Archives for 2009

Want To Liven Up Your Super Bowl Event? Hire A Football Legend

December 30, 2009 By

The Super Bowl is the biggest single sporting event in the United States each year. It’s become an unofficial holiday and tens of millions of people tune in not only for the game but also the commercials, halftime musical performance and all the other revelry surrounding the game. Even non-sports fans become fans for a day around the Super Bowl. The upcoming game will be played in Miami, FL on Sunday, February 7, 2010.

Miami has been the host of The Super Bowl nine other times, starting with Super Bowl II in 1968 and most recently Super Bowl XLI in 2007. Miami seems to be favored often for the site of The Super Bowl because of their ideal weather conditions during the winter season along with a variety of outdoor activities that Miami offers its visitors. ... Read More

Filed Under: Football News Tagged With: , , , ,

Has Tiger Woods Hurt The Athlete Endorsement Market?

December 28, 2009 By

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?

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. ... Read More

Filed Under: Athlete Appearances, Broadcasters, Celebrities, Football News, Golf Speakers Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Sportscaster George Michael Dies Of Cancer At Age 70

December 24, 2009 By

WASHINGTON, DC – George Michael, Washington, D.C. legendary broadcaster who was famous for  sports television’s  “The George Michael Sports Machine” show, has died of cancer. He was 70 years old.

Michael, who always had a confident and boisterous style while on the air, worked in radio and television for more than 40 years. He worked on the sports desk at the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C., from 1980 to 2007.

Michael’s daughter, Michelle Allen, said Michael was surrounded by family and friends when he died Thursday morning from complications of chronic lymphocytic leukemia at Sibley Memorial Hospital. ... Read More

Filed Under: Broadcasters Tagged With: ,

NFL Star Chris Henry Dies From Fatal Truck Accident Injuries

December 17, 2009 By

CHARLOTTE, NC – NFL star Chris Henry, 26, who suffered grave injuries in a truck accident in North Carolina yesterday, has died. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police report Henry died at 6:36 AM EST this morning. Henry played wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.

NFL star Chris Henry died Thursday morning Dec. 17, 2009.

It was previously reported that Henry jumped into the back of a pickup truck yesterday in an attempt to stop his fiancee from leaving a “domestic situation” at her parents’ home in North Carolina. ... Read More

Filed Under: Celebrities, Football News Tagged With:

Tiger Woods Releases Statement Regrets Infidelity

December 2, 2009 By

Tiger Woods has responded to the media onslaught due to a voicemail released by his alleged mistress Jaimee Grubbs. Grubbs claims she had an affair with Woods and has produced a  voicemail Tiger left for her on November 24 asking her to remove her name from the outgoing message on her voicemail because Elin was becoming suspicious.

Tiger Woods released the following statement on his website:

“I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone. ... Read More

Filed Under: Golf Speakers Tagged With: , , ,

Tiger Woods Injured in Car Accident Released From Hospital

November 27, 2009 By

ORLANDO, Fla. – According to authorities, Tiger Woods was injured when his car hit a fire hydrant which then struck a tree outside his waterfront mansion in Isleworth early on Friday morning.

The accident occurred at approximately 2:20 a.m. after Woods pulled out of his driveway in his 2009 Cadillac sports utility vehicle, according to The Florida Highway Patrol.

Although we do not have all of the details of Woods’ condition, the Florida Highway Patrol reported his injuries as serious and said that he was taken to Health Central Hospital. ... Read More

Filed Under: Golf Speakers Tagged With: ,

Dorothy Hamill Now A Popular Speaker Remains Olympic Icon

November 20, 2009 By

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.” ... Read More

Filed Under: Athlete Appearances, Cancer Speakers, Gold Medalists, Olympic News, Sports Speakers Tagged With: , ,

Is Picabo Street The Greatest American Skier Of All-Time?

November 18, 2009 By

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. ... Read More

Filed Under: Athlete Appearances, Gold Medalists, Motivational Speakers, Olympic News, Sports Speakers Tagged With: , ,

Is Mike Eruzione The Most Popular U.S. Winter Olympian?

November 16, 2009 By

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.

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. ... Read More

Filed Under: Athlete Appearances, Hockey News, Motivational Speakers, Sports Speakers Tagged With: , , ,

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Has Cancer

November 10, 2009 By

NBA legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 62, has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells. The disease was diagnosed in December. He is taking oral medication to treat the disease.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revealed in an interview Monday that he has Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.

“The word ‘leukemia’ is a very frightening word,” he said in a phone interview from New York. “In many instances, it’s a killer and it’s something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you’re going to beat it.” ... Read More

Filed Under: Basketball News, Cancer Speakers, Celebrities Tagged With: , , ,