Celebrate on the field at Super Bowl XLV

Mars Chocolate North America and Hall of Fame Bills QB Jim Kelly have partnered for a promotion that will award one lucky fan the chance to celebrate on the field with the NFL's 2011 Super Bowl champions.

The campaign includes Mars brands M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way and 3 Musketeers and offers fans an all-expense-paid trip for four to Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium.

Four-time Super Bowl loser, Kelly is the spokesman for the contest and he is promoting that missing out on the on-the-field celebration following the Super Bowl is a hard thing to forget.

"Making the Super Bowl was a life-long dream," said Kelly. "Of course, it would have been better if I got to hoist the trophy and celebrate with my teammates following the game. I may have missed my chance. That's why every fan should participate in this once-in-a-lifetime promotion."

The confusing contest is called "Be on the Field 2010 Instant Win Game" although the prize is actually for 2011. The contest is also described incorrectly as celebrating with the "next Super Bowl champion" but that actually refers to the team that will win Super Bowl XLIV in Miami on Feb. 7, 2010.

Nonetheless, football fans are encouraged to enjoy Mars products leading up to this year's Super Bowl and then register select UPC codes at http://www.beonthefield.com/ between now and Feb. 7, 2010, for their chance to win. Other prizes include Visa gift cards and packages of Mars chocolate products.

Happy Birthday!

Today might be the greatest day of the year for sports birthdays as three of the best in their fields were born on December 30th. Today Hall of Fame Dodgers P Sandy Koufax turns 74, Tiger Woods turns 34 and LeBron James turns 25.

LIFE.com's Sports Photos of the Year

As 2009 is coming to a close, it seems as if every sports outlet is releasing their top stories of the year lists. Instead of reading the same thing over and over, check out the year in sports via Life.com's 2009 Sports Photos of the Year. Here is a sample of the amazing photos of 2009. The full gallery can be found here.

The Parkers recreate "Summer Nights"

San Antonio Spurs haters now have the ultimate ammunition to make fun of star point guard Tony Parker. The three-time NBA All-Star and his "Desperate Housewives" star wife Eva Longoria, recreated the famous "Summer Nights" scene from "Grease" in full costume and song.

The couple made the video over the Christmas holidays to promote a competition to meet them at one of Parker's games in 2010. It is nice to see that Tony dragged teammates Michael Finley, George Hill and Jacque Vaughn into the video as well. The trio made a cameo in Parker's crew.

The Parkers channel their inner John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, but Tony is actually the better actor. Go figure. Check out "Summer Nights" below and let the Parker jokes begin.

Gallinari's Halo

In keeping with today's theme of NBA players' musical talents, we are pleased to present Knicks F Danilo Gallinari singing Beyonce's "Halo." The 2nd year pro from Italy is averaging a respectable 14.5 ppg this season for Mike D'Antoni's 11-19 Knickerbockers but regardless of how the rest of his NBA tenure goes, the 6'10" jump shooter has the talent for a career in music.

(via SportsCracklePop.com)

Awkward Brooking pump up

Prior to the Cowboys' 17-0 victory over the Redskins last night, veteran LB Keith Brooking attempted his best Ray Lewis or Drew Brees impression to fire up his squad. Although extremely awkward, Brooking's yell session must have worked because the 'Boys D shut out Washington and clinched a playoff spot. Should we expect a similar pregame pep talk before taking on the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East championship next Sunday at Cowboys Stadium?

(via SBNation.com)

Kings of the microphone

The Sacramento Kings don't get too much coverage on EhrlthePearl, but with American Idol only a few weeks away, the video below should get you fired up. The 13-16 Kings might not have the best talent on the court (besides Rookie of the Year front runner Tyreke Evans), but they do have some pipes. Check out Jason Thompson, Jon Brockman and Donte Greene's singing prowess. The real question is if they are better singers than the 11-17 Chicago Bulls?

(via DockSquadSports.com)

Nash and his MVP Videos

Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns have received a good amount of coverage on the blog the past few months with their entertaining videos. Whether it is Nash's series of Web videos for VitaminWater or a team sing-a-long teaching Leandro Barbosa the words to Lionel Richie's “All Night Long,” Nash and the Suns have been on a comedic roll.

The New York Times actually featured the two-time MVP's film making skills in Sunday's paper and highlighted his production company, Meathawk. Nash's cousin, Ezra Howard has made commercials, shorts and music videos in England for a number of years and runs Meathawk.

The duo is working on a documentary called “Into the Wind,” which will be part of ESPN’s “30 for 30” series of documentaries. The subject is Terry Fox, the Canadian icon who lost a leg to cancer and attempted to run across Canada in 1980.

The point guard's first taste of film making was in 2007 when he pitched an idea to Nike for his latest sneaker commercial. Nike gave him a tiny budget and Nash gave them a spot titled “Training Day,” which is an inside look at Nash’s training regimen, which includes playing basketball, soccer and tennis as well as skateboarding his way through New York City.

Nash was hooked on film and formed Meathawk with his cousin. Their first big project was another Nike commercial in 2008. This one, titled “Sixty Million Dollar Man,” was made to promote Nash’s newest sneaker, which is made of recycled materials. The commercial was a spoof of the 1970s program “The Six Million Dollar Man” and featured cameos from Nash’s teammates Amar’e Stoudemire and Raja Bell. (Bell now plays for Golden State.)

“I got a lot of funny teammates,” Nash said. “It’s great because I just get a chance to incorporate all of their senses of humor that I see, but that the typical fan doesn’t.”

So while the Suns battle it out in the Western Conference (currently the 5th seed), they will no doubt continue to churn out entertaining videos. Nash's latest clip is a quick promo to get fans to vote him into the 2010 All-Star game. He makes fun of himself for not making the All-Star team last year in Phoenix and shows a few blooper clips.

TLC to air "Tailgate Takedown"

Just in time for college football bowl season, TLC is on the hunt for the country's best tailgaters. The network has enlisted the self-proclaimed "Commissioner of Tailgating," Joe Cahn to host their new show "Tailgate Takedown."

The six-part series premieres January 6 to coincide with the BCS National Championship and Cahn will explore a different college stadium and rivalry game each week where three competing teams of local tailgaters will face off against one another in a cooking competition.

As the teams prepare their signature grub, the Commissioner will meet other tailgaters to learn about local tailgate tradition and cooking. Celebrity judges will determine the winner based on taste, presentation and how functional the dishes are in a tailgate environment. The lucky winner will receive a cash prize and bragging rights.

So who is this Commissioner dude? Cahn has traveled over 500,000 miles to 123 colleges to explore the world of tailgating. After selling his business (the New Orleans School of Cooking) and house, Cahn bought a motor home and hit the road to explore tailgate parties. Now in his fourteenth season, he has visited hundreds of cities, seen thousands of fans and cooked over 320 pots of Jambalaya.

NBA to launch "Words 2.0" campaign on X-mas

During ABC's coverage of the Magic-Celtics and Cavs-Lakers on Christmas Day, the NBA will debut its "Words 2.0" ad campaign, which is an extension of the "Where Amazing Happens" program.

Two of the three spots will air during Christmas Day game telecasts and were created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, S.F., and NBA Entertainment. The campaign will run this season on TV, online and in arenas across the league.

Each spot focuses on a word, such as "defense" and features video and audio edited together to create an original piece of music. Check out the two commercials that will air on Friday.

(via Sports Business Daily)

Vote4Amare Episode 2

Two weeks ago, we featured a post highlighting Phoenix Suns C Amar'e Stoudemire enlisting the help of David Spade for his Vote4Amare.com campaign.

Stoudemire has teamed up with Spade for an online video series to get coaching on how to earn All-Star votes. In the first of four videos, Spade taught Stoudemire about flopping and in the newest clip, the focus is goggle styles.

The Suns continue to entertain us, but Stoudemire doesn't need Spade's advice as he’s currently the leading vote-getter for Western Conference centers.

Holiday Sports Gift Guide

Although Hanukkah has passed and there are only a few days until Christmas, there is still time to get the perfect sports gift for your friends and loved ones. Check out a few hot items that might be nice fits.

With the horrible weather all over the country, New Era's new Fnitteds are the perfect gift for sports fans trying to look cool and stay warm at the same time. The Fnitteds are knitted accessories that fit over 59Fifty baseball caps and are alternate way to winterize your hat. They cost $21.99 and are available at select stores.

T-shirt company PennantRace has created a few "Infamous Draft" shirts that honor two of the biggest draft busts of all-time, Sam Bowie (Portland Trail Blazers) and Brian Bozworth (Seattle Seahawks). The tees cost $26 and are available online. PennantRace also features some cool cartoon shirts with Kenny Powers, Snoop Dogg, Jack Nicholson and Ricky Henderson.

Ever have to go #1 on the golf course? Well, the UroClub is the perfect holiday gift for you. Just unscrew the triple seal, leak proof cap, clip the privacy towel to the UroClub and your belt and relieve yourself. The UroClub is available for about $25 (down from $50) at the club's website and check out this amazing commercial right here.

Happy Holidays!

Johnson vs. Ohno in viral vids

With only two months until the Vancouver Olympics, Nestle has filmed a couple of viral videos to get sports fans excited for the Winter Games. Olympic Gold Medalists and "Dancing with the Stars" winners Shawn Johnson and Apolo Ohno are currently competing in Nestle's "Crunch Challenge" and have dared each other to perform some crazy stunts.

For "Team Crispies" Johnson does a back flip over a speeding bobsled and for "Team Chocolate" Ohno does the bobsled run on a pair of ice-skates.

Videos look a little fake (especially Johnson's flip) and they don't make a connection to the "Crunch Challenge."

Papa John's Half Court Shot Wins Pizza for All

Papa John's founder, John Schnatter hit a half court shot during halftime of a University of Louisville men's basketball game and awarded all 18,868 fans in attendance a free pizza.

Papa John's, which is based in Louisville, was shooting a commercial at the game and John's half-court shot was part of the halftime entertainment.

(via CNBC's Darren Rovell Twitter page)

Kelly loses pants, wins game

Thank gosh for jock straps! In the 4th quarter of yesterday's Raiders-Broncos game, Oakland DT Tommy Kelly made a huge 2nd and goal tackle of Denver RB Knowshon Moreno.

Kelly hit the rookie so hard that his own pants fell off his waist and dropped to his feet. Thankfully for CBS, Kelly's wardrobe malfunction was PG, as he was wearing a jock strap underneath his pants.

Kelly's dedication to making the play inspired the entire Raiders team. The Raider D stopped the Broncos again on 3rd and goal to force a field goal to keep the game to one possession. JaMarcus Russell came off the bench to ultimately throw the game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds left.

Suns have fun "All Night Long"

The latest video from the camera of Phoenix Suns G Steve Nash, features a team singalong to Lionel Richie's hit, "All Night Long." Leonardo Barbosa takes the lead on the classic song and the squad helps him out with the confusing lyrics. Why does he sound like a sheep at the end?

It is so great to see a pro team genuinely enjoy each other's company and turn a boring bus ride into a hilarious karaoke session. Phoenix has the most fun of any team in the league right?

(via NESW Sports)

Santa vs. Blitzen in new MVPuppets Spots

Nike's latest MVPuppets spots launched online over the weekend and we will surely see these commercials during ABC's coverage of the Magic-Celtics and Cavs-Lakers on Christmas Day.

The new videos feature an intense rap battle between Santa and the self-proclaimed #1 reindeer in the world, Blitzen. LeBron and Kobe back up St. Nick by hitting the blacktop to dunk on the reindeer. Santa is voiced by KRS-One and Blitzen is voiced by Lupe Fiasco.

“No Reindeer were harmed in the making of this video. But they were dunked on! ”

ESPNLosAngeles.com launches today

ESPN has launched yet another locally targeted web site, this time extending the network's massive reach to Los Angeles. ESPNLosAngeles.com launched today and is the fourth regional news site following Boston, Chicago and Dallas.

Managing Editor Eric Neel has assembled a very talented group of writers for the site, including ESPN's J.A. Adande, Los Angeles Daily News' Ramona Shelburne, Los Angeles Times blogger Jon Weisman, SI.com's Arash Markazi and former Los Angeles Daily News writer Tony Jackson.

As part of today's launch, the site will feature a series of online chats with LA sports figures, including Angels manager Mike Scioscia, Lakers Exec VP/Business Operations Jeanie Buss and actor James Denton.

Don't be surprised if ESPNLosAngeles' roster and content challenges the LA Times and LA Daily News sooner rather than later. The combination of the site and ESPN's LA studio will bring even more coverage to the local teams.

Rose & KG team up for lesson in style

Chicago Bulls G Derrick Rose is becoming quite the NBA style icon. After being named "Chicago's Sexiest Athlete" , the second-year point guard currently graces the pages of GQ's January issue with his favorite off the court wardrobes.

Now, the reigning Rookie of the Year has teamed up with fellow Chicago native, Boston Celtics F Kevin Garnett for a new adidas spot that gives each other lessons in style. The duo goes back and forth describing their favorite off the court footwear from the adidas Originals category.

Versus Sports Soup with Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg will host the 2009 Sports Soup Countup Countdown on Versus (Dec. 20, 10 p.m. ET and Dec. 22, 11 p.m. ET) that looks back at the year in sports and highlights the best moments of 2009.

Among Snoop Dogg's guests on the show, will be MMA's Kimbo Slice, Playmate Holly Madison, Matt Kemp of the Dodgers and Brandon Marshall of the Broncos.

Here is a quick preview of the "funny" show, including former NBA star Gary Payton showing off his famous defensive skills.

(via Game On!)

Mauer is MLB 10 The Show coverboy

Sony announced yesterday that American League MVP Joe Mauer will grace the cover of MLB 10 The Show, the next version of the company's popular baseball series.

Mauer had an insane 2009 season, hitting a MLB-leading .365 and winning his third batting title in four years. The AL All-Star was a near-unanimous MVP winner (receiving 27 of 28 first-place votes) and earned Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards. Now he has a video game to add to his growing list of accomplishments.

"I'm truly humbled to be chosen for the cover of MLB 10 The Show, a honor that has only added to a special year for me," said Mauer. "It's a dream of every sports fan to be on the cover a video game, so to have the chance to work with a leading franchise like The Show is really a thrill."

MLB 10 The Show is scheduled for a March 2010 release for PS3, PSP, PSPGo and the PS2 and features the new Home Run Derby, Catcher Mode (where you take charge as the catcher during a game), new training modes and a Movie Maker feature.

ESPN writer Jon Robinson was given an exclusive look at an early version of the game and you can read his thoughts at the Video Games section of ESPN.com and check out the first screenshots of the game.

Gophers Frosh Quits Team via YouTube

Welcome to 2010 Tubby Smith. Royce White, a highly regarded freshman forward for University of Minnesota has quit the team via YouTube. The 6'8" 250 lb. White was under indefinite suspension from the Gophers basketball team because of a burglary investigation and posted "Royce White-The Last Interview" yesterday.

According to SportingNews.com, White was charged with theft and fifth-degree assault (shoving a security guard) at Mall of America and was being investigated for the theft of a laptop from a dorm room.

The drama of White's legal issues this season has led him to the strange move of quitting the Gophers via YouTube:

"It would take something, something big to go against this decision to leave college basketball. I'm not transferring to no other school. I don't want to transfer to no other school. This is my city. There's a reason why I stayed here."

White's video actually is pretty decent, featuring a nice soundtrack and the splicing of highlights and team photos. This is definitely the first time a college basketball player has quit his team via the YouTube platform.

(via SportingNews.com)

Green Bay Gamblers score Bat Trick

Right after Halloween, we posted a video of San Antonio Spurs G Manu Ginobili swatting a bat out of the air at AT&T Center. PETA was not happy about the incident and Ginobili ultimately apologized for his fast reflexes.

The latest bat-killing incident in the sports world involved members of the USHL Green Bay Gamblers team this week. After a bat invaded the arena, Gamblers players slashed the flying mammal to death.

Predictably, the folks at PETA are not happy:

"This might have been an annoyance but it was also a living being," said Tori Perry, the Emergency Response Manager of Cruelty Investigations for PETA. "If you have an animal that's somewhere he's not supposed to be, you call animal control. It's not just something where you just go, 'Oh , we'll take some hockey sticks to him.'"

However, the Gamblers said they had health concerns to consider:
"Definitely never seen something like that," said Gamblers goalie Steve Summerhays. "That bat was behind me and I was trying to watch the play. I'd rather see a guy coming at me than a bat cruising behind my neck."..."This has obviously turned into Batgate," said coach John Cooper. "But the rabies fear was a big one."

(via FanHouse)

Thunder sport "Creamsicle" shoes

For those basketball fans who watched the Dallas Mavericks beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-86 on ESPN last night, no your TV color preferences weren't broken. The entire Thunder team wore bright orange shoes as part of a Nike promotion to kick off a campaign for Kevin Durant’s new shoes, KD2s aka "The Creamsicle."

According to The Oklahoman, to show full support for their teammate, Thunder players Serge Ibaka and Etan Thomas who have contracts with adidas, also wore orange shoes. Even Coach Scott Brooks wore an orange tie in honor of Durant's shoe launch. To further support the promotion, every fan was given a bright orange rally towel.

In conjunction with the game, Nike basketball's Twitter page hosted an entertaining trivia contest, awarding 35 (in honor of Durant's jersey number) prizes including t-shirts and KD2s. The contest focused on Thunder Nike athletes Durant, James Harden, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.

Thankfully, the night wasn't just about sports brand promotion. All shoes worn by Thunder players Wednesday night will be donated to the Thunder Community Foundation. Fans can bid on the shoes in a silent auction at the final three December home games.

Merry Christmas from Dude Perfect

Back in September, we featured a post highlighting "Dude Perfect," a group of six A&M students who film amazing basketball trick shots. To celebrate the holidays, the Aggies have put together a video of their best shots of the year.

After bursting onto the scene this past year, the group's authenticity is still under question. DudePerfect.com answers the critics.

And yes, the shots are real. If you don't think so, we love that. One of our hopes was to film some shots that would look fake. So keep on telling us they're fake. It makes our day.

Regardless of the authenticity of the shots, the group's videos are supporting a good cause. For every 100,000 views of their Summer Camp edition clip, they will sponsor a child through Compassion International.

(via NESW Sports)

Wade & Barkley are back in new T-Mobile spot

T-Mobile today will begin airing a new TV spot in its ongoing series starring Miami Heat G Dwyane Wade and TNT's Charles Barkley. In the new ad, the bow-tied Wade stands on a basketball court showing off his myTouch 3G phone and as he scrolls through an app that stores pictures of his clothes, Barkley makes fun.

“In this ad, because it’s about my fashion, they just kind of wanted me to get in front of the camera, what do I do when I was in front of a mirror if I had just gotten dressed,” Wade said. “When you think you’re looking sharp or it’s one of your good days, you get in front of the mirror, start posing.”

According to Stephanie Clifford of New York Times, another campaign commercial featuring Barkley and Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard will debut on Christmas Day. Howard’s ad focuses on fitness, showing him playing with myTouch apps like a calorie counter and yoga-pose generator while Barkley sleeps in a reclining armchair.

Design inbounds play for Wizards

Think you are a basketball genius? Well, ESPN Insider is running a contest where fans can submit an inbounds play for Flip Saunders and the 7-15 Washington Wizards to run during a game.

The contest details are simple: Starting today at 5pm EST, send ESPN your best inbounds play via email, fax or mail, and their crew of experts will choose the best one. The Wizards will try to use during a game this season. What can they lose by using the winning play? The contest ends Wednesday Dec. 23.

All entries must: 1) Be no more than 500 words in length; 2) Be the original creation of the entrant 3) Be suitable for publication; and 4) Written in English. To be eligible for judging, the content of your story must not be: offensive, immoral, defamatory, obscene, profane, violent or destructive in nature in any way.

LT vs. Rice in Trump's Golf Show

Two of the greatest NFL players of all-time will be facing off on the links this April. Golf Channel has greenlit "Donald J. Trump's Fabulous World of Golf," a celebrity reality series that will feature such matchups as Jerry Rice versus Lawrence Taylor. The two "Dancing with the Stars" alums will challenge each other on the golf course for charity.

The six episode series will premiere on April 26 and according to Variety, Trump is recruiting actors, musicians, politicians, business execs and pro athletes to compete against each other for charity on the show.

In addition to determining a winner for the day, the competitions will offer a number of intermediate challenges, such as a pre-determined hole that will be worth $10,000 for the celebrity golfer's chosen charity.

This is the third celebrity series on Golf Channel. The second season of Ray Romano's "The Haney Project," begins in the spring and the duo of Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Anderson host their own show as well.

ESPN goes green for NCAA Bball Game

In an effort to conserve energy resources and deliver environmental messages, ESPN’s telecast of Saturday's Michigan at No. 1 Kansas men’s college basketball game will get the “Green Game” treatment.

ESPN's “Green Game,” will utilize on-air graphics to provide information on environmental conservation, what it means to be eco-friendly and raise awareness of environmental responsibility within the sports community.

Dave O’Brien will call the game with analyst Jay Bilas and reporter Holly Rowe. Here are a few on-air elements of Saturday's "Green Game:"

-Kermit the Frog will introduce the “Green Game” telecast with an environmental message.

-Vignettes will showcase green initiatives by both universities.

-Kansas coach Bill Self and Michigan coach John Beilein will discuss the importance of conservation.

In addition to on-air elements, ESPN's conservation efforts around the game will include:

-The host city of Lawrence, Kan. has purchased 8,000 kWh of electricity to offset the power use of Allen Fieldhouse for the day through a local hydroelectric power plant.

-ESPN will use LED lights for lighting the on-air personalities during segments and rechargeable batteries in various equipment.

-Kansas will place 30 new recycle bins with green footprints leading to the containers throughout Allen Fieldhouse.

-In addition to limiting the number of rental cars, every rental car utilized by ESPN game production staff will be a hybrid.

-ESPN crew members will be provided with reusable water bottles and have access to water from a cooler or Gatorade mixed from powder.

-adidas will sponsor warm up shirts made from organic cotton for both teams, the spirit squad and mascots.

-Team mascots will collect recyclables during game time-outs.

-Every concession location in Allen Fieldhouse will serve popcorn in paper bags instead of the previously used plastic containers.

Mystery of LeBron's missing shoe is solved

Nike has released a surprisingly lackluster follow-up TV spot that solves the mystery of LeBron's missing Air Max LeBron VII shoe. Hopefully the swoosh doesn't drag out this concept to the point where viewers start hating Little Dez and Mrs. Lewis from downstairs.

Colbert is SI coverboy

Stephen Colbert is the first non-athlete on the cover of Sports Illustrated since Beyonce graced the magazine's 2007 swimsuit issue. Thankfully, the host of host of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" left his speedo at home and appears on the front of the magazine's latest issue wearing an Olympic speedskating uniform.

The issue is devoted to sports media and hits newsstands on Wednesday. Last month, we reported that "Colbert Nation" became the official primary sponsor of U.S. Speedskating.

The team's largest annual cash sponsor, DSB Bank left the team after it declared bankruptcy in October and with contributions from fans, Colbert has raised more than $250,000 for the squad.

Bengals LBs sing holiday wishes

After a tough loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals linebackers are extending holiday wishes to their loyal fans in the form of song.

The group has filmed a performance of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" featuring solos by Abdul Hodge, Dhani Jones and Keith Rivers. Although the rough outing on Sunday, the LBs should not quit their day jobs.

(via ProFootballTalk)

50 most influential people in sports biz

Sports Business Journal has put out their annual list of the 50 most influential people in sports business. In this week's issue, everyone from agents and brand executives to league commissioners and network heads are honored.

This year's list has an international flavor as Jacques Rogge of International Olympic Committee and Sepp Blatter of FIFA have earned to top two spots. Here is what SBJ had to say about Rogge, IOC's president.

It’s what Jacques Rogge didn’t do for the American sports industry rather than what he did that shows the extent of his influence. Working quietly behind the scenes, Rogge steered the International Olympic Committee’s selection of Rio de Janeiro as the host city for the 2016 Olympics. The selection of Rio and rejection of Chicago cost the U.S. sports industry hundreds — if not thousands — of jobs, $1.2 billion in sponsorship deals and approximately $250 million in U.S. media rights. The decision also meant that it likely will be more than 20 years before the Olympics ever return to the U.S. The IOC has become Rogge’s organization, and under his direction it has diversified its revenue streams internationally and, in turn, lessened its dependence on America . At the same time, his vision for an open-tender process for TV rights should generate another windfall from U.S. networks this year, even with the rejection of yet another U.S. Olympic bid.

Check out the full list of Sports Business Journal's 50 most influential people in sports business.

LeBron loses shoes in new MVPuppets spot

As we posted last week, Nike's MVPuppets campaign has returned for the 2009-10 NBA season. The first new TV spot features the Kobe and LeBron puppets arguing over who would win in a fight between a lion and a black mamba.

In the newest Nike ad, LeBron's puppet has lost his Air Max LeBron VII and the whole cast, including Kobe and Little Dez and Mrs. Lewis from downstairs are suspects. A Sherlock Holmes character appears to help solve the mystery.

2010 Heisman Candidates

After the closest Heisman Trophy voting in the award's 75 year history, Alabama RB Mark Ingram of Alabama won the most coveted honor in college sports, beating out four senior players.

It is never too early to look ahead to next year and as a true sophomore, Ingram will be back at Tuscaloosa in '10 to defend the SEC title and his Heisman Trophy.

So who else might be joining Ingram in New York City next year as a finalist for the 2010 Heisman Trophy? With a likely NFL rookie wage scale coming in 2011, most junior prospects will be declaring for April's draft. Here are a few VERY early Heisman candidates for next season.

Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis: Finished an awesome freshman season with 47 carries 194 yards and 3 TDs in Big East title game. Might be the 4th sophomore in a row to win the award next year. Lewis finished the year third in the nation in total rushing yards (1,640 yards) and didn't fumble once all season.

Washington QB Jake Locker: IF Locker decides to come back to Washington, he will be hailed as one of the top players in the country next season. The dual-threat QB threw for 2,800 yards 21 TDs and ran for 577 yard and 7 scores.

Oregon State RB Jacquizz Rodgers: As a true sophomore, Rodgers rushed for over 1,000 yards for the second straight year. He finished 2009 with 1,377 yards and 20 TDs and caught 74 balls for over 500 yards.

Boise State QB Kellen Moore: Moore finished 7th in the Heisman voting this year after finishing the season with 3,325 yards 39 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. The Broncos would need another undefeated season and BCS appearance for Moore to have a shot at the trophy next year.

Manning Bros hang with Bart Simpson

The Manning brothers made a brief appearance on FOX’s “The Simpsons” last night. Bart Simpson had a dream about what it would be like to have a brother and traveled to “Bro-Town USA,” where he met Colts QB Peyton, Giants QB Eli and Cooper.

Peyton said to Eli while they were throwing footballs through a tire, “That’s a perfect spiral, Eli.”

Eli: “Winning a Super Bowl just doesn’t compare to chucking the ball around with my brother.”

Cooper then appeared and said, “It’s easy being a winner in the pros. Try winning two high school basketball championships like I did.”

Eli replied, “Good for you, squirt.”

Cooper: “I’m the oldest!”

Peyton: “Keep away from Cooper!”

Amar’e hires All-Star Help

NBA All Star voting has kicked off and Phoenix Suns C Amar’e Stoudemire has hired some help to make sure he gets the nod for Western Conference Center.

Stoudemire has teamed up with David Spade, who “coaches” him on how to earn All-Star votes. In the first of four videos, Spade teaches Stoudemire about flopping.

Stoudemire doesn't need much help from Spade since he’s currently the leading vote-getter for Western Conference centers. Check out his All-Star campaign at Vote4Amare.com.

(via IntentionalFoul.com)

"The U" premieres after Heisman

After more than a month-long break, ESPN's "30 for 30" series is finally back on the air Saturday night after the Heisman Trophy presentation. Billy Corben's "The U" explores the dominance of the University of Miami football program in the 1980's and how the team changed the culture of college football forever.

A Miami grad, Corben highlights how the U's attitude, swagger and athleticism earned them four national titles from 1983-1991 and produced a huge roster of NFL stars.

Bennie Blades, Melvin Bratton, Alonzo Highsmith, Michael Irvin, Bernie Kosar, Santana Moss, Brett Perriman, Jeremy Shockey and former head coaches Dennis Erickson, Jimmy Johnson and Howard Schnellenberger were among the 38 UM insiders who were interviewed for the documentary.

ESPN's synopsis: Throughout the 1980s, Miami, Florida, was at the center of a racial and cultural shift taking place throughout the country. Overwhelmed by riots and tensions, Miami was a city in flux, and the University of Miami football team served as a microcosm for this evolution. The image of the predominantly white university was forever changed when coach Howard Schnellenberger scoured some of the toughest ghettos in Florida to recruit mostly black players for his team. With a newly branded swagger, inspired and fueled by the quickly growing local Miami hip hop culture, these Hurricanes took on larger-than-life personalities and won four national titles between 1983 and 1991. Filmmaker Billy Corben, a Miami native and University of Miami alum, will tell the story of how these “Bad Boys” of football changed the attitude of the game they played, and how this serene campus was transformed into “The U.”

Another name change for Ochocinco?

While NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell keeps fining Chad Ochocinco for his planned touchdown celebrations, next season the Bengals WR will be signing those checks using a different surname.

Ochocinco announced on his live USTREAM broadcast Sunday morning that he will be legally changing his last name to “Hachi Go” before next season. “Hachi Go” is Japanese for 8 - 5.

According to TheDugoutSportsShow.com, while cooking breakfast, only a few hours before his Cincinnati took on Detroit, Ochocinco held up a custom Bengals jersey with “Hachi Go” on the back.

"I'm not sure how Mr. Goodell is going to take it," Ochocinco said as he held up the jersey.

So why "Hachi Go?" A Japanese film crew traveled to Cincy a few weeks ago to do a piece on the Bengals for a NFL show and they told Ochocinco that all NFL fans in Japan know who the star receiver is and are huge supporters. The TV crew made a proposal to him to change his last name to "Hachi Go" to honor his international fans.

"Some fans of mine that are Japanese said I should change my last name to 'Hachi Go'."

Ochocinco legally changed his name in August 2008 but the NFL made him wear his old “C. Johnson” jersey during the '08 football season due to contractual obligations with Reebok. He has been wearing “Ochocinco” starting this season although he wanted it to read “Ocho Cinco” but the NFL will only allow his legal name as spelled on his name change paperwork, "Ochocinco."

Reebok should be ready to make new Bengals uniforms with 'Hachi Go' on the back and Ochocinco better spell his new surname correctly this time around.

FX to bring back "The League"

One the eve of its first season finale, FX's "The League" scored a touchdown. The show, which has become an instant success after only 6 episodes has been picked up for a 13-episode second season.

Set in the suburbs of Chicago, "The League" follows the group of friends and fantasy football foes as they deal with issues of friendship, relationships and parenthood. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" executive producer/director Jeff Schaffer co-created the show with his wife, Jackie Marcus Schaffer and Mark Duplass stars along with Nick Kroll, Paul Sheer, Steve Rannazzisi and Jon Lajoie.

“We’ve been very pleased with the creative and ratings trajectory of ‘The League’ and believe it’s an excellent fit with our comedy brand,” said Nick Grad, exec VP of original programming. “The performance of the show this season is reminiscent of ‘Sunny’ in its first season.”

The second season will premiere in late summer 2010, leading fans into next football season.

The finale airs tonight at 10:30 pm on FX and centers on defending league champ Pete (Duplass) battling it out with perennial league loser Andre (Scheer) for the fantasy league title game, while Taco (Lajoie) finally lands a "real person job." Check out a quick preview of "Shiva Bowl."

NFL concussion PSA to air tonight

In response to Congress pressuring them to change their concussion policies, the NFL will begin airing a 30-second PSA about concussion treatment and management on NFL Network during tonight's Steelers-Browns game telecast. The TV spot was approved by the Centers for Disease Control & Preventionwill and will also start airing this weekend on NBC, CBS, Fox and ESPN.

According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the spot is targeted at athletes, parents, and coaches -- and specifically at young athletes.The segment urges players not to hide concussions, and it encourages parents and coaches to educate themselves about head injuries, so that young players who have taken a hard shot to the head will be held out of action until approved to return by a doctor.

The PSA also will direct viewers to the CDC's microsite aimed at concussions in youth sports. Check out the NFL's concussion PSA here.

The 2010 Heisman Winner will be...

The 2010 Heisman Trophy is on everyone's mind this week and we are poised for one of the closest votes in history. So called "experts" have predicted everyone from Alabama RB Mark Ingram, Stanford RB Toby Gerhart, Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh to Texas QB Colt McCoy as the winner. Thankfully Florida QB Tim Tebow isn't considered as a legit choice for the award.

But if you really want to know which player is going to take home the hardware Saturday night, check out StiffArmTrophy.com. The site has predicted the last seven Heisman winners and that is great news for Ingram. StiffArmTrophy keeps track of media members who reveal how they voted and collects the data to project a winner.

StiffArmTrophy.com predicts the Heisman ballot will look like:

Nash has a weak stream

Ever wonder what NBA stars talk about on their flights from city to city? Phoenix Suns G Steve Nash uploaded the below video to his YouTube account that should shed some light. The 2-time MVP and Amar'e Stoudemire engage in an interesting conversation about toilet etiquette and pee streams.

A poncho worth 30k?

Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco wore the most expensive poncho/sombrero combo in the world on Sunday. The NFL has fined the stylish receiver $30,000 for throwing on the outfit after scoring a touchdown during Sunday's win over Detroit.

In a letter the NFL sent this week to Ochocinco, the league wrote, "During the second quarter of the Bengals game, you were observed gesturing for, and then wearing, a decorative poncho and sombrero in the bench area."

"Compounding your violation is the fact that your actions were premeditated and deliberate. Prior to the game on your publicly accessible Twitter account, you posted the following:

OGOchoCinco: @adam_schefter what I've planned for today will get me fined when I score but it's so worth it.

Ochocinco continued his Twitter conversation with ESPN's Schefter and after receiving word of the fine, he tweeted: Adam this Sunday when I score I'm taking that loud horn from the Viking mascot and using it<--is that a fine to?"

The league should understand that everything #85 does is premeditated and deliberate. Also, is ESPN cool with Schefter being in the middle of Ochocinco's celebration planning tweets and then reporting on the player's NFL fine? If Ochocinco indeed blows the Vikings horn on Sunday he will surely receive an even bigger fine next week.

Gatorade discontinues Tiger drink

Gatorade officials today confirmed that the Gatorade Tiger Focus sub-brand will be discontinued. Darren Rovell of CNBC reports that Gatorade said that the decision has absolutely nothing to do with recent events surrounding Tiger Woods, but is part of a strategy devised months ago to streamline their offerings.

The drink launched in March '08 and marked the first time Gatorade attached a subline to an athlete. Beverage Digest first reported the discontinuation on November 25, two days before Woods' car crash.

Gatorade officials provided a statement to CNBC which says: “We decided several months ago to discontinue Gatorade Tiger Focus along with some other products to make room for our planned series of innovative products in 2010. We hope to share more about our 2010 plans soon.”

AI makes Philly return

The Philadelphia 76ers drew their first sellout of the season last night at Wachovia Center for a game against the Denver Nuggets that featured the return of G Allen Iverson. AI finished with 11 points, six assists and five rebounds in a 93-83 loss to Denver.

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the crowd of 20,664 was deafening at times, erupting for Iverson's pregame introduction and his first filed goal. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, RB Brian Westbrook and RB LeSean McCoy were among the sports celebrities in attendance.

"I had chill bumps running through my body the entire game," said Iverson, who logged 37 1/2 minutes in his first game since Nov. 6, his last with Memphis. "I feel like the fans here appreciate me, they appreciate my effort, and how I come to play every night. And that's all you want as a basketball player. You want the coaches, your teammates and the fans to appreciate you and what you bring to the table. And that was the best part of the night, hearing these people's voices all over again."

An special AI assist from Ehrl the Pearl supporter NF. Check out Iverson's emotional pregame introduction last night.

(via Ball Don't Lie)

VH1 "Basketball Wives" to begin filming

Just in case you haven't had enough athlete wives in the public eye lately, VH1 has teamed up with a few NBA girlfriends and wives to give a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of professional basketball players' better halves. VH1’s original series, “Basketball Wives” is set to begin filming this month and the eight-episode 30-minute series will premiere on March 15, 2010.

The cast features the wives and ex-wives of NBA players including Jennifer Williams (wife of Eric Williams), Evelyn Lozada (ex-fiancé of Antoine Walker), Mesha O’Neal (wife of Jermaine O’Neal), Royce Reed, Faith Rain (Udonis Haslem’s girlfriend) and Shaunie O’Neal (wife of Shaquille O’Neal) who will also serve as Executive Producer on the series. Interesting timing for this show as Shaunie recently separated from Shaquille after rumors of an affair with Gilbert Arenas' fiance came to light.

"This series will show viewers not only the glamorous side of being a celebrity wife but also the challenges and hard work that go with it," said Jeff Olde, executive vice president of programing, VH1. "You only have to look as far as the nearest headlines to see what sort of pressure they are up against to keep their relationships and their families together. These women truly have a strength formed by fire."

According to VH1's press release: This series is about the insider life of the wives, girlfriends and a few ex-wives of some of the biggest ballers in the game. These ladies live the life. They drive the best cars, live in the biggest mansions, wear designer clothes and jewelry and only travel first class. But living the high life is not all glamour. In order to protect it, they have to deal with the jealousies and dramas of living in — and staying in — the inner circle. They must also keep the groupies at bay while their husbands and boyfriends are traveling on the road for over six months of the year playing ball all-the-while wondering if their spouses are being faithful to them.

MVPuppets return

Nike's LeBron and Kobe puppets made their 2009-'10 season debut over the weekend in a new MVPuppets commercial.

The last time we saw them, Puppet Kobe (David Alan Grier) was celebrating his fourth NBA Championship while Puppet LeBron (Kenan Thompson) was at home with Lil' Dez (Bobb'e J. Thompson).

The new TV spot features the MVPuppets arguing over who would win in a fight between a lion and a black mamba. Hopefully the commercials will get more entertaining as the season goes on.

SNL spoofs Tiger

This week's "Saturday Night Live" featured a few Tiger Woods skits, including a CNN Breaking News spoof with Woods (Kenan Thompson), his wife Elin Nordegren (Blake Lively) and Wolf Blitzer (Jason Sudeikis). Good for a few chuckles.

Also, during the “Weekend Update” news segment, cast member Seth Meyers said, “So Tiger cheated on his wife with multiple women in multiple cities and then he was involved in an alleged domestic violence incident and a car accident. How can anyone say golf isn’t a real sport? … So far Tiger’s sponsors are standing behind him, a gesture that can only mean one thing: Women don’t watch golf”

(via Game On!)

Donaghy tells all to "60 Minutes"

In case you were busy watching the Arizona Cardinals defense shut down Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings offense last night, ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy appeared on CBS' "60 Minutes." The disgraced former ref talked about his betting scandal, his involvement with the mob and how he got caught.

Donaghy said he refused to make calls to affect games even if it meant he lost money and it angered the mob. In one game in which he bet on San Antonio, he ejected coach Gregg Popovich midway through the first quarter and the Spurs eventually lost. That drew the ire of the mob, which reportedly lost money using his tip.

"I just told them that I wasn't making calls in games to influence the outcome," Donaghy said last night. "And I'm not going to be able to obviously predict the winner every night, and they have to accept that's what's going to happen."

Check out the full Donaghy interview below.

Cavs honor MJ on throwback night

For the team's throwback Hardwood Classics game against the Suns last week, the Cleveland Cavs created a tribute video for the late Michael Jackson, featuring players singing and dancing MJ hits such as "Wanna be starting something." "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller."

C Shaquille O'Neal, G LeBron James and F Darnell Jackson have by far the best moves, but unfortunately there is no sign of C Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Surprisingly, the Cavs' throwback video doesn't even compare to the amazing "Totally Bulls 80's" commercial released last month. Nonetheless the clip is good for a chuckle.

(via Ball Don't Lie)