ESPN Launches “Fan Feast” Series & Contest

ESPN’s "SportsCenter" and ESPN.com are combining for a four-week, fan-based series to celebrate the top sporting events to experience. “SportsCenter Fan Feast,” will feature five daily essays by both ESPN studio host Kenny Mayne on his top sports events to attend and ESPN Radio's Mike Greenberg on his top events to participate in.

The "Fan Feast" contest launched yesterday and fans can submit a 50-word essay on ESPN.com proposing their favorite sporting event to attend for a chance to live out their sports fantasy. A panel of ESPN.com editors will select the top 10 essays and Greenberg and Mayne will pick the winning entries. The two winners will be announced Friday, July 24, on SportsCenter at 6 p.m. ET and they will have the opportunity to participate in their sports dream.

In addition, through July 10th, SportsCenter will feature daily vignettes from key athletes discussing their favorite events (other than their respective sports) to play in or to watch. Check out the schedule for athlete features.

Mon., June 29: Kobe Bryant – play cricket
Tue., June 30: Joe Mauer – be a quarterback at the Super Bowl
Wed., July 1: Candace Parker – attend the FIFA World Cup
Thur., July 2: Jeff Gordon – face Tony Hawk one-on-one in an X Games contest
Thur., July 2: Carl Crawford – to be a quarterback in the NFL
Fri., July 3: Blake Griffin – play football at the University of Oklahoma
Mon., July 6: Colt McCoy – attend the Masters
Tue., July 7: Trevor Hoffman – race in the Indy 500
Wed., July 8: Lisa Leslie – attend the US Open and watch a Williams sisters final
Thur., July 9: Dale Earnhardt Jr. – play in the NFL
Thur., July 9: Dick Vermeil – a front row seat at the Indy 500
Fri., July 10: Justin Morneau – play and win the Stanley Cup

Ronaldo Shows Off Webbed-Footwork

Although Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo hasn't been the same player since a severe knee in 2008, his footwork is still top notch.

Check out this video courtesy of The Next Great Athlete, of Ronaldo showing off some freestyle soccer skills while wearing a dinosaur costume during a recent commercial shoot.

According to DirtyTackle.net, the clip is a viral video for a Brazilian soft drink. The spot is supposed to be a “behind-the-scenes” look at an actual television commercial which features Godzilla in a soccer stadium, scoring a goal and busting open the field with his celebration.

Ronaldo as Godzilla

Actual Brazilian Commercial

(Both videos via Dirty Tackle)

O'Bannons Comment on Weezy Lyric

Are the O'Bannon brothers making a comeback? Back in March, we featured a post on former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon, his brief NBA career and his current gig as a Las Vegas car salesman and two weeks ago, the Washington Post profiled O'Bannon in their "Set for Life" series, which explored how retired athletes handle finances after their careers are over.

Ed has been making the rounds as of late including an extensive NBA draft diary on LostLetterman.com, sharing his thoughts on this year's crop of players and reminiscing about his own draft experience back in 1995. Ed is still selling cars, but is also getting back into the basketball world as he was was named coach of the Henderson International School boys' team.

Ed and his brother Charles were recently interviewed by JerseyChaser.com and commented on Lil Wayne's lyric from “Cannon” off the Dedication 2. “Listen close i got duct tape and rope/I’ll leave you missin like tha f*ckin’ O’Bannon’s”.

Charles didn't appreciate the name drop as he is still playing professionally in Japan, while Ed didn't seem to mind but wants Weezy to buy a car from him. See below for the short and awkward video.

(via The Dagger)

Digital Shaq In New Uniform

2K Sports released its first screen shot from the upcoming game NBA 2K10 with an image of new Cleveland Cavalier C Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James tossing chalk in the background.

Interesting choice for the brand, as EA Sports released their own screen shot from NBA Live 10 two weeks ago with James and his famous chalk toss.

According to First Cuts, an anniversary edition of NBA 2K10 is being released this season which includes a 2K Sports game storage locker with combination lock, an exclusive McFarlane Kobe Bryant figurine. an exclusive 2K Sports Kobe Bryant poster, NBA 2K10 10th anniversary video exploring the history of the NBA 2K franchise and access to the Gold Room, the NBA 2K10's VIP online lobby.

A few weeks ago, 2K Sports revealed official cover for the game featuring Bryant, which was voted on by fans. EA Sports' NBA Live 10 coverboy is Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard.

Clippers Launch Griffin Jet Blue Contest

The Los Angeles Clippers and JetBlue Airways have announced a “32 Flights in 32 Hours” contest, with 32 representing the jersey number of Blake Griffin, who last Thursday was selected with the #1 overall selection in the NBA draft.

The team launched the contest yesterday at the official press conference introducing Griffin to local media and fans. According to My.Clippers.com, 32 lucky fans will each receive one round-trip flight on JetBlue from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the airline’s newest destination, to either Boston’s Logan or New York’s John F. Kennedy International (JFK) airports.

The contest lasts 32 hours and began yesterday at 12:00 PM Pacific time and ends tonight at 8:00 PM Pacific time. Full details and conditions are available at Clippers.com. According to NYSportsJournalism.com, JetBlue, is also is the official airline of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim and Boston Red Sox.

Griffin, who already has endorsement deals with EA Sports, Subway and New Era, will no doubt start in the Clippers' marketing campaigns next season. His #32 jersey was already on sale at the Clippers' draft party even before the official selection and he is front and center in the team's current season ticket package promotion. With a young core of Griffin, Eric Gordon, Al Thorton and DeAndre Jordan, now might be a good time to jump on the Clipshow bangwagon. If the four-some can stay healthy, LA's other basketball team might be poised for showtime the next few years.

Fox to "Tweet" During MLB All-Star Game

Fox Sports plans to integrate Twitter into its broadcast of the MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis on July 14th with reporter Ken Rosenthal answering Twitter-submitted questions from fans on-air during the game. This will be the first time that a sports network uses Twitter on-air during a league All-Star game.

According to Eric Fisher of the Sports Business Journal, members of Fox's on-air team and the FoxSports.com editorial crew will tweet routinely before, during and after the event.

Fox Sports’ Twitter feed dedicated to baseball coverage is located at @mlbonfox. The feed launched back in April and now has more than 9,200 followers.

No word yet if anyone will use Twitter during the home run derby or whether President Obama will 'tweet' before/after he throws out the All-Star Game's first pitch. For a complete list of MLB players on Twitter, check out AthleteTweets.com.

ESPN Pulls Mays Ads

After the sudden death yesterday of pitchman and advertiser Billy Mays, ESPN has decided to pull all advertisements ESPN360 that starred the 50-year-old Mays.

In December, Mays began appearing in ads for ESPN’s online service, ESPN360. These spots were designed to be parodies of his and other new product infomercial cliches but promoted the network's free hi-speed online service. Mays also made a live appearance during the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl promoting ESPN’s and ABC’s January 1, 2009 bowl games.

Mays' excited ads for household products like OxiClean and Orange Glo made him a pop culture icon and his ESPN spots brought him into the sports world. Check out a few of the best Billy Mays/ESPN360 commercials below.

Never Too Early

With the 2009 NBA Draft in the books only just a few days, league scouts and team executives are already looking to the 2010 draft. 2009 At this time last year, #1 pick Blake Griffin was penciled in as the top choice assuming he would declare early, so will be the best player in next year's draft?

Mock draft website, NBADraft.net already features a full draft boards for 2010 and is predicting future Kentucky Wildcat G John Wall to go #1 in '10. As opposed to this year's guard heavy lottery, the site thinks that team will look for size at the top of next year's draft as they foresee big men Ed Davis (North Carolina), Donatas Motiejunas (Lithuania), Paul George (Fresno State) and Cole Aldrich (Kansas) rounding out the top 5.

Rivals.com College Basketball Reporter David Fox thinks that Wall is a can't-miss prospect for the 2010 draft, assuming he leaves school early. Wall's combination of speed, ball handling, defend and rebounding should lead to him having a Derrick Rose type freshman campaign in '09-'10.

However, if Wall struggles in his first and most likely only season at Kentucky, look for UNC F Ed Davis or Georgia Tech F Derrick Favors to get serious consideration for the top pick. 7 of the first 10 teams in this year's draft selected guards so expect the bigs to get more looks at the top of 2010's NBA Draft.

Check out a few very early 2010 NBA mock drafts.

HoopsVibe.com

NBADraft.net

NBADraftDepot.com

MyNBADraft.com

TO is back on ABC's "The Superstars"

Although Buffalo Bills WR Terrell Owens and his actress/model partner Joanna Krupa were voted off ABC's "The Superstars" in the premiere episode this week, ProFootballTalk.com reports that the duo will return next week.

In the leaked video below from episode 2, former tennis player Jennifer Capriati suffers an injury which disqualifies her team and according to show rules, the last team to be disqualified returns.

But after Krupa's much publicized profanity-filled rant at Owens from the first episode, how will the duo recover? Krupa spoke with Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports regarding the incident.

“Yes, I blew up, but I had my reasons. Trust me, there was a lot of frustration, and it was building up throughout the competition — and then it burst. I didn’t feel like my partner was giving it 100 percent, and I didn’t feel like I had a teammate. Poor, poor him? Come on! Look at his track record.

In addition, Krupa claims that TO was constantly late for shooting, that he would always take his shirt off for all to see his chiseled physique and that he would continuously threaten to leave the show.

Co-host of "The Superstars" and former NFL Player Warren Sapp has Owens' back and claims that Krupa is the problem and even called her a "maneater."

"She’s a nightmare. She treated him like he was her child. She’s crazier than any athlete I’ve ever seen. As I watched her berate him, I thought, ‘Oh, if I could put Donovan McNabb and Jeff Garcia, one on each shoulder, and Tony Romo on the top of my head, it would be amazing. Cause this is something I haven’t seen.’ [Owens] looked at me like, ‘Dawg, what do I do with her?’ I was like, ‘I have no idea."

ABC must thank their lucky stars, because the only way "The Superstars" will get any ratings is if this Owens vs. Krupa feud continues.

BDA Sports Dominates First Round

Walnut Creek, CA based BDA Sports Management won the sports agency battle in the first-round of last night's NBA Draft as the company represents six players selected in the opening round, including lottery picks Hasheem Thabeet (Grizzlies #2), Jordan Hill (Knicks #8) and Brandon Jennings (Bucks #10).

Wasserman Media Group was a close second, repping five first-round selections including lottery picks Tyreke Evans (Kings #4) and Gerald Henderson (Bobcats #12)

The NBA's slotted three year rookie contracts are a little different than the enormous deals and signing bonus of NFL first year players. Although NBA contracts are all guaranteed money, the first year players and their agents do not have the negotiating flexibility of their NFL counterparts.

CNBC's Darren Rovell points out that the first pick in this year's NFL Draft, Matthew Stafford, will make $25 million more than Blake Griffin in guaranteed money. Even this year's fifth pick, Mark Sanchez, will make $12 million more than Griffin. In the graph below, Rovell breaks down the NBA Draft Lottery's contracts.

According to Rovell's grid, the commission off Blake Griffin's rookie deal will end up being less than $500,000 and he believes that if you factor in the costs of recruiting and maintaining the relationship as well as the lack of marketing dollars this year, agents might actually lose money on their first round clients. This is surely a note of caution to those who wants to become a sports agent.

Soccer Tournament Searching for Biggest Fan in U.S.

Four of the best international soccer clubs in the world are coming to America next month for the inaugural World Football Challenge and the tournament is looking for the country's biggest soccer fan.

Chelsea FC, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Club America are taking part in the six-city round robin tournament and American soccer fans will have the rare opportunity to see international soccer stars such as John Terry, Frank Lampard, Gennaro Gattuso Ronaldinho, Julio Cesar, Javier Zanetti and Pavel Pardo.

Throughout the last month, the WFC has hosted a #1 Fan Contest where American supporters of each club uploaded videos showing their pride and passion. Yesterday, two finalists for each club were announced and fans will now have the opportunity to vote on which video they think is best.

The one winner from each club will receive a trip for two to their team's July 26th match (Chelsea vs. Club America in Dallas or AC Milan vs. Inter Milan in Boston), including match tickets, travel, hotel and a full team kit. Voting will last through July 14 and the winners will be announced July 16.

Check out the finalists for the World Football Challenge's #1 Fan Contest here, including this creative Chelsea FC fan video.

Another Sports Upset for Fallon

Another day, another monumental sports upset for NBC's late night host, Jimmy Fallon. After beating Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard on Wednesday night in "Pop-A-Shot," Fallon dominated Tiger Woods in his own EA Sports video game for the Wii.

The pair faced off yesterday morning for a 3-hole tournament in Times Square. Woods, wearing his usual final round red polo, shot a double-bogey and a bogey before actually giving up on the third and final hole.

I just got absolutely schooled in my own game," Woods said after the showdown at Times Square. "I certainly want a rematch." Check out highlights here via New York Post.

Later in the day, Woods appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" for a one-hole rematch. The duo faced off on No. 11 at Bethpage Black, home of the recently completed U.S. Open and although it wasn't the most amazing display of golf, Woods was victorious. He won the hole with a bogey while Fallon struggled with a double-bogey. Who will be Fallon's next athlete victim?

Fallon Dominates Howard in Pop-a-Shot

It has been a tough week for basketball big men in shooting competitions. First, Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle beat expected #1 NBA draft pick Blake Griffin in a game of HORSE, and last night Jimmy Fallon dominated Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard in a match of "Pop-a-Shot." The NBA's Defensive Player of the Year fell so far behind that he started blocking Fallon's shots.

Howard appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to discuss the NBA Finals and promote his cover of EA Sports' NBA Live 10. Check out video of the Superman caped Fallon's brilliant shooting display and mirrored shoes.

TO's Early Apology

This has been a busy week for Buffalo Bills WR Terrell Owens. After being the first athlete voted off ABC's "The Superstars" and getting cussed out by his model teammate Joanna Krupa, Owens will lighten things up with a cameo tonight on Comedy Central’s "Tosh.O." The weekly series premiered June 4th and features comedian Daniel Tosh commenting on everything from blogs to various viral videos.

On tonight's episode, Owens gets all of his apologies for the 2009-2010 football season out of the way now. There are actually a few funny apologies from #81 although nothing about "The Superstars."

Tosh.0	Thurs, 10pm / 9c
Terrell Owens Apologizes
http://www.comedycentral.com/
Daniel Tosh Miss Teen South Carolina Demi Moore Picture

Can Rocco Mediate Walk On Water?

Last year, EA Sports created a 90-second ad in response to a fan video from Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08, claiming that Woods walking on water in the game was a glitch. The ad became an instant YouTube classic and now has more than 3.3 million views.

To promote Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10, EA has created another 90-second ad featuring a golfer walking on water. Check out what happens when Rocco Mediate attemps this "glitch."

Tonight, Woods will face off against NBC's "Late Night" host Jimmy Fallon in Times Square where the two will play the Wii version of the game on the big screen. ESPN's Scott Van Pelt and Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman will provide commentary as the two compete on the digital version of 2009 U.S. Open course, Bethpage Black.

(via First Cuts)

NBA Draft Look-a-Likes

Prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals, we featured a gallery of Lakers/Magic celebrity look-a-likes. In honor of the NBA Draft tomorrow night, below please find our "Starting 5" look-a-like gallery. NBA Draft coverage starts Thursday at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN and ESPN360.com.

You can send additional look-a-like suggestions to ehrlthepearl@gmail.com. Special thanks again to my "look-a-like advisor," ASF.

Panini Signs Inaugural NBA Rookie Class

When the NBA signed Panini to a four-year deal as its exclusive trading-card partner back in January, the sports business media wondered how this Italian company was going to support its investment with player signings, since most NBA players already have deals with card or memorabilia companies such as Upper Deck and Topps.

According to Terry Lefton of Sports Business Journal, Panini will answer that question today by introducing five NBA rookie endorsers. Expected first round picks Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, Jordan Hill, Brandon Jennings and Tyler Hansbrough will all be featured in '09-10 Panini NBA card products and in packaging and advertisements.

Panini's will officially revealed the company's inaugural NBA player signings this afternoon at the NBA Store in New York. Autograph cards from the five players will be featured in Panini's first line of NBA products.

Griffin's Day at the Park with Jared from Subway

On Monday, we featured a post detailing the new endorsements deals for the NBA's expected #1 draft pick Blake Griffin and yesterday the 6'9" forward made his first appearance on behalf of Subway.

Griffin stopped by the famous "The Cage" (W. 4th Street courts) in New York City for a little get together with Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle. The former Sooner might need to lay off the footlongs as he lost S.U.B.W.A.Y. (aka H.O.R.S.E) to the sharp-shooting Fogle. Griffin did beat Fogle in the re-match, but his suspect jump shooting was on display for all to see.

As part of his deal, Griffin will tout Subway's "Fresh Fit" meals and according to the company's chief marketing officer Tony Pace, Griffin's favorite sub is their "oven-roasted chicken breast on wheat bread with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumber, oil and vinegar."

Check out this video from the New York Post that recaps Griffin's Subway day at the park.

(via NESW Sports)

Nash To Kick It In Chinatown For Charity

For the second year in a row, Phoenix Suns G Steve Nash is bringing a charity celebrity soccer match to New York City. This year's "Showdown in Chinatown" is presented by Football for Good and kicks off tonight in the middle of the Lower East Side.

Football for Good is a non-profit social business being developed by the founders of the Steve Nash Foundation and Athletes for Africa, with the aim to bring community-centered academy football to regions that have been ravaged by war.

Nash has been traveling the globe this offseason raising money for his charity and is currently raising funds to build an academy in war-torn northern Uganda. To increase interest, he hosted a enter-to-win contest for a trip for two to today's "Showdown in Chinatown"

The free 8-a-side soccer match will feature everyone from NBA players Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd and Tony Parker to international soccer stars Thierry Henry, Javier Zanetti and Salomon Kalou. All proceeds from the "Showdown in Chinatown" after party will benefit the Steve Nash Foundation and the Claudio Reyna Foundation.

TO Eliminated on ABC's "The Superstars"

The debut of ABC's "The Superstars" aired last night with eight athlete/celebrity teams competing in a biking and running challenge followed by a kayaking competition.

We featured amazing video footage yesterday of actress/model Joanna Krupa cussing out her teammate Buffalo Bills WR Terrell Owens. The pair couldn't work things out because they were actually the first team eliminated after losing a race on the obstacle course.

The video clip was Krupa's reaction to Owens' poor performance in the course. After Owens got tangled up in the cargo net, Krupa said, "I don't want a teammate like that. Calls himself an athlete! What does he get a million dollars for?"

Host John Saunders closed the show saying: "It's hard to believe that T.O. is the first to be eliminated. It just goes to show that anything can happen on The Superstars."

"The Superstars" is a good concept, but the first episode was pretty boring. It is tough to be interested when the celebs aren't even D-List. With no Owens, expect ratings to drop as he was the most interesting athlete on board. Sorry ABC, but nobody will tune in to see Jeff Kent ride a kayak or watch Robert Horry struggle on a kid's bike.

Kaka Is Backstreet Boys' #1 Fan

English Premier League club Manchester City F Robinho has spilled the beans on his fellow Brazilan national team member Kaka's musical taste.

According to Goal.com, Robinho tried to embarrass Real Madrid MF Kaka by making public his love for popular 1990's boy band, the Backstreet Boys.

When asked about Kaka's musical preferences, Robinho reportedly said, "Kaka? Music? He will only listen to the Backstreet Boys"

Robinho really should support his teammate's music as Kaka is the star player for the World Cup favorites. The duo will lead Brazil in the FIFA Confederations Cup Semifinal vs. South Africa on Thursday while the United States faces Spain tomorrow in the other Semifinal.

EA Sports' Newest Coverboy

Yesterday we posted on the marketability of expected #1 NBA Draft pick Blake Griffin and mentioned his endorsement deals with New Era, Subway and EA Sports. Today, the video game company formally announced that Griffin will appear on the cover of the "NCAA Basketball 10" videogame.

Seeing myself on the cover ... is such a great tribute to my time at Oklahoma," Griffin said in a statement. "I am looking forward to competing at the next level against the best players in the world."

The consensus National Player of the Year is expected to be the top pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in Thursday’s NBA Draft. Coverage starts at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN.

"NCAA Basketball 10" is scheduled for multi-platform release in North America during the '09 holiday season.

#4 Favre Vikings Jerseys To Hit Stores?

With rumors surfacing over the weekend that Brett Favre has already signed a deal with the Minnesota Vikings, will his new uniform hit stores soon?

On ESPN's "NFL Live" yesterday, reporter Rachel Nichols noted there are reports that adidas, which owns NFL jersey provider Reebok, “is printing up No. 4 purple jerseys in expectation that QB Brett Favre is going to sign with the Vikings."

However according to the Sports Business Daily, adidas Sports Licensing President David Baxter denied the company has started to print Favre Vikings jerseys, but said, " If that does happen, we're prepared.”

Baxter said the company has a "significant facility and inventory to support shipping jerseys out within 24 hours, but it likely would not be the amount that would be needed in the market"

Uniforms aside, Favre's agent Bus Cook has denied the report in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, saying there is "no contract" between his client and the Vikings.

If Favre indeed signs with the Vikings, will current #4 John David Booty sell his jersey to the 39-year-old QB or just gift it to him? The Vikes won't carry four signal callers on active roster and with Sage Rosenfels, Tavaris Jackson, Booty and Favre, the former USC Trojan might be out of a job.

ABC's "The Superstars" Premieres Tonight

ABC will premiere tonight the network's new reality show "The Superstars," a sports competition program that pairs eight celebrities with a professional athlete as the teams compete against each other in various sporting events including swimming, biking, running and kayaking.

John Saunders, Warren Sapp and Jenn Brown host this six-episode series shot at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.

"The Superstars" teams are:
NFL star Terrell Owens and model/actress Joanna Krupa
Former Los Angeles Dodger Jeff Kent and model/actress Ali Landry
Former NBA player Robert Horry and model/actress Estella Warren
Olympic skier Bode Miller and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" carpenter Paige Hemmis
X Games freeskier Kristi Leskinen and "Dancing With the Stars" Maksim Chmerkovskiy
WNBA player Lisa Leslie and host/actor Dan Cortese
Tennis player Jennifer Capriati and actor David Charvet
Women's soccer player Brandi Chastain and singer Julio Iglesias Jr.

Who do you predict to be crowned winner? The Leslie/Cortese duo looks the best on paper as they are both finely tuned athletes. Leslie currently plays for the LA Sparks of the WNBA (although she is out for a few weeks with a sprained knee) and Cortese is a former walk-on footballer at University of North Carolina.

The Owens/Krupa would be a safe pick however video "leaked" this morning of the supermodel cursing out her teammate due to his poor performance in a competition. Krupa calls Owens a bad teammate and blames him for costing the team a competition win. I wonder if Tony Romo ever talked to TO like this. Language not safe for work!

(via With Leather)

NBA Draft Green Room Set

Ever since Orlando Magic F Rashard Lewis was the last player left in the NBA Draft's green room back in 1998, the league has been very particular about who they invite to New York City for the draft. Lewis, then an 18-year-old coming into the league straight out of high school, was sitting in the green room for 32 picks, until the Seattle Supersonics selected him with the 2nd pick of the 2nd round.

The 2009 NBA Draft is filled with parity and uncertainty, mainly because this year's class lacks the star power of previous crops. After the #1 pick, there are no assumed selections, however the league has confirmed a list of 13 players that have been invited to attend the NBA Draft on Thursday night.

According to DraftExpress.com, the following players will attend the draft on Thursday:
Blake Griffin
James Harden
Hasheem Thabeet
Ricky Rubio
Jordan Hill
Tyreke Evans
Stephen Curry
Jonny Flynn
DeMar DeRozan
Jrue Holiday
Gerald Henderson
Brandon Jennings
Tyler Hansbrough

So how does the NBA decide on who to invite? The league's Executive VP of Basketball Operations, Stu Jackson actually polls NBA GM's to ensure that only the players expected to be drafted in the lottery are included. However every year, there are some guys that slip.

Who will be this year's Rashard Lewis? Our money is on UNC F Tyler Hansbrough although a strong workout today with New Jersey could move him up into the lottery.

The Other Griffin Goes #1

Earlier today, the Harlem Globetrotters selected a University of Oklahoma forward named Griffin with top pick in the team’s third annual player draft. However, the NCAA Player of the Year, Blake Griffin will not be suiting up for the Globetrotters next season. Blake's older brother Taylor was selected by the world famous exhibition basketball team.

As a senior, Griffin was the Sooners’ third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, helping Oklahoma make a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. The 6-7 Oklahoma City native was also a three-time second-team Academic All-Big 12 selection.

Another peculiar selection by the Globetrotters today was U.S. men’s national soccer team goalkeeper Tim Howard. A former high school basketball star, Howard currently leads our national team in the FIFA Confederations Cup as they're working towards the 2010 World Cup. The 6-3 Howard is one of the best goalies in the English Premier League and led his club Everton FC to the 2009 FA Cup Final.

Interesting news, but no way either player will suit up for the 'Trotters next season. Although he won't get drafted on Thursday night in the NBA's selection show, because of his lineage, Griffin will probably get a shot to play on a Summer League squad and either end up in the D-League or abroad. Howard is the leader and backbone of USA's national team and the next few months are critical to the squad's chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

Each of the players selected today are invited to fall training camp with the Globetrotters in hopes to earn a spot on the squad that will travel the world for their 84th consecutive season.

Dwight Going Hollywood?

UPDATE: According to the Orlando Sentinel, both the Orlando Magic and Howard's agent called the report "premature." Mary Ford, Director of PR for Goodwin Sports Management, said Howard is in talks with different studios about the movie, but nothing has been determined, including filming dates and potential co-stars. She called most of the information in the report "inaccurate."

Fresh off an NBA Finals defeat at the hands of Hollywood's Lakers squad, Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard is hitting the big screen this off-season. According to the New York Post, Howard is working with "The Ring" executive producer Michele Weisler on a movie titled "Switch."

The film centers around a "white, unathletic, unpopular high-school freshman who swaps basketball skills with Howard." Chris Tucker, Kanye West and Snoop Dogg are expected to make appearances in the flick. The Post's source also said Howard is in talks to get Shaquille O'Neal on board as well.

While Howard spent last off-season winning a gold medal with Team USA, this August he will begin shooting "Switch." Interesting move for a player who could use the off-season to improve his offensive skills and jump-shooting.

Sanchez Shows Off Arm At Charity Event

NY Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez showed off his golden arm over the weekend at Samsung's 8th Annual Four Seasons of Hope gala in New York City. After warming up on the red carpet and losing a few buttons via former Jet great Boomer Esiason, Sanchez let it air out to a guest.

According to the New York Post, Sanchez participated in the traditional football toss with teammate Kellen Clemens and Hall of Famer Dan Marino, with guests bidding $750 to have a signed ball thrown to them. When his first try was overthrown, prompting groans and boos, Esiason told him: “Welcome to New York. You better get used to that.” Luckily, Sanchez’s second throw, spanning the Cipriani Wall Street ballroom, was good

You only need to watch the first 1:40 of this clip, but check out how Sanchez leads his receiver. Lets just hope that Jerricho Cotchery and David Clowney don't see this highlight...they might be a little scared to go across the middle with Sanchez throwing to them.

(via Hot Clicks)

Lakers Championship Tour Continues

After winning the NBA title last Sunday, enjoying a downtown LA parade on Wednesday and partying with Lil Wayne and Kanye West on Thursday, the Lakers continued their championship tour with an appearance on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Friday night.

Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, and Trevor Ariza appeared for the first segment and were later joined by Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, Adam Morrison, Josh Powell, and DJ Mbenga. Morrison makes his immense impression felt once again for the Lakeshow in Part 2 below.

Part 2 with Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, Josh Powell, DJ Mbenga and Adam Morrison

Griffin to be draft's only marketing star

Blake Griffin, the expected #1 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft is already making a splash in the marketing world. It was assumed that the 6'10" 250 lb. forward out of Oklahoma would have a tough time earning endorsement deals in this economic climate, but his agent team at Excel Sports Management has made the most of their client's marketability leading up to the draft.

The future Clipper, Griffin recently signed a deal with New Era to release the Blake Griffin X collection, which will hit retail July 15th. New Era and Griffin will unveil the collection on June 23rd at the New Era flagship store in New York during a pre-draft event. During this party, fans can compete in an EA Sports tournament with the winner getting to challenge Griffin and win a custom PS3 gaming console.

Today is also a big day for Griffin because he is expected to announce deals with Subway and EA Sports. According to Mike McCarthy of USA Today, Griffin will tout Subway's "Fresh Fit" meals and be on the cover of EA Sports' NCAA Basketball 10. Subway's chief marketing officer Tony Pace said Griffin's favorite sub is "our oven-roasted chicken breast on wheat bread with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumber, oil and vinegar."

Griffin currenlty appears in the second season of ESPN.com's webisode, The Rookie, a short video series following him through the entire draft process. The first episode features Griffin at workouts and events in New York and to Chicago during the NBA's pre-draft combine in May. Miami Heat F Michael Beasley was featured in the first edition of "The Rookie" last spring.

Back in April, Sonny Vaccaro, former head of basketball marketing for Nike and adidas spoke with The Sports Business Journal about the minimal market for shoe deals in this NBA rookie class. He called-out the tightening of sports marketing budgets combined with a lack of superstar players the shoe companies must have. “In the economic atmosphere we are in and the projected notoriety of the high draft picks, I would be really surprised if anyone got a million-plus-a-year shoe deal.”

It will be very interested to see if the other top players in the draft earn marketing deals in this weak economy. Griffin is by far the biggest name and talent in the draft and compared to last year's class of Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, etc. the 2009 player pool doesn't feature any star personalities.

As Vaccaro predicted that not one of this year’s NBA draft picks would get a seven-figure-year shoe deal, agents will be focusing their attention on smaller off the court endorsements deals for their clients such as card deals, electronics, etc.

"Moneyball" Stikes Out With Columbia Pictures

The movie version of Michael Lewis' Moneyball, the novel about the economics of baseball, was all set to start production today in Arizona however on Friday Columbia Pictures pulled the plug on the Brad Pitt/Steven Soderbergh project.

The script is based on the bestselling Lewis book about Billy Beane, the former player who became GM of the Oakland A’s and found success putting together competitive teams for low costs.

According to Variety, Columbia Pictures topper Amy Pascal placed the picture into “limited turnaround,” giving the filmmaker the chance to set it up at another studio, with Warner Bros. and Paramount the prime targets.

Pascal apparently didn't like the final draft of the script that the studio received and was uncomfortable with "how Soderbergh's vision had changed" leading up to the preparation for production.

Moneyball was an amazing book, but doesn't seem like the most fascinating film for the general audience. The best part would have no doubt been seeing former A’s Scott Hatteberg, David Justice and Chad Bradford make their acting debuts along with former Mets Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson and Darryl Strawberry.

Hopefully another studio will pick up the film, but regardless the book stands on its own as a classic piece of sports literature. Pitt as Beane would have been interesting, but most people would not be excited about the small-ball baseball economics that is the central theme. Hit tip to ST for the story idea.

Stafford's Hair is "Girl-Approved"

The Detroit Lions' $72 million man and future QB1, Matt Stafford is having a tough time in this economy earning the big marketing deals that are associated with the #1 pick. However, trying to keep up with that GQ'd rookie QB for the New York Jets, Stafford recently signed with Axe Hair to promote the company's products.

The not-so-stylish signal caller visited with Detroit media this week to talk about the upcoming QB competition in Motown and his "girl-approved" hair. Axe has launched a "Hair Crisis Relief" campaign where men can upload photos to get tips on hair care, styling and ultimately earn “girl-approved hair.”

Stafford's "Two-A-Days" style mop surely needed a makeover upon entering the league and Axe made sure they gave him a nice new 'do. The website features a behind the scenes look at Stafford's styling session.

“I had to step up my game, and they were there to help me. In college, I used to wash my hair with a bar of soap. It’s a little different now.”

The site also includes a contest where fans can enter to win a trip for two to Los Angeles to hang out with Stafford at the ESPY Awards on July 15.

Axe must assume that Stafford will be holding a clipboard next season, thus they need to make sure his helmetless head looks sharp. The Lions really should sit him for a year (a la Carson Palmer), develop the offensive line and let Daunte Culpepper take all the hits.

Detroit won't improve too much on their 0-16 and could target a tackle in next year's draft such as Russell Okung (Oklahoma State), Bryan Bulaga (Iowa) or Trent Williams (Oklahoma).

Whatever happens this year, at least Stafford's hair style has improved.

Weezy Performs 'Kobe' at Lakers Celebration

"That dude," Lil Wayne appeared at the LA Lakers' championship party last night and performed his “Kobe Bryant” song, which #24 said the team played before each NBA Finals game.

Luscious Liz from Power 106's “Big Boy’s Neighborhood,” captured some front-row video footage.

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts

For all you sports fans out there scrambling to find unique gifts for your dad, check out a few suggestions below:

"Rocky III" USB drive

What father isn't a fan of the "Rocky" movies? How about gifting your dad a nice tool for his office, a "Rocky III" USB drive. For only $30 your dad's desk can feature Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa or Clubber Lang in flash drive form. The characters in sit-up position will remind your pops to his the gym this summer.

Phil Jackson's X Hat

When LA Lakers coach Phil Jackson won his 10th NBA championship on Sunday, his friends and agents created a special hat to commemorate this milestone. Now you can gift your father this very hat and donate to charity at the same time. Jackson, a longtime supporter of the American Indian College Fund will donate all hat proceeds to the Fund for American Indian college students. You can purchase a Phil Jackson X Hat by calling 303-426-8900. Hats are one-size fits most and priced at $25 plus shipping and handling.

Michael Jordan Lunchbox/Shoe Set
No father is too old to bring a lunchbox with him to work. Why not hook him up with one featuring the greatest player of all-time? This collector's item also comes with a shoe based off the original Jordan Retro 1. For just $69.99, your dad can roll to work in style and be the talk of the lunchroom.

QB's Wife: No Go On Ochocinco

The Palmer-Ochocino honeymoon is over. On Tuesday, we reported that Cincinatti Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco plans live with QB Carson Palmer's family in July in an attempt to rekindle the chemistry between the two players. However, the outspoken playmaker must not have run his plan by Mrs. Palmer, as she says there is no way Ochocinco will be bunking up with them at their Southern California home this summer.

“As soon as I walked in the door from work the other day, she just gave me that look,” Palmer said. “I’m like, ‘Whoa, calm down. It’s media stuff. It’s Chad being Chad.’

“I told her, ‘Don’t worry. I haven’t made any commitments to having to clear out the boxes in the (spare) room to make a bed for him. Don’t worry about that. It’s not going to happen.’

Palmer's wife, Shaelyn might still be weirded out by Ochocinco's comments before mini camp when the receiver compared his relationship with Palmer to "Brokeback Mountain." Ochocinco is now comparing their relationship to a married couple and keeps insisting he’s staying with the Palmers.

“I just told him that unless he’s picking up my mortgage for the month of July and August, he can’t stay. He’s not living for free. I don’t need another kid around the house.”

Ochocinco trying to live with his QB sounds like another amazing plot line for the new season of HBO's "Hard Knocks." Production should really just keep a camera on #85 the entire summer and follow him to Southern California where he expects to bunk up with the Palmers. "Hard Knocks" debuts August 12th with 5 episodes leading up to the NFL season.

"Mr. Irrelevant" to Cash In With Contract and Annual Celebration

"Mr. Irrelevant" of the 2009 NFL Draft, Ryan Succop is about to cash in with his first contract. The kicker out of South Carolina, selected with the 256th pick by Kansas City, is expected to sign a three-year deal worth $1.2 million in the next day or so.

Succop has a lot on his plate the next few days as Irrelevant Week kicks off on Monday in Newport Beach, CA. The annual celebration to honor the last pick of the draft includes a golf tournament, cocktail parties, regatta and a banquet.

This celebration was started back in 1976 by Irrelevant Week's founder and chief spokesperson, Paul Salata. A former USC football player, Salata's first honoree was Dayton WR Kelvin Kirk, who was selected with the 487th and last pick by the Pittburgh Steelers.

Succop will also take home The Lowsman Trophy, which is a parody of the Heisman and depicts a player fumbling a football. For more information on Succop's week-long celebration check out IrrelevantWeek.com

After the festivities, Succop will get back to his day job of kicking footballs. He is expected to compete in training camp with second-year kicker Connor Barth for the Chiefs' kicking job.

2K Sports Reveals Fan Choice For Kobe's NBA 2K10 Cover

Two weeks ago. we reported that LA Lakers G Kobe Bryant would grace the cover of 2K Sports' NBA 2K10 and that fans had the opportunity to vote on which image would be featured.

Prior to Game 1 of the Finals, Bryant appeared in a 30-second TV spot with Spike Lee to reveal the cover options and promote the fan voting. Lee showed off a cover with Bryant in a Knicks jersey, however fans were unable to vote on this option.

Voting ended on Monday and 2K Sports has announced the official cover for the game. NBA 2K10 hits stores prior to the NBA season in October.

(via Sporting News)

ESPN's Van Pelt Stalks Tiger On The Course

With the U.S. Open currently on hold via a rain delay, we thought this Tiger Woods video would brighten your day. ESPN's Scott Van Pelt (his voice at least) recenlty visited with Woods on the course to promote EA Sports' PGA Tour 10. Here are a few ads featuring the duo.

(via First Cuts)

NBC To Air Go Daddy Anna Rawson Spot Today

GoDaddy.com, the Scottsdale-based Internet domain name registrar, will air today its first TV ad featuring LPGA player/Australian model Anna Rawson. In the spot, GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons plays a genie that appears in a sand trap to grant wishes to Rawson. She wishes for a longer drive, which ultimately knocks down a space satellite featuring an image of North Korea leader Kim Jong-Il.

The Go Daddy Group Inc. has made a name for itself with high-profile sponsorships and spokeswomen as well as its controversial Super Bowl ads. The company counts PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso, IndyCar racer Danica Patrick and original Go Daddy Girl Candice Michelle spokeswomen. According to the Phoenix Business Journal, Go Daddy has more than 34 million Web domain names under management.

A Go Daddy spokesperson said the Rawson ad is scheduled to air today on NBC during U.S. Open coverage.

Kobe Discusses Game Face on Conan

After a long day of parading in downtown Los Angeles, Lakers G Kobe Bryant stopped by
"Late Night with Conan O'Brien" to chat about the team's 15th NBA Championship, his in-game scowl and playing in front of Jack Nicholson.

Not an amazing interview, but worth a look. This clip is via The Hoop Doctors.

adidas Originals Launches Star Wars Line

adidas Originals announced today a collaboration with the "Star Wars" franchise for a Spring/Summer 2010 collection that will combine iconic Star Wars characters and scenes with classic adidas Originals footwear and apparel styles.

Inspired by the George Lucas films, the Star Wars collection consists of footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and kids. The line will feature classic adidas Originals track tops and several legendary sneaker styles represented with characters and scenes from the epic saga.

The Spring/Summer Star Wars collection will hit stores in January, 2010 and sold at select retailers and adidas Originals Stores worldwide.

"Mad Dog" Back in Spotlight on Laker Parade Day

As the Lakers celebrated their 15th NBA Championship today with a downtown Los Angeles parade, one unheralded former player was back in the spotlight.

Former Lakers bench warmer and current Minnesota Timberwolves F Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen appeared on ESPN First Take this morning not only to discuss news of his coach Kevin McHale being fired, but to reflect on his dancing prowess while celebrating the 2001 NBA Championship with the Lakers.

Madsen described his parade dancing as "toned-down" and says that he still gets asked about his championship routine everywhere he goes.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much dancing from the team this time around, so Madsen's "flamboyant" celebration will remain an integral part of Laker championship history.

Ovechkin and 2K Sports Hit the Vegas Strip

On Friday, 2K Sports announced Washington Capitals LW Alexander Ovechkin as the cover boy for the brand's hockey video game, NHL 2K10. In celebration of the announcement, Ovechkin participated last night in a motion capture session at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Joining Ovechkin on the synthetic ice were Vancouver Canucks C Ryan Kesler along with play-by-play commentator for the San Jose Sharks, Randy Hahn, who served as the MC.

The event was open to the public and 2K Sports' game producers put Ovechkin through a series of drills to capture his signature style data for the upcoming video game. Both players took turns scoring from various spots on the ice and performed their patented celebrations for inclusion in the game.

The spectacle kicked off a week of NHL festivities in Las Vegas, with the highlight being Thursday's NHL postseason awards ceremony at The Palms. Ovechkin is a finalist for the Hart (MVP) and Pearson (NHLPA's most outstanding player) trophies, while Kesler is a Selke trophy (Top defensive forward) nominee.

Known for his 'burning stick' goal celebration, Ovechkin is one of the top scorers in the NHL and finished the season with 110 points, including 56 goals. 2K Sports plans to include Ovi's controversial celebration in the new game.

Tiger's Site Gets Facelift Before U.S. Open

Back in April, we reported that Major League Baseball's interactive group MLBAM (Major League Baseball Advanced Media) launched a video game for the iPhone and iTouch. Well now MLBAM is making its presence felt in the golf world.

MLBAM has signed a multi-year deal to manage and operate TigerWoods.com, the golfer's official Web site. Although MLBAM has been operating Woods' site for the past three years but baseball's interactive arm re-launched the site this week with exclusive content and a newly-developed fantasy game entitled the "Tiger Woods Scorecard Challenge."

Beginning with the first round of the U.S. Open tomorrow, this free game challenges fans to pick Tiger's scores for each round he competes in. In addition to weekly tournament prizes, a grand prize will be awarded to the overall cumulative winner at the conclusion of Tiger's 2009 schedule. This winner will receive a Tiger Woods replica golf equipment "dream package."

According to Eric Fisher of Sports Business Journal, Woods' new site bears some similarity to MLB.com in terms of visual design and navigation, will additionally seek to buttress the Club Tiger fan club, expand the amount of available video content, and further highlight Woods' philanthropic efforts. The site had been produced by IMG Media, a unit of the agency representing Woods.

WNBA Prospect Taking Euro Trip

When the WNBA launched back in 1997, the league used the marketing slogan, "We Got Next." 12 years later they are the next league to face the "early-entry issue" as one of their top prospects for the 2010 draft has decided to drop out of school to play in Europe for a year.

After Brandon Jennings played in Italy for a year instead of going to college for a season and now high school JUNIOR Jeremy Tyler is skipping his senior year to play in Israel, the flood gates are open for all U.S.-based professional basketball leagues, regardless of gender.

Rutgers female basketball player Epiphanny Prince announced that she is skipping her senior season to play professionally in Europe in preparation for the 2010 WNBA Draft. After averaging more than 19 points last season as a junior and earning third team All-American honors, Prince wanted to take her game to the next level before joining the WNBA, however the league has a much stricter "code of eligibility" for players than the NBA.

To play in the WNBA, a player must turn 22 during the year they are drafted, graduate from college or see their class matriculate during the three-month period following the draft. Or the player must be out of high school for four years.

However, Prince isn't the first women's basketball player to leave school early to play pro ball. Schuye LaRue left Virginia after her sophomore year in 2001 to go play abroad before getting drafted in the second round in 2003. Candace Parker left Tennessee with a year of eligibility remaining, but she already had graduated when she was the top pick in the WNBA draft in 2008.

Financially, this is a smart move for Price as she will likely earn more money in Europe than she would be covered for under a program that allows “exceptional” N.C.A.A. athletes to buy insurance to protect themselves in the event of injury or illness during their college careers.

According to Associated Press, a women's basketball player can get up to $250,000 in insurance coverage. It's likely Prince would earn more than that playing abroad as many American players have earned six-figure salaries in Europe.

Of course Sonny Vaccaro had some thoughts on Prince's move. The former sneaker company executive was instrumental in Jennings decision last summer and is currently advising Tyler on his move to Israel. “The world is changing. This is where we’re at today. This is 2009. Here’s a young lady who made a landmark decision.”

Prince's landmark decision now puts women's basketball in general and the WNBA in particular on par with their male counterparts in regards to eligibility issues and early-entry regulations.