WESTPORT, CT (Jan. 4, 2001) -- Velocity Sports & Entertainment, a marketing agency specializing in helping clients maximize the value of sports and entertainment sponsorship marketing efforts, today announced its first annual list of sports marketing trends. Principal Mike Reisman said, "Predicting what's going to happen is risky business, but irresistible fun. This list is culled from our experience, our instincts and a little holiday cheer."

HOT: Jesse Ventura

NOT: Dennis Miller

They are both opinionated, outrageous and to some, obnoxious. However, Ventura's presence adds a charismatic touch to this spring's XFL broadcasts. No matter what Don Ohlmeyer recites to the press, Miller takes away from the good work of fellow newcomers Dan Fouts and Melissa Starks. Miller should be canned in favor of any person who actually knows something about football and/or is occasionally funny.

HOT: Corporate Stadium Naming

NOT: Public Funding for Stadiums

Say goodbye to the days of romantically named stadiums (Ebbets Field, the Polo Grounds, Candlestick Park, the Astrodome). Expect venues named Fenway, Soldier, and Yankee to go the way of the leather helmet and flannel uniform. Fans shouldn't moan too much, as naming rights fees alleviate the public tax burden while providing valuable corporate marketing benefits to sponsors.

HOT: Florida Football

NOT: Florida Recounts

Whether you follow politics or football, you've basked in the glory of the Sunshine State. Thankfully, dimpled ballots can give way to dimpled footballs as the country watches the Seminoles, Hurricanes, Gators, Dolphins and Buccaneers compete in post-season play. And ballot counting is replaced with bowl counting when the national championship is determined at the FedEx Orange Bowl and the Super Bowl is played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

HOT: Stock Car Racing

NOT: Stock Market

Although television ratings are down in 2000, the prediction here is that NASCAR will continue its robust growth in 2001. As the inaugural season of the Fox/NBC television deal revs up, their joint promotional power will put NASCAR back on the track of unprecedented growth. Let's hope the bulls follow.

HOT: Technology-Enabled Fans

NOT: Alcohol-Disabled Fans

We won't see many dot-coms pay $1.2 million for a Super Bowl spot, but dot-coms and their technology enhancements are changing the way fans follow sports. For instance, IBM offers fans the opportunity to follow the Grand Slams on personal digital assistants and wireless access protocol devices, and Trakkus promises technology that allows you to track the heartbeat and brainwaves of professional athletes in real-time, as they compete. As for the Bills fan who drinks enough to rationalize the sanity of taking off your shirt when it is ten below in Buffalo, technology might not be your answer.

HOT: Commercial-Free Broadcasts

NOT: Commercial Breaks

Soccer has been broadcast for years without commercial interruption. Now NASCAR may be on the verge of doing the same. TBS recently conducted a successful test and NBC is thinking about airing portions of their broadcasts on the same basis. CART has been discussing airing FedEx Championship Series races sans spots as well. We'll see how fans feel about not being able to use commercial breaks for doing their business in the bathroom and the kitchen.

HOT: Ex-Texas Rangers Owner George W. Bush

NOT: Current Texas Rangers Owner Tom Hicks

Bush pledges to be fiscally responsible by lowering debts and giving the wealthy cuts in taxes. Hicks is being accused of being fiscally irresponsible and giving the wealthy cuts in the batting cage.

HOT: Millionaire Shortstops

NOT: "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"

There is not a game show that offers the opportunity to win $250,000,000 so be prepared to groom your kids to play major league shortstop. The question here is what's more alarming? Baseball's best player earning the most lucrative sports contract ever, or the draft he creates for average players to earn contracts which a few years ago would top the charts.

HOT: Tiger Woods/Venus Williams

NOT: Anna Kournikova/David Duvall

The colloquialism "win/win" can be paraphrased to "win/earn." Tiger and Venus prove that the best players will earn the most. Tiger's estimated off-course earnings this year will be an estimated $54,000,000. After signing a $40,000,000 five-year deal with Reebok, Venus becomes the most well-paid women athlete of all time. Anna isn't doing to bad either with estimated earnings this year of nearly $15,000,000 and Duval has picked up a few crumbs along the way as well. Imagine if the latter finally won a major or if the former won at all.

HOT: PGA Tour/WTA Tour

NOT: Tiger Woods/Venus Williams

Despite all their incredible success, both Tiger and Venus were out of line when they publicly chastised the PGA Tour and WTA Tour respectively in 2000. They have both relented and decided to take up their matters privately. In doing so, they should keep in mind that no athlete is bigger than the sport they play. Without the likes of Palmer, Nicklaus, Player and Watson building the Tour, there would not have been a platform for Tiger's success. Likewise, Venus needs to keep in mind that Billie Jean, Chrissie, et al. set the table for her.

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