WASHINTON, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following is the official statement of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa:
Today our country lost a national treasure. Gene Upshaw was a man of principle, a tough trade unionist whose visionary leadership won the ground-breaking rights and protections today’s National football League players now enjoy.
Gene learned his lessons in the trenches for 15 years as a seven-time Pro Bowl guard for the Raiders in both the American football League and the NFL. His gritty determination on the field translated well in the role he adopted early in his career off the field — as a vocal advocate for his fellow players. Gene served as a National football League Players Association player representative and officer for 13 years of his professional career before he was elected Executive Director of the NFLPA in 1983.
I am proud to have called Gene my friend. However, he was also a brother in the labor movement. He guided the NFLPA through tumultuous times during the strike in 1987, and his commitment to protecting player rights led to the historic implementation of free agency in 1993. The gains made during his time leading the NFLPA have led to an unprecedented period of prosperity for the union’s membership. The fact that owners and NFL executives both curse and praise his work in the same breath is a credit to his success and defines his legacy.
I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the Upshaw family. Gene Upshaw’s impact on the game both during his Hall of Fame career and his days as the leading advocate for player rights will long be remembered and admired.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters

SCHENECTADY, N.Y., July 15 /PRNewswire/ — MVP Health Care is partnering with U.S. Olympic soccer star Abby Wambach to help youth soccer players throughout the Northeast Take on Life and Live Well as part of a new MVP Health Care youth sports initiative called KidPower.
Wambach, a Rochester, N.Y. native who scored the game-winning goal in the Gold Medal game of the 2004 Olympics, and who will represent her country again this year on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team next month in Beijing, will conduct a series of live appearances at youth soccer clinics in New York state, Vermont and New Hampshire after the Olympics. Locations, dates and times for the clinics, which will be sponsored by MVP Health Care, will be announced later this year.
As part of the KidPower program, MVP Health Care and its operating subsidiary Preferred Care have launched KidPower Web sites () and () that feature video clips of Wambach offering soccer tips as well as advice on how to develop and stick to a healthy lifestyle.
As the youngest of seven, Ms. Wambach competed with her older siblings to become the super star athlete she is today. Now she is partnering with MVP Health Care, showing kids how to compete, be strong, have fun, and stay healthy.
“I decided from the very beginning that I wanted to work with companies that I morally agreed with. MVP and Preferred Care were a perfect fit,” said Wambach. “Being a part of a company that has the same beliefs that I do makes it easy to promote their programs and makes me feel like I’m promoting part of who I am,” she said.
“The purpose of KidPower is to reach kids with a strong message about living a healthy lifestyle, staying fit, and making healthy choices in a way that is fun through activities that many kids enjoy like soccer,” said David W. Oliker, MVP Health Care president and CEO. “Kids listen to Abby Wambach when she is talking about soccer and when she talks about living well,” Oliker said.
MVP Health Care is committed to helping kids recognize the importance and fun of a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and making good food choices. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 16 percent of all children and teens in the United States are overweight. Additionally, an American Heart Association study found that 23 percent of children don’t get any exercise outside of school. Being overweight and not getting enough exercise increase the risk for serious cardiovascular and other diseases throughout childhood and into adulthood.
“Living well starts when you are a kid. If you make a choice to live a healthy life and to live well, the empowerment that gives you as an adult is huge,” Wambach said.
The program invites youth soccer coaches to register for a free KidPower Kit that includes: an Abby Wambach Take It On! long sleeve t-shirt, a Take It On! water bottle, an Abby Wambach poster and KidPower award certificates for the coach to give to each player.
“Our goal with the KidPower program is to help young people make a connection with a healthy, active lifestyle through great role models like Abby Wambach,” said Oliker.
MVP Health Care

ATLANTA, June 21 /PRNewswire/ — DimeSports.net, a fantasy sports corporation, has announced their 2008 Fantasy football Experience, a fantasy football contest which will offer $100,000 to the season’s overall winner. The website has been known as the home of true winners and real payouts with more than $250,000 awarded in cash and prizes overall, including the $100,000 grand prize.
For a limited time, new players can join the DimeSports Fantasy football Experience and take their shot at winning the grand prize for just $39.99, but the deadline to do so is June 30.
Entering its second season DimeSports is again providing the average guy or gal with a chance to win big, just like Jarrod West of West Virginia, the first $100,000 winner.
DimeSports.net will award over $2,000 in cash and prizes to the top 10 weekly winners in each division.
The website is one of the few in the fantasy football industry to offer players a chance to win each week they compete. If a player has just one good week at the DimeSports website, he or she could regain their membership fee and have 17 weeks to try and get it done.
This is not rocket science, just football — a sport many will be watching during the fall weekends and DimeSports is providing an opportunity for fans to become General Managers.
The DimeSports formula is easy to understand, the participants make the decisions on who should start or sit on the bench. If new players wait until after June 30, the cost for a chance at winning will increase.
DimeSports.net makes play exciting and easy with big rewards when people win. Once the team is drafted, points will be earned each week based on the performance of players on the field.
By joining the DimeSports Fantasy football League players receive:
— A generous $50 million salary cap

– No draft restrictions - any active NFL player selected by DimeSports.net can be on a General Manager’s dream team
– Freedom to update weekly roster through cuts and trades
DimeSports.net now offers up-to the minute editorial content, statistical content (for research and analysis),player news, injuries, transactions, game scoring, schedules and standings for other sports which is provided by Stats.com, the leader in editorial and statistical content.
Check things out at
DimeSports.net

The game Greece vs Spain in Group D, last for both team will be a friendly one for both team, the only difference is that Spain is qualified for quarters while Greece will go home after this game.

Spain at EURO 2008 have the top scorer man David Villa until quarters. They play well in 2 games they have 27 shots on goal, while the second is Sweden with 12. I think this explain why they are in the top of this group.

Greece the last European Champions after two games did not score. They are on the last position in this group : Shots on goal 11, Shos Wide 7, Fouls 29, Corners 6 and ball posetion 42%. They are above Spain at offside with 5 whlle Spain have 3.

In 2007 was a friendly game in Greece won by Spain with 2-3.

Greece vs Spain at EURO 2008

LOS ANGELES, June 18 /PRNewswire/ — Viva Vision, a leading provider of mobile entertainment, today announced a strategic partnership with the sports Illustrated Group to produce the SI Swimsuit slideshow, an application featuring sports Illustrated models wearing designer swimwear in exotic locales. Viva Vision will have access to sports Illustrated’s vast library, including images from this year’s issue, as well as the most popular models of the past.
“Sports Illustrated is an iconic brand with a passionate audience that we know will be a huge success on mobile. Their extensive and visually stunning image library makes them the perfect partner for Viva Vision and our slideshow platform,” said Nick Montes, President, Viva Vision. “Viva Vision experienced an incredible year in 2007 and with expanded distribution and world class content partners like sports Illustrated, will continue to drive significant growth in 2008.”
Viva Vision’s proprietary slideshow platform includes interactive features which allow subscribers to pause, rewind, fast-forward, and save favorite images from the slideshow. The subscriber community also controls which content is featured by voting on their favorite images.
“Viva Vision’s innovative slideshow platform is at the vanguard of the mobile industry and will provide a creative brand extension for SI Swimsuit, the most powerful franchise in publishing,” said Stacey Vollman, Vice President/GM, SI Digital.
Viva Vision experienced a 350% revenue growth in 2007 and a 130% spike in subscribers in 2007. In addition to Slideshows, Viva Vision’s patented mobile entertainment products include video on demand, and live video applications. Viva Vision content is distributed on 23 direct carriers worldwide.
The SI Swimsuit slideshow will be available in various wireless markets mid-summer.
About Viva! Vision
Viva Vision is the leading provider of entertainment applications and content for slideshows, video on demand, and live video for mobile phones. Based in Santa Monica, Viva Vision delivers programming to the broadest number of handsets through its suite of broadcast platforms, and also produces its own original consumer-driven content. Working with its world-class partners, Viva Vision is able to reach over 250 million wireless subscribers worldwide. For more information about Viva Vision, please visit .
About The sports Illustrated Group:
The SI Group is the most respected voice in sports journalism and delivering the best coverage in the business, reaching a weekly audience of nearly 25 million adults. SI Digital is home to SI.com, DanPatrick.com, FanNation.com, Takkle.com, SIONCAMPUS.com, SI Mobile, mySI and SI on Demand. The SI Golf Group is the number one golf media company, reaching users daily, weekly and monthly through Golf Magazine, SI Golf Plus and Golf.com. The SI Group also includes sports Illustrated Kids (), SI Books and SI Events. Founded in 1954, the SI Group is a division of Time Inc., the world’s leading magazine company and a subsidiary of Time Warner.
Viva Vision

Netherland football association was founded in 1889, join FIFA in 1904 and UEFA in 1954.

The coach for Netherland at EURO 2008 is Marco Van Basten born at 31 oct 1964 in Oog in All, Utrecht. Marco won the EURO title in 1888

Netherland is in position 10 on FIFA current ranking. The best position was 2 in november 1993 and worst in february 1998.

The Netherland team qualified for EURO 2008 in group G where they finish on 2nd position.

EURO champions in 1888, and on World Cup it was on 2nd place in 1974 and 1978. Participate in 8 EURO final tournaments and 8 World Cup tournaments.

Best ever victory for Netherland is 9-0 with Finland (1912) and Norway (1972). Worst lost 2-12 against England in 1907

Netherland team for EURO 2008

Goalkeper
1. Edwin van der Sar - Manchester United
13. Henk Timmer - Feyenoord Rotterdam
16. Maarten Stekelenburg - Ajax Amsterdam

Defender
. Khalid Boulahrouz - FC Sevilla
2. André Ooijer - Balcburn Rovers
3. Johnny Heitinga - Atletico Madrid
4. Joris Mathijsen - Hamburg SV
5. Giovanni van Bronckhorst - Feyenoord Rotterdam
12. Mario Melchiot - Wigan Athletic
14. Wilfred Bouma - Aston Villa
15. Tim De Cler - Feyenoord Rotterdam
20. Ibrahim Afellay - PSV Eindhoven

Mijlocaşi
6. Demy De Zeeuw - AZ Alkmaar
8. Orlando Engelaar - Twente Enschede
10. Wesley Sneijder - Real Madrid
11. Arjen Robben - Real Madrid
17. Nigel De Jong - Hamburg SV
23. Rafael van der Vaart - Hamburg SV

Atacanţi
7. Robin van Persie - Arsenal Londra
9. Ruud van Nistelrooy - Real Madrid
18. Dirk Kuyt - Liverpool
19. Klaas Jan Huntelaar - Ajax Amsterdam
22. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink - Celtic Glasgow

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 3 /PRNewswire/ — The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, which tracks the trends of 114 traditional sports, reported only three sports experienced overall growth this decade: tennis, golf, and football. Tennis however has grown more than five times that of football and golf.
According to the Tennis Industry Association, another leading indicator of sports play, shipments of tennis balls and racquets, shows racquet sales up 29.7% with the largest gain in youth racquets at 48.9%, a significant growth since 2003.
With Tennis becoming one of the most popular sports among young people the drive to play well starts at an earlier age than ever before. This is a key reason why tennis camps like the Nike Tennis Camps have become so popular across America.
Nike Tennis Camps has selected the best locations and coaches for its summer tennis camp programs. Young players now learn tennis with the latest in teaching techniques and the best tennis training gear to more quickly “train their brains.”
Many of this year’s camps will be using the new All-Court WristAssist from SquareHit Tennis, a Silicon Valley sports training company to help players develop their games more quickly and effectively.
“The All-Court WristAssist was scientifically designed to create great swing mechanics by stabilizing the player’s wrist and racquet through the hitting zone. The WristAssist lets players ‘FEEL what the Pros feel’ to quickly develop confident, powerful ground strokes and volleys then locks that feeling into their muscle memory to stand up under playing pressure” stated Bow Rodgers, CEO and President of SquareHit Tennis.
“Our goal at Nike Tennis camps is to improve our student’s strokes while building their full enjoyment of the game that will last long after the camp is over. Tennis is a game for life and we at Nike Tennis Camps are proud of our role in developing young players to play well for years to come. That’s why we selected the All-Court WristAssist and TossAssist products to really aid the players learning experience” said Charlie Hoeveler, CEO, US Sports/NIKE Tennis Camps.
The All-Court WristAssist and TossAssist are endorsed by Brad Gilbert, world-renowned tennis coach who led Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick to the world’s number one ranking.
For more information contact Bow Rodgers, , (650)-564-0060 or visit . For more information on Nike sports Camps visit:
“This release was issued through The Xpress Press News Service, merging e-mail and satellite distribution technologies to reach business analysts and media outlets worldwide. For more information, visit “
SquareHit Tennis

CLEVELAND, May 27 /PRNewswire/ — sports business consultant Rick Horrow has affiliated with global law firm Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. as of counsel to add to the firm’s services in sports law and facilities finance and development.
“Rick has quarterbacked some of the most prominent sports and public infrastructure projects in the country, such as Miami Arena/Miami Heat and Ford Field in Michigan; he’s the leading sports business analyst,” said Squire Sanders lawyer Frederick R. Nance, head of Squire Sanders’ national sports and entertainment practice. “His wide-ranging experience with high-impact development and high-stakes negotiation is a tremendous addition to our work in the sports and entertainment and infrastructure development fields.”
Horrow, founder of consulting company Horrow sports Ventures, served as lead strategist on more than 100 public finance and infrastructure development transactions totaling more than US$13 billion over the past 13 years. He has also consulted and made presentations on sports and facilities development in Latin America. His 2003 book, When the Game Is on the Line, chronicles his experiences as a key player in stadium, arena and speedway projects throughout the United States. The book includes “Horrow Principles,” a 10-point guide to deal making and negotiation. Horrow sports Ventures is now owned by global marketing giant Omnicom.
A nationally recognized media personality, Horrow also serves as sports business analyst for CNN, FOX Business Channel, FOXSports.com and FOX sports Radio.
“I’m thrilled to join a global firm that truly understands the market and has participated in the development of key facilities across the country,” Horrow said.
Squire Sanders lawyers have assisted private entities (including professional sports teams and such stars as LeBron James) and governmental bodies in planning, financing, and implementing many professional league arenas and training facilities for the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Florida Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes and Washington Nationals, as well as minor league baseball parks and spring training facilities, tennis centers and motor sports complexes.
In addition to counseling on financing projects, Squire Sanders lawyers have advised clients in a variety of other areas, such as negotiations with the National Football League that resulted in the historic commitment to replace a professional sports franchise in a city before the old franchise left.
Founded in 1890, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. has more than 850 lawyers in 32 offices and 15 countries around the world. With one of the strongest integrated global platforms and our longstanding one-firm philosophy, Squire Sanders provides sophisticated seamless legal counsel worldwide. Offices in the Americas are located in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Palo Alto, Phoenix, San Francisco, Tallahassee, Tampa, Tysons Corner, Washington DC, West Palm Beach, Caracas, Rio de Janeiro, Santo Domingo and Sao Paulo. In Europe, offices are in Bratislava, Brussels, Budapest, Frankfurt, Kyiv, London, Moscow, Prague and Warsaw. In Asia, offices are in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. Associated firms are in Bucharest, Buenos Aires, Dublin and Santiago.
Contact:
Drez Jennings
Media Relations Manager
Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.
1.216.802.7301

Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P.

At Catalunya 2008 F1 race, Kimi Raikkonen had the 2nd victorie this year, and leads the 2008 Formula1 Championship with 29 points.

In this season Kimi won points in each race : 1 at Melbourne, 10 at Sepang, 4 at Bahrain and another 10 points at Catalunya. Raikkonen starts from first row with 2 ocasions Catalunya and Sepang in this year, and Kimi won this races. In Spain got his first fastest lap in this season (the 25 in entire career)

Kimi Raikkonen in the first four races this season is the first driver who had a perfect weekend : victorie, pole and fastest lap. Kimi have 3 podiums this year. He was not on podium in the first race. But in that race Raikkonen starts from 16th place, and finish in the postion 8 getting a point without finishing that race.

GREENLAND, N.H., April 17 /PRNewswire/ — Bauer Hockey’s Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Kevin Davis as President & Chief Executive Officer of Bauer Hockey. The appointment follows the completion of Nike, Inc’s previously disclosed sale of Bauer Hockey to an investor group led by Kohlberg & Company and Canadian businessman W. Graeme Roustan.”Today marks a momentous day in the storied history of Bauer Hockey as the sale of the company is officially complete,” said Davis. “I could not be more energized about what lies ahead for us as a company and I am excited to lead this strong and dedicated team well into the future.”Bauer Hockey, which will continue to operate under the name Nike Bauer Hockey for the near future, is the hockey industry’s leading manufacturer and has developed innovative products for over 80 years. Since 1927, Bauer has continually delivered the most sought after products in the industry, including the widely successful Supreme and Vapor lines of equipment. Under the terms of the sale agreement, Bauer Hockey will continue to develop and market products utilizing the Nike Bauer Hockey trademark for up to two years.Davis takes over for Mark Duggan, who will return to Nike, Inc where he has worked for more than 26 years. A 15-year veteran of the sporting goods, consumer products, and medical device industries, Davis brings a wealth of experience through his work with major brands such as Nike, Gillette and Braun. Davis most recently served as Nike Bauer Hockey’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer and has been with the company for the past six years. During that time, he helped guide the company to its most successful financial position in its history, including record financial results for the past two years.”The chance to help evolve a company’s future is a rare opportunity and I am eager to take the reins as President & CEO as we begin this exciting new chapter as a stand alone entity,” said Davis. “Over the past few years, we have developed the sport’s most innovative products, built the most coveted brand in hockey and assembled the most dedicated team in the industry. As a result, we have achieved the No. 1 position in the industry and I’m confident that with the added support of our new ownership group, we will continue to meet the high standards that our consumers and retailers demand.”About Bauer HockeyBauer Hockey is the world’s most recognized designer, marketer and manufacturer of hockey equipment and currently operates under the Nike Bauer Hockey name. Founded in 1927, Bauer Hockey developed the first skate with the blade attached to the boot, forever changing the game of hockey. Since then, Bauer Hockey has continued to develop the most sought after products in the industry, including the widely successful Supreme and Vapor lines of equipment.About Kohlberg & CompanyKohlberg & Company is a leading private equity firm with offices in Mt. Kisco, New York and Portola Valley, California. Since its inception in 1987, Kohlberg has completed more than 45 platform investments and more than 50 add-on acquisitions, with aggregate transaction value in excess of $7 billion. Kohlberg has invested over $2 billion across six private equity funds to date, including through its current $1.5 billion sixth fund, Kohlberg Investors VI.About W. Graeme RoustanW. Graeme Roustan is a native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he grew up playing hockey from the age of three. Through his wholly owned holding company ROUSTAN INC., Roustan places equity investments primarily in the arena and aviation industries. Roustan brings an extensive network of long-term relationships in the ice hockey industry and community, proven business acumen and significant financial resources to follow his vision of vertical integration of the arena marketplace worldwide. Roustan’s extensive portfolios of arena businesses are managed as part of ROUSTANUNITED. For more information, visit the website at Bauer Hockey