As excitement builds in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) in South Africa, Sony Ericsson, the Official Mobile Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM), introduces a new way for soccer fans in the Unites States to get behind their team online through a unique social networking initiative.

The Sony Ericsson Twitter Cup will see the 32 teams competing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) in South Africa, battle it out in an online tournament where the fans decide who will win. Fans will be able to participate in this exciting competition either online or via their mobile handset(1).

The tournament kicks off on December 4th 2009, coinciding with the draw for the group stage of the official tournament. To get team U.S.A. through each round, fans need to show their support by Tweeting (#TWCUSA). The team with the most Tweets in each round will prevail and go on to the next stage, regardless of how the real team fares in South Africa.

“Sony Ericsson is dedicated to providing soccer fans with the best experience of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM), giving them more ways to support their team and get involved with all aspects of the game,” said Karen Morris, vice president of Marketing for Sony Ericsson North America.

Tweets about the U.S. team are represented by the colors of the national flag in the virtual stadium – the bigger the U.S. flag becomes, the more popular the team and the closer they are to being crowned the winner of the Sony Ericsson Twitter Cup. The wall chart view will let fans see the progress of their team and who’s playing who in the knockout stages, so it’s easy to compare the results with the real 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM).

The Sony Ericsson Twitter Cup rules are as follows:

– The Sony Ericsson Twitter Cup follows the same format as the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM). There are group and knockout stages, including quarter finals, semi finals and the final itself
– However, unlike the physical tournament, teams’ success in the Sony Ericsson Twitter Cup depends on how many Tweets they get
– The more Tweets a country gets, the more fans they have and the better chance they have of progressing to the subsequent rounds
– Sony Ericsson will monitor all the activity on Twitter – from the first round draw on December 4th 2009 through to the final on July 11th 2010
– A general Tweet about the U.S. team will win the team one point; a Tweet with (#TWCUSA) is worth five points for the team

Sony Ericsson is uniquely placed to be a champion of soccer fans worldwide. Mobile communications is an integral part of the fan experience – whether watching in the stadium, at home or at a fan park, fans bring their handsets with them. Sony Ericsson will use its soccer partnership and expertise in mobile phone entertainment to energize and enrich the experience of consumers worldwide.

Sony Ericsson is the Official Mobile Handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM), which arose through Sony Corporation, as the Digital Life Partner of FIFA. Sony Ericsson agreed to sub-license the category from Sony Corporation and the agreement includes all FIFA events until 2010 including the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM) in South Africa. The Digital Life category includes mobile handsets as well as consumer electronics, professional and broadcast AV and other equipment, personal computers, movies, music and gaming.

Source: Sony Ericsson

The UFL’s Championship Game, featuring the Florida Tuskers and the Las Vegas Locos, will be held on November 27th in Las Vegas at Noon PST. The UFL also announced that its fans will determine the Championship Game MVP using a text messaging campaign to vote. Candidates for the award will be announced at the beginning of the fourth quarter during the VERSUS telecast.

Beginning today, fans can vote online at www.ufl-football.com for the UFL’s Motorola Season MVP and Men’s Wearhouse Coach of the Year. On November 22nd, fans can vote for StubHub’s Fan Favorite Play of the Year. Fans will have the opportunity to vote for the Title ElectroEnergy Drink Championship Game MVP during the game’s fourth quarter via text messaging.

“The UFL is truly about the fans and we wanted to make sure their voices were heard when recognizing coaches and players at the conclusion of our ‘Premiere’ season,” said Michael Huyghue, UFL Commissioner. “By utilizing our website and text messaging platforms, we are integrating all forms of communication to engage our fans.”

The UFL

The UFL was developed to fulfill the unmet needs of football fans in major markets currently underserved by professional football by providing a high quality traditional football league comprised of world class professional football players. The UFL will serve the communities with pride, dedication and passion, and uphold a leadership role in the development of football worldwide. The UFL will provide every fan with an affordable, accessible, exciting and entertaining game experience. Scheduled to debut in October 2009, the UFL’s headquarters is in New York, N.Y. and has satellite offices in Jacksonville, Fla. and Rutherford, N.J. The UFL is led by Commissioner Michael Huyghue, COO Frank Vuono and is being funded by a consortium of private investors. For more information on the UFL and how to purchase tickets for the UFL’s “Premiere” season, visit www.ufl-football.com.

Source: UFL

Gillette [PG] and EA SPORTS(TM), a label of Electronic Arts Inc., announced the Second Annual “Gillette – EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Tournament on Xbox 360,” the world’s largest multi-sport online gaming competition that pits gamers from around the globe against each other, and ultimately for the winners, against some of the biggest names in the world of sports, including Gillette Champion Tiger Woods.

The Tournament, which attracted more than 350,000 gamers last year, begins on November 18, 2009 and runs through February 14, 2010. Gamers will be able to compete against other gamers on Xbox LIVE, the world’s premier online gaming and entertainment service, within their geographical region on several EA SPORTS titles including – Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 10, EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA Soccer 10, Madden NFL 10, NHL® 10 and Fight Night Round 4. Winners on each title will have the chance to be crowned a Gillette – EA SPORTS Champion of Gaming at the Final Event in March 2010. At the Tournament Finals, Gillette Champion Tiger Woods, as well as other sports superstars*, are scheduled to take on one of the five Gillette – EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming participants in an EA SPORTS title — with the winner claiming ultimate bragging rights.

“Last year, our match came down to the final shot. I’ve been practicing and I am ready to take another crack at this year’s best player,” said Tiger Woods.

The Champions of Gaming Tournament is a global skill-based tournament in which participants compete against other players on the online Xbox LIVE gaming platform to determine winners. The global tournament will consist of one (1) nine (9) part qualification round and one (1) knockout round in three regions — North America; Europe and Asia-Pacific. The regional champions of each title will then face-off against each other and compete for the opportunity to play against the sports superstars at the global final event.

“We’re excited to once again provide gamers from around the world the opportunity to face off on some of our most popular EA SPORTS games through the Champions of Gaming Tournament on Xbox LIVE,” said Peter Moore, President, EA SPORTS. “What continues to make this tournament truly stand out from other gaming tournaments is the extraordinary chance to compete face-to-face against Tiger Woods and other sports superstars.”

“Last year, we created the world’s largest multi-sport gaming tournament and this year, we are looking to make it even bigger,” said Peter Clay, Vice President, Gillette Grooming. “We expect even more participants as the gamers play for the ultimate prize – a one-on-one match against some of the top names in sports.”

To compete in the Gillette – EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Tournament, gamers must have the following:

– a valid e-mail address
– access to a Microsoft Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system
– the EA SPORTS video game in which the player is competing (see titles above)
– a valid EA SPORTS account in good standing
– a valid Xbox LIVE Gold Member account
– a valid Windows Live ID with their Xbox LIVE Gamertag linked

All players must be in good standing on xbox.com and the Xbox LIVE online service. To obtain an Xbox LIVE account, Windows Live ID or Xbox LIVE Gamertag, access www.xbox.com and follow the applicable instructions. To obtain an EA Account, access www.ea.com and follow the applicable instructions.

For complete details on how to enter and full tournament rules visit www.easports.com/gillette or www.gillette.com/easports2010.

Source: Gillette

Delivering the ultimate baseball experience to San Francisco Giants fans, AT&T* announced today that fans can enter for a chance to win access to the 7th annual AT&T/Giants Slumber Party — just by registering at http://att.sfgiants.com/. All AT&T wireless customers can enter to win by texting SLUMBER to 6521** between now and August 2.

For 10 lucky baseball fans, AT&T will drive home the fun with a full day’s worth of baseball activities, including:

• Two tickets to see the San Francisco Giants go head-to-head against the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Slumber party prizes for each winner and one guest to sleep on the AT&T Park field in a tent, including two sleeping bags and party favors
• Player autograph opportunities with former Giants players J.T. Snow and Will Clark
• AT&T Park scavenger hunt including clues sent to fans’ wireless devices to win Giants memorabilia
• Interactive nighttime games on the AT&T Park field
• Late-night movies broadcast on the Diamond Vision screen, with pizza and snacks offered throughout the evening
• Sunrise breakfast for all attendees

Party-goers will also be able to access complimentary AT&T services at AT&T Park. With the on-site AT&T Wi-Fi tent, laptops will be available for fans to surf the Web and send e-mail for free during their night out.

“It’s time to get out the camping gear and get ready for another exciting night during the biggest slumber party of the year,” said Tim McGhee, executive director, AT&T Corporate Sponsorships. “With recent upgrades to AT&T’s services at AT&T Park, Giants fans can experience all the fun of a night out under the stars, all while staying connected to the game, and to friends and family outside of the stadium.”

AT&T, the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network provider, recently announced upgrades to AT&T Park’s Digital Dugout, including the Food Finder, for fans to locate the nearest concession stand; Pitch Tracker, for fans to track live pitches, receive score updates and stats, courtesy of MLB.com; FanCaptions, a service that provides closed-captions of PA announcements for hearing-impaired visitors; Video Content Library, which provides a collection of player interviews, along with great moments in Giants’ history; and baseball-themed games for the wireless device.

“This is the 7th year that we’re bringing fans closer to the action with the AT&T/Giants Slumber Party, and with all of our upgrades and additional services through AT&T, this once-in-a-lifetime fan experience is bound to be the best one in the program’s history,” said Bill Schlough, San Francisco Giants chief information officer.

On the Web, fans can also access a checklist of camping items to prepare for the slumber party, as well as download a commemorative AT&T/Giants Slumber Party postcard to send to family and friends.

For more information on the AT&T/Giants Slumber Party, please visit: http://att.sfgiants.com/.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Largest Wi-Fi network claim based on non-municipal company and owned and operated hot spots. An 802.11 b/g enabled device required.

AT&T is a proud sponsor of the 7th annual AT&T/ San Francisco Giants Slumber Party. Project Support Team is the administrator of this sweepstakes. For more information regarding rules and entry, please visit: http://mlb.com/mlb/sweepstakes/y2009/sf/att_slumber_sweeps_form.jsp.

** No purchase necessary. Standard text messaging applies.

*** To enter to win without sending a text message, please register online at http://att.sfgiants.com/. Online entry is open to both AT&T customers and non-customers.

Source: AT&T Inc.

July is National Hot Dog Month and July 20 is National Hot Dog Day. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council estimates that more than 7 billion hot dogs are eaten in America from Memorial Day through Labor Day with each American consuming an average of 60 dogs a year! New Yorkers reportedly consume more than any other city, while Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport sells more hot dogs than Los Angeles International and LaGuardia Airports combined.

But in Texas, at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, The Rangers are throwing a curve ball on National Hot Dog Day and adding a healthy condiment to their line-up via FREE Wholly Guacamole.

Celebrating one of our country’s most loved comfort foods via a classic national pastime, Wholly Guacamole invites Texas Rangers hotdog eating fans to “Wholly Guac-their-Dog!” Each hot dog sold at Rangers Ballpark on July 20, National Hot Dog Day, receives a FREE 100 calorie, Wholly Guacamole Snack Pack as a healthy condiment flavor topper.

Watch out Weinermobile! The Guacmobile–featured on the Food Network’s “UnWrapped” and unforgettable for its 13-ft high avocados and giant molcajete bowl of guacamole–will greet Rangers fans pre-game with Wholly Guacamole samples and tons of coupons. Look for the vehicle outside near the ballpark’s First Plate Gate from 3 p.m.- 8 p.m. on July 20.

Choose Guacamole over Mustard. Topping grilled meat with all-natural guacamole counts towards your “Fruits and Veggies–More Matters” to stay healthy plan. Studies show that the “good fats” in avocados effectively reduce cholesterol levels and are packed with nutrients–60 percent more potassium than bananas. For the athlete in everyone, all-natural Wholly Guacamole touts a Men’s Health Nutrition Award as “One of the Best Foods for Men.”

Want to create the Ballpark experience at home? Hand-scooped and made with 94 percent ripe avocados, Wholly Guacamole is preservative-free and all-natural, made like you would– if you had the time and the ripe avocados ready. Look for us in your grocery’s produce or fresh deli section.

Guac Budget. Shoppers can watch for Sunday coupons or join the GuacParty e-coupon mailing list for major discounts monthly at www.whollyguac.com.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino and Detroit Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge were chosen by fans as the winners of the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote in record-shattering voting exclusively on MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, and the individual Club sites.

Baseball fans supported the 10 candidates named by All-Star managers Joe Maddon and Charlie Manuel in unprecedented fashion by casting a record 68.6 million votes since the program commenced on Sunday, July 5 at 2:00 p.m. (EDT). This year’s record number of votes represents an increase of 43.5 percent from the previous mark of 47.8 million set in 2008. Since its inception in 2002, the All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote has now recorded nearly 200 million votes.

The National League winner, Victorino, received the highest total number of votes ever, surpassing Evan Longoria’s nine million in 2008, and led all vote-getters with 15.6 million en route to becoming the second Phillies player to win the balloting (Bobby Abreu, 2004). He was followed by Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants, Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals.

On the American League ballot, Inge became the first Detroit player to win the All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote by holding off Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers to claim the final spot on the All-Star roster with a final tally of 11.8 million votes, the most ever for an American League player. Inge and Kinsler were followed by Chone Figgins of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays; and Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Previous winners of the All-Star Sprint Game Final Vote are: Evan Longoria (AL, 2008); Corey Hart (NL, 2008), Hideki Okajima (AL, 2007); Chris Young (NL, 2007); A.J. Pierzynski (AL, 2006); Nomar Garciaparra (NL, 2006); Scott Podsednik (AL, 2005); Roy Oswalt (NL, 2005); Hideki Matsui (AL, 2004); Bobby Abreu (NL, 2004); Jason Varitek (AL, 2003); Geoff Jenkins (NL, 2003); Johnny Damon (AL, 2002); and Andruw Jones (NL, 2002).

Source: MLB.com

Shane Victorino gave Philadelphia Phillies fans late-inning heroics last night with his game-winning single and Phillies fans just might be giving the outfielder their own late-inning rally by propelling him into first place on the National League ballot with just under eight hours left in the record-setting All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote on MLB.com and the individual Club sites. The All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote has already surpassed all-time records for total ballots cast and total votes with 33.1 million and 53.4 million, respectively.

In the American League, Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers maintains a narrow advantage over Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers while Chone Figgins of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim has gained significant ground in the race for the final spot on the All-Star Team. They are followed by Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays and Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Victorino, who has already accumulated 10.8 million votes to surpass Evan Longoria’s record-setting nine million in 2008, holds a slight edge over his top contender, Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants. Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals round out the standings in the National League.

Mobile voting is available exclusively on Sprint capable mobile phones and fans can send the word “Vote” to 1122 to receive the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote ballot. Standard text rates apply. In Canada, fans should text the word “Vote” to 88555.

Real-time updates for each of the tightly-contested races will be made available today at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. (EDT) on MLB.com and via @MLB on Twitter. The winners will be announced shortly after the conclusion of balloting at 4 p.m. (EDT).

Source: MLB.com

Both races in this year’s All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote saw lead changes last night after day one frontrunners Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants and Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers fell behind Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies and Brandon Inge of the Detroit Tigers, respectively. At the 48-hour mark, Sandoval and Kinsler have each re-gained those leads with balloting ahead of last year’s record pace as 22.2 million votes have been cast exclusively on MLB.com and the individual Club sites.

While Sandoval and Victorino swapped the top spot on the ballot last night, Mark Reynolds of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers each have garnered nearly two million votes and are looming in this very close race for the final roster spot on the 2009 National League All-Star Team. They are followed by Cristian Guzman of the Washington Nationals.

Over in the American League, Inge eclipsed Kinsler for first place last night before the Rangers second baseman re-gained the lead earlier today. Overall, Kinsler, Inge and Chone Figgins of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim each have tallied more than two million votes while Carlos Pena of the Tampa Bay Rays and Adam Lind of the Toronto Blue Jays are in position to make a run.

The eighth annual All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote ballot commenced exclusively on MLB.com and the individual Club sites at 2 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday and will continue until the voting concludes at 4 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, July 9, 2009.

Mobile voting is available exclusively on Sprint capable mobile phones and fans can send the word “Vote” to 1122 to receive the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote ballot. Standard text rates apply. In Canada, fans should text the word “Vote” to 88555.

The All-Star Sprint Game Final Vote program has seen nearly 140 million votes cast since its inception in 2002, including last year’s record-setting total when fans chose Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays and Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers. Previous winners of the All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote are: Hideki Okajima (AL, 2007); Chris Young (NL, 2007); A.J. Pierzynski (AL, 2006); Nomar Garciaparra (NL, 2006); Scott Podsednik (AL, 2005); Roy Oswalt (NL, 2005); Hideki Matsui (AL, 2004); Bobby Abreu (NL, 2004); Jason Varitek (AL, 2003); Geoff Jenkins (NL, 2003); Johnny Damon (AL, 2002); and Andruw Jones (NL, 2002).

The 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pregame ceremonies beginning at 8:00 p.m. (EDT)/7:00 p.m. (CDT).

Source: MLB.com

Overall during the All-Star Game Sprint Online Balloting program, 223.5 million votes from 17.8 million ballots were cast at MLB.com and the 30 individual Club sites. Both figures are the largest figures recorded in the nine years of online balloting at MLB.com, surpassing the previous records established in 2008.

The American and National League All-Star Teams will be unveiled on the 2009 MLB All-Star Selection Show presented by Pepsi, televised nationally on TBS at 1 p.m. (EDT). MLB.com will provide comprehensive coverage of the All-Star Teams, including high quality video and details of every All-Star, immediately following the announcement. MLB Network will air a special MLB Tonight All-Star Edition, simulcast on MLB.com, at 6 p.m. (EDT) with expert analysis and a look at the players on the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote ballot.

Also after the conclusion of the show, fans will once again select the final player for each League’s 33-man roster via the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote exclusively online at MLB.com. Fans will also be able to cast votes by text exclusively on Sprint capable phones. Standard text rates apply.

The 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote will provide fans the opportunity to cast their votes from two lists of five players, one from each League, over a four-day period. American League All-Star manager Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays and National League All-Star manager Charlie Manuel of the Philadelphia Phillies each will designate five players who will be the candidates for the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote. Balloting will continue until 4 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, July 9. The winners will be announced exclusively on MLB.com shortly after the balloting closes.

Source: MLB.com

Will Ian Kinsler hold off Dustin Pedroia at second base? As of the last American League update, Kinsler held a lead of fewer than 7,000 votes, but over the past 72 hours of exclusive online balloting Pedroia has received 20% more votes than Kinsler.

Will Kevin Youkilis make it four straight years for a Boston first baseman to be voted the AL starter? Mark Teixeira is making a strong bid to end the Red Sox run by garnering 17% more online votes than Youkilis over the last 72 hours in hopes of closing a 40,000 vote gap.

Can Jacoby Ellsbury leapfrog three players in the scramble to earn the final starting spot in the AL outfield? The most recent update had Josh Hamilton leading the way, but over the past 72 hours of online voting Ellsbury has received at least 16% more votes than the other three challengers — Hamilton, Torii Hunter and Carl Crawford.

National League All-Star Races

Will Yadier Molina be the first National League catcher in 17 years to be voted a hometown starter? In the latest National League update, Molina was ahead of Brian McCann by just under 400,000 votes. McCann, however, is vying to make up the ground as he has recorded nearly 30% more online votes than Molina in the last 72 hours.

Has Carlos Beltran garnered enough votes to hold off the late charges from Alfonso Soriano and Shane Victorino? Among this triumvirate battling for the final starting spot in the National League outfield, Soriano trailed Beltran in the last update, but has received 11% more online votes in the past 72 hours than the other two challengers — Beltran and Victorino.

Will hometown All-Star Albert Pujols be the National League’s top vote-getter for the third time in his career? The most recent update had Pujols less than 100,000 votes ahead of last year’s National League top vote-getter, Chase Utley. Over the past 72 hours, Pujols has tried to extend the lead with 15% more online votes than Utley.

Answers to these questions will come on Sunday, July 5, when the American and National League All-Star Teams are unveiled on the 2009 MLB All-Star Selection Show presented by Pepsi, televised nationally on TBS at 1 p.m. (EDT). MLB.com will provide comprehensive coverage of the All-Star Teams, including high quality video and details of every All-Star, immediately following the announcement. MLB Network will air a special MLB Tonight All-Star Edition, simulcast on MLB.com, at 6 p.m. (EDT) with expert analysis and a look at the players on the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Final Vote.

Source: MLB.com