Sports & Celebrity Newswire

Archive for the ‘Athlete Appearances’ Category

RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL, NY – A mix of cheers and boos from the audience took place when the Denver Broncos shocked the NFL Thursday night, April 22, 2010, by picking Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Doug Finger/The Gainesville Sun Tim Tebow, picked at No. 25 by Denver, will become a test case of the relative importance of character vs. technique.

Earlier in the round the Broncos chose Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and then used a package of mid-round selections to trade up for Tebow. The Broncos chose Tebow at 25 in the first round. ... Read Full Story

AUGUSTA, GA – April 11, 2010, Phil Mickelson wins The Masters for a third time sharing his emotional win with wife Amy. Congratulations Phil for an outstanding game and very much deserved win. After Mickelson sank the final winning putt on the 18th hole, his wife Amy, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, was there waiting for him.

All eyes were on Mickelson as he embraced his wife for 27 seconds before a short kiss. A tear was seen rolling down his cheek as he was overcome with joy. ... Read Full Story

PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent recently hired Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Dan Hampton to speak at a private club event in Ohio and he received rave reviews. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced sports speaker who can tell entertaining stories and/or give a motivational speech, you should consider Hampton, says Jonathan Wexler, booking agent for PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency.

NFL Hall of Famer, Dan Hampton, is a popular speaker at PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency

Hampton was one of the most dominating defensive players of his generation. A first-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 1979 after an All-America career at Arizona, Hampton went onto play 12 seasons for the Bears, earning first or second-team All-Pro honors six times as either a lineman or end. ... Read Full Story

VANCOUVER, BC – Apolo Ohno won the bronze medal Saturday in the 1,000-meter short-track speed skating event winning his seventh Winter Olympics medal setting a new American record beating Bonnie Blair who held the record with 6 medals. Ohno now has two gold, two silver and three bronze medals in his three Olympic appearances.

Apolo Anton Ohno wins 7th Olympic medal in Vancouver breaking Bonnie Blairs record.

Ohno, who is already a successful motivational speaker, may very well walk away from Vancouver with millions of dollars worth of new endorsement deals. He already endorses luxury Omega watches, and since his record breaking win in Vancouver Saturday night, other sponsors are sure to follow soon. Alaska Airlines, which is Ohno’s biggest sponsor, painted his image on a Boeing 737. ... Read Full Story

With the Winter Olympics beginning, it will be interesting to see which American athletes become the darlings of these games. After each Olympics, it seems that a couple of athletes come away with a new-found celebrity that stays with them forever.

When I think of the Winter Olympics, I think of Dorothy Hamill and  Peggy Fleming’s gold medal figure skating performances, speed skater Dan Janzen deciding to race despite his sister’s losing battle with leukemia earlier that day, and the U.S. men’s hockey team led by Mike Eruzione defeating the mighty Russians in 1980 in what is still considered the greatest upset in Olympic history.

So who will become immortalized in American Olympics history? Here are a few Olympians to keep an eye on…

Lindsey Vonn – Vonn, the most successful American woman skier in World Cup history, will be favored in three events – Downhill, Super-G and Combined. She is the first American woman to win back-to-back overall World Cup championships and a Super G Title, and she has also won back-to-back downhill championships.

Lindsey Vonn is this years Olympic medal hopeful for downhill skiing and Super G

Apolo Anton Ohno -  Ohno has a chance to become the most celebrated American speed skater in Olympics history. He’s already won five medals (two gold, one silver, two bronze) and should add to that in Vancouver. He’s currently tied with Olympic legend Eric Heiden for most career medals by an American male. He has been the reigning United States champion since 2001 and has won the men’s national title a total of 12 times.

Already a 5 time Olympic medal winner in speed racing, Ohno is an odds on favorite to win.

Lindsey Jacobellis – Who can forget Jacobellis at the 2006 Winter Games? With a big lead and gold medal in-site, Jacobellis inexplicably fell as she neared the finish line and settled with the sliver. She’s dominated the women’s snowboard cross scene and should get redemption in Vancouver. She was the winner of the 2009 Snowboard Cross World Cup as well as the 2009 Winter X Games.

Lindsey Jacobellis dominates the women’s snowboard cross scene and is favored to win gold.

Steven Holcomb – The U.S. hasn’t won a gold medal in the four-man bobsled since 1948, but that might change this year. Holcomb’s “Night Train” bobsled team comes into Vancouver as the favorites. His team leads the current World Cup standings and are the reigning World Champions.

Steven Holcomb and his “Night Train” bobsled team comes into Vancouver as the favorites.

Rachael Flatt – Flatt won the gold medal at the recently completed U.S. Figure Skating Championships and appears to be peaking at the right time. She had previously won the silver medal at both the 2008 & 2009 Championships and was the 2008 World Junior Champion.

Rachel Flatt is America's favorite to win a medal in figure skating at Vancouver in 2010

If you would like to find out how to hire Olympic athletes for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event,  request Olympic medal winners such as Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, Apolo Anton Ohno, Lindsey Vonn booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top booking agent for Olympic athletes,  sports stars and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380

I’ve read on more than one occasion since the Tiger Woods story broke last month that the endorsement market for all athletes will suffer as a result of his indiscretions. The thinking goes that if companies can’t trust someone like Tiger, who for years had the cleanest image among all athletes, who can they trust?

Tiger Woods continues to endorse Nike. The organization stands behind him.

I don’t agree with this assessment. There’s an inherent risk whenever a company utilizes an athlete. He could get hurt, traded, arrested or, in the case of Tiger, caught with his pants down. Athletes have been endorsing products for close to 100 years and will continue to do so.

For every high-profile scandal such as Tiger or Kobe Bryant earlier this decade that resulted in companies either cancelling or not renewing their endorsement agreements, there are countless examples of endorsement deals that have been successful. Do you think Nike was disappointed with Michael Jordan or Gatorade with Derek Jeter?

Over the weekend, I was watching CNN and three commercials in a row featured athletes – Howie Long for Chevrolet, Dan Marino for NutriSystem and Chris Berman for Applebees. So will there be any fallout from “Tigergate”?

My guess is that companies will scrutinize potential endorsers even closer. Morality clauses, which give companies the ability to opt out of an endorsement agreement should an issue arise, will likely be tightened even more. And most importantly, companies likely won’t build their entire advertising campaign around just one athlete, which is what Accenture did with Tiger. Some people have estimated it will cost Accenture tens of millions of dollars just to remove all the advertising featuring Tiger. How many times have you been in an airport and seen an Accenture billboard with Tiger?

Speaking of Tiger, his fall from the mountaintop has been historic. Never has an athlete of Tiger’s stature fallen so far so fast. Just a month ago, ask someone to describe Tiger’s image and you would likely hear such words as squeaky-clean, trustworthy and integrity. To date, among his sponsors who have either cancelled or scaled down their involvement with him  include Tag Heuer, Accenture and Gillette. Gatorade is phasing out its Tiger product, although it made the announcement a few days prior to the start of Tiger’s problems.

PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency is a top booking agent for athlete endorsement deals,  athlete appearances and sports speakers. For more information on how to book an athlete endorsement or appearance, call 800.966.1380

Each Olympics seems to produce a handful of stars that will remain popular for years to come, one of whom is almost certainly Dorothy Hamill,  the Olympic gold medalist in figure skating. However, few Olympians have enjoyed the enduring popularity of Dorothy Hamill.

Dorothy Hamill, Olympic Gold medalist and breast cancer survivor, is a popular speaker today.

As a 19-year old, Hamill won the Gold Medal at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. In so doing, she joined other figure skaters such as Peggy Fleming and Kristi Yamaguchi as American icons.

After the Olympics, Hamill turned professional. She skated with many productions, including eight years with Ice Capades. She had four ABC television prime time specials produced in her honor and produced and starred in her own touring productions of “Cinderella – Frozen In Time”, “Hansel, Gretel, the Witch and the Cat”, and “Nutcracker On Ice”. She won an Emmy for her starring role in “Romeo and Juliet.”

Hamill was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame and the Figure Skating Hall of Fame and was honored by being asked to run the torch into the Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City in 2002 and skate the closing ceremonies with vocalist Harry Connick Jr.

Hamill is very involved in charity work including the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the International Special Olympics, Big Brothers & Sisters of America, Buoniconti Fund, Olympic Aid, Vaccine Fund, American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House and teaching blind children to skate through the March of Dimes.

In late 2007, she released her memoir entitled “A Skating Life: My Story”, which made the New York Times Best Seller List. The following year, Hamill was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was reportedly caught early.

She’s remains one of the most popular Olympic speakers and has become one of the most sought-after cancer speakers as well. PFP Sports & Celebrity Talent recently procured her to speak at a cancer conference in the Washington D.C. area. She currently splits her time between Nantucket, MA, where she runs the Dorothy Hamill Figure Skating Fantasy Camp, and Maryland.

If you would like to find out how to hire Dorothy Hamill for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Dorothy Hamill booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for sports stars, athletes and celebrities. Call 800 966.1380.

Picabo Street, Olympic Gold Medalist

In part one of my Winter Olympics blog, I profiled Mike Eruzione, the captain of the 1980 U.S. “Miracle On Ice” Hockey Team. In this blog you’ll learn about Picabo Street, one of the greatest American skiers of all-time. The next blog will feature figure skater Dorothy Hamill.

A three-time Olympian, Street joined the U.S. Ski Team in 1989 and earned a silver medal at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in ­the downhill. She made her mark at Olympic history at Negano in 1998 by taking gold in the super G by a mere hundredth of a second.

Street medaled in three World Championships and earned a combined silver in 1993 and super G bronze and downhill gold in 1996. Street became the first American to win a World Cup season title in a speed event after winning six of nine World Cup competitions in 1995. After suffering a leg injury and two years of rehabilitation, Street returned to compete in the 2002  Olympics in Salt Lake City before retiring. With nine career victories, she was inducted into the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame in 2005.

Since retirement, Street has remained in the public eye. She’s had broadcasting assignments with NBC’s Today Show, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, OLN and the FineLiving Network. In 2003, she hosted a 12 series winter sports show for OLN entitled Picabo Street’s Snow Zone and in 2006, Street was a Special Correspondent to NBC’s Today Show throughout the Turin Winter Games. She’s once again scheduled to work for NBC at the upcoming Winter Games in Vancouver.

As one of the most recognizable Olympians, she has served as spokeswoman for Giro helmets, Bolle eyewear, Park City Mountain Resort, Walk EZ and Bogner of America. She’s also one of the most popular Olympic speakers and stays busy making personal appearances and speaking around the country. Corporations will often hire Street to ski with clients and then deliver a keynote presentation afterwards.

If you would like to find out how to hire Picabo Street for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Picabo Street booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for Olympic speakers,  athlete appearances, sports stars, endorsements and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380.

I know the Winter Olympics aren’t far off when I start receiving inquiries about Olympic speakers. They seem to be especially popular this year because the Olympics will take place in nearby Vancouver, British Columbia. So who are the most popular Winter Olympians? Over the next couple blogs I’ll profile a couple of them – Mike Eruzione, Picabo Street and Dorothy Hamill. First up is Eruzione.

Mike Eruzione, Olympic hero & sports motivational speaker

A graduate of Boston University, Eruzione captained the hockey team his senior year and is among the school’s all-time leading scorers.  Little did he know that what lied ahead would change his life forever.

Entering the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid, NY, the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team werent’ considered medal favorites. They were a bunch of college players competing against stronger and faster teams from Europe, including the mighty Russians who had NHL-caliber players on their team and had won every gold medal but one since 1956. How good were the Russians? In exhibitions that year, Soviet club teams had gone 5–3–1 against NHL teams and a year earlier, the Soviet national team had routed the NHL All-Stars 6–0 to win the Challenge Cup.

In what became forever known as the “Miracle On Ice”, the U.S. stunned the Russians, 4-3, in the semifinals and went onto to win the gold medal after defeating Finland, 4-2. The win against the Russians is considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympics history and was named the Greatest Sports Moment of the Century” by Sports Illustrated.

Eruzione was (and still is) the face of that team. Not only did he serve as captain but he also scored the winning goal against the Russians. Ask anyone about their recollection of that historic event  and you’ll likely either get a rendition of Al Michaels’ memorable call “Do You Believe In Miracles” or a mention of Eruzione.

Eruzione and his team have become American icons. In 2002, Eruzione and his teammates had the honor of lighting the Olympic flame at the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were also inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

Today, Eruzione resides in Massachusetts and serves as Director of Development for Athletics at Boston University. He also stays busy making speaking engagements and personal appearances around the country. His inspirational story of what it takes to be a champion make him one of the sought-after sports speakers in the country.

If you would like to find out how to hire Mike Eruzione for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Mike Eruzione booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for sports stars and celebrities. Call 800.966.1380.

Goose Gossage

Since I spend so much time around athletes, people often ask me about my most memorable experiences. And while I’ve had my share of memories, both good and bad, one that always sticks out involved New York Yankees Hall of Famer Goose Gossage. If you haven’t met Goose, he’s a great guy who loves to have a good time. He’s full of laughs and great stories.

I was playing in a pro-am scramble golf event with Goose in Copper Mountain, Colorado in the late 90’s. The other members in our group were big Yankee fans from New Jersey. One of the members of our fivesome had just purchased a new putter and unfortunately waited until the tournament to try it out. To say this guy was bad is a major understatement. He was the worst putter I’ve ever seen. He just couldn’t figure out how to use it. If he had a 10 foot putt, he would hit it 20 feet past the hole. As the day went on, Goose gave the guy some good-natured ribbing, which everyone was enjoying.

Fast forward to the last hole. We had a 30 foot putt for birdie, which the first four people had missed. Goose was putting last and just before he addressed the ball, the guy with the putter yelled “Hey Goose, if you make this putt, I’ll give you my putter.” You know what happened next.

Goose drilled the putt, walked over to the guy and said “Give me the putter”. The guy didn’t know what to do, so he gave Goose the putter as he promised. With the putter in hand, Goose walked over to the lake and threw the putter as far as he could into the water.

I’ll never forget the sight of the putter traveling end over end towards the middle of the lake and the reaction of the guy. He was in shock. The rest of the fivesome was on the ground laughing.  Without saying a word, Goose walked to his  golf cart and drove off.

At the awards dinner, the story made its way around the room. No one could remember such a funny golf story. Even the guy with the putter said it was worth losing the putter to have  a story to tell for the rest of his life.

Today, Goose is a highly sought-after baseball speaker and travels around the country making personal appearances. He resides in Colorado.

If you would like to find out how to hire Goose Gossage for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Goose Gossage booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top celebrity booking agent for athletes, entertainers, sports speakers and celebrities.