PETA Picks Top 10 Vegetarian-Friendly Ballparks for 2008

As ballparks throughout the U.S. and Canada continue to expand their menus, there are more healthy, humane, and delicious vegetarian options than ever before. And even though the competition has heated up considerably since PETA began ranking the top 10 vegetarian-friendly ballparks in 2002. , no one was able to unseat last year's reigning champ and this year's winner--the Philadelphia Phillies' Citizens Bank Park.

Although New York and Florida are giving the Phils a run for their money for the National League East lead, the best that the Mets and the Marlins could muster in PETA's race was honorable mention. In addition to the faux Philly steak, meat-free subs and wraps, and veggie dogs and burgers that gave Philadelphia a lock on first place last year, the stadium has added a superb crab-free crab cake and mock-chicken sandwich that have put the Phils in a league of their own.

In second place again this year is AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The Giants--former PETA pennant winners--offer veggie dogs and burgers, a portobello mushroom sandwich, vegetarian sushi, and the vegetarian cha cha bowl, which is filled with black beans, rice, and pineapple salsa. Rounding out the top five winners are the Seattle Mariners' Safeco Field, the San Diego Padres' PETCO Park, and the Chicago White Sox's U.S. Cellular Field.

Skinny on CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon

Mark Steven Cohon (born in 1966 ) is the Canadian Football League's 12th commissioner . He was appointed in 2007 to succeed Tom Wright.


Bio: born in Chicago, son of Susan and George Cohon.

Education: Graduated from Chicago's Northwestern University law school. ... Part of a three-month Canadian-Soviet Arctic youth expedition in Siberia and the Canadian High Arctic. ... Worked as a zookeeper at Metro Toronto Zoo.

Career: In early 1990s, was named director of corporate and game development for Major League Baseball International. ... Recruited by NBA commissioner David Stern in 1994 to serve as league's director and group manager of international marketing. ... Led business development of Petopia, a pet care business, launching Petopia.com home shopping. ... Became CEO and also a board member, of AudienceView, an international web-based ticketing firm based in Toronto.

New Nike Viral Video Ad Campaign Creates a Fever Pitch

Nike is set to reopen old wounds by promoting the launch of Arsenal's away kit for the new football season with a series of viral video clips of the London club's last-gasp 1989 title-clinching 2-0 win over Liverpool.

The online marketing campaign features a series of six video clips of footage from the match intercut with interviews with current Arsenal stars, such as Cesc Fabregras, discussing the famous Anfield win over Liverpool with members of the 1989 team, including Michael Thomas, who scored the injury time goal that made the London side first division champions.

Nike's campaign, called Become Legends, also features interviews with current Arsenal players including Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie, and heroes of the 1989 match such as Paul Merson and Alan Smith.

The 1989 Liverpool v Arsenal tie is probably the most famous climax ever to an English football season, with Thomas's goal winning the title in injury time of the last match of that year's league calender.

Sion Portman, responsible for brand connections at Nike UK, said that the digital campaign aimed to enable a "new generation" of Arsenal fans from around the world to be "inspired by the emotion and heroics of one of Arsenal's most important moments".

Football Legend Sues Electronic Arts and Sony

Football legend Jim Brown is throwing a stiff-arm at a video game maker for using his image without permission.

The former Cleveland Brown running back has sued Electronic Sports and Sony - the makers of the popular "Madden" football series and accused them of casting him in video games as the "muscular African American player wearing the number 32" on the "All Browns Team."

Brown wore No. 32 in an NFL career that stretched from 1957 to 1965 and earned him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"To Brown's knowledge, [Sony and Electronic Arts] are not now, nor have they ever been, authorized to make any use of his trademark as the All-Time Great Cleveland Browns running back," the suit says.

The complaint, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, seeks unspecified damages and a court order to stop his likeness from being used in the games.

Brown contends he never signed away the rights to the use of his image that would allow it to appear in the video game.

"When Jim Brown played football, the NFL had a league wide policy that players shall have no lawyers or agents when negotiating compensation," the suit says. "Video games were not invented yet."

Orlando Magic Put Media Guides on Flash Drives

In the latest sign of the popularity of “going green” and the ubiquity of USB flash drives, the Orlando Magic will offer its 2008-2009 media guide on a 128MB memory stick that can be plugged into any computer.

The 352-page media guide is full of statistics, facts and biographical information that media members and rabid fans depend on every season.

The Magic typically print about 12,000 guides, but offering the content on a flash drive will allow the team to print at least 3,000 less guides.

The flash drive guides will be available to a select number of season ticket holders for free and they will also be sold for $10 to the general public.

But since most people who want to access the media guide information at a game won’t be bringing a computer with them, printed copies of the media guide will also be available for $10.

Although many companies have been offering press materials via flash drive for a while, Magic spokesman Joel Glass said the Magic are the first team to offer a media guide in this manner.

The media guides will be available in the fall and the Magic will also post the information on their website.

Toronto FC Dealing with Disgruntled Fan Over Seats

According to a recent article in the Toronto Star, Toronto FC has a predicament in their midst when it comes to the seating of their home games.

When the MLS all-star game came to BMO Field, Toronto FC ticket holder Frank Garzelli settled into his usual seats - northwest corner, section 126, second row. Except on this occasion he was actually four rows from the soccer action. Apparently, TFC installed two rows of field-level chairs directly in front of Garzelli's section.

Garzelli is angered by the fact that the team never gave season ticket holders the chance to upgrade. Garzelli said that he'll meet with other season ticket holders in section 126 to figure out their next move.

TFC officials said that the team is scrambling to supply a demand that keeps surging. TFC's average home attendance is 20,133. BMO Field officially seats 20,000. "This is about trying to maximize every inch of the building, for sure," said Toronto FC business manager Paul Beirne. "But these new seats have a higher value." Beirne said that he understands Garzelli's frustration but points out the new chairs don't affect his sight line, so he's kind of putting apples and oranges together."

If the team decides to keep the seats, Beirne said, all season ticket holders will have a chance to purchase them - but said the priority goes to the people who have held season tickets longest, and not those who happen to be seated nearby. Until a decision is made, the team will continue to sell the two rows in front of section 126 as single-game seats.

Canadian Athletes Will Boost Medal Count: Poll

Canadians have high expectations for our athletes according to a poll conducted by Harris-Decima.

Half of the respondents thought Canadian athletes will improve on the 12 medals -- including three golds -- they brought home from Athens in 2004.

A mere 17% thought Canadians would win 16 or more.

The Canadian Olympic Committee itself is targeting a Top 16 finish in overall medal count for the games after finishing 19th in Athens.

When Harris-Decima asked 1,000 people about the Top 16 target, 61% said that seemed about right,16% though it overly optimistic and 11% not optimistic enough.

For the first time in Canadian Olympic history, Canadian athletes at Beijing will earn five-figure cash rewards for each medal.

The $20,000 prize for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze are not officially considered "incentives" by the Canadian Olympic Committee, although a 2006 COC report on improving performance said that cash incentives in other countries had resulted in a 25%-50% increase in Top 8 performances.