London Olympics organizers have announced plans to re-open a ticket resale website on Tuesday for the Summer Games which has been out of commission for over a week but only for people who want to resell their tickets.

The ticket resale will allow people to return tickets, pilule resuming a resale effort that stalled earlier this month when the computer site crashed. London has suffered several computer glitches because demand for the July 27-Aug. 12 event has outstripped supply.

Ticket holders can offer their tickets for resale at face value until Feb. 3. Those who want to buy those Olympic tickets will have to wait until April.

Chris Townsend, the commercial director for the London 2012 organizers, said: “We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by the suspension of our ticketing resale platform. We made a commitment to our customers to give them a safe, secure and legal way of selling Olympic and Paralympic tickets which they are no longer able to use. We are delivering on that commitment.”

The decision to delay the resumption of purchases reflects a tacit acknowledgment by Olympics organizers that demand for tickets has exceeded the capability of their computers systems to address them.

London’s organizers have struggled with ticket sales — and the public anger that has emerged after several faltering efforts to make the sales fair and equitable. Frustration began from the start, with a complicated lottery system in which people blindly registered for tickets and handed over their credit card details before learning what tickets they were getting.

Two-thirds of ticket seekers failed to earn any in a first round that ended in April, with 22 million requests for 6.6 million available tickets. While some of those tickets will come back in resale, because the plans of the buyers have changed, organizers acknowledge that those numbers will be limited.

Another round was blighted by computer problems, even before the troubles with the resales earlier this month.

Global sports media and management company IMG Worldwide has struck a deal with advertising and marketing giant WPP to offer consumer products licensing and merchandising services.

In what the two companies have called a “multi-year agreement”, remedy WPP and IMG will establish a joint team, doctor sharing resources to provide licensing services to clients from WPP’s portfolio of agencies.

WPP chief executive officer Martin Sorrell stated: “More than ever, licensing is emerging as one of the new creative ways of developing brands and sales. It is a capability we see as increasingly important to our clients.

“We wanted to offer this important discipline in a global execution and with the market leader – that is IMG. In our view, there could be no better partner to help us achieve our goals in this area.”

George Pyne, president of IMG’s Sports and Entertainment Group, added: “WPP’s agencies have an impressive roster of clients coupled with the brand knowledge and consumer insights that come from years of experience working with them.

“We believe that our global execution capability and specialised expertise in the licensing business coupled with their deep-rooted knowledge and relationships with certain client companies can yield some very beneficial and successful partnerships. This is a really natural collaboration that was waiting to happen.”

Jeff Moorad, doctor chief executive of Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise San Diego Padres, has sold his US$21m stake in the team’s National League West rivals the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Moorad has transferred his minority share, believed to be around 8 per cent of the franchise, back into the hands of the team’s current partnership headed by managing general partner, Ken Kendrick.

Moorad has since confirmed to MLB.com that the deal is complete however, it wouldn’t necessarily accelerate his group’s takeover of the Padres. The Jeff Moorad Group currently own 49 per cent of the Petco Park-based franchise and have until March 2014 to complete the purchase from majority owner John Moores. Any deal will not be completed before the beginning of the 2011 season according to Moorad, though he added that he was considering buying Moores out early.

Regarding his potential takeover of the Padres, Moorad said: “We may very well accelerate it, but we’ve made no decision on when that will be.”

Moorad resigned as Diamondbacks chief executive in January 2009, enabling his group to pay US$100 million dollars for an initial 35 per cent stake in the Padres in March of that year. As per the contract signed, this investment increased to 49 per cent prior to the start of the 2010 MLB season. At the time of the initial transaction, the Padres were valued at US$530 million including debt.

For 34 seasons, Dave Niehaus narrated baseball in the Pacific Northwest.

The golden Midwestern tones and trademark “My Oh My” and “It will fly away” tags of Seattle’s first baseball icon were silenced Wednesday.

Niehaus, who called the first pitch in Seattle Mariners history and described more than three decades of occasionally good and mostly bad baseball, died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack at his suburban Bellevue home, according to his family. He was 75.

“He was one of the great broadcast voices of our generation, a true gentleman, and a credit to baseball,” commissioner Bud Selig said. “He was a good friend and I will miss him. But he will be sorely missed, not only in the Pacific Northwest, where he had called Mariners games since the club’s inception in 1977, but wherever the game is played.”

From Diego Segui’s first pitch on April 6, 1977, through the end of the 2010 season, Niehaus called 5,284 of the Mariners’ 5,385 games. He was the instructor for a region void of the major league game sans the Seattle Pilots’ one-year experiment in 1969. Adults and kids regularly tuned in on summer evenings to hear Niehaus try and put his best spin on what were among the worst teams in baseball during much of the club’s history.

The Munich 2018 Winter Olympic Games has announced that it is switching venues for the biathlon and cross-country skiing events, treat with Schwaiganger Ranch being named as the new site.

Munich 2018 CEO, Willy Bogner, said: “Our core concern is creating the best possible conditions for athletes. They must be able to experience the unique atmosphere of an Olympic Village, and at the same time have quick, easy access to the venues. The Schwaiganger Ranch complies with all the technical requirements from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Federations; it meets all the stringent environmental standards that we have imposed on ourselves, as well as offering a spectacularly beautiful natural setting with a wide range of slopes.

“With great skiing conditions and excellent transport infrastructure, it is the perfect place for winter sports fans to enjoy top class competition. In the Schwaiganger Ranch, we have found the ideal venue for our Nordic Centre.”

The Schwaiganger Ranch is also close to the Snow Village, which will host all the athletes competing in alpine and Nordic competitions.

Milwaukee in Wisconsin has been announced as the host of the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships on Aug. 8-9, and 2015.

The event first came to Milwaukee and the city’s Lake Michigan lakeshore in 2013, ed hosting a record field of nearly 4, viagra 000 athletes at the Milwaukee Art Museum and Discovery World. The economic impact of the 2013 event was nearly $5.8 million, and the event was also voted the Best Urban Triathlon in the 2013 Triathlon Business International Triathletes’ Choice Awards. In 2014, the event sold out with a registered field of 5,700 athletes vying for national titles and world championships spots in the Olympic-distance and sprint events on Aug. 9-10.

“The City of Milwaukee and our local organizing committee have been superb hosts over the past two years while helping us welcome record fields for this marquee race,” said Rob Urbach, USA Triathlon CEO. “The participant feedback for the venue and the entire event experience has been overwhelmingly positive, so we are thrilled to announce the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships — one of the sport’s largest events — will return to Milwaukee in 2015.”

“We are honored that USA Triathlon has decided to return to Milwaukee for an unprecedented third time in 2015,” said Paul Upchurch, President and CEO of VISIT Milwaukee. “Milwaukee’s lakefront has proved to be a spectacular venue for this event, which results in nearly $6 million in economic impact to the community. This amazing event would not be possible without the hard work of the entire community to ensure that the triathlon runs smoothly and the athletes have the best experience possible.”

The Aug. 8 Olympic-distance race features a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run, while the sprint race on Aug. 9 will showcase a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run. The races will serve as qualifiers for Team USA, the select group of amateur triathletes who represent the U.S. at International Triathlon Union World Championship events.

The 2015 Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee will serve as the sole event qualifier for Team USA for the 2016 ITU Age Group World Championships, with location for that event still to be determined.

Automobile manufacturer Hyundai has kicked off their marketing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with a complete 360˚ integrated marketing platform.

Two all-new in-game 30-second spots featuring the redesigned 2015 Sonata will join digital, social, CRM, and retail executions engaging and inspiring audiences.  

The spots will air on ESPN and Univision as part of Hyundai’s exclusive whistle-to-whistle automotive advertising sponsorship of the World Cup series broadcasts on the networks.  2014 marks Hyundai’s fourth consecutive year since 2002 as the official vehicle sponsor of the World Cup.

This year’s creative theme celebrating fan passion is a nod to what being a true fan really means.  Hyundai’s ranking as No. 1 in customer loyalty for the fifth consecutive year, according to research consultancy, Brand Keys, served as the creative inspiration.  The all-new spots highlight the emotional love of the game and aim to inspire fans with two simple words – “#BecauseFutbol.”  Creative was developed by Hyundai’s agency of record, INNOCEAN USA.

“Boom,” a 30-second spot, celebrates fan passion as a powerful force shedding light on the world-wide phenomenon of baby booms. 

“Avoidance,” a 30-second spot, follows a man on his emotional journey home to watch a game he’s recorded.  He goes to great lengths to avoid spoilers throughout the day, only to be foiled by an unexpected source. 

“Soccer fans are more than just supporters of the game – they are die hard, loyal fanatics for their teams and countries,” said Steve Shannon, vice president, Marketing, Hyundai Motor America.  “As the industry leader in customer loyalty, Hyundai knows a thing or two about passion. This year’s World Cup campaign shows what being a ‘true’ fan really means; and how for 30 days people come together, lives change, emotions rise and unexpected moments happen.”

Sports agency Matter, Inc., has been selected as the Agency of Record for the 2015 PGA Championship, which will be played Aug. 10-16, 2015, at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis.

The scope of work includes strategic planning, media relations management, social media activation, counsel on tournament hospitality and assistance in brokering regional partnerships.

“The PGA of America was looking for a partner with a strong presence in the Midwest and experience across numerous platforms, as well as significant experience in the golf industry,” said Jason Mengel, Championship Director of the 2015 PGA Championship. “Matter, Inc., showcased a great depth of experience in all areas, highlighted by their integral role in helping make the 2012 Ryder Cup a success for The PGA of America.”

The account will be led by Matter, Inc.’s Chicago office, which previously served as the Agency of Record account team for the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah (Ill.) Country Club.

“We look forward to leveraging our demonstrated experience, strong relationships and true passion for the golf industry to help make the 2015 PGA Championship a successful and memorable event for fans, players and media alike,” said Steve Maliszewski, senior vice president in Matter, Inc.’s Chicago office. “MATTER has always taken great pride in helping The PGA of America further its mission to grow golf, and we are excited to help tell the championship’s ‘This Is Major’ story.”

The 2015 PGA Championship will be the third PGA Championship hosted by Kohler Co. and held on the Straits Course at Whistling Straits. 

John Berylson, chairman of English Championship club Milwall, is adamant the club’s long-term future is at The Den despite the council’s redevelopment plans.

A statement on the Championship club’s website said Berylson was “shocked and appalled” at Lewisham Council’s decision to sell off to a property developer the freehold of three areas around the stadium.

Millwall say their own plans for the sites – two of which are currently occupied by the club’s car park and community centre – have not even been considered.

Despite that, Berylson told the club website: “I have made our position clear to Lewisham Council.

“I am hopeful that we can have positive dialogue with them going forward so that our interests and that of the Community Trust will be recognised and protected.

“I am determined that Millwall will continue to have a very bright future and will be playing football at The Den for many generations to come.”

JTG Daugherty Racing team officials announced a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) that will include receiving ECR Engines and engineering services during the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with driver AJ Allmendinger behind the wheel of the No. 47 entry.

“We certainly appreciate all the support that TRD (Toyota Racing Development) has provided to JTG Daugherty Racing for five years and we are great fans of their business model, shop ” JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter said.

“As a single-car team, anesthetist we feel that aligning directly with a successful multi-car organization like Richard Childress Racing is what will work best for us in 2014.”

After nearly 15 years of success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, JTG Daugherty Racing ventured into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with driver Marcos Ambrose at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July of 2008. Ambrose went on to score the team’s career-best finish with second-place at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2009.