Olympic champion Nastia Liukin is expected to be the latest Olympic star to ink a lucrative book deal.
According to respected journalist Michael Pope of the New York Post, CBS might knockout EliteXC: Primetime. CBS is struggling for ratings and fan enthusiasm for the Saturday night primetime show - the first of its kind on broadcast TV.
CBS was shocked by how badly the last fight, called "Unfinished Business," did in the ratings.
Rumors have resurfaced that CBS is once again in talks with UFC - the first and better-known of the competing fight leagues - to take over the timeslot.
At least one more "EliteXC" match will air - an Oct. 4 match showcasing Kimbo Slice against Ken Shamrock.
Tiger Woods joined two of his partners,Gillette, the world's leading grooming brand, and EA SPORTS, the world's leading sports interactive entertainment brand and a Label of Electronic Arts Inc. , on Wednesday to announce a global partnership that will create a variety of co-promotional marketing opportunities focused on similar male consumers. This will include joint online marketing efforts in more than 20 markets in North America, Latin America, Western Europe and Asia that will leverage the Xbox 360® LIVE and EA SPORTS in-game environments. Joining Tiger Woods for the announcement in New York City were Peter Clay, Vice President, Gillette Grooming, and Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS.Gillette and EA SPORTS are leaders in industries favored by male consumers that have witnessed considerable growth in recent years. Both companies share the same strategic target -- guys 18-34 years old -- as well as a rich history of technological innovation, competition and connecting with guys through their passion for sports.
The Gillette -- EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming -- the world's largest multi-sport gaming tournament -- will officially launch in late October and provide gamers the opportunity to compete against others from around the world for the chance to be named a Global Champion of Gaming. The live global finals will be conducted in Tampa, Florida, in January 2009, with the Global Champions in each gaming category competing against one of the Gillette Champions -- Gillette's group of global sports superstars that includes Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Derek Jeter. Gamers will be able to play via Xbox 360 LIVE on Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 09, NASCAR® 09, Madden NFL 09, NBA LIVE 09 and EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA Soccer 09. More information about the Gillette -- EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming will be available after October 15, 2008, at www.gillette.com.
"I'm proud of my association with both Gillette and EA SPORTS because they represent what it means to be at the top of your game," said Tiger Woods. "This program will give guys the chance to play games at the highest level possible, which is always exciting. To be the best at anything is an amazing feat."
"We're excited about this terrific new partnership between EA SPORTS and Gillette," said Peter Moore, president of EA SPORTS. "Joining Gillette to present such an ambitious global gaming tournament as the Gillette -- EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming is great news for sports fans and works to continue the globalization of our brand. We anticipate that there will be some very fierce competition taking place around the world on some of our most popular franchises. To then give the gaming champions the chance to battle their heroes from the real-world of sports is a sports fan's dream come true."
Ten-times world champion Oscar De La Hoya will fight WBC lightweight world champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines in December. Richard Schaefer, CEO of De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, told a teleconference the fight would take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Dec. 6.
De La Hoya, 35, had said he would make just one more bout before retiring from the sport but on Thursday he refused to confirm this would be his final fight.
"My focus is on my training and my next fight. I am not going to talk about retirement," De La Hoya said when asked directly if this would be his last.
"I am going to give 100 percent of my focus to this fight and then we will see after the fight," he added.
"Let's just say my foot got caught in the door," he added.
Negotiations for the fight had previously broken down over the division of the purse but neither Schaefer nor Pacquiao's promoters Top Rank would discuss the financial terms.
The bout will be a 12-round, non-title fight contested at the 147-pound welterweight limit.
The 5 foot 10 De La Hoya will a significant height advantage over the 5 foot 6.5 Pacquiao but the 29-year-old Filipino believes he can win through greater speed.
"I'm faster and younger and I think I can beat him, it is going to be a great fight," he said.
De La Hoya accepted that he was going to have to fasten up his fighting in training.
"I have to find a away to increase my speed in the ring, I have quite a task in front of me," he said.
De La Hoya, born in Los Angeles to Mexican parents, rose to fame by winning a gold medal for the United States in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and won the nickname "Golden Boy" for his good looks and wholesome image.
He won professional acclaim by defeating Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez in 1996 and has won championships at six weight classes. At age 35 he has a record of 39-5 with 30 knockouts.
The American said he was not concerned about a possible defeat taking the shine off his career.
"I think my legacy is already cemented, you can't take away what I have achieved in the ring," he said.
De La Hoya is the highest grossing boxing attraction in PPV history having generated 12.8 million buys translating into revenue of some $626 million, according to HBO PPV officials. That total includes the record 2.4 million buys for his May 5, 2007 fight against Floyd Mayweather, which generated 134.4 million dollars. A four-division champion, Pacquiao has also left his mark on PPV coffers. His trilogy against Erik Morales connected on over 1 million buys.
“It is important for boxing that at least once a year there is a matchup that truly transcends the sport, which captures the imagination of sports fans everywhere, and has everyone buzzing,” said HBO PPV chief Mark Taffet. “De La Hoya-Pacquiao is that matchup for 2008. It is a battle of kings -- the pay-per-view king De La Hoya versus the pound-for-pound king Pacquiao -- and features two of the biggest and most popular stars in boxing today.”
Michael Phelps will make his acting debut on the 34th season premiere of "Saturday Night Live." Phelps will host the sketch comedy series when it begins its new season September 13 with musical guest Lil Wayne.
Also, Phelps is a guest on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on September 8, and NBC picked up the broadcast rights to the 2009 World Swimming Championship, in which Phelps will compete.
Golden Valley-based General Mills Inc. will issue a special-edition commemorative package in honor of American gymnastics and decathlon medalists, Nastia Liukin and Bryan Clay.Liukin won five medals in Beijing, including individual gold in the all-around, silver in the uneven bars and balance beam, and bronze in the floor exercise.
Clay became the first American since Dan O’Brien in 1996 to win gold in the decathlon.
The Beijing Olympics’ top gold medalist — U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, with a record 8 — will appear on cereal boxes of General Mills rival Kellogg Co. of Battle Creek, Mich. He was on the Wheaties box after the 2004 Olympics.
The 15.6-ounce Wheaties box will be available in September across the United States.
The president of SINAENCO, a Brazilian architectural and engineering association, says the government must improve its efforts or risk losing investment and the chance at hosting future events. "Brazil is more than a year behind," Jose Roberto Bernasconi said Tuesday at SINAENCO's annual meeting. "The authorities have to get involved."
Bernasconi says the World Cup will "promote Brazil and attract more investment in the future." But all that is at risk if construction deadlines are not met.
Brazil hosted the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro last year without major glitches. Brazil is bidding for the 2016 Olympics, which also would take place in Rio.
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