Athletes' Parents Fall for Ticket Scam

Beijing organizers are investigating reports of a scam in which fans, including parents of athletes, spent millions of dollars purchasing non-existent tickets from a web site. Numerous Australian newspaper reports have said that millions of dollars worth of fake tickets were sold through U.S. based beijingticketing.com. Some people paid as much as $57,000 for tickets and received nothing in return. Beijing organizers will be discussing the sales with national Olympic committees, said spokesman Sun Weide. Also, Weid said victims "have to be aware of the consequences of buying tickets through illegal channels." Tickets outside of China can be bought only from national Olympic committees and their authorized agents.

NBA Star Steve Nash and Victoria Team Up for Relief Effort

NBA star Steve Nash and the City of Victoria are teaming up to build a culture, art and sports and reconciliation centre in northern Uganda.

The project, led by the Victoria-based Steve Nash Foundation, will help traumatized, impoverished youth. Construction should begin next year.

"The youths of that community have experienced absolute horrors," said Nash, the 2005 and 2006 MVP in the National Basketball Association, speaking outside a basketball camp in Victoria. "We want to create a centre to give these youths the opportunity we're afforded."

The centre will provide free basketball, soccer and other sports equipment, art materials, classes and counselling.

The centre will be built in Gulu, 332 kilometres north of the capital, Kampala. The area has been the site of substantial fighting during the country's 20-year civil war, which has displaced more than 90 per cent of the population.

The foundation is still awaiting final budget estimates, but the centre could cost between $250,000 and $750,000, said executive director Jenny Miller. The project is a partnership between the foundation and Athletes in Africa, an international program that helps professional athletes assist African development.

Bills Toronto Series to Kickoff with Free Football Festival and Concert

Bills Toronto Series organizers have announced that
the eight-game series of Buffalo Bills games in Toronto will officially begin with a free football festival and concert called the Samsung Bills Toronto Kickoff Party.

The Samsung Bills Toronto Kickoff Party is free and will be held on August 14, 2008, from 4 p.m to 10 p.m. at Dundas Square in Toronto.

The football festivities will include:

• Live interviews with Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers alumni, including legendary Steeler running JEROME BETTIS and legendary Bills quarterback and hall of famer JIM KELLY
  
  
• Xbox 360 video game and entertainment systems featuring EA Sports Madden NFL 09, which will give attendees the chance to be among the very first to experience the latest edition of the most popular sports video game franchise of all time (EA Sports Madden NFL 09 is available in stores August 12)
  
  
• The 'GTA's Biggest Bills Fan' contest, which gives attendees the chance to show their passion for the Bills and win tickets to the August 14 Bills/Steelers game at Rogers Centre
  
  
• A Buffalo Bills chicken wing eating contest
  
  
• NFL Films and Buffalo Bills highlights
  
  
• NFL interactive games including the Quarterback Challenge and Bungee Run
  
  
• An appearance by the 2008 Buffalo Bills

At 8:00 p.m., following the festival, the Bills Toronto Series officially kicks off with a performance by the Buffalo Jills, a Buffalo Bills pep rally, and an appearance by every member of the 2008 Buffalo Bills. After meeting their northern fans, the Bills will depart and attendees will be treated to an exclusive, free performance by Canadian act Hedley.

The Skinny on Eugene Melnyk

Eugene Melnyk was born on May 27, 1959 in Toronto, Ontario.

He is the current owner, governor and chairman of the Ottawa Senators professional ice hockey club of the National Hockey League. As well, he owns the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors junior-age ice hockey club. He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Biovail Corporation and former owner of Trimel Corporation.

In 1982, Eugene Melnyk founded medical publishing company Trimel Corporation.

Mr. Melnyk then founded Biovail Corporation, a specialty pharmaceutical company, in 1989. During his time as chairman and CEO of Biovail, revenues grew from $19 million in 1995 to $1.067 billion in 2006. Mr. Melnyk retired from his position as Chairman and CEO of Biovail on June 30, 2007.


Mr. Melnyk's first sports franchise purchase was the St. Michael's Majors of the OHL, which he still owns.

Until 2007, the club played at the St. Michael's Arena in Toronto, but has now relocated to Mississauga, Ontario.

On August 26, 2003, Mr. Melnyk purchased the Ottawa Senators hockey club of the NHL and their arena, Scotiabank Place out of bankruptcy. He is the sole owner, and holds the titles of governor and chairman.

Eugene Melnyk is the owner of Melnyk Racing Stables Inc. and Winding Oaks Farm in Ocala, Florida.

Wrigley Canada to Bring Flavour to 2010 Olympic Games

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) welcomed Wrigley Canada as Confectionery Supplier to the 2010 Winter Games.

The agreement enables Wrigley Canada to use 2010 Winter Games marks for promotional purposes for Wrigley brands Excel, Extra, Juicy Fruit, LifeSaver, Hubba Bubba, Doublemint, and Freedent.


As an Official Supplier, Wrigley Canada also receives sponsorship rights for the Canadian Olympic team for Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012.


"As a leading company with deep roots in Canada and world-class confectionery brands, we are proud to join the Vancouver 2010 team," said Bruce Atherley, Wrigley's Vice President of North American Confection Marketing and Canada General Manager. "We are honoured to support our Canadian athletes and we look forward to helping VANOC create a distinctly Canadian Olympic and Paralympic experience in 2010."

Melnyk Wants MLS Franchise in Ottawa

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk wants a Major League Soccer team in Ottawa within the next 3 years. The former Biovail executive confirmed his interest in bringing a team to the city for the 2011 season, shortly after MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced that the league would be expanding from 16 to 18 teams for that season.

"Major League Soccer has done an impressive job of bringing an exciting brand of professional soccer to North America," said Mr. Melnyk in a statement. "The popularity and passion for soccer is deeply rooted within our community and we firmly believe our city is more than ready to embrace an MLS team."

Already, Steve Nash has made it quite clear that he is interested in luring the MLS brand to Vancouver, while George Gillett, a man who has ownership ties with Liverpool and who owns the Montreal Canadiens, has expressed interest in a Montreal-based side.

Wagner Baseball Card Goes for $1.62 Million

John Rogers calls it "the holy grail of baseball cards."

The Arkansas collector spent 1.62 million dollars for a 1909 Honus Wagner card at a memorabilia auction in Chicago Friday, saying it was the realization of a decades-long dream.

Wagner, a shortstop for Pittsburgh, was arguably the second-greatest baseball player of his era, behind Ty Cobb. He hit .344 during his rookie year of 1897, and batted over .300 for 17 consecutive seasons, winning eight National League batting titles.

The record price for a baseball card is 2.8 million. It was paid in 2007 for a near-mint condition 1909 Wagner card.

There are fewer than 100 Wagner baseball cards in existence, according to a spokeswoman for Mastro Auctions, and less than ten are in excellent condition.