Has Tiger Woods Hurt The Athlete Endorsement Market?

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

Tiger Woods Earns $1B Tops Michael Jordan As Highest Paid Athlete

Tiger Woods earns $1B becoming highest paid athlete

Forbes reported last week that Tiger Woods became the first athlete to earn $1 billion in career earnings from endorsements, prize winnings, golf course design and appearance fees. Woods reportedly earns $30 million a year from Nike and receives $10 million per project for his golf design work. He also just won $10 million last week for winning the FedEx Cup title.

The crazy part is that Woods in only 33 years old and has many years of competitive golf, endorsements and golf course design ahead of him. It’s not a stretch to say that he’ll likely make well in excess of $2 billion by the time his career ends. It’s estimated that he has now earned more than NBA great Michael Jordan ($800 million) and retired Formula One driver Michael Shumacher ($700 million). ... Read More

Can Joe Mauer Hit 400 Batting Mark?

Each year there seems to be one or two baseball players who catch the attention of the sports world and stir conversation about the hallowed .400 batting mark.

This year, that talk has centered around Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who is currently hitting .363. History tells us that he’ll likely fall short – it’s arguably the most difficult record in sports to break.

The last player to hit .400 was the  great Ted Williams, who achieved the feat in 1941. Williams entered the last day of the season with a batting average of .39955, which would have been rounded up to .400, making him the first man to hit .400 since Bill Terry in 1930. ... Read More

Curt Schilling Interested In Ted Kennedy’s Senate Seat

Retired baseball star Curt Schilling announced last week that he’s potentially interested in filling the seat vacated by the death of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy. Schilling has a keen interest in politics – he campaigned for President Bush, rallied voters for former presidential candidate Jon McCain and told Boston radio station WRKO in 2007 that running for office is “something my wife and I have talked about a couple of times.”

It would interesting to see how Schilling would fare should he decide to run. He’s achieved folk hero status in New England for the way he pitched with an injured ankle in the 2004 World Series. But whether that popularity would carry over in a state that takes politics very seriously remains to be seen.

Athletes turning to politics after their playing careers isn’t anything new. Some have fared better than others. A few examples… ... Read More

Why Are The Dallas Cowboys So Popular?

I’m always amazed at the popularity of the Dallas Cowboys and their players. I book sports celebrities across the country and no team except maybe baseball’s New York Yankees even come close to matching the popularity of the Cowboys.

The Cowboys popularity isn’t just confined to Texas. It’s true they are the most popular team in every corner of the state, but their popularity extends across the country. They earned the nickname “America’s Team” for good reason. Ask football fans in Richmond, VA who their favorite team is and they’re just as likely to say the Cowboys as the Redskins. ... Read More

Delwyn Young’s Amazing Catch – Watch Video

Could The Pirates’ second baseman Delwyn Young’s catch be one of the best catches ever? What are the chances we’ll see another catch like this again?

Two Pittsburgh Pirates combined for an unbelievable catch during their recent game against the San Francisco Giants.

Delwyn Young Makes Incredible Catch.Watch video. ... Read More

Tony Romo Denies Jessica Simpson Access To His Home

The Tony Romo Jessica Simpson breakup has been well publicized and appears that both celebrities have  moved on.

After Tony Romo broke up with Jessica Simpson the night before her 29th birthday, he made arrangements to exclude Simpson from having access to his Dallas home.

The new issue of Us Weekly reports the Dallas Cowboys quarterback instructed security at his gated community to keep Simpson out.

NO LONGER ON THE LIST AND NOT APPROVED FOR ACCESS.

Simpson has no plans to continue having access to Romo’s home except to remove her property. It has been reported by US Magazine that the singer paid $19,000 on July 15 to ship 37 boxes worth of her belongings from Dallas to L.A. overnight.

The famous couple, who began dating in November 2007, called it quits earlier this month.

“I thought they would…tie the knot,” Terrell Owens, who criticized Simpson for being a “jinx,” told Ryan Seacrest.

Simpson is currently working out with a personal trainer in L.A. to get back into shape. She spends most of her social time with her family and friends.

Let’s wish them both well.

Tony will concentrate on his carrer this season and hopefully move the Dallas Cowboys into Superbowl contention.

Jessica Simpson is a beautiful girl and will have no trouble moving on.

PFP is a sports and celebrity booking agency for sports speakers, athlete appearances, football speakers, endorsements and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380

Erin Andrews ESPN Reporter Victim of A Crime

ESPN reporter, Erin Andrews, is going after a Peeping Tom who videotaped her walking around her hotel room nude.

Someone made a videotape of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, without her knowledge, walking around her hotel room naked, and now the criminal(s) are trying to sell the tape to the highest bidder. The problem is Erin has no idea where or when the video was shot.

Erin has hired one of the most powerful attorneys in L.A., Marshall B. Grossman, and now her team is trying to figure out some details behind the footage so they can put together a plan of attack.

Erin Andrew’s attorney Marshall B. Grossman, has been quoted:

“While alone in the privacy of her hotel room, Erin Andrews was surreptitiously videotaped without her knowledge or consent. She was the victim of a crime and is taking action to protect herself and help ensure that others are not similary violated in the future. Although the perpetrator or perpetrators of this criminal act have not yet been identified, when they are identified she intends to bring both civil and criminal charges against them and against anyone who has published the material. We request respect of Erin’s privacy at this time, while she and her representatives are working with the authorities.”

ESPN also issued this statement: “Erin has been grievously wronged. Our people and resources are in full support of her as she deals with this abhorrent act.”

DO NOT search for the video online. Hackers have set up bogus web pages claiming to have the video, but the links actually contained viruses.

Hopefully you won’t find the video online anymore.

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

Baseball All Star Games Favorite Moments

Of all the All-Star games, I enjoy watching baseball’s version the best. I’ve been fortunate to attend eight of the Mid-Summer Classics. It’s very exciting to see all of the current stars on the field at once.

Nothing will compare to last year’s All Star game in New York, which will go down in history as one of the all-time greats. First of all, anytime you have a big event in New York, it’s going to be special. Secondly, the night was filled with tributes to Yankee Stadium, which was being closed at season’s end to make room for the new ballpark next door. Lastly, the game was an absolute classic with the American League defeating the National League, 4-3, in 15 innings. The game took 4 hours, 50 minutes and was the longest All-Star Game in history.

Commissioner Bud Selig and Major League Baseball have attempted to make the game relevant by giving home-field advantage during the World Series to the winning league. Back in the day, the game was full of intensity and it really meant something to the winning players. Over time, the game’s importance diminished as it became more of a show than a game. You hear a lot of debate as to whether this is good or not. Personally, I think it would be more fair to give the team with the best record home-field advantage but I don’t have much of an issue since it’s brought a bit of intensity back to the game.

A few of my favorite moments from previous All-Star games…

1) In 1970, Pete Rose, playing at home in Cincinnati, attempted to score but had to get past catcher Ray Fosse. The ensuing collision not only helped solidify Rose’s reputation as “Charlie Hustle”, it had the unfortunate consequence of injuring Fosse’s shoulder. Rose was called safe at home and the National League won the thriller, 5 -4. Fosse went onto play nine more seasons but was never the same.

2) In 2001, Cal Ripken Jr. played in the last of his 19 All-Star games. The game was basically a Cal Ripken lovefest. In the third inning, Ripken made his first plate appearance and was greeted with a standing ovation. Ripken then homered off the first pitch from Chan Ho Park and ended up with All Star MVP honors.

3)  In 1999, baseball honored the All-Century Team prior to the game at Fenway Park, with such greats on-hand as Mike Schmidt, Brooks Robinson, Bob Gibson and Johnny Bench. However, the highlight of the evening occurred when the great Ted Williams was driven out to home plate and threw out the first pitch with the help of Tony Gwynn.

Will this year’s game produce any classic moments? I can’t guarantee that. However, St. Louis is rolling out the red carpet and, at the very least, I’m sure the pre-game ceremony will produce a goose-bump moment or two. Plus, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols is having one of the greatest years in the history of baseball, so I assume he’s going to be a big part of the game and broadcast.

PFP Sports and Celebrity Booking Agency is a speakers bureau and top booking agent for sports stars, athlete appearances, endorsements and celebrities. For more information call 800.966.1380

Will Tiger Woods Win The 2009 US Open?

The 2009 U.S. Open is set to tee off on Thursday, June 18. I hope this year’s U.S. Open can come close to matching the excitement of last year’s classic.

In case you forgot, the 2008 U.S. Open featured a 45-year old named Rocco Mediate and Tiger Woods, the world’s top-ranked golfer, who had missed the previous two months due to knee surgery.

The affable, always-smiling Mediate was in the clubhouse with a one-stroke lead as Tiger stood over a 15-foot putt on the final hole that he had to make to force an 18-hole playoff the next day. And as only Tiger could do, he sank the putt.

On Monday, Rocco and Tiger provided one of the most exciting days in golf history, which was made even more dramatic by Tiger’s knee problems, which left him grimacing after many tee shots. It first appeared as though Tiger’s experience would be too much for Mediate as he built a three shot lead with eight holes to play. However, the gritty Mediate refused to quit and actually led by one four holes later. And as he had done on Sunday, Tiger had to make another putt on 18 to tie, which, of course, he did. Tiger went onto win on the next hole, the 91st hole of the tournament.

It was his 65th career victory, passing Ben Hogan for third all-time, and 14th major. Tiger raised his playoff record to 15-2 and made it 14-of-14 in majors when he had at least a share of the lead going into the final round. For Mediate, I’m sure there was disappointment, but you would have never known it. He won over a legion of fans and quickly became one of the most popular golfers on tour. His affable personality has opened up a world of opportunities, from endorsements to appearances to motivational sports speaking.

This year’s event starts on Thursday at Bethpage Black in New York. The initial weather forecast calls for rain off and on throughout the week, and if that holds true, it’s going to keep the scores low and reward those players who keep the ball in the fairway and out of the notoriously-thick rough. So who am I picking to win this year’s event?

Tiger won Jack Nicklaus’s event a couple of weeks ago at Muirfield and drove the ball better than he has all year. If he plays the same this week, he could be tough to beat. I also like a few international golfers, including Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 Open winner, and Retief Goosen, a two-time Open champion . My darkhorse…Brian Gay, who won the event in Memphis last week after leading wire-to-wire. A two-time winner this year, Brian is a tough competitor when he’s on top of his game.

PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency is a top celebrity and sports booking agent for golf speakers, sports stars , athlete appearances, athlete endorsement deals and celebrity entertainment.