8B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY OF GRAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 16. 2007
FOOTBALL
Bank of America signs with NFL
BY IEVA M. AUGSTUMS ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — First came the Olympics. Next it was baseball, then NASCAR. Now, with hopes of tackling more than 120 million football fans, Bank of America Corp. has signed on to become the "official" bank of the National Football League.
The three-year deal further expands the burgeoning sports marketing portfolio at the nation's second largest bank, which is also expanding its line of affinity products — such as debit cards featuring a team logo — to include the NFL.
"In the financial services category, there is so much competition," said Rob Vogel, president and chief operating officer at The Bonham Group, a Denver-based sports marketing firm. "The NFL is the No.1 sport in the U.S. With it you have a tremendous platform to establish yourself against your competitors."
The deal makes Charlotte-based Bank of America the NFL's exclusive sponsor for banking and financial services, including checking and savings accounts, credit, debit and ATM cards, and wire and currency transfer and exchange services. The company gets the right to use the NFL shield logo and other NFL-licensed trademarks, such as the Super Bowl, in marketing and advertising promotions.
The bank will also have the rights to advertise during NFL games and on NFL-controlled media assets,
such as NFL Network and NFL com.
Bank of America's sponsorship of the U.S. Olympic Committee dates to the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona. It signed on as the "official bank of baseball" in 2004, signing a five-year deal with Major League Baseball and inking sponsorships that extend down to the Little League level. In November, it "officially" added NASCAR, a sport widely viewed as the nation's fastest-growing.
"With its trusted reputation and national reach, Bank of America is an ideal partner for the NFL," said Lisa Baird, the NFL's senior vice president of marketing and consumer products. "We're pleased Bank of America will play such a visible role in our sport."
To kick off its sponsorship, Bank of America on Thursday will unveil NFL checking, a slice of the bank's affinity banking products that will include logos on checks and check cards, and even special interest rates on CDs and other investment accounts.
Currently, customers can get team-specific check cards and checks for the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots and Washington Redskins. In November, products with the NFL logo will become available.
In 1995, MBNA became the official credit card of the NFL, and the bank already offers credit cards featuring the logos of all 32 NFL teams.
Order of deaths to determine who gets Benoit's money
WRESTLING
CHRIS Benoit killed both his wife and son before committing suicide the weekend of June 22.
Officials are working to determine whether the wife or the boy died first. The order of deaths will determine who inherits the wrestler's fortune.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
BY HARRY R. WEBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — The future of pro wrestler Chris Benoit's millions could come down to the timing of a horrible crime: Did Benoit — having taken high doses of steroids — strangle his wife and then their young son before killing himself, or did the boy die first?
Lawyers for Benoit's mother-in-law, Maureen Toffoloni, filed a petition last week asking a court to determine the order of the deaths, which could affect whether she gets any of the estate.
Neither Benoit nor his wife left a will, so the death order could mean the difference in whether Toffoloni or Benoit's children from a previous marriage inherit the two homes, several bank and investment accounts and other assets estimated to be worth millions. Lawyers in the case declined Wednesday to provide an exact value.
Investigators have repeatedly said that Benoit killed his wife, then their son and himself during the weekend of June 22.
District Attorney Scott Ballard has said the wrestler used a cord to strangle his wife, then killed his son with a choke hold, then placed Bibles next to the bodies and hanged himself on a piece of exercise equipment.
Under that scenario, the estate would pass to Benoit's surviving two children, who live in Canada with their mother, said Cary Ickter, an attorney for Benoit's father. Michael.
But if the boy was killed first and then the wife, under Georgia law at least some of the estate would pass to
Toffoloni, lawyers in the case said.
That's because of a forfeiture statute that takes into account the fact that Benoit was the killer. As such, the law for purposes of estate distribution would consider Benoit to have died before his wife and son.
Ichter said that if the boy was killed first, the estate would pass to the wife and, since she was killed, it would then pass to her family. But he noted that police don't believe that is how it happened.
Richard Decker, an attorney for Toffoloni, of Daytona Beach, Fla., said he doesn't believe the order of deaths is clear. He said he is asking the Fayette County court to make a determination based on the law "and not what we hear on TV."
Investigators have not given a motive for the killings, but the question of whether steroids played a role has lingered. Anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home, and tests showed Benoit had roughly 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system when he died.
Besides the Fayetteville home, estimated to be worth $1.5 million to $3.5 million, the Benoits had a home in nearby Peachtree City, which was for sale for $400,000 at the time of the killings, according to Decker. The house was not sold and has since been taken off the market, he said.
A probate court hearing over the appointment of estate administrators is scheduled for Aug. 28. Ichter said.
Ballard did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment. A spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation declined to comment.
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