signing a superstar like Romo could prove valuable considering Romo is still dating Jessica Simpson and besides his own commercials appears in magazines and other media outlets regularly.

This week’s “Five for Friday” welcomes a sports marketing strategy that uses a celebrity lookalike to impress customers, a new Vitamin Water ad, as well as the new trend of corporate marketing on professional sports teams’ jerseys.

1. The Lie of the Tiger  - Discount clothing retailer, T.J. Maxx, has been advertising golf Polo shirts using a Tiger Woods lookalike. Their advertisements are meant to show customers that they too can look like Tiger in a discounted polo, however this stunt by T.J. Maxx may turn out badly if Tiger Woods or Nike decides to sue based on the discount retailer implying an alleged relationship between the golf star and their company.

2. Dwight Howard Parodies Kobe/Lebron Vitamin Water Ad in… Vitamin Water Ad - As soon as the Orlando Magic made the NBA finals, Dwight Howard (a Vitamin Water spokesman himself) called up Rohan Oza, the comany’s chief marketing officer and told him that he wanted his own ad. Oza responded by giving Howard a budget and a production crew and asked Howard what he wanted to do. On Monday night they spent 45 minutes shooting the ad from start to finish so that it could be prepared for yesterday’s game one of the NBA finals. The Kobe vs. LeBron hype was solved that easy for Vitamin Water. It is Nike who feels the pain of featuring Kobe vs. LeBron for the past few weeks since they can’t easily grab Howard (Howard is with Adidas) to update their commercials. It is interesting to note that earlier this week, a Nike spokesman told the media that Nike will continue to run their Kobe and LeBron ads throughout the NBA finals even if LeBron is not playing.

3. In WNBA, Jersey Sponsorship Could Set New Standard -  On Monday the Phoenix Mercury professional women’s basketball team announced a three year deal with LifeLock, a Tempe, Arizona based identity-theft protection agency, to wear team jerseys that read LifeLock across the front. The deal could change the standard of jersey sponsorships in the WNBA to that which resemble international sports where displaying corporate names on jerseys is standard.

4. Manchester United signs Aon as shirts sponsor  – For at least the next four years, the logo of Chicago-based insurance broker Aon will adorn the uniforms of Manchester United players. The Aon logo will replace that of the New York based insurer, American International Group (AIG), which previously held position as the corporate name to run across the most popular international professional soccer team’s jerseys.  The deal is said to be worth $131 million dollars which could prove to be a great move for Aon since Manchester United has one of the greatest followings in all of sports.

5. Adidas Gives Howard New Shoe For Finals - Depending on how detail oriented you are, you may have noticed that Dwight Howard was wearing a new pair of shoes in last night’s game one between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic. Adidas provided Howard with the TS Commander LT which weighs six ounces lighter than the TS Bounce Commander shoes Howard had been wearing recently. Adidas explained that they felt Howard should have a lighter shoe for the finals match-up. However for those fans who have seen Howard play, we all know he does not need a lighter shoe. He would do just fine on the court with weights around his ankles. Adidas is using the shoe as a reminder to everyone that the superstar Howard is with them and not Nike.

The NBA has a lot happening right now with their Conference Finals boiling over and with the spotlight of the sports world shining brightly in their direction. So with this week’s “Five for Friday” we will discuss an ownership acquisition involving the Cleveland Cavaliers as well as future plans for the league. We will also address Nationwide Arena sales considerations and the troubles of this year’s number one NFL draft pick.

1. Today’s Sports Genius: David Katzman - When LeBron James hit that amazing buzzer-beating three pointer in game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the stock of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise sky rocketed. A man by the name of David Katzman who owned at least 15% of the Cavaliers recognized this might be his best chance to sell his share of the organization while everything was going good. Now that the Cavaliers are down three games to two in a best of seven game series with the Orlando Magic and considering that LeBron James is a free-agent soon, it looks like selling his share of the organization might prove to be a superb business move.

2. Nationwide Arena sale under discussion - Currently the Columbus Blue Jackets’ revenues are not covering their operating costs. As a result there are discussions about the sale of Nationwide Arena to Franklin County. The deal requires that a higher tax is imposed on alcohol and cigarettes in order for Franklin County to have the funds to finance the purchase of an arena.

3. NBA basketball returns to Mexico in October - The Phoenix Suns will play the Philadelphia 76ers in Monterrey, Mexico in a preseason match-up on October 18th. This will become the 18th game ever played in Mexico by two NBA teams and will become the second time in Monterrey. The NBA Mexico game in 2009 will help the NBA to build a larger fan base across the border.

4. Report: Matthew Stafford faces endorsement challenges- Two years ago Brady Quinn arrived in Cleveland from the University of Notre Dame as a first round pick in the NFL draft. He did next to nothing to land endorsements from companies like Hummer, Subway, Xbox and Nike. This year’s number one pick Matthew Stafford doesn’t have it as easy. Due to a horrendous economy, a winless 2008 season in Detroit, and team troubles acquiring new players, Stafford has it tougher than any other recent top QB pick.

5. NBA, ABC Won’t Automatically Lose From Matchup - It has been discussed that Nike could lose millions  if  the Los Angeles Lakers don’t face the  Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals after creating a series of commercials featuring LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. However let’s discuss whether ABC, the network which hosts these NBA games, would lose out as well if the ideal match up of the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t manifest. Former president of CBS Sports Neal Pilson suggests the ratings of an NBA Finals relies directly on the quality of the games and the length of the series, not necessarily which teams play.

Its time to kick off summer and with this week’s “Five For Friday” where you will read about a quick marketing move the Los Angeles Clippers tried as well as the details regarding what is necessary to make a professional Lingerie Football League successful.

 1. The Greatest Sports-Business Turnaround Ever - In October of 2007, William “Rocky” Wirtz took control of the Chicago Blackhawks franchise after his father passed away. Wirtz quickly made executive level decisions that changed the direction the Blackhawks were heading. He invested money to bring star players in, to change management, and to earn back the rights to have all Blackhawks’ games televised locally. What ensued was one of the greatest sports business turnarounds to date.

2. Lottery Winners Lose - The Los Angeles Clippers won the first pick in the 2009 NBA draft recently and with that news they immediately began advertising Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio on their homepage as a stunt to sell tickets. Griffin and Rubio are locks as the top two players in the draft and the Clippers want their fans to purchase tickets now to see one of those two players in L.A. next season. Interesting enough these players may not have signed any official NBA documentation yet that allows a franchise such as the Clippers to advertise them. Was this a smart move by the organization?

3. San Francisco Giants Increase Ticket Sales with Dynamic Pricing – Dynamic pricing has made its way into baseball and the Giants are the first team to see the benefits. On Monday the franchise recognized a 20% increase in ticket sales in sections that were using dynamic pricing solution. For those who aren’t familiar with dynamic pricing, it is the adjustment of ticket prices to reflect the value of attending such an event on a specific day. This pricing strategy for the Giants organization takes into account who the opposition is, the weather, and how well the team has been performing before setting prices for the game.

4. NFL Owners Interested in Lingerie Football? - The Lingerie Football league has officially been launched. The founder, Mitch Mortaza, decided that this was the year to break out and commence a 20 game regular season in the sport. Mortaza has The Lingerie Football league retaining 51% ownership of the teams but with in-market majority team owners. In order for the league to be successful it must fill at least 60% of the seats available in the major NBA, NHL, and MLS venues that they’re in. A great idea or a recipe for disaster?

5. Anheuser-Busch CEO: We’re Not Waking Away From Sports -  Sales are increasing steadily above what Anheuser-Busch expected this fall for their organization. Recently they have been more selective in choosing where and when to advertise and are focusing their efforts more on digital and cable.