DARREN ROVELL’S ESPN SPORTS
BUSINESS BLOG
Kobe's back
posted: Thursday, February 9, 2006 | Feedback
After two and a half years of waiting for the right moment, Nike will unveil its first Kobe Bryant
commercial tonight on TNT. I haven't seen the commercial, but according to the Associated Press,
the spot plays off the fact that Bryant isn't loved by all.
"Love me or hate me, it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my
fadeaway, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate That. Hate it with all your heart.
And hate that I'm loved, for the exact same reasons."
Kobe certainly is a polarizing figure. It is true that he is loved and he is hated. I'm not surprised
that Nike is bringing him back. I had a chance to go to the NBA store in Manhattan the other day
and I can tell you there are plenty of people picking up those Kobe 81 shirts. His performance has
done a lot to erase the images created by the sexual assault charges. But I'm just surprised that
they are introducing him with such a strong push.
Kobe's signature shoes have never sold particularly well. Some have alleged that he doesn't have
the same "street cred" as a LeBron or an Allen Iverson. Others say that his two adidas signature
shoes were so hideous that he had no chance. I can't wait to see the numbers because I have a
feeling this will be called the greatest sports marketing comeback of all time.
"A Quadruple Double!"
Limited run designer toys seem to be all the rage nowadays and I'm loving what the folks at Upper
Deck Authenticated are doing in this space. Next Wednesday, the collectibles firm will release the
first of four figurines based on the Nike commercials, The LeBrons. The athlete LeBron, which will be
available online on Upper Deck's Web site (www.upperdeckstore.com) for $45, is wearing the shoes
that James will wear in the NBA All-Star Game. The business LeBron has sunglasses and a cell
phone. The kid LeBron has two dinner rolls in his hands. The wise LeBron holds a newspaper that
features the "quadruple double" that the character talks about in the commercial, to go along with a
magnifying glass in his pocket. UDA product manager Dave Sanders told us that each figure will be
limited to 750 pieces and a full set will be available in April. They're really cool, but I'll be even more
psyched if they ever make a Mars Blackmon.
Who's Cap Relief?
Every once in a while, I'm shocked with what makes it into news releases. Last Friday might have
been one of those situations. Antonio Davis was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the New York
Knicks for Jalen Rose, a first-round pick and cash. So what headlines the Raptors release?
"RAPTORS ACQUIRE CAP RELIEF, DAVIS FROM NEW YORK." Well, I just looked in the NBA players
media guide and I assure you there's no Cap Relief who was playing for the Knicks. Before talking at
all about their acquisition of Davis, the Raptors' Wayne Embry goes into how the trade gave them
the opportunity to acquire $10 million in cap room. It's a very good attempt at marketing what on
the surface is an unpopular move. Davis of course didn't particularly love Toronto the last time he
played there. I'm pretty sure fans understand the freedom the cap provides, but it's still hard to
market it. The last time I checked cap relief didn't win championships.
The Bus Cereal
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who announced his retirement after the Steelers
won Super Bowl XL on Sunday, has signed a deal with PLB Sports to endorse a cereal called Bettis
World Championship Crunch. PLB Sports, which also sells his teammate Ben Roethlisberger's beef
jerky, will make 100,000 boxes of the cereal. The company previously sold barbeque sauce, salsa
and pickles endorsed by Bettis. The man they call "The Bus" will appear tonight on the Home
Shopping Network at 9 p.m. ET to sell Super Bowl memorabilia. Boxes of the cereal will be available
online at www.plbsports.com beginning next Friday.
Terrible Towels
Not only did Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren express his displeasure of NFL officials in
Sunday's Super Bowl XL. He also grilled the NFL for apparently fostering a home-field advantage for
the Steelers. Holmgren said he was upset at the fact that the Steelers' trademark Terrible Towels
were available for sale at the game.
"That part of it wasn't all that fair to my way of thinking," Holmgren said, "to sell the yellow towels
in every row of the stadium. I'm sure there were a few non-Pittsburgh fans waving those things
because they got the towel, and I didn't see too many green towels being sold."
Holmgren apparently didn't know what he was talking about. An NFL official told me that towels to
both teams were being peddled at Ford Field. The probable reason for the advantage? The Steelers
version is a 30-year-old tradition.
Record Pace
Thanks in large part to Steelers fans, Super XL merchandise could set the all-time Super Bowl
record, set by Super Bowl XXXI fans -- Packers vs. Patriots -- who purchased $130 million in gear
nine years ago. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, the NFL reported that the championship hat (22,752 sold),
t-shirt (23,356 sold) and DVD's (15,245 sold) -- are record highs. For those of you who might have
read this hilarious Onion story, some kids in Africa probably will be getting Seahawks championship
gear. The NFL gives the product to a charity called World Vision International, which distributes the
product.
Madden Odds
The people at Pinnacle Sports apparently know what they are talking about. On the second play of
Seattle's second drive, ABC announcer John Madden said this: "Kimo Von Oelhoffen has a heck of a
club." Why did the people at the sports gambling outfit care? Because they predicted that, out of a
list of Maddenisms, he would use that one first. Here were the odds on a proposition bet Pinnacle
put out before the game that asked fans to wager on what Madden would say first after kickoff:
"Heck of a" (6/5), "Big time," (7/2), "Horsecollar" (7/1), "Boom!" (7/1), "Manhandled" (9/1),
"Wham!" (15/1). PinnacleSports.com reported that about 150 people won $6 for every $5 they bet
by predicting that "Heck of a" would come first. John Madden did not place a bet himself.
Saving Tickets
A company called That's My Ticket has released its Pittsburgh Steelers ticket frame. The frame
features an 8-by-10 photo or MVP Hines Ward or quarterback Ben Roethlisberger along with a
newspaper clipping, box score, picture of Ford Field and a place to put a ticket. The frame costs
$149.
Praying Promotions
Third Coast Sports, the athletic division of Third Coast Artists -- a booking agency that represents
big name Christian recording artists -- made a big name for themselves at minor league stadiums
over the past couple years. For the past two years, the organization has helped host nearly 40
minor league baseball faith nights around the country, the most publicized being at the Nashville
Sounds, in part because the team gave out Moses, Samson and Noah bobbleheads as well as 4,000
copies of the New Testament. The company recently announced that it will host events with eight
different AFL and af2 teams this season along with 35 faith nights at minor league baseball
stadiums.
Drink With The Manager
It has come to my attention that Bobby Valentine is now so popular after leading the Chiba Lotte
Marines to their first Japan League title in 31 years in November, that he is now endorsing his own
beer. BoBeer, which features Valentine with his thumb up, is made by Sapporo. A special black label
lager is available only in Chiba.