April 2009 Archives

After three weeks of the 2009 baseball season, it is evident that fans are interacting with MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, in record numbers.

Below are highlights at MLB.com since Opening Day:

• MLB.com has delivered 127.2 million video streams, representing an increase of 136 percent over the 53.8 million video streams delivered over the season's first three weeks in 2008.

• Over 400,000 subscribers have signed up for MLB.com's premier live game products, MLB.TV and Gameday Audio, through April 26, a 45.7 percent increase of sales over the comparable time period in 2008.

• MLB.com has totaled 2.2 billion page views, an increase of 73 percent over the 1.3 billion page views accumulated over the first three weeks of the 2008 season.

• MLB.com has averaged 9.4 million visitors per day, representing an increase of 30 percent from the comparable daily average over last year's first three weeks.

• The MLB.com network of mobile sites recorded 31.1 million page views on April 25, 2009, setting a new record for a single day. It marks the seventh day this year that it has surpassed the 20 million page view mark, including the previous record of 26.2 million established on April 25, 2009.

• MLB.com's mobile sites have totaled 381.7 million page views across all internet-enabled devices, a 254 percent increase from the 2008 comparable time period.

• MLB.com has delivered more than 4.1 million video streams to mobile devices over the first three weeks, including real-time highlights to team alert subscribers. Compared to 2008, team alert subscribers are up 35.5 percent.

• Fans have downloaded more than 1.1 million MLB.com and Club icons to their BlackBerry smartphones for easy one-click access to the MLB.com network of mobile sites.

• MLB.com At Bat 2009, an application built exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch, remains the top-selling sports application in the Apple app store. It also has retained its ranking among the top 20 overall paid applications nearly a month after becoming available.

Source:  MLB.com

Robert Henson, former football standout from Texas Christian University, was drafted by the NFL in the 6th round Sunday by the Washington Redskins. Henson, an outside linebacker for the Horned Frogs and first team Mountain West Conference selection, was excited to be picked by the Redskins.

"It is truly a dream come true," said Henson who celebrated with his wife Sarah, family and friends at the home of father-in-law Bishop T.D. Jakes. "I've dreamed of this moment from the first day that I started playing football, and I can't believe that this day is finally here."

Henson, who was honorable mention his first three years at TCU, said the Redskins will teach him all three linebacker positions as well as consider him for special teams play.

Speaking to Redskins personnel, Henson told them, "I'm ready to work."

Bishop T.D. Jakes was moved not so much by the fact that his son-in-law was drafted, but by the amount of work it took for him to get there.

"Robert has been through so much and worked so hard, I am so proud of him, not just for being a football player, but for being a man," said Bishop Jakes.

Henson, no stranger to adversity and struggles during his lifetime, became emotional when he recalled conversations he shared with his now deceased brother, Nicholas Sterling, about his chances of playing football at the highest level. "My brother and I would spend hours sitting on our porch talking about me being drafted and playing in the NFL and now this day is here and I am so excited."

Henson finished his career at TCU with 270 tackles and 4 interceptions.

SOURCE The Potter's House of Dallas

The Philadelphia Women's Professional Soccer team, (Philadelphia Women's Pro Soccer LLC), has scheduled a ceremony for its official signing and unveiling of the team's name and colors. This special community event will be Monday, May 18th, 6:00pm at Philadelphia's historic Franklin Institute. Area media correspondents, Philadelphia area dignitaries/VIP's, and soccer enthusiasts of all ages are invited to participate in this celebration.

Philadelphia's new women's professional soccer team, the eighth franchise in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), is led by David Halstead and Matthew Driver, who will also serve as the team's head coach. The team will begin league play in the spring of 2010. "We are excited to bring women's professional soccer back to the city and the surrounding communities of Philadelphia and to join the other WPS teams in world-class play," said team President and CEO Halstead. General Manager and Coach Driver added, "To be a part of this team, and this city's great sports history and soccer passion, is an honor. We are committed to building a franchise that is the model sports organization and the envy of the League. These distinctions will be earned from our level of play on the pitch, our support for our community, and the results we deliver to our fans and partners."

Also scheduled to attend the event will be WPS Commissioner, Tonya Antonucci. "It's a testament to the framework that we have put in place that new investment groups and passionate owners are excited about the opportunity to be a part of this league and help WPS grow in the coming years and beyond," said Antonucci, who just last month celebrated the kick off of the WPS inaugural season in Los Angeles.

For more information about Women's Professional Soccer in Philadelphia, visit their website at www.wpsphilly2010.com.

Media Event Information

• May 18, 2009
• Event registration/Meet and Greet begins at 5:30pm
• Ceremony/Media Event begins promptly at 6:00pm
• The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St. Philadelphia, Pa. 19103
• Media inquiries and event registration to Sherry Amos, sherry@sherryamos.com/" target=_new>sherry@sherryamos.com 856-415-2029
• All non-media requests, general information and season ticket sign-up, contact signingceremony@wpsphilly2010.com" target=_new>signingceremony@wpsphilly2010.com

About Women's Professional Soccer (WPS)

The mission of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) is to be the premier women's soccer league in the world and the global standard by which women's professional sports are measured. Play kicked off on March 29, 2009, with WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. The league's eighth franchise, Philadelphia, will begin play next season with Atlanta expected to join as the ninth team in 2010, as well. For more information, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.

SOURCE Philadelphia Women's Pro Soccer LLC

Tommy Bahama, the popular lifestyle brand, brings its life is one long weekend philosophy to the state-of-the-art Yankee Stadium with the grand opening of Tommy Bahama's Bar. This unique, branding opportunity captures the essence of the Tommy Bahama message to relax, have fun and enjoy life to the fullest. This latest venture joins an established array of Tommy Bahama lifestyle products, which include apparel, accessories, home furnishings, restaurants, retails stores, and even its own signature rum. Tommy Bahama's Bar pops its cork on opening day of the 2009 baseball season when the Yankees unveil their spectacular new home.

Tommy Bahama's Bar is positioned in a premier location in Yankee Stadium overlooking the Great Hall, which serves as the main entrance and a convenient meeting place for fans. The Tommy Bahama's Bar is an example of the Stadium's modern amenities, and serves as an oasis where patrons can escape to enjoy a lively, casual atmosphere. Tommy Bahama's signature drinks will be available, which will be blended with Tommy Bahama Rum, an ultra premium spirit hand crafted in Barbados in two distinct flavors -- Tommy Bahama White Sand and Tommy Bahama Golden Sun.

"It's not often that you get the chance to be associated with a world- class organization like the New York Yankees," said Doug Wood, President and COO of Tommy Bahama. "We're very excited about this opportunity and proud to have Tommy Bahama represented in the greatest sporting venue in the world."

"We are excited about this new relationship. In addition to the naming of the public bar in the Great Hall, Tommy Bahama's apparel line has a broad appeal to our fan base," said Michael J. Tusiani, Yankees Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales & Sponsorships.

Yankee Stadium ticket-takers will be outfitted in blue polo shirts or half-zip pullover sweatshirts emblazoned with the New York Yankees insignia on the left chest and the signature Tommy Bahama marlin on the left sleeve. In addition, select Tommy Bahama merchandise will be available for purchase at retail at Yankee Stadium, including two custom-designed panel back camp shirts with baseball graphics, offered exclusively at the Home Plate Team Store, located off the Great Hall. These limited edition signature shirts are collector's items for the true Tommy Bahama connoisseur.

Tommy Bahama's vacation state of mind and elegant, relaxed approach to dressing and living, resonate with anyone who yearns for a fun, idyllic escape.

SOURCE Tommy Bahama

The swissinfo.ch internet platform is reporting on the Ice Hockey World Championships in Switzerland with a special web page. The dossier contains information on the matches, looks behind the scenes and presents background reports on the competition. Briefings on the 2009 IIHF World Championships in Switzerland are available in English, German, French, Italian and Russian.

The multilingual swissinfo.ch internet platform is making a particular feature of the Ice Hockey World Championships in Switzerland. The dossier on the 2009 IIHF World Championships provides up-to-date match reports, score summaries, background, videos, audio and picture galleries.

swissinfo.ch profiles players and trainers, and gauges the mood of the fans with on-site reports. What's more, there are also features on the host cities of Bern and Zurich, as well as on the new stadia. Coverage is rounded out by pieces on the organisation and financing of the Ice Hockey World Championships.

Online quiz on Slava Bykov

Hockey fans can also test their knowledge about the legendary Russian ice hockey player Slava Bykov in an online quiz. In an astounding coup in 1990, Swiss club HC Freiburg-Gotteron brought the then world champion, Olympic champion and captain of the Russian national team to Switzerland. Slava Bykov now trains the Russian national ice hockey team, and his son Andrej plays for HC Freiburg-Gotteron as his father once did.

Full news from the Ice Hockey World Championships and information on Switzerland:

   http://www.swissinfo.ch/icehockey

SOURCE swissinfo

Since October 29, 2008, the Phillies have enjoyed the celebration of their World Series Championship. Today, the celebration culminated in what was the second most highly anticipated event of the victory -- the first being the parade; the second, a 20-minute ring ceremony held during pre-game festivities for a crowd of more than 44,000 people attending the Citizens Bank Businessperson's Special.

Members of the 2008 team, coaches, manager, general manager, trainers and the director of team travel received their rings on the field from Phillies President and CEO; David Montgomery. A total of 37 rings were delivered to the field by a Citizens Bank van escorted by four Philadelphia police officers on motorcycles.

Until today, the rings had not been seen by the recipients, and were held as a closely guarded secret to ensure that the surprise and excitement were elevated for today's meaningful ceremony.

Pat Gillick, who constructed the World Championship team during his 27th and final season as a major league general manager, was the first ring recipient. Philadelphia's favorite skipper, Manager Charlie Manuel received his ring second, as the sold-out crowd chanted "Char-lie, Char-lie."

"A World Series Championship ring is a most prized possession," said Montgomery. "We wanted to present our players and others in the Phillies organization with a meaningful tribute that appropriately commemorates bringing a World Championship to Philadelphia. I believe this ring certainly does that."

"The ring is one of the finest I've seen and it tells a great story," said Bob Bourbeau, Director of Sports and Special Markets for Masters of Design, the Attleboro, Mass.-based jewelry manufacturer that worked with the organization. "The extraordinary attention and level of detail that the Phillies provided throughout the process allowed us to design and produce an outstanding keepsake."

World Series Ring Description

Each 14 karat white gold ring contains 103 diamonds, totaling 3.84 karats. The 103 diamonds represent the 92 regular season and 11 postseason wins for the Phillies in 2008. The top of the ring is crowned with a ruby inlay, topped with the Phillies' signature "P" which is inset with diamonds. The title "World Champions" is written along the ring's top and bottom outer rim. The left side of the ring features the player's name and number atop and below the Liberty Bell. The right side of the ring depicts the World Series trophy rising out of Citizens Bank Park signifying the tremendous support of our fans, along with the initials of the two World Series teams and the number of games won by each team.

SOURCE Philadelphia Phillies

Night Train Swimmers announced today that its team of six swimmers will attempt to break the world record for the longest continuous relay swim. Departing from La Paz, on the Cabo Peninsula, the team will cross the Sea of Cortez to hit mainland Mexico approximately 157 miles away. The team is using this event as a fundraiser to benefit Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors.

The record-breaking relay swim will commence on June 27th at 8:00am from a beach near La Paz, Mexico, and is expected to take approximately 3-4 days and nights of continuous swimming. Live GPS tracking will be available here, where the team will also keep an updated blog and photo gallery.

Vito Bialla, himself a Wounded Vietnam Veteran, says, "I'm taking it upon myself to try to make the world just a little bit better. By completing this swim and raising money for Wounded Warrior Project, we can make a huge difference for our injured heroes when they return home. It's a privilege to help our returning Veterans."

Matthew Davie, another Night Train Swimmer, agreed, "We are very excited to swim the Sea of Cortez, but even more excited for the opportunity to raise awareness and funding for Wounded Warrior Project. It's a good cause that deserves recognition and support, and it will keep us going when it's 3am and we can't see land in either direction."

Night Train Swimmers has set a goal of raising $500,000 for Wounded Warrior Project with this swim, with donations made directly to WWP through their website.

"Wounded Warrior Project is grateful for the recognition and support from the Night Train Swimmers," said WWP CEO Steve Nardizzi. "We commend their strength and ability to take on such a strenuous endeavor."

Night Train Swimmers is a group of swimmers dedicated to raising money for charity, having fun and swimming very long distances around the world. They are based in San Francisco and complete numerous ultra swims around the world each year to raise awareness and funds for selected charity partners. Founded in 2008, the team began as a group that swam in the San Francisco Bay every Wednesday evening, much to the delight of people returning home on the ferries. Last September, Night Train has the fastest 5-person crossing of the English Channel for all of 2008, winning the Montserrat Tresserras Shield and raising money for the Lifehouse Agency. In October, the team completed a 100-mile swim from Sacramento to Tiburon, raising money for the local Reed School District.

Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. It serves to raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project