Golfing icon Gary Player and Black Knight International have announced a multi-year partnership with Revolution Golf, allergist an online golf learning website, ed to produce a comprehensive instructional golf media series with the Black Knight.

The instructional multimedia production and DVD box set, titled “A Game For Life,” is scheduled for release soon and will feature the keys to the Grand Slam winner’s success with instruction, tips, and advice acquired through his illustrious 60-year professional career.

“I have had a wonderful time filming with the Revolution Golf team and I am excited to share all the ins and outs on and off the course that helped my golfing career,” said Gary Player. “My biggest hope is to inspire viewers to get out on the course, practice the correct techniques to lower their handicap, and most of all enjoy the game.”

Player brings his unparalleled knowledge to Revolution Golf’s lineup of highly respected players and coaches, which includes top American instructor Jim McLean. The addition of Player is an exciting development for Revolution Golf’s portfolio on a global scale.

“Being able to add a world renowned golfer of Gary Player’s caliber to the Revolution Golf team is thrilling,” said Justin Tupper, Revolution Golf Co-Founder and CEO. “The level of fun, entertainment, and education that Gary Player brings to this instructional series will greatly appeal to the more than 1 million current RevolutionGolf.com subscribers and will surely inspire millions of new and long-standing golfers worldwide who are seriously interested in improving their game through lessons on golf technique and life in general from one of the all-time greats.”

“We are truly excited about teaming with Revolution Golf to create a phenomenal production giving a complete look into Gary Player’s three dimensional golf and fitness philosophies,” said Marc Player, CEO of Black Knight International. “Revolution Golf offers the best model for instructional multimedia and we are excited to see the finished product as soon as possible.”

Hireko Golf, one of the golf industry’s most complete sources for golf clubs, announced that it has purchased SK Fiber Shafts to strengthen their commitment to becoming the largest online retailer of custom fit golf products and components.

The acquisition adds a further strong golf brand to an already powerful portfolio that includes Acer, Dynacraft, Power Play, iBella and Karma Grips.

“SK Fiber is an established innovative brand that is trusted by golfers at every skill level,” said Hireko Golf CEO Gineta Lin. “Through this acquisition, we’ve added a premium quality, highly recognized name to our golf shaft portfolio while gaining a valuable competitive advantage in the clubmaking market.”

Since 1999 SK Fiber graphite golf shafts have been recognized by many of the world’s best club fitters, golfers and equipment manufacturers as the most consistent graphite shafts in the industry. By sourcing premium composite materials, implementing leading edge design technologies and paying strict attention to quality control, SK Fiber consistently delivers technically advanced golf shafts that deliver consistent performance for golfers of all skill levels to play their personal best.

“We’ve long admired SK Fiber’s enthusiasm for incorporating performance technologies into its shafts,” commented CEO Gineta Lin. “SK Fiber’s owner and chief designer Charles Blume will combine his expertise and talents with Hireko’s research and development department to continue developing technically advanced golf shafts that deliver consistent performance for enhancing golfers’ experiences on the golf course. This partnership is a win-win relationship for golfers and component buyers alike.

While Hireko will continue working with and sourcing from the same factory in Korea, the distribution of the SK Fiber shaft line will be moved to Hireko’s corporate and warehouse center in the City of Industry, California. Hireko’s expanded product selection, lower prices, superior custom service and technology centric design focus is the centerpiece in their strategy to become a leader among clubmakers, clubfitters and golfers worldwide.

TV audience figures for the first six events of the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2012, anesthetist improved by 45 percent compared to the previous season.

Figures were unveiled by Eurosport Events, viagra the championship promoter, arthritis following the midseason broadcast report published by independent German institute IFM.
Over 471 hours of coverage, the cumulative global reach totalled to 254 million viewers worldwide, against the record figure of 175 million achieved on the same period in 2011.

Especially good performances were delivered by free-to-air channels in Germany (RTL), Hungary (MTV), Morocco ( 2M) and Japan (TXN network, including TV Tokyo and TV Osaka).

Ulrich Lacher, Managing Director of IFM, commented: “WTCC – unlike many other series – again shows a healthy increase, continuing the trend from the previous years. We attribute that to the growing popularity as a result of the good TV distribution of the series, which has made its way onto a number of major national networks in key motorsport markets like Japan, USA, China and Germany. The series is expanding beyond pan-continental broadcasters like Eurosport and Star Sports.”

Antonios Argyropoulos, Head of Media Rights Distribution, Eurosport Events, said: “WTCC can now look at another record breaking season with the conservative aim of exceeding the mark of half-billion viewers in 2012.”

WTCC benefits from TV coverage, including  programmes in Europe, Americas, Japan and the Asia-Pacific regions through 87 broadcasters and in 180 countries around the world.

Formula One team Sauber have announced today that CEO Monisha Kaltenborn will be a part owner of the team owning one-third of the team.

Peter Sauber, Team Principal of the Swiss-based outfit, said that Kaltenborn, 41, had received the stake in the Sauber Group “in the interests of continuity”.

“When BMW pulled out of Formula One in 2009, Monisha Kaltenborn was instrumental in the team’s survival and since then she has been doing outstanding work in her capacity as CEO,” Sauber said.

“Transferring one third of the stake to her represents an important step for me in providing continuity. My desire is to ensure that the company continues to be led as I would want over the long term.

“Monisha Kaltenborn and my son Alex, who joined the company as Marketing Director in 2010 and has since also been a member of the Board of Management, both embrace this aim. It means we can offer our employees a positive outlook for the future.”

Sauber, who is also President of the Board of Directors of all Sauber Group companies, will retain the remaining two-thirds share.

He reacquired ownership of the team following BMW’s decision to withdraw from the sport midway through the 2009 season.

That decision left their future in jeopardy for several months. However, Sauber regained their place on the F1 grid after Toyota subsequently announced that it was withdrawing its team.

Kaltenborn, who joined Sauber as head of their legal department in 2000, added: “For me this step is a mark of the greatest possible trust, which I will do everything in my power to justify.”

Phenomenon Jeremy Lin will soon have the rights to his global nickname ‘Linsanity’ after the New York Knicks point guard filed an application on Feb. 13 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to the agency’s website.

The filing came six days after Yenchin Chang, a 35-year-old Alhambra, California, resident with no ties to Lin, became the first to apply for a Linsanity trademark, according to the website.

A second filing was made on Feb. 9 by Andrew W. Slayton of Los Altos, California, and on Feb. 14 there was another filing by Yoonsoo Stephen Kim of Duluth, Georgia.

“We’re prepared to enforce his intellectual property rights,” Pamela M. Deese, a partner in the law firm Arent Fox LLP, said in a telephone interview, confirming that she had filed the application on Lin’s behalf.

Trademark applications generally take about three months to be examined and published, according to Gary Krugman, a partner at the Washington-based firm ofSughrue Mion. As Lin, 23, is the subject of the phrase Linsanity, he would probably be successful in opposing an application filed earlier than his own, Krugman said.

“Nobody can register a mark if it falsely suggests a connection with a person or an institution,” Krugman said in a telephone interview. “I would guess that Jeremy Lin would be able to oppose on the grounds that Linsanity points uniquely and unmistakably to him.”

Lin, the first Harvard University graduate to play in the National Basketball Associationsince Ed Smith in 1953-54 and the first Chinese-or Taiwanese-American ever to play in the league, drew widespread attention coming off the bench Feb. 4 to score 25 points and hand out seven assists in a win over the New Jersey Nets. As a starter, he led New York to six straight wins, boosting television ratings, ticket prices and worldwide interest in his game.

Lin’s agent, Roger Montgomery, also filed his own Linsanity application on Feb. 14, one day after Lin’s. An e-mail seeking comment from Montgomery about the reasoning behind his separate filing wasn’t immediately returned. Deese declined to comment about Montgomery’s filing.

Chang said he “wanted to be part of the excitement” in making his own filing. An AndrewSlayton who said he used to coach Lin in high school told the New York Post that in 2010 he registered the domain names Linsanity.com and thejeremylinshow.com, where Lin-related merchandise is being sold.

Lin’s filing seeks to use Linsanity for goods such as bags, cups, clothing, toys and beverages.

Discuss the potential commerical impact of ‘Linsanity’ here

by Ismail Uddin

Bannkrupt former NFL great Ray Guy has sold his three Super Bowl championship rings for a total of $96,216 at an auction to help pay off his debts.

Guy now 61, won his Superbowl titles with the Oakland Raiders in 1976 and 1980 and with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1983. He has been to the Pro Bowl seven times in his 14-year career.

He filed for bankruptcy protection in Augusta, Georgia, in April 2010 and got authorization May 23 to sell the rings, according to court records.

The rings were sold by Nate D. Sanders Inc, the Los Angeles-based auction house that issued a news release yesterday with the final sales price. The auction company said each ring contained at least 22 diamonds.

English Premier League soccer side Tottenham Hotspur, who crashed out of the UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals at the hands of Real Madrid last night, has officially launched legal action at London’s High Court for a judicial review of London rival West Ham United’s successful bid for the London Olympic Stadium.

Tottenham has said it had sought permission from the court to bring a claim against the east London Borough of Newham after the Council arranged a £40m (US$65m) loan to finance West Ham’s move to the stadium after the 2012 Games.

Following a proposal made to the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), Tottenham lost out to West Ham to become the tenant of the stadium following next year’s Olympic Games.

The crucial factor in the decision of the OPLC to award preferred bidder status to West Ham, a process which still required ratification by the Mayor of London and UK Government, revolved the league strugglers plans to convert the 80,000-seater stadium into a 60,000-capacity facility, most importantly, retaining the athletics track.

It is believed Tottenham will ask the judicial review to consider whether Newham Council was right to use public money for the loan, and whether it went through proper processes before doing so.

In a statement, Tottenham said: “The club has today sought permission from the High Court to bring a claim against the London Borough of Newham for judicial review of Newham’s process in providing a loan for the conversion of the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games.

“The club wrote to Newham asking it to explain its reasons and justification for its decision, but Newham has declined to respond to this request for information.

“Due to the time limits which apply to claims for judicial review, the club has had no alternative but to issue these proceedings in order to protect its position.

“The club continues to hold discussions with both local and national government bodies in order to seek to agree a feasible stadium solution.”

It was revealed in March that Spurs had sent letters warning of court action to Newham Council and the OPLC after their bid was rebuffed as they had hoped, in their joint bid with AEG sport and entertainment group, to create a soccer-only stadium without the track and to redevelop Crystal Palace for athletics..

West Ham plans to move from Upton Park as of the 2014-15 season, though whether they will have maintained Premier League status by then is less certain.

Irish rugby union team Ulster Rugby has signed a five-year sponsorship deal with Dutch brewer Heineken, it has been announced.

The deal will see Heineken Beer, Murphy’s Stout and Bulmer’s Original Cider served from all the bars at Ulster’s Ravenhill ground.

Chief executive of Ulster, Shane Logan, said: “Together we believe that the Ravenhill experience can become renowned throughout European Rugby – we want the opposition teams to fear coming here, whilst giving the away fans an experience they will never forget when they arrive.

“Heineken NI is an integral part of building this experience. Our partnership represents a significant investment in Ulster Rugby’s future. We are confident Ulster Rugby can become one of the biggest clubs in Europe.”

Commercial manager for Heineken NI, Leza Nulty, added: “The optimism around Ulster Rugby is infectious. When Heineken first met with Ulster Rugby it quickly became clear that we shared a mutual vision. Ulster Rugby plan to be the premium rugby team, not only in Ireland, but throughout Europe.”

GLORY Sports International, a professional martial arts organisation and television content provider, has appointed Jon J. Franklin as Chief Executive Officer.

In this role, Franklin will oversee management of the world’s premier kickboxing league, with coverage in over 170 global territories.

Since 2002, Franklin has been President of The Sports and Entertainment Company (Sports-EntCo), a sports and entertainment marketing firm that assisted with production, programming, sponsorship, and logistics for GLORY events in the United States.

“I look forward to working with Jon in this new capacity. He has been a big part of our incredible success thus far and is uniquely suited to lead GLORY into the next phase of development,” said Pierre Andurand, GLORY Chairman and Co-Founder. “With Jon at the helm, we are confident that 2015 will be a banner year in the evolution of our brand as a leading combat sports league in the United Statesand abroad.”

Previously, Franklin spent 15 years in senior roles at IMG-Media and has also served as President of Golden Gloves Boxing LLC and AP-X, a division of America Presents Boxing.

“I’m honored to have been a part of GLORY’s growth into one of the top fight promotions worldwide, but the work is not done,” said Franklin. “I truly believe that we have the best athletes in the world, with production for both live audiences and home viewers that is second to none. As we move into the new year, I can’t wait to share GLORY’s global vision for kickboxing with our fans.”

Andrew Whitaker, who served as CEO previously, will assume an advisory role with GLORY as a consultant for business development.

GLORY also jointly announced with SPIKE TV that they have extended their agreement to provide original kickboxing programming through 2015, with a full fall schedule to be released in the coming weeks.

The World Rowing Federation (FISA) has announnced today that it has launched the bid process for future World Rowing events.

The selection includes World Rowing’s most prestigious event, the 2019 World Rowing Championships. In addition to the more than 1.200 athletes from over 70 countries, this event attracts a significant number of international spectators and reaches a global television audience. In addition, the 2019 Championships will double as the main Olympic Qualification Regatta for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, thus considerably enhancing the brand of the host city.

The final event open for bids is the 2017 FISA Extraordinary Congress. The Extraordinary Congress happens every four years with decisions about the statutes, rules and regulations of rowing being made. The Extraordinary Congress is held in February in this post-Olympic year.

Accepted bids will be provided with bid documentation by September 15th. Candidates will make their presentations to FISA during the 2015 World Rowing Cup regatta in Lucerne. The FISA Council will make their final recommendation at the FISA Congress in 2015.

Full list of events available for bids:

2017
– World Rowing Junior Championships
– World Rowing Cup II and III
– World Rowing Coastal Championships
– FISA Extraordinary Congress

2018
– World Rowing Junior Championships
– World Rowing Under 23 Championships
– World Rowing Cup II & III
– World Rowing Masters Regatta

2019
– World Rowing Championships
– World Rowing Under 23 Championships
– World Rowing Masters Regatta

Check out more details here