Noch vor wenigen Wochen stand er im Fußballstadion von Danzig bei der Europameisterschaft im Rampenlicht, discount heute widmet er sich voll und ganz schnellen Reifen und abenteuerlichen Pisten. Marco Reus, click Fußball-Nationalspieler und prominentester Neuzugang von Borussia Dortmund, stand gerade in Dortmund für einen Werbespot mit Hot Wheels vor der Kamera. Mit dem Dreh gab er zugleich den Startschuss in seiner Funktion als neues Testimonial der Marke. Noch in diesem Jahr erwartet die Fans unter anderem ein Treffen der ganz besonderen Art.

“Wir freuen uns wirklich sehr auf die Zusammenarbeit mit Marco Reus. Die Hot Wheels Fans haben jetzt die Möglichkeit, den Shootingstar der EM 2012 hautnah zu erleben”, berichtet Dr. Stephanie Wegener, Leitung Unternehmenskommunikation von Mattel, “Und schon bald heißt es “Mit Marco Reus zum Autodesigner werden”, denn dann sind die Fans dran, ihre ganz eigenen Hot Wheels Modelle zu entwerfen.” Marco Reus selbst ist begeistert von der Zusammenarbeit: “Jungs wie ich lieben neben dem runden Leder alles, was vier Räder hat und schnell unterwegs ist. Als Kind hab ich selbst mit Hot Wheels gespielt. Ich freu mich schon darauf, mit meinen kleinen Fans in dieser Welt wieder spielen zu dürfen.” Im Rahmen von “Design by… Marco Reus” startet schon bald der große Designwettbewerb, bei dem Marco Reus mit seinen Fans ein eigens entworfenes Hot Wheels Modell vorstellt. Es bleibt spannend!

Der Hot Wheels-Spot mit Marco Reus ist ab 4. Oktober 2012 online und im TV zu sehen. Mehr Informationen zu Marco Reus als Hot Wheels Testimonial gibt es unter www.hotwheels.de.

NASCAR announced on Tuesday a change in the leadership structure at broadcasting and production units, selecting Steve Herbst to lead what was formerly known as NASCAR Media Group.

Herbst, who has overseen NASCAR’s broadcasting and global media rights since May 2011, will now lead the rebranded NASCAR Productions, which will be more closely aligned with NASCAR Broadcasting, NASCAR Digital Media and NASCAR Entertainment.

His new title will be VP, broadcasting and production and he will report to senior VP and CMO Steve Phelps. Herbst’s pre-NASCAR resume includes executive VP/general manager of CBS College Sports Network and 19 years with the NBA in a number of broadcasting positions.

Additionally, Steve Stum has been promoted to VP of operations and technical production, Tally Hair has been named managing director of productions and programming and Seth Bacon has been upped to senior director of broadcasting. All appointments are effective immediately.

Jay Abraham, most recently COO of NASCAR Media Group, is no longer with the company.

Along with the leadership changes, NASCAR Productions will now solely focus on projects related to NASCSAR after current unrelated projects have been completed.

“Over the last two years NASCAR has taken a number of steps and made significant investments to drive long-term growth and build value for industry stakeholders,” said NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France. “This is the next evolution to better position NASCAR to meet the challenges of the existing business landscape and to capitalize on the growth opportunities before us.”

Formula One organisers will evaluate the 2012 calendar later this year, after concern about the status of some of the races that are on next year’s schedule.

The main focus of the concern is the 2012 Bahrain and Korean Grands Prixs and both will be discussed for Thursday’s meeting of the F1 Commission in Geneva.

Bahrain’s position on the calendar is dependent on the ongoing political situation within the Gulf state, with this year’s event having been cancelled because of troubles.

The fate of the Korean Grand Prix rests on its financial situation, with race promoters having revealed that they want to reduce the hosting fee going forward – something Ecclestone has said he is reluctant to do.

Also sources have discovered that F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone informed team principals over the Indian Grand Prix weekend that there were also now minor question marks about the fate of the new Austin Grand Prix.

It is understood that if either race is dropped then Turkey is the favourite to replace it, after losing its place on the calendar.

Ecclestone said that he was keen for both Bahrain and Korea to remain on the schedule.

“Yes, absolutely,” he said. “But let’s wait and see,” he told Autosport.

The situation in Austin appears more complicated, with Ecclestone suggesting that, while construction work is ongoing, there are issues inside the company that is putting the event together.

“I don’t think they are struggling [with building the track] at all,” he explained. “I think there has been a disagreement inside the company.”

When asked if he was certain the race would take place in 2012, Ecclestone said: “If you had said to me a month ago, is this [the Indian GP] 100 per cent going to happen then I would have said, ‘I don’t know’. So ask me a month before the race is due to happen.”

But with Ecclestone having already pulled off a deal for New Jersey to hold a grand prix in 2013, he said that it would not be too much a blow if Austin’s arrival on the calendar was delayed.

“We can have it next year or the year after,” he said. “It is not the end of the world.”

The NBA has set its deadline September 15 for a new collective-bargaining agreement to be reached before the NBA officially starts to cancel training camp and preseason games, league sources told Hoopsworld.

Should even one preseason game be canceled, advertisers and sponsors would start pulling commitments and season ticket holders would likely start asking for refunds, sources told the website.

The next negotiating session is reportedly scheduled for Wednesday in New York, which will be attended by top executives on both sides, including NBA commissioner David Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver, and NBPA executive director Billy Hunter and president Derek Fisher.

Still, there is little optimism that much progress will be made this week and with only two weeks to go the realisation has sunk in that the NBA season is likely to be affected.

During this lockout the players have been on high-alert not to make public relations mishaps like they did in the last lockout. Among the many public relations gaffes made by players 13 years ago was Kenny Anderson joking that he may have to sell his Mercedes to cope with his lost salary.

To stop this from recurring the union, at the direction of president Derek Fisher, last fall distributed a 56-page lockout handbook to all players. In the “media” section, players were implored, “Please be sensitive about interviews or other media displays of a luxurious lifestyle.”

“It was a huge emphasis,” Fisher told The New York Times about the focus on winning the public relations battle. “The reality is, we’re in a great position, where guys have worked to put themselves in this place where they can potentially earn millions of dollars.”

Last season, players’ average salary was about $5 million, from a minimum of $474,000 to a maximum of Kobe Bryant’s $24.8 million. “We don’t expect that people are going to feel sorry for us,” Fisher added.

So far, the players have heeded the union’s advice. While Dwyane Wade and George Hill have made jokes on Twitter about applying for jobs or collecting unemployment, players have largely kept their commentary on point and their Twitter feeds in check.

The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission found that the National Football League (NFL) side, clinic Minnesota Vikings lost more than US$10m in gate receipts as a result of the roof collapse at the Metrodome arena in which they play their home matches.

The caving in of a portion of the roof was caused by excessive weight and pressure from the prolonged period of snowfall at the end of lat year and forced the game against the Giants to be moved to Detroit and the one against the Bears to move to TCF Bank Stadium.

The team also took in $789, brand viagra online 000 in concession sales in 2010, down from $1.15m in the previous year, a total that again reflected 11 Metrodome dates in 2009 compared with eight in 2010.

The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) have signed an continental affiliation agreement during the European Championships.

Newly elected ETTU President Ronald KRAMER signed the affiliation agreement with ITTF’s Deputy President Thomas WEIKERT during a special ceremony in Schwechat, Austria.

ITTF President Adham SHARARA stated after the historic occasion: “I am personally very happy and proud that the European Table Tennis Union has decided to sign the ITTF-Continental Affiliation agreement. This is an indication that the ETTU and its newly elected President, Mr Ronald KRAMER, have understood the benefits of this agreement and have decided to work closely with the ITTF for the development of our sport in Europe and in the World. This is a very positive step forward and I am sure that our work together will reap benefits for Europe and will bring the ITTF family closer together for the benefit of our sport.”

“To sign such an agreement does mean that it is not just a financial benefit for Europe, additionally it means that Europe can implement development projects as well as plan with the ITTF marketing activities to generate more income for the ETTU.”

“The ITTF and both its Development Plan staff and Marketing Division staff will now work together with the ETTU to catch up on time lost in 2013, and make sure that the ETTU is back on track with its development plan and open new frontiers with new marketing initiatives” concluded the ITTF President.

ETTU President shared the excitement of President SHARARA: “I am very pleased that, so soon after being elected, the new ETTU Executive Board, has agreed to this very important Continental Affiliation Agreement. It is a basis for productive cooperation for ITTF and especially for ETTU in the near future. It will help present our lovely sport in a more uniform way in Europe and in the World.”

The Annual General Meeting of the ITTF held in Dortmund (Germany) on 27 March 2012 approved a Resolution stating that Continental Federations be affiliated to the ITTF according to established criteria proposed by the Development and Continental Council, and that the application for affiliation be renewed every 4 years in the year of the Olympic Games.

This affiliation system links continental events to the ITTF world title events and also gives the continental federation the right to access ITTF development plan funds, as well as share in ITTF marketing income for specific events and have official recognition from the ITTF.

In addition to full recognition, continental federations receive funding directly from the International Table Tennis Federation for development purposes; there is a confirmed increase of 30 per cent over the previous quadrennial, and close to USD 700,000 is available for ETTU for the period 2013 to 2016 by signing the agreement.

ETTU President KRAMER explained some of the criteria for affiliation: “We encourage and support the development of our sport in a sustainable, structured, progressive and professional manner and we will work with the ITTF on a quadrennial development plan basis. In addition, we agreed to respect the principles of the ITTF: unity of action, mutual respect of associations in their dealings with one another, and the inadmissibility of discrimination against associations or individuals on racial, political, religious or other grounds.”

ETTU will link continental events for qualification to the ITTF world title events, specifically World Championships, World Cups and Olympic Games to reinforce greater marketing value and to ensure the participation of top players through specific agreements with the ITTF Competition Program, including the prerequisite that associations wishing to participate at the World Championships must first participate at the Continental Championships.