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Mislabeled Super Bowl Champion Gear Headed to Africa, Latin America

admin — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:01:39 +0000

The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers go head-to-head in North Texas for Super Bowl XLV, the pre-printed Championship clothing for the team that does not win will be headed to Zambia, Armenia, Nicaragua and Romania.

As it has for more than 15 years, the National Football League will donate all of the pre-printed Championship merchandise for the team that does not win the Super Bowl to aid organization World Vision. Instead of being thrown away, the apparel is distributed by World Vision to impoverished communities around the world where it has long-term development programs.

Pre-printed merchandise from the AFC and NFC Championship games have also been donated to World Vision.

In previous years, inaccurate Super Bowl gear has gone to countries such as El Salvador, Indonesia, and Haiti last year after the devastating earthquake.

Additionally, major sporting-goods retailers and manufacturers such as Reebok, Sports Authority, Dick’s and Modell’s, donate large quantities of official apparel that they have stocked in anticipation of either team winning the Super Bowl. On average, this equates to about 100 pallets of clothing annually—or $2 million worth of product. Instead of being destroyed, the items are shipped from the host city to World Vision’s international distribution center in Pittsburgh to be sorted and sent overseas.

David Krichavsky, NFL Director of Community Affairs said “The NFL is pleased to once again work with World Vision to ensure that usable Super Bowl apparel does not get thrown out, especially when there are so many around the globe who have never had a brand-new item of clothing in their lives.”

“This is a great opportunity to show people that they are cared for and that their wellbeing is a priority,” said Jeff Fields, World Vision’s senior director for corporate relations. “Having personally distributed the Super Bowl gear overseas in years past, I have seen how much joy the children and families get out of receiving new clothes.”

“World Vision is incredibly thankful the NFL is working with us to help others around the world,” Fields said. “We work in the most impoverished areas of nearly 100 countries, so we already have all the systems in place to identify families and distribute these brand new clothes to them.”

UNO To Offer Military and Veterans Free Pizza For Super Bowl

admin — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:56:18 +0000

UNO has once again partnered with Pizzas4Patriots and DHL to dish out 7,000 pizzas to U.S. service men and women on America’s largest pizza eating day of the year – Super Bowl Sunday.

To celebrate the “deployment” of the pizzas, UNO invites all members of the military, both veterans and active duty, to enjoy a free individual deep dish or thin crust pizza with the purchase of an entree or pizza of equal or greater value on Super Bowl Sunday, February 6 and Monday, February 7. No coupon is necessary. Veterans or active military can simply show up with a military or veteran’s ID.

OPERATION PIZZA BOWL, an effort conceived by Retired Air Force Master Sergeant Mark Evans and his teenage son Kent (of Elk Grove, IL), will provide enough deep-dish pizza to feed around 28,000 service men and women at several bases throughout Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea and the Philippines in time for Super Bowl events on Sunday, February 6.

On Tuesday, February 1, Master Sergeant Evans will be joined by local military personnel for a ceremonial pizza loading which will take place at the UNO restaurant located at 432 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY. Aided by local employees and executives of both UNO and DHL, the boxes will be loaded onto a DHL delivery vehicle. The pizzas, which initially depart from JFK, will first stop in Bahrain, where they will be disseminated by DHL Express and the U.S. military to a number of forward operating bases.

UNO CEO Frank Guidara said “We support our members in the military, whether it’s donating pizzas to local VA Hospitals or helping raise funds for organizations which support our men and women in uniform. We feel strongly about taking care of those who protect and defend our freedom. Sending ‘a slice of home’ for the Super Bowl is another way to say thanks. We’re grateful for all they do.”

Authentic AFC and NFC Championship Game Tickets Available on the NFL Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster

admin — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:05:27 +0000

NFL and Ticketmaster are encouraging fans looking for tickets to the AFC Championship featuring the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the NFC Championship featuring the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears to purchase from the NFL Ticket Exchange, the official resale marketplace of the NFL. Fans can access the NFL Ticket Exchange online at NFL.com/TicketExchange or by calling (888) 635-5944.

The NFL Ticket Exchange is the only resale marketplace authorized by the League and the only one that features barcode authentication technology. For fans, that means access to the only 100% safe and secure online marketplace to buy and resell NFL tickets.

The NFL Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster offers a wide selection of tickets and interactive seating maps that allow fans to search tickets by location and price. Tickets can be validated and electronically reissued through Ticketmaster’s exclusive barcode technology. Additionally, fans have instant access to their tickets via Ticketmaster’s TicketFast delivery, which enables purchasers to print their tickets within hours of each sale, alleviating the need for time-consuming and expensive mail delivery options.

The NFL Ticket Exchange’s dedicated customer service can be reached at (888) 635-5944 and by email at nflticketexchange@ticketmaster.com.

Ticket Data from the NFL Ticket Exchange (current as of Jan. 19, 2011)

NFC Championship Game

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

2pm (CT), Sunday, Jan. 23

Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

* Approximately 3,000 tickets to this game are currently available on the NFL Ticket Exchange, the official resale marketplace of the NFL
* Ticket Prices from $457 – $7,500
* Low $457 – Section 443, Upper Level
* High $7,500 – Section 136, Lower Level, Mid-Field
* Lower Level, 50-yd Line from $1,000
* Average Ticket Price (sold) – $776
* Highest Ticket Price (sold) – $2,941
* % of tickets sold (AFC/NFC) – 73% / 27%

AFC Championship Game

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers

6:30pm (ET), Sunday, Jan. 23

Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA

* More than 3,400 tickets to this game are currently available on the NFL Ticket Exchange, the official resale marketplace of the NFL
* Ticket Prices from $250 – $9,399
* Low $250 – Section 504, Upper Level
* High $9,399 – Section 120, Lower Level, End Zone
* Lower Level, 50-yd Line from $620
* Average Ticket Price (sold) – $498
* Highest Ticket Price (sold) – $1,808
* % of tickets sold (AFC/NFC) – 73% / 27%

NBC’s ‘Football Night in America’ Week 17 – Notes & Quotes

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:30:38 +0000

Bob Costas hosted the show live from Qwest Field, site of the “win-and-in” Rams-Seahawks game and was joined on site for commentary by Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth. Co-host Dan Patrick, analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, and reporters Peter King and Mike Florio covered the news of the NFL’s 16th week live from NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios. Alex Flanagan reported from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc., on the Bears-Packers game.

CONFERENCE CALL: NBC Sports will conduct a media conference call to preview Wild Card Saturday this Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Participants and call-in information will be announced Monday.

WILD CARD SCHEDULE: The National Football League today announced that NBC Sports will broadcast the New Orleans Saints at St. Louis Rams/Seattle Seahawks at 4:30 p.m. ET and the New York Jets at the Indianapolis Colts at 8 p.m. ET as its Wild Card Saturday doubleheader this Saturday. The winner of tonight’s “Sunday Night Football” game between the Seahawks and Rams will host the Saints in the early game. Coverage begins with “Football Night in America,” Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens on CBS at 1 p.m. and the Philadelphia Eagles host the Green Bay Packers on Fox 4:30 p.m. ET.

EMBED NBC SPORTS VIDEO: Video highlights from “Football Night” and other NBC Sports programming are available to be embedded on media websites at NBCSports.com. Click on the following links for:

Michael’s interview with Sam Bradford

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/40880366#40880366

Michael’s interview with Pete Carroll

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/40879671#40879671

Florio on Cowboys coaching situation

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22825103/vp/40883072#40883072

WILD CARD PREDICTIONS:

Dungy: Packers, Saints, Ravens, Colts

Harrison: Packers, Saints, Ravens, (did not select a Jets-Colts winner)

ON COLTS

Dungy on playing Jets: “They would have enjoyed the Ravens because they’ve beat them eight times in a row. But it’s really the same type of situation for Peyton Manning, these blitzing defenses where you’ve got to make good decisions. I don’t think you can beat Peyton Manning with a defense that’s just trying to fool you.”

Dungy on potential Divisional Round opponent: “I think they’re excited about that, too, that they would go to Pittsburgh rather than New England. New England is playing the hottest of everyone right now.”

ON PACKERS

Harrison: “This is a fast athletic defense that can put pressure on Michael Vick. Their corners are good enough to play man-to-man coverage.”

Dungy: “They are playing great defense.”

ON SAINTS

Dungy: “Offensively, they are not playing the way they did last year. They’ve got to rely on their defense more and I think it’s going to be a defensive game next week.”

ON RAVENS

Dungy: “John Harbaugh is happy. He’s never going to say it. He’s going to give you all the coach speak, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ But they had lost eight times to Indianapolis. They’re ecstatic that they’re going to Kansas City.”

ON JETS

Harrison: “Rex Ryan can’t be happy. You look at his defense, it’s not the same as what it was last year. They struggled in man-to-man coverage. They struggled in getting to the quarterback. They have to go on the road and play Peyton Manning in that dome where Peyton and those guys play at a different speed. He can’t be happy.”

ON PATRIOTS

Patrick: “How did Rob Gronkowski not make the Pro Bowl?”

Dungy: “I would not have played Tom Brady. I would have been scared to death that he’d get hurt. But that’s the way they do things. Fourteen wins is impressive.”

Patrick: “If the Patriots make it to the Super Bowl, do you know how long Tom Brady’s hair is going to be?”

Harrison: “It’s business as usual. This team doesn’t really get so overly emotional. They’re going to watch film tomorrow, they’re going to make the necessary corrections, and it’s business as usual. This is a new season. That’s the thing that Bill Belichick does so well, he preaches to those guys in that locker room, ‘Don’t worry about the 14-2 season. This is a new season.’”

NBC’s ‘Football Night in America’ Week 17 – Notes & Quotes

ON STEELERS

Dungy on Troy Polamalu: “He brings attitude, number one. He brings that guy who can find the ball, get the takeaways. He just revitalizes everybody.

ON CHIEFS

Harrison: “This is a young immature team that couldn’t handle success. They probably got caught up in reading all the press clippings. But you don’t want to have doubts going into the playoffs, especially when you have to play against the Baltimore Ravens.”

Dungy on effect of Charlie Weis situation: “I think it did a little bit. A young team today, they just didn’t look like they were in sync on offense. That had to be going through some of those young guys minds.”

Harrison: “Not sold.”

ON COWBOYS

Florio on Rooney Rule: “Receivers coach Ray Sherman is due to be one of those interviews and the question becomes, if the Cowboys think enough of him for head coach, the offensive coordinator position is going to be open, people may wonder whether that’s a sham if Sherman doesn’t become the next offensive coordinator.”

ON BROWNS

King On Marty Mornhinweg: “I believe that he (Mike Holmgren) will settle on a prime candidate of his who is going to be Marty Mornhinweg, the offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, who 30 years ago this year was Mike Holmgren’s quarterback at a high school in San Jose.”

ON VIKINGS

Patrick: “For the first time in a month, the Vikings were playing at the right place at the right time.”

ON 49ERS

King: “If San Francisco fails (attempting to hire Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh), I believe then they wait to see what Tennessee does with Jeff Fisher. A lot of admiration in the 49ers organization (for Fisher). Fisher would be the prime candidate, if they can’t get Harbaugh.”

ON BENGALS

King on Marvin Lewis: “He said, ‘It isn’t only whether the Bengals want me back. It’s whether I want to return.’ So I think that thing is headed for divorce court.”

ON WINNER OF RAMS-SEAHAWKS

Michaels: “For inspiration, they can look to the Arizona Cardinals in their division in 2008. It was an analyst on ‘Football Night in America’ at the end of that regular season who said, ‘That’s the worst team to ever go to post-season play.’ (Collinsworth) But they won the Wild Card came, they went to Carolina, beat them, they beat Philadelphia in the Championship Game, and if not for two epic plays — one by James Harrison and that great drive which culminated with Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes — the Lombardi trophy would have end up in Glendale, Arizona.”

ON RAMS

Collinsworth: “They look to be the team that is trending upwards. You know they have the quarterback thing solved and nobody else in that division really does … They kind of remind me a little bit of the Dallas Cowboys when they went 1-15 and then 7-9. They’re sort of on that flight path, at least in this division.”

Dungy on the No. 1 overall draft choice: “Its tough, and that’s something as an organization you think about. I know Steve Spagnuolo, the coach of the Rams, they picked Sam Bradford because they felt he would be able to fit in. We had Peyton Manning, I wasn’t there, but I know part of the decision-making was, who was going to fit in better? Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf as that feature guy?”

Harrison: “And unfortunately you gave us Ryan Leaf. I played with Ryan Leaf in San Diego, and he was really a distraction in that locker room. He caused a lot of other rookies to get us distracted. We couldn’t really totally focus on football because of that guy.”

Following are highlights of Al Michaels’ interviews with Pete Carroll and Sam Bradford:

PETE CARROLL

Carroll on his job with the Jets: “I didn’t have a chance. I was so excited for the opportunity. I didn’t know nothing. I just didn’t have my act together. You think you know, but until you’re asked those questions and those decisions are faced, you just have to struggle through it the first time. And at that time, it didn’t work out.”

Carroll on following Bill Parcells and preceding Bill Belichick with the Patriots: “That’s what it turned out to be, more than that it was following Bill Parcells. I don’t know what I was thinking. The coach of the decade, all that he brings, and the charisma, and everything he brought, and coming off a Super Bowl. You know what was I thinking that I could go ahead and turn it. But I did think that, and so we went after it. We did some things that I’m still happy about, proud of, but not quite enough. And the change happens. And then Bill Belichick comes in, which had nothing to do with me at the time. What has happened is a historic run for those guys.”

Carroll on if he ‘jumped off the Titanic’ by leaving USC: “It had nothing to do with it because we had grown so numb to the whole investigation for years – it was a five-year process – not knowing when it was going to come up or what rulings would be. It has nothing to do with anything. This is about a guy presented with an opportunity to do something that challenged me in every way.”

Carroll on the sanctions: I thought they were really harsh. There was some stuff that was wrong, but to hit them as hard as the sanctions came down with so much of a mentality of really putting them back, I don’t think that that was warranted at all.”

Carroll on possibly making the playoffs as a 7-9 team: “If this game goes the way we want it to, we’re playing a home game here, we’re going to go for it again. We’re going to crank it up and make it as hard on our opponent as we possibly can. And the fact that this has never been done before, I kind of like that.”

SAM BRADFORD

Bradford on maturing: “I think that’s something that I take pride in, is the fact that our coaches trust me now, and they feel good about giving me more each week.”

Bradford on the difference between Week 1 and Week 17: “Night and day. Week 1, I’m still trying to figure out our offense. I had only been going through it for a couple of weeks. It was the first time I had gone through an actual NFL game plan. Now, it’s something I’ve done now for 17 weeks. I feel like the game has definitely started to slow down for me. It’s night and day how I feel now compared to Week 1.”

Bradford on feeling pressure of being the No. 1 pick: “No, to be honest. Obviously I know that there is pressure that comes with that pick, but I have always felt that no matter what level I’ve played on, I’ve always put more pressure on myself than anyone other than me could ever put on me. So I think that’s one of the things that really allows me to not feel the pressure of being the No. 1 pick.”

Bradford on his big purchase after being the No. 1 draft choice: “I haven’t bought a house. I haven’t bought a car. I would say my ping pong table is the biggest purchase I’ve made. It’s a pretty good ping pong table.”

Fitworks Fitness Center Opens New Mentor Club On Tuesday, September 21

admin — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:53:18 +0000

Fitworks Fitness Center Celebrates the Grand Opening of new Mentor location on Tuesday, September 21st from 6pm – 7pm. The new Mentor location opening will have an appearance by Joe Thomas, 3x Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman.

Construction on the new 30,000 sq. ft. facility ended in July and Fitworks is only now officially launching its Grand Opening celebration with a series of special events. “We wanted to take our time to insure all programs were fully in place the way we envisioned them before celebrating with the public,” states Senior Vice President & CFO, Patrick Petrecca. The club is located at 9170 Mentor Avenue, next to Super K-mart, located about one half mile west of Heisley Road.

One highly popular new program offered at the Mentor Fitworks is TRX Suspension Training. Born in the U.S. Navy SEALS, the program offers a complete training system designed to build strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability with hundreds of functional exercises that can easily be adjusted for all fitness levels. “We are both proud and excited to offer this powerful, results packed program within its own studio at our new Mentor Fitworks. It’s one of our most talked about new services,” states Petrecca.

Other amenities offered at Fitworks new Mentor location include a Cardio Cinema room where members can enjoy movies on a 15′ theater screen while working out, a large Spinning studio, world-class group fitness programs, a private Personal Training studio, strength training equipment and a large free weight area, Human Sport Free Motion circuit training, treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes & more, TV entertainment throughout the club, full locker rooms with saunas, Playland for the kids, Massage Therapy, and the services of Lake Health Systems and T-N-T Tanning.

The Official Sponsor of Tailgating Omaha Steaks Announces Ndamukong Suh As Spokesman

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:12:07 +0000

The Official Sponsor of Tailgating, Omaha Steaks has announced football great Ndamukong Suh as the company spokesman for tailgating. Suh, a rookie defensive tackle for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, was the number two overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, following an award-winning college football career where he was recognized as one of the most decorated defensive players in the history of the sport.

In his new role as a spokesman for Omaha Steaks’ tailgating initiatives, Suh will offer tips and advice on perfecting the art of tailgating.

Todd Simon, Senior Vice President and family owner said “As the official sponsor of tailgating, we felt Ndamukong Suh was the perfect addition to our team. While Suh is recognized as a powerhouse on the football field, Omaha Steaks rules the tailgate turf and we both share an unparalleled commitment to excellence, making our partnership the perfect pairing.”

ESPN Kicks Off Monday Night Football Preseason On Thursday, Aug. 12

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:13:08 +0000

ESPN will begin its Monday Night Football preseason broadcast on Thursday, Aug. 12, at 8 p.m. ET when quarterback Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens host the Carolina Panthers and running back DeAngelo Williams.

Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and analysts Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden will call the game, joined by reporter Suzy Kolber. To view photos of the MNF team, click here. Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 inductee Jerry Rice will voice the open to all four MNF preseason games.

The game will be preceded by a one-hour Monday Night Countdown (7 p.m.) hosted by Stuart Scott from Bristol, Conn., with analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson.

NFL Network Available On Comcast Digital Classic Package

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:42:15 +0000

Comcast has announced in May 2009 that it has signed a nine year deal to carry NFL Network. NFL Network is now available to Digital Classic Package subscribers from August 1. Comcast subscribers will get 12 preseason NFL games that include a triple-header on Aug. 15.

Comcast subscribers will get to watch NFL Total Access show providing daily news and information in a uniquely structured way — through the participants’ eyes — airing at 6:00 PM Mondays and Tuesday through Saturday at 7:00 PM ET. Packer Family Night Intra-Squad Scrimmage on Aug. 10 will feature an intra-squad scrimmage between the Packers’ offense and defense.

DirecTV Deliver Live NFL Action On Web Using Adobe Technology

admin — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:02:50 +0000

DirecTV and Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced that DirecTV use Adobe Flash technology and Adobe AIR software to present to its online SuperFan subscribers NFL SUNDAY TICKET SUPERCAST service. DirecTV’s subscribers can stream live NFL games, DIRECTV’s Red Zone Channel and up-to-the-minute scores and statistics in the browser using the free Adobe Flash Player.

DirecTV also provides SUPERCAST as a downloadable rich Internet application built on Adobe AIR and offers a new way to engage customers on the desktop with a downloadable, branded RIA that can be deployed across major operating systems. The SUPERCAST application on AIR provides a wide variety of real-time NFL SUNDAY TICKET content right on the desktop as games stream live in high-quality H.264 video, including Red Zone channel’s live-action of critical plays, statistics and moments from game broadcasts, as well as near real-time highlights from all the games.

“For the DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET SUPERCAST customer, there is no out-of-bounds. Fans can watch nearly every game, every Sunday, along with the best plays, scores and stats, all in real-time on their Mac or PC, no matter where they are,” said Steven Roberts, senior vice president, New Media and Business Development, DIRECTV, Inc. “Adobe Flash and AIR technologies enable us to deliver the viewing experience our customers want and expect from DIRECTV regardless of what operating system they have. This is an unprecedented new type of entertainment experience for the browser and a brand new desktop application on AIR that is a great complement to viewing games on television.”

CBS Sports To Bring All NFL Games In HD

admin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:12:10 +0000

Ken Aagaard, EVP of Engineering, Operations and Production Services of CBS Sports has announced that 2008 season’s NFL coverage will mark the last in the transition to end-to-end HD. Ken also said that they have a contractual obligation with the NFL to bring all in high-definition in 2009 but this year they are on track and very close to achieving that.

“All of our trucks and game sites will be HD. Everything will be produced in 16×9, 1080i HD,” Aagaard says. “Our issue right now is that we may not be able to distribute completely in HD. It depends on our networking. There are occasions where there will be issues. For example, in a double-header, a late game may start in 4×3 until we can free up distribution equipment from the earlier game to get the HD signal out. It’s very possible we will have no problems all year. Still, there’s a multitude of circumstances were we can’t transmit in HD, and these may surface during the season.”