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.

Stampeders Add New Faces to Wall of Fame

The Calgary Stampeder Football Club and the Calgary Stampeder Alumni Association are adding three new members to the Calgary Stampeders Wall of Fame.

The 2008 inductees are quarterback Doug Flutie, who led the team in 1992 to its first Grey Cup victory in 21 years; offensive lineman Rocco Romano, a member of the 1992 and 1998 Grey Cup champion teams; and defensive back Frank Andruski, a member of the 1971 Grey Cup team.

Flutie (pictured) led the Stamps from 1992 to 1995, and was the CFL Outstanding Player three times while wearing red and white (1992 to 1994). He completed 1,438 of 2,382 pass attempts for 20,551 yards, with 140 touchdowns and 71 interceptions -- all are franchise records, except interceptions.

Flutie rushed the ball 312 times for 2,090 yards and a 6.7-yard average with 35 touchdowns. He set single-season club records for most yards passing (6,092), pass attempts (703), completions (416) in 1993 and touchdown passes (48) in 1994. All four records still stand.

He holds single-game Stampeders records with 556 passing yards (Aug. 6, 1993 vs. Ottawa), 63 attempts (Aug. 7, 1992 vs. Saskatchewan) and 37 completions (Oct. 23, 1993 vs. Saskatchewan) and tied three others with six touchdown passes (July 23, 1994 vs. Winnipeg). Flutie led Calgary to first in the West Division all four years and two Grey Cups, winning in 1992 and losing in 1995.

Andruski played from 1966 to 1973, recording 30 interceptions (fourth in Stampeders history) for 678 yards and four interception returns for touchdowns. He was a West Division all-star in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972 and 1973. He was also a CFL all-star in 1967 and 1968.

Romano was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame last year. He played for Calgary in 1987 and 1992 to 2000. He was a West Division all-star from 1992 to 1996 and 1999, as well as a CFL all-star in 1992, 1994 to 1996 and 1999.

Romano was named Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in the West in 1994 and 1996. He won the Presidents' Ring in 1997, which is voted on by teammates for motivational and leadership skills on and off the field.

Canadian Superstar Steve Nash in bid to buy MLS Team

Canadian basketball superstar Steve Nash is joining the reclusive owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps in a bid to buy a Major League Soccer franchise.

The Whitecaps hope to bring an MLS team to Vancouver when the league grants two new franchises in 2011.

The Phoenix Suns point guard said yesterday he will not be a majority owner, but will put a significant amount of money toward the project, joining current owner Greg Kerfoot.

Olympic Sponsorship

The Canadian Olympic Committee will give out $20,000 to Canadian athletes that are good enough to bring home the gold. However, a winning athlete can generate much more by gaining endorsments.

Here is an excerpt from an article entitled "Olympics sponsorship: The value of gold" from the August 18, 2008 issue of Canadian Business magazine.

The stakes are even higher at the corporate level. Companies are betting as much as US$100 million that they can tap into the goodwill the Games generate. It’s a big gamble — not least because Olympic sponsorship doesn’t really change how the public feels about a brand, at least in the short term. In the long term, well, maybe. If a company sticks with it. And has some luck. “Perceptions don’t change that fast,” says Andrew Grenville, chief research officer at Angus Reid Strategies, a market researcher based in Toronto. “Most companies’ images and reputations are built slowly and are slow to erode, which is good, because when there is a crisis, you can bounce back if you handle it well. Or people will forget, eventually.”

Backing the Olympics, though, is not a fast way to build reputation. The more philanthropic a sponsorship is, the more it resonates with the public. Giving money to the Games or its athletes is viewed as just a bit more altruistic than plastering your corporate name on a professional sports ticket. Something more community-based, such as education, charity or health organizations, will typically lead to stronger perceptions of leadership and citizenship — solid predictors of whether consumers will recommend a company to others.

Leif Pettersen, CFL Analyst, Dies at the Age of 57

Leif Pettersen was a game analyst for the CFL on TSN. He began his career at TSN in 1986, the first year the network began televising CFL games. Pettersen worked alongside play-by-play announcer Rod Black and the rest of the acclaimed CFL on TSN broadcast crew of Brian Williams, Chris Cuthbert, Glen Suitor, Dave Randorf, Chris Schultz, Matt Dunigan and Jock Climie.

Pettersen, a former CFL receiver, was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1974 and played in the CFL for eight seasons. In 1976, Pettersen's Roughriders lost one of the most memorable Grey Cups when Ottawa's Tony Gabriel caught a long touchdown pass in the last minute to give the Rough Riders the win. However, even in a losing cause, that game was still a career highlight as Pettersen caught seven passes that day and received the game ball from then CFL Commissioner Jake Gaudaur.

Traded to the Tiger-Cats in 1978, Pettersen played four more seasons in Hamilton and had another Grey Cup appearance in 1980. Pettersen had his most productive year in 1979, when he led the Eastern Conference in pass receptions, was an All-Star, and was runner up for the Schenley Award as Most Outstanding Canadian.

In addition to his role at TSN, Pettersen worked at RBC Sports Professionals & Private Client Group as Director of Business Development, managing banking and investments for more than 800 athletes, coaches and sports executives across North America. Pettersen, a Toronto native, was a founding Governor of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame.

MLS To Add Two Expansion Teams by 2011

Major League Soccer intends to add two expansion teams in time for the 2011 season, boosting membership to 18.

The announcement was made Thursday following a meeting of the MLS board of governors, and hours before the MLS All-Stars faced English Premier League team West Ham United at Toronto's BMO Field.

MLS, which currently has 14 teams, has already announced expansion teams for Seattle, beginning in 2009, and Philadelphia in 2010.

League commissioner Don Garber provided updates on prospective expansion cities to the board during Thursday's meeting. Those being considered include Atlanta, Las Vegas, Montreal, a second team for New York, Ottawa, Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia.

In a release, the league said it would provide specific details on the expansion application process within the next seven days.

Jack Armstrong and Leo Rautins Return to Raptors Broadcatsting Roles

Both Jack Armstrong and Leo Rautins will be returning to their roles as analysts for Toronto Raptor games.

Armstrong will replace Rautins as the analyst on TSN, with Rautins serving as a studio analyst alongside Rod Black on the network. Armstrong will also serve as "an insider" on TSN's SportsCentre.

Rautins, meanwhile, will continued to serve as the lead analyst on both CBC and The Score. Both men will work along side play-by-play man Matt Devlin.

Armstrong and Rautins will work on various roles on Raptors NBA TV, including contributing to the network's pre- and post-game shows. There will be no games shown exclusive on Raptors NBA TV in the 2008-09 season, though, after it showed 12 games last year, with Armstrong as the lead analyst.

NFL Incursion Into the Toronto Market

I realize that I'm starting a Canadian sports business blog with a huge NFL logo, but this is a major issue for all of Canadians that enjoy the 3 down game of football. Here is an excerpt from an article in the Globe and Mail entitled "Bills' Toronto venture pleases Goodell". It was published on July 29, 2008 and was written by reporter David Naylor.

Goodell spoke publicly after meeting with Wilson and New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who has been an outspoken advocate on the subject of the Bills remaining in Western New York.

"The nature of the conversation was to find out how the Bills are doing, and fortunately that's good news," Goodell said. "The effort here to regionalize the team further into Southern Ontario and into Toronto has been a very big success for the team, and I think that's something we're all proud of , the fact that we can now make the team stronger here in Western New York. That's good for the team and it's good for the fans."

Last fall, the Bills agreed to sell five regular-season and three exhibition games over five seasons for a total of $78-million (all currency U.S.) to Rogers Communications.

The first of those games to be staged in Toronto will take place on Aug. 14, an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that remained 6,000 to 8,000 short of a sellout as of last week.

The Bills have sold more than 54,000 season tickets for this season, the third largest total in club history. And while that may be good news in the short term, there is no indication that Wilson has diverted from his intention of having his estate sell the team to the highest bidder on his death.

That scenario scares Bills fans who worry the team would be worth more to a buyer in Toronto than Buffalo.

While Wilson's succession plan may have come up in yesterday's conversations among Wilson, Schumer and Goodell, the commissioner was close-mouthed on the subject.

"We're talking about the future of the Bills and what we can continue to do to make sure that the Bills continue to be successful here in Western New York," Goodell said.

"And we did discuss that. We've talked about the initial steps here as far as regionalizing to Southern Ontario and the Toronto series. And that has been a very positive step for the Bills in Western New York."

Goodell said he was confident the Bills games in Toronto will be well received, despite underwhelming ticket sales so far. He said he would not attend the Aug. 14 game because of a schedule conflict.

Goodell was asked about the Bills potentially being bought by an investment company recently started by former Bills quarterback and senator, Jack Kemp, and former New York governor Mario Coumo. The company is targeting the acquisition of sports teams.

However, Goodell noted that the NFL's policy against publicly traded companies owning teams would make that impossible.