Archive for September, 2011
Sports Authority Field
September 30th, 2011 by Cale Loken
Earlier this month, The Sports Authority unveiled their new sign for their naming rights to Sports Authority Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos. This is a 25 year partnership at $6 million per year, which totals $150 million. The Sports Authority’s corporate headquarters is located in downtown Denver. The naming rights transferred from Invesco to Sports Authority on August 16.
There are only a few retailers in the Sporting Goods space that could put something this together. Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is located in Pittsburgh, is another that could pull something like this off. Not sure this will pay off for Sports Authority, one thing is for sure, it was not universally accepted inside the company and may have played a part in the recent resignations of CEO David Campisi and CMO Jeff Schumacher.
Lifetime Products Enters Another New Market
September 25th, 2011 by Ben RemingtonLifetime products is expanding their portfolio significantly recently, from the paddleboards I wrote about earlier this summer, to a new sector of business- Health and Wellness. Lifetime recently acquired LiveWell Home Safety Solutions, and is picking up where that company left off with products targeted towards seniors making their home safer for them to use.
The Utah based company hopes to expand on the health business it started with the Tru-Motion Walking Cane, and will now pick up where LiveWell left off, making in-home accessories for Seniors, such as bath and shower safety bars. The goal of the product line is to look trendy and blend in to the design of the room, rather than looking like medical equipment.
The interesting thing to me in the story is that Lifetime is a giant industry leader with its fingers in a lot of different pies, and that this expansion, logical and savvy, may open the door for more Heath and Wellness product lines from Lifetime. Lifetime is a manufacturing giant, and their aptitude to create is undoubtedly concerning to anyone else in the industry. Lifetime already has a solid chunk of sporting goods, with the aforementioned paddleboards and also a full line of basketball systems, so the jump to a line of heavy duty fitness products isn’t out of the question.
Whatever Lifetime decides to do, their new Heath and Wellness line will surely help many seniors in need, and that’s a good thing. To find out who carries Lifetime products near you, search Sportrabbit.com.
Stop in to Richardson Bike Mart Today
September 23rd, 2011 by Ben Remington
They say if you can find work that fits your passion, you’ll never actually work a day. This must be true for the staff of Richardson Bike Mart, a small chain of bicycle stores in North Texas. They seem to have a passion for bikes that is limitless, and their stores reflect that.
Richardson Bike Mart’s website has an incredible amount of information and product, showing off the amazing amount of variety they offer in their stores. BMX Bikes, Comfort Bikes, Racing Bikes, Mountain Bikes and even Unicycles(yes, unicycles) with dozens of vendors are just the beginning. A complete line of apparel and accessories provides you literally everything you could ever need for biking.
The focus of Richardson Bike Mart is the Customer Experience, and they use their knowledge and passion for the sport to build, sell and service every bike custom tailored to your needs. The focus is really on quality, not only of their products but of their service and advice to those purchasing bikes. The list of vendors they carry includes Cervelo, Gary Fisher, Specialized, Trek and many more of best names in the business, along with several independent brands with a reputation of quality.
Along with all of their products and services online, they offer tips and advice for riders, along with photos, events, industry news, links and even vendor safety recall information. This kind of all encompassing attention to detail is what you should come to expect from their in store experience as well.
If you want to see what products they carry or get a coupon for Richardson Bike Mart, search SportRabbit.com.
Here are the three Richardson Bike Locations with links to store coupons:
Richardson Bike Mart Dallas
9040 Garland Rd.
Dallas, TX 75218
(214)321-0705
Richardson Bike Mart Frisco
8820 John Hickman Parkway
Frisco, TX 75034
(972)335-7600
Richardson Bike Mart Richardson
1451 W Campbell Rd
Richardson, TX 75080
(972)231-3993
Maryland’s New College Football Uniforms
September 20th, 2011 by Ben Remington
Ok, let’s get this one out of the way- What is the deal with Maryland’s uniforms this season? After hearing everyone complain about them, and seeing the less than compelling photos, I’m here to defend the aesthetic atrocity.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of the jerseys themselves, especially the matching helmets, but I like what they were trying. Or that they were trying. To me the pinnacle of college sports fashion IS the Oregon Ducks, and what Nike has done to spice up the look, especially recently(I wasn’t a huge fan of the diamond plate look, however). So, Under Armour said two can play at this game, came up with a zany look, and voila! We have the two faced uni’s debuted Monday. On a side note, I was very entertained when two Maryland players faced each other, and instead of looking like a teammate discussion, it looked like NFL Europe smack talking.
So where do they go from here? Under Armour has some other interesting designs on deck for Maryland, which is the birthplace of Under Armour, by the way, but luckily for us, none are quite as crash dummyish as this initial set was. I applaud UA for what they’ve done, unlike their mouthguards, and hope to see more uniform excitement from them in the future.
Also worth mentioning in this topic of drastic uniform changes is the upgrade received by Arizona State, who went from Disneyesque devils to a pretty fierce design with multiple color options. This change was brought to you by Nike, which is why it has such an Oregon feel to it. Now if they could just work the same type of magic on my Golden Gophers, we might win a Big Ten game this year….
If you want to find awesome/hideous NCAA football jerseys near you, as always, search SportRabbit.com.
Pick up Hockey Equipment Now at Westwood
September 19th, 2011 by Dave Holden
The Twin Cities most sought after specialty hockey store awaits you!!!
Yes, Westwood Sports offers more than hockey, but why talk about anything but hockey….it is hockey season, well close enough!
As your Pee-Wee, Bantam, Midget or Junior hockey players prepare for the upcoming Minnesota winter, why not give them the highest quality of hockey gear & apparel they deserve by visiting Westwood Sports!
This multi-location retailer has stores that sell it all! With over 35 years of experience, their stores are more than dedicated to the safety and play of your children.They have been delivering the Twin Cities hockey players with great products, competitive pricing & a level of customer service that is almost non existent these days!
Personal experience….As I walked through the Bloomington location (which is 1 of 3 Westwood Sports locations), I was instantly greeted by a smiling employee. They actually asked how my day was going, what I was in the market for, what type of hockey player my son was (age, skill level etc.), and walked me through all the offerings of skates for what would work best. The sales associate actually knew the product, had a personal experience with relating to what he was showing us, and actually listened to what you say. Even better, the employee was open to questions. All of which were unexpected from my wife and I.
In regards to the product selection, well that was ideal as well. They had a great selection of composite and wood youth hockey sticks, junior hockey sticks, intermediate hockey sticks, senior hockey sticks, hockey stick shafts, hockey skates (Youth, Junior & Senior), skate repair parts, a huge selection of protective gear (elbow pads, helmets, masks, shin guards, breezers, shoulder pads), and everything needed for hockey goalies!
I was also impressed with their top-notch selection of manufactures! Bauer, Easton, CCM, Reebok, Warrior, & Nike Bauer!
They also have the latest technology for hockey skate sharpening and figure skate sharpening…good news is, the pricing is good and the turn around time is even better!
I rate this store a 9-10 for my hockey experience – customer service, product selection, customer engagement, pricing etc…..and my wife agrees.
Drive a few extra miles for a local brick and mortar – mom and pop shop that has it all!
They have three locations that all offer a $5.00 of a $50.00 purchase at www.sportrabbit.com! Share it with your friends, let them have a great experience, save money, and keep your dollars circulating in the local Twin Cities economy!
Westwood Sports Chanhassen – Coupon Click Here
445 W 79th St
Chanhassen, MN 55317
952-934-3300
Westwood Sports Bloomington – Coupon Click Here
9601 Garfield Avenue South
Bloomington, MN 55420
952-881-2222
Westwood Sports Apple Valley – Coupon Click Here
14805 Granada Avenue South
Apple Valley, MN 55124
952-431-5590