Fortune eludes Huizenga's Dolphins -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Fortune eludes Huizenga's Dolphins -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com:

"H. Wayne Huizenga built three Fortune 500 companies and is on the Forbes 400 list of the world's richest people.

He's been recognized worldwide for his success as an entrepreneur.

But his 0-10 Dolphins, who haven't played in the postseason since the 2001 season, are destined for a sixth consecutive winter without a trip to the playoffs. Only three teams in the NFL have a longer playoff drought.

Clearly, victories in the boardroom don't guarantee on-field performance, making it common for fans to wonder: How can a guy be such a successful businessman and be so unsuccessful when it comes to his sports team?"

BONHAM AND HINCHEY: Corporate suites at sports events serve a purpose : Columns & Blogs : The Rocky Mountain News

BONHAM AND HINCHEY: Corporate suites at sports events serve a purpose : Columns & Blogs : The Rocky Mountain News:

"For many people, attending sports events is a way to flee the office. For others, it's a way to profitably extend their business activities, as is the case with corporate hospitality suites at virtually every sports facility and marquee event.

Corporate suite accommodations have risen to a level of extraordinary lavishness. To outside observers, they may seem like tailgating on steroids. They can range from $30,000 annually for rather modest accommodations to more than $180,000 a year.

According to sports marketing expert Phil Schaaf, author of Sports Inc.: 100 Years of Sports Business and Sports Marketing: It's Not Just a Game Anymore, it wasn't always this way.

'In the early days,' Schaaf said, 'sports marketing meant nothing more than selling tickets and some billboard space inside the stadium. But as the 'skybox,' or luxury suite, became an endogenous part of facilities (the first ones were at the Astrodome, which opened in 1965), corporate hospitality and sponsorships evolved organically . . . though it took until the mid-1980s for it to become a full-fledged industry, the key event being the 1984 'Ueberroth Olympics' in Los Angeles."

Bloomberg.com: North American

Bloomberg.com: North American:

"Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees have agreed to a $30 million marketing deal, the last significant hurdle in a contract that returns the American League Most Valuable Player to New York, the New York Times reported on its Web site.

Rodriguez will make $275 million in salary over the 10-year agreement, the biggest contract in baseball history, the Times said.

He will also share in revenue the Yankees generate by marketing his home run milestones, the Times said, citing a Major League Baseball official it didn't identify. Rodriguez, who has 518 career home runs, will receive $6 million for tying totals of Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Henry Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762), and another $6 million when he breaks the record, the Times said. "

From the Bengal's web site and the eWeekly

Battle's son part of IMG deal with Host

The collegiate sports marketing landscape was shaken up Monday with the announcement that a global sports powerhouse is set to buy Host Communications Inc., the media-rights holder for University of Tennessee athletics and several other schools and athletic conferences.

IMG, a pioneer in the field of sports marketing upon its founding in 1960, said Monday that it has reached an agreement to buy Lexington, Ky.-based Host, with the deal expected to close by Thursday. Triple Crown Media Inc., Host's publicly traded parent company, said the sale price will be about $74.3 million.

The acquisition marks a continued push into college sports by IMG, which earlier this year bought Atlanta-based Collegiate Licensing Co., a trademark licensing business that represents nearly 200 schools, conferences and other collegiate properties.

Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Other Business

Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Other Business:

"The Colorado Avalanche's marketing team has concentrated on offense.

The more aggressive campaign comes after the club last year failed to skate into the playoffs for the first time since moving to Denver in 1995 and saw its amazing sellout streak snapped at 487 games.

Owner Kroenke Sports has boosted advertising spending, formed a sales group devoted to the team and turned on the creativity, mailing out hockey gloves and DVDs to top CEOs to try to pique their curiosity. "