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Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) March 24, 2008

The Minnesota Twins have partnered with mobile sports chat utility FanChatter.com to provide Scoreboard Photo Sharing at all 81 Twins home games in 2008, beginning with the season opener at the Metrodome on Monday, March 31.

FanChatter, which allows users to post and receive sports chat via text and photo messaging, recently launched their new FanChatter Stadium division (http://fanchatter.com/stadium) to offer teams and event sponsors a full range of in-arena mobile interactivity features. The Twins are FanChatter’s first official team partner.

“We’re excited to give Twins fans the chance to take their own pictures and see them on the big screen,” said FanChatter co-founder Marty Wetherall. “FanChatter takes the old roving Fan Cam and puts it the fans’ hands, and you won’t believe the clarity of the photos. They look as good on the scoreboard as they do your phone.”

At each home game, fans will be invited to take mobile photos and send them to a custom email address at FanChatter, where they will be reviewed and selected by Twins personnel for inclusion in one of two fan photo slideshows to be shown during designated inning breaks.

Every fan that sends a photo receives an instant reply message on their phone thanking them for their submission and inviting them to visit an online gallery to see and share their photos after the game. The reply message and gallery are presented by the feature’s sponsor, Qwest Communications.

FanChatter successfully tested their Scoreboard Photo Sharing technology during three University of Minnesota football games at the Metrodome last fall. Now the Stadium concept has been expanded to include text message voting, trivia contests, and other mobile interactions, all of which provide teams and sponsors with a “triple-play” of brand communication platforms — in-arena (video board), mobile, and online.

“FanChatter gives fans new ways to interact with games and events,” said Wetherall. “The technology on your phone has moved well beyond simple voice transmission, and it’s easy to use. Scoreboard photo sharing is just the beginning of what’s possible.”

Wetherall continued, “It’s also really cool to have our favorite team as our client.”

Fueled by their deal with the Twins, FanChatter plans to market their services to other teams and sponsors throughout the country while continuing to innovate in the area of mobile sports fan connectivity. They are currently enhancing their Stadium offering to enable more in-game interactions between fans, teams, and sponsors.

About FanChatter:

A Minnesota company, FanChatter (http://fanchatter.com) is the joint creation of Fanacious, Inc. of Minneapolis and Slantwise Design (http://slantwisedesign.com) of Hopkins.

Wetherall, 34, is founder and creative director of Fanacious, Inc., a sports social networking company, and is also senior producer at top creative advertising agency Fallon. His credits include the EDS Super Bowl campaign (“Cat Herders”, “Airplane”, and “Running With The Squirrels”) and independent marketing work for the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Vikings. In 2003, he created THE SHOW TO BE NAMED LATER…, a “Sports Fan Reality Show” that aired first on community access television and later on Twin Cities NBC-affiliate KARE 11 in 2005. He is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Slantwise Design is a web design and software development studio founded in 2003 by Jonathan Dahl and Todd Emmel. The company creates usable designs and robust web applications using rapid, agile development methods. Clients range from startups to the enterprise. Most recently, Slantwise has been focused on mobile/web integration and video transcoding systems as well as Facebook and iPhone applications. Slantwise built FanChatter and FanChatter Stadium using the Ruby on Rails framework.

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Edina, MN (PRWEB) April 12, 2008

Wilson Chiropractic Center, a clinic with a 43-year track record in the Minneapolis area, is now under new ownership.

Dr. Adam J. Burke has fully acquired Wilson Chiropractic Center of Edina, Minnesota (http://www.WilsonChiropracticCenter.com) from its long-time owner, Dr. Jay P. Wilson. Dr. Burke has worked in partnership with Dr. Wilson for several years. He purchased the practice in July of 2007 with the knowledge that Dr. Wilson would stay on at the clinic for an indefinite period. “A new period has just begun for Wilson Chiropractic Center,” Dr. Burke said. “Dr. Wilson has moved on to pursue other interests. We are great friends and colleagues, and we have both gained immeasurably from our work together. His departure begins a new era for the clinic.”

Dr. Burke has built a solid reputation in the field of chiropractic medicine. During his residency at Northwestern Health Sciences University, and after receiving his Doctorate of Chiropractic, Dr. Burke provided chiropractic care for professional athletes and sports teams. Clinics he worked with included the Official Minnesota Vikings Clinic and the Official Twin Cities Marathon Clinic. He has also provided chiropractic care for professional fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, (UFC).

In 2007, Dr. Burke was inducted into an elite collection of chiropractic physicians, called the Platinum Group, of which Dr. Burke is the youngest member. This is a group of 20 doctors from throughout the United States who were chosen from a pool of about 2300 doctors for their contributions to chiropractic. The group met for the 2008 Arnold Sports Festival, a body building and fitness event in Columbus Ohio that featured 38 different sporting events including 12 Olympic sports. At the event Dr. Burke had the opportunity to spend time meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger. “What an incredible man. He is so personable and genuine, and a huge endorser of chiropractic care. He is certainly a role model to me,” Dr. Burke said.

In recent years, Dr. Burke has moved from sports medicine into family chiropractic. While continuing to work with athletes and golfers, he has chosen to broaden his scope to include children and families. “I enjoy working with people of all ages and all walks of life,” Dr. Burke said. “There is something so profound in helping a woman navigate comfortably through her pregnancy, and seeing a newborn baby in its first days of life. Not to mention helping people to regain mobility after experiencing auto accidents, ski accidents, and knee injuries. We have tremendous success helping people with these kinds of injuries to get back to their normal activities.”

Dr. Burke also enjoys providing education to his patients and to the community. “I think it is important for people to understand how critical a healthy spine is for vital health. When you think about it, the nervous system connects every organ, tissue, and cell in the body, and your entire spinal cord is protected and affected by your spine. When I give a talk on the connection between spinal health and heart health, people say ‘Wow, I get it!’”

A book that Dr. Burke authored is due out in coming months. It is titled, “Chiropractic First? Let’s Think About It,” and is subtitled “The ultimate self-help guide for chiropractic patients.” The book explains the fundamentals of chiropractic and what individuals can do at home to stay healthy and help injuries heal faster. “The goal of chiropractic is not just to gain new patients, but to help make the world a healthier place,” Dr. Burke said. “This book is a reflection of that ethic, and a reminder to individuals that lifestyle really matters.”

Wilson Chiropractic offers chiropractic, family healthcare, and wellness services. The Wilson Chiropractic Center, in its 43rd year of business, is located at 7300 France Avenue, in Edina Minnesota, and can be reached at 952-835-0006.

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Edina, MN (PRWEB) July 11, 2008

Dr. Adam J. Burke of Edina Chiropractic Center, formerly Wilson Chiropractic Center, has published a new book. The book, titled “Chiropractic First? Let’s Think About It,” describes the health challenges that can be associated with spinal misalignment, and how chiropractic can help. It also provides information to help individuals understand what they can do to better manage their health.

While it is well known that chiropractic addresses back pain and neck pain, according to Dr. Burke, most people don’t really understand the root causes of pain, or why it is critical to treat them. “With chiropractic care, we can address not only pain, but we can also correct nerve root irritation that can affect overall health and longevity,” Dr. Burke said. He added that many people are walking around with spinal misalignment that can cause further health issues, and they don’t even know it. “Misalignment of the spine, which is called a subluxation, does not always cause pain. But it will definitely cause degradation in health, either in the short term or the long term. The book explains why.”

From the beginning of his career in chiropractic, Dr. Burke has worked to educate his patients and the community. “When people are better educated, they are better able to make good decisions regarding their health,” he said. Dr. Burke lectures regularly on health concerns, including neuropathies, repetitive stress injuries, and other injuries related to joints and nerves. He explains why prevention and early treatment is critical for reducing health challenges and the expenses they incur. Companies and organizations use this knowledge to help their employees manage their health and reduce health care costs.

Dr. Burke also pursues an active interest in community development and youth enrichment. Proceeds from the “Chiropractic First?” book will benefit Achieve Minneapolis, an organization dedicated to helping Minneapolis public school students to succeed in school and become productive members of society.

Asked what makes him a good candidate for writing this book, Dr. Burke answered that he has rapidly built a solid reputation as an expert in the field of chiropractic since receiving his Doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University. He has worked with professional athletes and sports team clinics, including the Official Minnesota Vikings Clinic and the Official Twin Cities Marathon Clinic. He has also provided chiropractic care for professional fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, (UFC). In 2007, Dr. Burke was inducted into an elite collection of chiropractic physicians, called the Platinum Group, of which Dr. Burke is the youngest member. This group of 20 doctors from throughout the United States was chosen from a pool of about 2300 doctors for their contributions to chiropractic.

A few years ago Dr. Burke moved his primary focus from sports medicine to family chiropractic, and works with people of every age, from infants and young children to adults, including expectant mothers. He specializes in the Activator Technique, a methodology that activates mechanoreceptors in the soft tissues surrounding joints, providing gentle but very effective realignment.

“I’m proud to say that we have phenomenal success in our clinic, not only in obtaining relief from neck and back pain, but also with whiplash injuries from auto accidents, headaches, traumatic joint injuries, repetitive stress, arthritis, and more. As a result, patients come to the clinic from all over the region. We have patients from many surrounding cities, including St. Cloud, Hopkins, Minneapolis, Bloomington, Richfield, Savage, St. Paul, and the Western Suburbs. When people regain mobility and feel better, their success spreads by word of mouth.”

Call 952-835-0006 to purchase a copy of this book.

Edina Chiropractic offers chiropractic, family healthcare, and wellness services. The clinic is located at 7300 France Avenue, in Edina Minnesota, and can be reached at 952-835-0006. http://www.edinachiropracticcenter.com

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Norman, OK (PRWEB) September 5, 2008

While the Oklahoma Sooners were taking care of business against UT-Chattanooga on the football field last Saturday night, fans in attendance at Memorial Stadium were taking pictures–with their cell phones–and sending them in to be shown on the giant high-definition videoboard.

That’s because the University of Oklahoma and Sooner Sports Properties recently partnered with mobile sports fan network FanChatter to provide Scoreboard Photo Sharing at every Sooner home football game this season, sponsored by McDonald’s.

“We are extremely excited to be the first collegiate property to offer our fans and sponsors this interactive Scoreboard Photo Sharing forum that adds quality to an already fantastic game day environment at the University of Oklahoma,” said Sterling Cryder, account executive at Sooner Sports Properties (a division of Learfield Sports).

The move adds Oklahoma to FanChatter’s expanding roster of sports and event clients. A Twin Cities-based mobile internet startup, FanChatter launched its Stadium division in March 2008 when it teamed with Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins. The Qwest Twins Pics feature (sponsored by Qwest Communications) has since received and displayed mobile phone photos from over 7,200 unique fans through 69 straight Twins home games and counting.

“After proving what we could do with the Twins, it is now an honor to help grow the game day tradition in one of college football’s true capitol cities,” said FanChatter co-founder Marty Wetherall. “And as we saw Saturday night, Sooner fans look as good on that hi-def videoboard as their team did in routing the (UT-Chattanooga) Mocs!”

The McDonald’s Sooner Football I’m Lovin’ It feature invites fans to show how much they’re “lovin’” the Sooners during the game by texting or emailing photos from their phone to a custom address. Every fan that sends a photo receives an instant text message reply thanking them for their submission and alerting them to special deals on McDonald’s menu items.

Select photos are then displayed on the videoboard before the start of the 4th quarter and all approved photos are forwarded to a McDonald’s branded gallery website where they can be seen and shared with friends. The feature’s reply message and branded gallery components offer added messaging platforms to advertisers while also enhancing the fans’ experience between games.

“FanChatter’s Scoreboard Photo Sharing segment has been wildly popular and generates thousands of photos from our fans’ cell phones and PDA’s,” said Andy Price, Director of Game Presentation and Broadcasting for the Minnesota Twins. “But what really brings this element full circle is the ability to post every photo, not just those that get selected for the videoboard in our finite time frame, into an internet scrapbook that commemorates each Twins home game.”

Fueled by its deals with Oklahoma and the Twins, FanChatter plans to market its services to other teams, events, and sponsors throughout the country while continuing to innovate in the area of mobile fan connectivity. “Every fan in the country should be able to see themselves on the scoreboard,” said Wetherall. “And that’s just the beginning of what’s possible when you tap into the potential of fans and their phones.”

For a full description of the growing FanChatter Stadium technology offering, including video of the Scoreboard Photo Sharing feature in action, visit http://fanchatter.com/stadium .

About FanChatter:

A Minnesota company, FanChatter is the joint creation of Fanacious, Inc. of Minneapolis and Slantwise Design of Hopkins.

Wetherall, 35, is founder and creative director of Fanacious, Inc., a sports social networking company. He also works in advertising where his credits include the EDS Super Bowl campaign (“Cat Herders”, “Airplane”, and “Running With The Squirrels”) and brand work for the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Vikings. In 2003 he created THE SHOW TO BE NAMED LATER…, a “Sports Fan Reality Show” that aired first on community access television and later on Twin Cities NBC-affiliate KARE 11 in 2005. He is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Slantwise Design is a web design and software development studio founded in 2003 by Jonathan Dahl and Todd Emmel. The company creates usable designs and robust web applications using rapid, agile development methods. Clients range from startups to the enterprise. Most recently, Slantwise has been focused on mobile/web integration and video transcoding systems as well as Facebook and iPhone applications. Slantwise built FanChatter and FanChatter Stadium using the Ruby on Rails framework.

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Tempe, AZ (PRWEB) September 6, 2008

Tired of watching your favorite NFL team from the couch every Sunday? Get into the game by finding the best NFL football tickets to watch from the sidelines at TicketFeeder.com. Experience the thrill of seeing Super Bowl champ, Eli Manning throw a perfect touchdown, or cheer on Bob Sanders, from the Indianapolis Colts, when he sacks the opposing quarterback. Wish you had seats to your favorite NFL teams’ famous conference rivalry? Go to TicketFeeder (http://www.ticketfeeder.com) or call 1-888-480-TIXX (8499), a new retail ticket outlet that provides premium seats to great shows, ball games and theater performances — with outstanding customer service.

This fall season, even if you don’t have NFL football tickets to your favorite team, you can count on TicketFeeder to have what you’re looking for! With last season’s New York Giants unbelievable upset against the unstoppable almost perfect New England Patriots, fans are sure to be eager to see how Tom Brady and the Patriots will do this year.

“The NFL Football season is always so exciting here at TicketFeeder because we’ve been waiting all summer for the kick-off,” said Tammy Thibodeau, founder and CEO of TicketFeeder.” We have great NFL Football tickets to all of the best rivalries and we’re looking forward to getting our clients to the games.”

What will happen in the AFC East? Will Bill Parcells be able to turn the Dolphins back into winners? Can Brett Favre continue the magic in his debut season with the Jets?

Most think that the Steelers have the toughest schedule in the AFC North. Can Ben Roethlisberger lead Pittsburgh to double digit victories again? Despite a pre-season concussion, Derek Anderson plans to take the Browns to the playoffs — but he has Brady Quinn looming on the sideline. Watch the action in person by going to TicketFeeder to buy your NFL football tickets.

The Chargers are poised to make a run at the Super Bowl if they can contain the rest of their division. Will Denver find a running back that will surprise the competition? Can Darren McFadden and JaMarcus Russell put the Raiders back on the map? The Chiefs have lots of new talent, but will it be enough? Only time will tell.

The NFC West could go to anyone. With Coach Mike Holmgren in his last season in Seattle, perhaps the team will deliver a division title. The Cardinals are looking to rookie Tim Hightower to make a difference and the San Francisco 49ers will see if they made the right choice for quarterback between Alex Smith and Shaun JT O’Sullivan.

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Be in the stadium to see if the Tampa Bay Bucs have the ammunition to win the NFC South, but if Reggie Bush can perform like he did at USC, the Saints could knock them out of the race. Quarterback issues abound in Carolina and Atlanta — will Delhomme and Ryan be able to keep their teams afloat?

Can the Minnesota Vikings surprise the conference and take the NFC North? Minnesota quarterback Tarvaris Jackson hopes so. TicketFeeder can get you into Lambeau Field to see Aaron Rodgers start for Green Bay as the replacement to crowd favorite Brett Favre. After last season’s disappointment with Rex Grossman, Chicago needs to show some mettle against the rest of the division or Coach Lovie Smith may be on his way out.

The Super Bowl champion Giants will be tough again, but will they be able to hold off the Cowboys without their star defensive end Michael Strahan and now with rookie Felix Jones out of Arkansas on the roster? If Donovan McNabb stays healthy, perhaps the Eagles will surprise the super competitive NFC East division and come out on top.

Get out to the stadium and bundle up — it’s going to be an exciting NFL football season as teams across the country battle it out for the top prize in Tampa Bay, Florida! Don’t just watch the games, be a part of them, by calling TicketFeeder at 1-888-480-TIXX (8499) or visiting http://www.ticketfeeder.com.

Arizona-based TicketFeeder provides access to the nation’s largest secondary ticket market, and strives to provide the highest level of customer service possible. Their 100 percent guarantee and their reputation with the National Association of Ticket Brokers give customers peace of mind when purchasing their tickets to sporting, concert or theater events at http://www.ticketfeeder.com or by calling 1-888-480-TIXX (8499).

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Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) September 1, 2009

Fantasy Football Starters.com announced today it has surpassed 100,000 registered users of its free fantasy football tools. The website — http://www.fantasyfootballstarters.com — offers Power Analyzer products and enhanced statistical data that helps users determine the best fantasy football projections based on individual scoring systems.

While 2009 fantasy football fans are beginning to wrap their NFL fantasy drafts in preparation for the opening weekend of the season, one lucky guy — out of an estimated 20 million fans — is going to enjoy a premium fantasy football software service free for a lifetime.

The lucky “Member No. 100,000″ — Bill Vollmer. of Tyler, MN — was surprised to learn he will receive a lifetime Power Player Package Membership, good for the entire 2009-10 fantasy football season and beyond. “I am a commissioner of a league and wanted an edge this season, so that’s why I signed up for Fantasy Football Starters.com’s free Draft Analyzer,” says Vollmer, an avid Minnesota Vikings fan. Vollmer has played fantasy football for more than 20 years was excited about winning and becoming the site’s newest member.

That means he’ll be able to take advantage of all Power Player benefits, along with the Power Line-Up Analyzer, Draft Analyzer, Team Analyzer and Trade Analyzer. Each tool can be customized for individual league rules and scoring systems. The industry-standard fantasy football projections software includes:

Personalized Weekly Fantasy Football Projections & Power Rankings: personalized for each fantasy football roster, including NFL player stat predictions, updated 24/7.
SMART Alerts: custom player alerts sent twice weekly on sleepers to draft, in season “waiver wire wonders” to pick-up or avoid for those game time decisions.
Mobile Line-up Analyzer: on-demand predictions from your mobile phone on any of your fantasy football rosters, anytime/anywhere.
*NFL Game Predictions: weekly game predictions on each and every NFL game throughout the entire NFL season.

“I could not be more pleased that Bill has joined our legions of fans, who already know how Fantasy Football Starters has the tools and tips to help them win their fantasy football championship,” says Jeff Coruccini, the company’s President and CEO. “Guys like Bill expect quality services and we pride ourselves in doing just that for each and every customer. Therefore, we’re delighted to give him a complimentary Power Player membership to the best free fantasy football software and community on the planet!”

As the 2009 NFL Fantasy Football Season begins, it is clear that now more than ever fans are looking for quality, last-minute analysis and up-to-date player stat/performance insight, so they can be highly competitive in fantasy football. Fantasy Football Starters.com will continue to increase the type of free and premium content it provides year round.

The popular fantasy football projections website also has plans to roll out additional new products and features, promising even more NFL fantasy fun and challenge leading up to the start of the 2009 NFL season.

Fantasy Football Starters is a premium online fantasy football site owned and operated by Ready-Set-Go Fantasy Sports (RSGFS), a new media digital sports content provider based in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 2004, RSGFS has also delivered premium fantasy content via licensing agreements with business partners including NFL PLAYERS INC., Sprint/Nextel and others.

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Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) August 18, 2010

UNEQUAL Technologies, a leader in patented shock suppression gear for sports and lifestyle today announced that they are addressing the National Football League?s (NFL) teams? paradigm shift from cushioning to shock suppression footwear. Injuries are always top of mind in many contact sports and in activities where limbs and joints take brutal poundings daily. UNEQUAL Technologies has developed the world?s only insole made with Kevlar

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Trevose, PA (Vocus) September 9, 2010

Forget boring weenie roasts and ho-hum pigskin passes. Score with the latest tailgating trends by playing a round of sholf and bagging a cornhole before grilling a mail-order steak.

Just in time for the NFL kickoff, the Advertising Specialty Institute uncovers the latest tailgating trends with its first-ever Top 10 list of ultimate tailgating games and gear. According to a study by the Tailgating Institute, a typical tailgater is a college-educated male between 35-44 who hosts and/or attends six to 10 tailgate parties a season, spending over $ 500 on tailgating food and participating in a variety of interactive games with fellow tailgaters.

?Tailgating is a true piece of Americana and is quickly becoming a serious venue for entertaining and event marketing,? said Timothy M. Andrews, president and CEO of the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). ?Whether you get ready for kickoff with a friendly game of sholf or stick to grilling your favorites, heat up the asphalt with our Top 10 list of awesome tailgating gear for a great, all-round game day.?

The NFL begins its 91st season Thursday, September 9, with a 2010 season opener between the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings at the Superdome. To get in the spirit, ASI presents its first-ever Top 10 list of ultimate tailgating games and gear:

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Dalton, GA (PRWEB) December 14, 2010

The Taos Eco Park featuring Shaw Sportexe synthetic turf, located in Taos, New Mexico, has become among the elite four fields in the U.S. to achieve FIFA 2-star recommended status. It is currently the highest altitude FIFA 2-Star training facility in the world. Located 7,000 feet above sea level, Taos Eco-Park will be used to aid professional and international soccer teams and players with training in high altitude environments, in addition to youth and community events in various sports including, but not limited to, American football, rugby and lacrosse.

?The Shaw Sportexe team helped transform the vision of Taos Eco Park into a world class football pitch,? said Joel Israel, Executive Director of the Taos Sports Alliance. ?Players and coaches from New Mexico and around the world can utilize Taos Eco Park?s high altitude training location at 7,000 feet, with the benefit of a FIFA 2 Star Field Certification.?

The FIFA 2-star certification process requires a stringent series of testing for performance criteria such as ball roll, vertical ball rebound, force reduction, rotational resistance and several additional tests designed to mirror the playing characteristics of professional soccer. The testing is performed by a FIFA approved lab and consists of both on-field and lab tests.

The Taos Eco Park field features Shaw Sportexe?s PowerBlade HP turf system which consists of a 2.5? monofilament fiber and a mixture of sand and rubber infill. The new surface will provide both consistency and durability for years to come.

?Credit for the FIFA 2-Star Field Certification goes to the entire Shaw Sportexe team,? says Israel. ?The Town of Taos received excellent service from our territory manager Craig Edwards to Phil Stricklen in R & D, and of course, the boots on the ground that installed the field.?

Shaw Sportexe R&D Director, Phil Stricklen commented after hearing of the news last Friday from FIFA. ?Achieving the FIFA 2-star certification is no easy task. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our company. By conducting these rigorous tests, we can ensure that both athlete-surface and ball-surface interactions are mirroring the surface of natural grass. It just continues to showcase our ability to create turf systems that meet the highest performance levels in the industry.?

?We are very proud of our entire team,? said Shaw Sportexe Divisional Vice President, Tom Enright. ?I think this just solidifies the commitment we have towards engineering and installing fields with the best combination of durability, playability and safety. While all of our fields have not been tested for the FIFA 2-Star designation, we hold these same standards to every field we do. Our systems are designed around the same criteria and ultimately strive for the same performance level.?

Enright commented further, ?We congratulate the City of Taos for this outstanding accomplishment. Their commitment to build a first-class facility with international recognition shows the commitment they have for their families and community.?

Taos Eco Park is a multi-field initiative by the Town of Taos to increase the quality of life, while creating an economic drive for the region. The facility will feature the use of a solar power lighting system to house night events. Other features will include restroom and locker room facilities and stadium seating capacity for 1,500 people. The city plans to unveil the facility in a grand opening celebration in the spring. During the event, the new Shaw Sportexe field will endure its first usage as a FIFA 2-star field as the University of New Mexico men?s soccer team takes the stage during an exhibition game. Programming for high altitude training is already underway for 2011. The city reports it has already met expectations from team training, sports camps and sport leagues scheduled events.

About Shaw Sportexe

A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Shaw Sportexe is one of the leading synthetic turf companies in North America. Shaw Sportexe has demonstrated industry leadership in both quality and innovation for more than two decades with over 700 successful installations, including an impressive list of high-profile field installations such as the Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, LSU, University of Arkansas, and many others. For more information on Shaw Sportexe, visit http://www.shawsportexe.com.

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AUSTIN, TX (PRWEB) March 31, 2004 -

McCombs Enterprises and J. R. Beck Music Products, L.L.C. today announced a partnership to market high quality guitars directly to consumers via the Internet. “The bottom line is everyone wants to get a good deal,” said Red McCombs, CEO, McCombs Enterprises. “We’re selling cars via the Internet now. J.R. Beck’s guitars are a great example of the advantage technology can provide for consumers. By cutting out the middle man, we can offer very high quality guitars at a substantial savings.”

According to Lance W. Bledsoe, CEO, J. R. Beck Music Products, L.L.C., the company will provide the kind of quality instruments musicians look for – from Fender and Gibson – at about half the price by dealing directly with the same manufacturers.

“Insiders know that some of the very best guitars are made by a few companies in Korea and China,” said Bledsoe. “We have partnered with these companies so their expert craftsmen hand make each and every instrument we sell. In many cases what we sell is exactly what other companies sell but at half the price.”

The company has already sold hundreds of guitars through test market efforts and sees online sales as the new distribution channel for high quality instruments.

“We’re in the same place the PC industry was in the late ‘80s,” said Bledsoe, who worked for both Compaq and Dell. “Companies like Compaq were selling through stores like Computerland which is now out of business. Then Dell started selling their computers online. Everyone said you can’t sell computers that way, but Dell did it and now owns half of the PC market.”

Wanting to start his own business, Bledsoe, who has played guitar since his teenage years, began thinking about the concept of selling guitars online.

“The only company doing anything like what J.R. Beck is doing focuses on selling to people who live where there are no music stores, and sells to them at music store prices,” said Bledsoe. “I was looking at the Dell model which focused on selling at a substantially reduced price. In the beginning, they sold PCs equal in quality at less than half the Compaq price — and people liked the idea of buying directly from Dell because most dealers weren’t that technically knowledgeable. I helped set up the Compaq dealer support program and understand that process. That told me that selling a product you know something about and providing what customers want via the Internet at a significant savings should work.”

Some people see not being able to try out an instrument as a major drawback to online purchases of guitars, however.

“They said that in the computer industry, too,” said Bledsoe. “And, guitars have been around for awhile, so musicians know the different types of guitars available already — there’s not a lot of room for major differences in design anymore. We have a money-back guarantee, and even though you can try out a specific type of guitar in a store, you don’t generally get to try the actual guitar you’re going to take home. To evaluate how a guitar is going to sound you really need to try it in the same environment you play in, through the same amplifier and effects set-up, etc.

“There’s some empirical number that will drive people to accept some risk or inconvenience to realize substantial savings,” said Bledsoe. “If you want to buy a certain car and you see it advertised for substantially less at a McCombs dealership, you’ll probably go out of your way to buy it there, won’t you? So, if you want a top end Epiphone Les Paul, and the cheapest one you can find online is $ 900, but we guarantee ours is essentially the same for $ 550, then most people think that’s enough of a savings to try buying it from us. Of the hundreds we’ve already sold, there’s only been one refund. We’ll do whatever it takes to keep our customers happy.“

The goal isn’t just to sell a Fender or Gibson model for less money, however, Bledsoe also wants to sell J.R. Beck branded products to build quality brand awareness. Referring to the Dell situation, Bledsoe explains that their PCs now cost almost as much as Compaq, but people buy Dell computers now as much for the quality of the product as they do because of the price advantage and easy purchase process online. In addition to the classic designs like Les Paul, Gibson 335, or Fender Stratocaster, the company has some of its own guitar designs and they are made by the same company that makes some of the most expensive guitars sold by Gibson, for example. A high-end Les Paul branded as an Epiphone would be sold by Gibson for $ 1200 to $ 1300 — with volume discounters selling them for about $ 900, but J.R. Beck sells the same model for under $ 600.

“All guitars vary a little bit from one to another, but our guitars of a certain style are lying next to a Gibson or Fender of a certain style, on the same assembly line, with parts from the same bins — they’re functionally the same with the same quality materials,” said Bledsoe. “They just have a different headstock, but our guitar is as much an Epiphone Les Paul as a GMC Suburban is a Chevy Suburban.”

According to Bledsoe, J.R. Beck will target college and baby boomer musicians who already purchase products online, and know that Chinese and Korean craftsmen make the guitars for a lot of well known brands.

Red McCombs is the owner of Red McCombs Automotive Group and the Minnesota Vikings, co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, and an investor in J.R. Beck Music Products, L.L.C.

Lance W. Bledsoe is the chairman, CEO and president of J.R. Beck Music Products, L.L.C., an online sales music products company based in Austin, Texas, the “Live Music Capital of the World.” The company is committed to offering the finest instruments available anywhere for the money through direct Internet sales. Working directly with manufacturers, J.R. Beck provides superior guitars made by the world’s finest luthiers and passes savings on to customers. For more information on J.R. Beck Music Products, L.L.C. see http://www.jrbeck.com or call 1-888-4JRBECK (1-888-457-2325.)

DUBLIN & ASSOCIATES, INC.

1017 NORTH MAIN, SUITE 201

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78212-4721

(210) 227-0221

FAX (210) 227-6634

For more information, contact Rose Marie Eash, Dublin & Associates — 210-227-0221.

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