Every woman in the United States has a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime. Over 40,000 women will die in 2009 alone from this terrible affliction.

The NFL pulled together over the past week to show their support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month  and will continue throughout the end of the month. Uniform violation rules have been waived to allow pink sweatbands, shoes, patches and gloves. All of the Breast Cancer memorabilia will later be auctioned off and  the proceeds will be donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation. In the meantime, teams are creating a valuable level of awareness individuals alone often can’t create.

So what can you do to boost the cause? Maybe the pink towel used in last weeks game won’t be in your price range but you can still help in a big way. Try hosting your own pink competition. Grab some breast cancer t-shirts and host a company football game. If that doesn’t work in your social circle, simply sport a personalized ribbon next time you leave the house. Every action makes a difference.

For more ideas check out how the MLB and NHL handle Breast Cancer Awareness.

Posted: October 8th, 2009 under Football, General.
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How do you promote team spirit?

The stadium was definitely flooded with maroon and white sports lovers. Plano Senior High School sports fans were geared in school spirit, decked out in headbands, sunglasses, hats, wristbands that were decorated in their school colors and mascot (the wildcat)!

If you have a pep rally, homecoming, or some sort of sports oriented event coming up at your high school or university those horns and other team spirited items are great giveaways promoting the upcoming sports season (football promotional items were always my personal favorite in high school because they were always the most entertaining). Initiating school spirit is made much easier when there are fun and unique items that embody the energy you want to create at a game or related school event. For example, maracas or noise makers in your school color help ring in the excitement!!

Posted: January 26th, 2009 under Football, General.
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Rutgers football fans definitely show their full support every season, most equipped with thunder sticks!

Inflatable thunder sticks are always a fun addition to a college football game because you are outwardly showing your support for your team AND you are seeing how distracting you can be to the opposing team. This promotional item is a great piece for alumni and current students who want to help bring the audience to life! But don’t get rowdy; you might get ejected from the game!

Posted: December 23rd, 2008 under Football.
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In order to promote your football team, why not utilize the item that EMBODIES the game! The football! But you don’t necessarily have to give away a normal looking football because there are so many promotional items that take the shape of the iconic ball like a Colossal Hands Holding Football Twist Pen or Football Sport Clapper Noisemakers that will get your fans animated! **Sigh** I love this game!

Posted: December 16th, 2008 under Football.
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After talking about the place of promotional towels in professional sports, I was lucky enough to stumble on this video which gives a very brief history of the most famous example of the rally towel: The Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towel. The footage of entire stadiums waving their giveaways sure is awe-inspiring. I’m a big proponent of teams providing their fans with ways to get involved and show their support during the game, and the Steelers certainly know what they’re doing in this regard! Check out the video here:

Posted: November 17th, 2008 under Football, Souvenirs, stadium giveaways.
Comments: 1

How about using promotional products to help your favorite team win? Lots of teams understand that providing noisemakers such as promotional boom sticks to their fans can actually give stadium-goers a chance to influence the game! This engages fans and gets them more involved in the action and excited about coming to the stadium. Boom sticks are especially popular at basketball games, as fans go wild attempting to distract free throw shooters on the opposing team. Other items like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Terrible Towel” help fans display solidarity and support for their team at both home and away games.

When fans leave, they can take noisemakers and other promotions home as a free souvenir. The multiple imprint options on branded boom sticks also makes them great for co-sponsored promotions, which are popular at many sporting events.

Posted: August 27th, 2008 under Basketball, Football, General, Souvenirs, stadium giveaways.
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The Baltimore Ravens made a smart move by offering this promotional koozie, which is imprinted with the team name and colors. They know that tailgating is a huge part of the game day experience for many fans, and koozies are an essential tailgating tool. These simple items can keep a can or bottle at ice-cold temperatures for 30-40 minutes minutes, all while allowing you to express love for your favorite team. Koozies are popular souvenirs at sports stadiums across the county, but many teams are using these inexpensive items as free giveaways to entice fans on game day.

(pic via Flickr)

Posted: August 25th, 2008 under Football.
Comments: 1

Remember — team schwag isn’t only for sports organizations! Corporations and businesses of all kinds can capitalize on fun sports merchandise in order to promote their brands. Check out this soft football promo put out by Marchex, a leading pay-per-click and online advertising company. While Marchex isn’t really involved with sports (unless they’re marketing for a related company), this football promo is sure to build some good brand name recognition.

(photo via Flickr)

Posted: August 20th, 2008 under Football, MLB All Star Game, NASCAR.
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We’re just a few short weeks away fromt the start of the 2008 NFL season! As the kickoff celebration nears, fantasy football owners are busy drafting the best of the best to create a team they can lead to victory this year. So where does fantasy schwag fit into the equation? Over at ESPN.com fantasy football, promotional Tom Brady bobbleheads were sent to the league champs at the end of last season’s grueling fantasy action. These giveaways may not be incredibly valuable, but they are a fun and memorable keepsake. You can bet the recipients of these gifts are returning this year for another 17 weeks of fun, so the promotion has done its job. I wonder what they’ll be giving to the league champs this year? Stadium cushions? Beer koozies? We’ll just have to wait and see!

Posted: August 19th, 2008 under Fantasy Sports, Football.
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Here’s a cool shot of Adalius Thomas and Randy Moss giving out some sling packs to students in Boston at a Kick-off the School Year Rally. Kudos to them for setting a good example for youth and supporting education!

Posted: March 18th, 2008 under Football.
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