South Bend—

On the day Skylar Diggins graduated from Notre Dame, she was presented with a new Mercedes by Roc Nation, the company founded by Jay-Z that represents her.  Diggins is among his first high-profile clients, who also include the Yankees’ Robinson Cano and Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz. Diggins was an All-America guard for the Fighting Irish who was taken third overall in the WNBA draft by the Tulsa Shock.

twitter@andrwmitch34

twitter@woodlawnpost

STOCKHOLM—

The shoe that has been made famous around the world has now filed a claim in the Stockholm courts to be able to search several Coop stores throughout Sweden in order to prevent them from selling a knockoff version of their shoes. Converse which is now owned by Nike found several pairs of the knockoff versions and would like to find the supplying manufacturer of the shoes. Further investigation will take place.

twitter@woodlawnpost

twitter@andrwmitch34

Jets quarterback second round draft pick Jeno Smith wrapped up two days of meetings with Joel Segal, Rick Smith of Priority Sports, Eugene Parker, Fletcher Smith, and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation agency. All are potential successors for Geno Smith to select as a Sports Group agency to represent him.

Roc Nation’s presentation came from a certified NFLPA agent who works for the agency Jay-Z owns. Jay-Z is not a certified NFLPA agent, but can directly contact Smith in connection with efforts to recruit Smith as a Roc Nation client for non-football representation.

Thanks for supporting WoodlawnPost.com in 2013! 

Follow us on Twitter@WoodlawnPost 

The Walt Disney Company Robert Iger(Chairman & CEO), "ESPN is still the most had brand by sports fans"

“We had a strong 2nd quarter” and “ESPN is still the most had brand by sports fans” and “Driven by high quality content,” said Robert Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.

The Walt Disney Company  had operating income at Cable Networks increased $224 million to $1.7 billion for the quarter due to growth at ESPN and Higher operating income at ESPN was due to increased affiliate revenues and, to a lesser extent, higher advertising revenues, partially offset by increased programming and production costs.

Thanks for supporting WoodlawnPost.com in 2013! 

Follow us on Twitter@WoodlawnPost 

Sport Club Extends Premier League Deal With IMG Media

Sport Klub is the current broadcaster in the region and the new deal is for the 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. They will broadcast their coverage in High Definition across all their channels and have agreed a deal for the rights to all 380 games either live or delayed.

Victor Blundell , Senior Vice President of IMG Media, said: “We are delighted Sport Klub will once again be the broadcaster of the Barclays Premier League in the region. There are an increasing number of players in the English top flight from the region and therefore a great desire to watch live action on a regular basis.”

Nemanja Simeunovic, Regional Director of Sport Klub, said: “The Barclays Premier League is the best league in the world and we are very pleased to continue our already successful relationship with them – they are part of the Sport Klub family. For a broadcaster it is just as important to retain your best programming as it is to look for new events.”

About IMG

IMG Worldwide is a global sports, fashion and media business, with nearly 3,000 employees operating in more than 30 countries around the globe. IMG’s areas of expertise are diverse and wide ranging:  IMG College; IMG’s Joint Ventures in India, China, Brazil and Turkey; IMG Media; IMG Events and Federations; IMG Fashion; IMG Models; IMG Art+Commerce; IMG Clients; IMG Tennis & IMG Golf; IMG Academy; IMG Consulting and IMG Licensing.

@Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge by Michelin: Ultra 94 is the New Title Sponsor & Official Fuel

The series is one of the fastest-growing, single-make motorsports championships in North America.

“Partnering with Porsche Canada, an iconic manufacturer of high-performance vehicles, is a perfect fit for our high octane performance fuel,” said Deborah Gullaher, Vice President of Marketing at Suncor Energy.

Entering its third season of competition, the championship features semi-professional drivers racing head-to-head in the largest single-make series in the world.

“We are proud to welcome Petro-Canada’s Ultra 94 as a title sponsor right in time for the beginning of the third Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin series season,” said Joe Lawrence, President & CEO, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. “The 911 GT3 Cup cars will be fuelled by the same Ultra 94 gasoline available to the Canadian public.”

The multi-class series consist of five weekends of racing with a total of ten championship races, including the Grand Prix du Canada FIA Formula One World Championship in Montreal, June 7-9. The season starts May 17-19 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and includes stops at the legendary Trois-Rivières street circuit in Quebec and Calabogie Motorsports Park, near Ottawa.

“The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the performance and quality attributes of Ultra 94,” said Joe Lawrence, President & CEO, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd.

Developed for Porsche one-make cups worldwide, the 911 GT3 Cup car is based on the production 911 GT3 RS road car. Its engine is largely identical to the production engine of the 911 GT3 RS, with the same output of 450 bhp and the same maximum engine speed of 8,500 rpm.

@Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge by Michelin: Ultra 94 is the New Title Sponsor & Official Fuel

The Series is sanctioned by The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), which has been the premier sanctioning body for professional road racing in North America since its founding in 1969.

Available at select Petro-Canada stations, Ultra 94 surpasses the Canadian General Standards Board performance requirements for super premium gasoline and exceeds the TOP TIER detergent gasoline standards established by six of the world’s top automakers (BMW, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Audi) to ensure optimal engine performance.

Source: Porsche

The Ivy League and NeuLion Announce Launch of the Conference's First-Ever Digital Network @Ivy_Athletics

Available to subscribers in August, The Ivy League Digital Network will be accessible on multiple devices, including PCs, smartphones and tablets, allowing for an all-new nine (9)-channel network of Ivy League action anytime, anywhere. Each of the conference’s eight (8) schools will have their own individual channel and the Ivy League will have its own League-wide channel featuring all available digital content across the conference.

The new network, powered by the NeuLion College Platform, will provide live and on-demand video and audio content from each school with interactive touch points that will consistently offer a personalized experience for Ivy League fans everywhere.

“This partnership represents a monumental step forward in enhancing our connection to our fans and continuing to showcase our brand of intercollegiate athletics worldwide,” said Robin Harris, Ivy League Executive Director. “Coupled with NeuLion’s demonstrated experience in delivering digital content to any device, this new network will maximize our alumni’s affinities for their schools by providing a single digital destination to access every school’s sports content with multiple subscription options by school, sport or season.”

With a comprehensive view of sports for each school and across the conference including league-wide sports calendars and access to live and on-demand content from multiple devices, the new Ivy League digital network is expected to increase engagement with Ivy League fans and drive broader viewing of school and league content.

“It’s not just about streaming video,” said Chris Wagner, EVP and Co-Founder of NeuLion. “It’s about the fan experience, the high quality video on any device, and the interaction with the game or match which includes stats, social media and more. The NeuLion College Platform is designed for all of that, each and every time, no matter where Ivy League fans are.”

For more information, visit www.ivyleaguesports.com.

For more information about NeuLion, visit www.neulion.com.

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Andrew Vaughan)

Seth Jones, with his size and unique athletic ability is the prize of the 2013 NHL Draft and could potentially become the first black player taken No. 1 overall in the National Hockey League. Defenseman Seth Jones could become only the 13th blueliner to be chosen 1st overall in NHL Draft since the inception of the draft in 1963 and that could potentially mean lucrative sponsorship deals.

Thanks for supporting WooodlawnPost.com in 2013! 

Follow us on Twitter@WoodlawnPost

President and CEO Big Brothers and Big Sisters Dara Munson (l to r), General Motors North America President Mark Reuss and CEO Think Detroit PAL Tim Richey (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for Chevrolet)

“We’re applying our very global partnership with the One World Futbol Project at a very local level,” General Motors North America President Mark Reuss said Tuesday. “Thousands of children right here in Detroit will benefit from this donation.”

Chevrolet teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit to donate balls to the Detroit Police Athletic League and 23 Detroit Public Schools. The balls will be distributed beginning April 27 at PAL’s summer soccer kick-off event at Historic Fort Wayne.

Chevrolet and the GM Foundation are both committed to supporting the City of Detroit. Over the past three years, the GM Foundation has granted nearly $21.5 million to vital nonprofits and cultural institutions within the city, including United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Focus: HOPE, Karmanos Cancer Institute, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Michigan Science Center.

One World Futbols are designed to outlast and outplay hundreds of regular soccer balls, sustaining play in any environment.  The ball never needs a pump and never deflates even when punctured, making it ideal for play in all types of terrain such as concrete, blacktop, dirt, rocky fields or grass, and harsh environments.

“Our mission at One World Futbol Project is to keep the spirit of play alive for youth around the world through the simple power of a durable ball,’” said Lisa Tarver co-founder and chief operating officer at One World Futbol Project. “We are excited to join Chevrolet in making a positive difference for thousands of children around Detroit and witnessing the power of play in action.”

The initiative is part of Chevrolet’s three-year partnership with One World Futbol Project that pledges to place 1.5 million One World Futbols with youth in war-stricken zones, refugee camps, disaster areas, and other underprivileged communities around the world.

Chevrolet is the founding sponsor of One World Futbol Project, which was established in 2010 and has since touched millions of young lives with the power of play in nearly 160 countries. One World Futbol inventor, Tim Jahnigen, was inspired to create the ball after watching news footage of kids in Darfur playing a soccer game using a ball of trash tied up with twine.

It was then that Jahnigen decided to develop a ball that would play like a real soccer ball but would not be destroyed by the harsh conditions often facing young soccer players in many parts of the world.

Individuals can support One World Futbol Project through the “Buy One, Give One” program.  With each purchase of a Chevrolet-branded gold ball, another ball is donated to an organization working in a disadvantaged community around the world.  Fans of Chevrolet receive $5 off the $39.50 price (plus shipping) when they use the special discount code “ChevyOWFP.”

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest vehicle brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality.

President and CEO Big Brothers and Big Sisters Dara Munson (l to r), General Motors North America President Mark Reuss and CEO Think Detroit PAL Tim Richey (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for Chevrolet)

For more information on Chevrolet and its One World Futbol efforts, visit: www.ChevroletFC.com

More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

For more information of how to sign up, call 313-309-0500 or visit our website at www.bbbsdetroit.org.

For more information on One World Futbol Project please visit www.oneworldfutbol.com