Xenith® today announced its partnership with the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL). The partnership will provide the SYFL, in its entirety, access to Xenith Academy, a comprehensive safety and risk reduction curriculum designed to deliver both innovation and education to athlete populations.  Some of the many components offered on Xenith Academy include, educational resources with a focus on prevention and management of concussive episodes, and safer tackling techniques designed to reduce brain and spinal injuries.

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Xenith's X1™ Football Helmet features Xenith Adaptive Head Protection®, an innovative technology system that provides an adaptive fit and adaptive response to impacts of all energies and directions. In addition to providing the X1, Xenith will work with the SYFL's coaches and administrators on educational efforts to complement the helmet, forming a comprehensive risk reduction strategy.  

"We are excited to partner with Xenith. Our goal is to enhance the safety of our players, and provide education to our league, coaches, and community members with a focus on limiting concussions," said SYFL Commissioner Haamid Wadood.

"Our goal is to not only construct the smartest and most optimized helmet, but to also provide educational information needed to complement the helmet," said Vin Ferrara, Xenith's Founder and CEO. "With this strategy, everyone has a role to play.  I am impressed by the level of passion and knowledge that Coach Snoop has shown for this subject and our team is very excited to work with his team."

Snoop Dogg, Coach and Founder of the SYFL stated, "Xenith is the future of football helmets. It is so much more convenient and safer for my kids.  Not only does it look good, it feels good. My rule is if you look the part it is easy to play the part. Xenith is the official helmet of the SYFL."

Currently, more than 30,000 athletes, from youth through the NFL, are wearing the Xenith X1 football helmet. The Pomona Steelers and Long Beach Browns of the SYFL are just two of many teams embracing Xenith. Xenith and the SYFL will be officially launching this program Saturday, August 28th in Long Beach, California.

For more information on Xenith or its risk reduction curriculum, please visit www.xenith.com.

To enroll in Xenith Academy, please visit www.xenith.com/xenith-academy.

About Xenith:

Xenith, located in Lowell, Massachusetts, was founded in 2004 by Vincent R. Ferrara, MD, MBA with the goal of advancing safety and activity through innovation and education. Xenith's first product, the Xenith X1 football helmet, was developed by engaging leading experts in the areas of injury prevention, treatment and research complemented with a strong commitment to educational efforts. The X1 football helmet was designed to mitigate the risk of traumatic brain injury in football. For more information on Xenith visit www.xenith.com.

SOURCE Xenith

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In an effort to honor, encourage and support the thousands of Big Ten community members who give back, the Big Ten Network is launching Give Big, a major community service initiative.

Beginning Friday, the network will feature a top community-service effort of a Big Ten supporter during Big Ten Tailgate, which visits a different Big Ten campus each week during football season.  Some profiles will focus on the efforts of famous athletes such as Wisconsin's Devin Harris and Minnesota's Karl Mecklenburg, as well as remarkable projects undertaken by community leaders better known locally.

"Dedication, commitment and community are all important aspects of the Big Ten conference," said Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman. "Give Big recognizes that being a part of the Big Ten means giving back to the community in a big way."

While Give Big salutes these charitable efforts on the air, it will also look to engage the Big Ten Network's passionate and growing audience on a dedicated website (www.BTNGiveBig.com) and other social-media sites to funnel their enthusiasm and support toward these worthy causes.

Beyond sharing inspirational stories, Give Big will provide real tools and ideas to help others Give Big at www.BTNGiveBig.com.  Through partnerships with organizations like Teach for America, Special Olympics, the REACH Foundation, Coaches vs. Cancer and others, the initiative will connect viewers, students and supporters with great organizations and outlets for service.

"We are really looking forward to sharing some of these remarkable stories with our viewers," Silverman said. "We're hopeful that the unmatched passion of Big Ten fans and the exposure for their programs will generate even more support for these great causes."

The first Give Big profile airs Friday during Big Ten Tailgate, which originates from the University of Iowa and features John Heineman. Heineman is a 25-year-old University of Iowa graduate who began volunteering at the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic during his sophomore year.  In addition to the countless hours he spent at the clinic, Heineman swam the English Channel to raise money for it, bringing in more than $19,000.  

For more information, go to www.BTNGiveBig.com.

The first 12 honorees are listed below.

About the Big Ten Network: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Cable Networks, the Big Ten Network is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With approximately 350 live sporting events, and nearly all of them in HD, the network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of where they live. The network operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, showcasing a wide array of classic-to-current sports and televising more Olympic sporting events and women's sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation's finest universities. Each year, the network offers between 35 and 40 football games, 105 regular season men's basketball games; 55 women's basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; studio shows; coaches' shows; and classic games. The network is available to more than 75 million homes across the United States and Canada, and currently has agreements with more than 300 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Atlantic Broadband, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox (Cleveland, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Omaha), DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Rogers Cable (Canada), Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct (Canada), Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information on the Big Ten Network, go to www.BigTenNetwork.com.

SOURCE Big Ten Network

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Verizon Wireless has activated three temporary cell sites in Ann Arbor and upgraded equipment on its existing cell sites in the area that provide coverage in and around Michigan Stadium.

The company's upgrades boost voice capacity by 11% and data capacity by 87%. These improvements empower more customers to use their wireless phones concurrently for everything from social networking and internet browsing to checking email and making calls.

The temporary cell sites, known as COWs (Cell on Wheels) and COLTs (Cell on Light Truck), are fully functional, generator-powered mobile cell sites that enhance wireless capacity in a specific location—and work especially well in dense areas with large crowds.

This is the fifth consecutive year Verizon Wireless has increased capacity in Ann Arbor for the duration of the University of Michigan's football season. New this year, the company activated two additional temporary cell sites surrounding Michigan Stadium.

"Year over year, data usage of our Michigan network has nearly doubled and voice usage has grown by nearly 10 percent," said David MacBeth, executive director–Network, Michigan/Indiana/Kentucky Region, Verizon Wireless. "Our customers are relying on their phones much more, particularly at major sporting events like college football games. These improvements help ensure our customers enjoying a football Saturday can make their calls and stay connected, send their emails and upload their photos and videos to their favorite social networking sites."

On-site network improvements, including the enhanced coverage around Michigan Stadium, are part of Verizon Wireless' continual efforts to expand coverage, improve capacity and enhance the quality of its wireless voice and data network in Michigan and throughout the country.

Verizon Wireless has invested more than $60 billion since it was formed—$5.7 billion on average every year—to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services. Since the company was formed in 2000, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $1.4 billion on improvements to its wireless network in Michigan.

About Verizon Wireless in Michigan

In Michigan, Verizon Wireless has more than 2,100 employees and 65 company-owned retail locations in more than 40 cities, including Allen Park, Alpena, Alpine Twp., Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Battle Creek, Bay City, Brighton, Burton, Canton, Clinton Twp., Dearborn, Detroit, East Lansing, Escanaba, Farmington Hills, Fenton, Flint, Fort Gaylord, Gratiot, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Highland Park, Holland, Houghton, Iron Mountain, Jackson, Kentwood, Lake Orion, Lansing, Livonia, Marquette, Midland, Monroe, Muskegon, Northville, Novi, Okemos, Petoskey, Pontiac, Portage, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Saginaw, St. Clair Shores, St. Joseph, Southfield, Taylor, Traverse City, Troy, Utica, Warren and Westland.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving more than 92 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with  79,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, Nasdaq: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless

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This college football season, ESPN 3D and Sony are changing the way fans view games from home with the introduction of the "3D Game of the Week."  Every week, Sony will sponsor the airing of one top-level college game with potential Bowl Championship Series (BCS) implications on ESPN 3D, beginning with Boise State versus Virginia Tech on Monday, Sept. 6.

Bud Light is helping to extend the experience, partnering with Sony to host co-branded 3D viewing parties in select 3D Game of the Week markets that include Bud Light mobile bars outfitted with six Sony BRAVIA HDTVs with 3D and active 3D glasses, along with PlayStation 3 systems.  The viewing parties will give consumers a chance to experience 3D technology firsthand. Sony's stable 3D signal from the HDTV to the 3D active glasses will allow for wide-viewing angles so everyone in the party can enjoy the telecast from a comfortable seat.  Bud Light and Sony will host 3D viewing parties at locations around select visiting teams' markets throughout the season as well.

"Sony is involved in every step of the 3D process and is a major partner in helping to deliver the 3D college football experience to the home," said Stuart Redsun, Sony Electronics senior vice president of marketing.  "Our professional HD cameras are being used to shoot the action for each ESPN 3D game of the week through the BCS National Championship game in January, and fans can now enjoy the games on our 3D HDTVs."

ESPN 3D launched on June 11 with the first game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.  The channel has featured 25 World Cup games as well as the 2010 Home Run Derby.  Future plans include a featured college football game almost every week of the season.  Additional dates will be announced as the season progresses.  Sony is the official sponsor of college football on ESPN 3D, and college football games televised on ESPN 3D will utilize Sony professional cameras.

Bud Light will be the exclusive malt beverage category sponsor for all ESPN 3D college football telecasts, which will include cut-ins to the Bud Light and Sony 3D viewing parties during select games.  To support the telecasts, Bud Light will also debut a 3D commercial – titled "Ultimate Tailgate Car" – the first 3D commercial filmed and aired by a brewer.  The brand's relationship with ESPN extends into the college football post-season, where Bud Light will receive entitlement of the pre-game shows of the four BCS bowl games aired on ESPN, including custom opening and closing animations, on-set branding and full malt beverage category exclusivity.  

"The introduction of a 3D commercial provides us a great way to showcase Bud Light and further sets the brand apart as a leader and innovator in the beer category," said Keith Levy, vice president, marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc.  "Connecting with consumers through new means strengthens Bud Light's position in the football season, and the use of 3D technology plays an important role in our overall football campaign this season, 'Bud Light Playbook.'"

To view 3D games in the home, consumers will need a 3D TV such as Sony's BRAVIA 3D capable models and active shutter 3D glasses, as well as access to the ESPN 3D channel.  ESPN 3D is currently carried on AT&T U-verse, Comcast and DirecTV.  

About Anheuser-Busch

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.9 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers.  The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light.  Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer.  Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years.  The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo.  For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

About Sony Electronics

Headquartered in San Diego, Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio/video electronics and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets.  Operations include research and development, design, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service.  Sony is noted for a wide range of consumer audio-visual products, such as the BRAVIA LCD and 3D high-definition televisions, Cyber-shot and alpha digital cameras, Handycam camcorder and Walkman personal stereo.  Sony is also an innovator in the IT arena with its VAIO personal computers; and in high-definition professional telecast and production equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM HD and CineAlta™ lines of cameras and camcorders, and the SXRD™ 4K digital projector.  The latest news and information is available at the company's website at www.sony.com/news.

SOURCE Sony Electronics; Anheuser-Busch

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The NFL announced today plans for the "BACK TO FOOTBALL 2010 KICKOFF CHARITY AUCTION" to support the New Orleans Saints Gulf Coast Renewal Fund. The NFL and NFL PLAYERS partnered to assemble an unprecedented array of one-of-a-kind experiences and autographed memorabilia from some of the NFL's top stars, including Super Bowl XLIV MVP DREW BREES and Minnesota Vikings QB BRETT FAVRE, who will face off September 9 to kick off the 2010 season. Fans may bid on 150 experiences and items now through 10 p.m. ET Sunday, September 12 on www.nfl.com/auction.

Among the experiences and items:

• Super Bowl XLIV helmet signed by Super Bowl XLIV MVP DREW BREES.
• Authentic jersey signed by Brees.
• Game-worn jerseys from NFL stars TOM BRADY, BRETT FAVRE, ELI MANNING, PEYTON MANNING, RANDY MOSS, TONY ROMO & MARK SANCHEZ.
• Super Bowl XLIV opening kickoff ball.
• Football signed by the Super Bowl XLIV champion New Orleans Saints.
• VIP trip for two to Super Bowl XLV in North Texas on February 6, 2011.
• VIP trip for two to the 2011 Pro Bowl in Hawaii on January 31, 2011.
• Guitar signed by TAYLOR SWIFT, who is performing in "NFL Kickoff 2010 Presented by EA SPORTS."
• Opportunity to walk the red carpet at LOMBARDI's Broadway premiere on October 21, 2010 in New York City.
• Opportunity to be on the set of HBO's Emmy-nominated series "Treme."
• Behind-The-Scenes VIP Experience at NBC's Football Night In America studio show including a tour; meet-and-greet with FNIA talent; autographed football by SNF/FNIA talent; & NBC Sports gift bag.

A full list of items can be found at www.nfl.com/auction.

The New Orleans Saints developed the Saints Gulf Coast Renewal Fund to benefit those affected directly by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A significant portion of the funds being raised are from the raffle of an official Super Bowl XLIV Championship Ring identical to the one that was awarded to the ownership, players, coaches and administrative staff.  More than $800,000 has been raised through this raffle to date. The funds will be allocated by an eight member board of directors made up of Gulf South community leaders, Saints ownership, senior executives, and a player.

The Back To Football 2010 Kickoff Charity Auction is part of the efforts to kick off the 2010 season and to honor the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints and the city of New Orleans.  The Krewe of NFL Kickoff Parade will travel through the heart of the French Quarter and kicks off "NFL KICKOFF 2010 PRESENTED BY EA SPORTS," the NFL's ninth annual football and music festival.  DAVE MATTHEWS BAND and TAYLOR SWIFT are scheduled to perform.  NFL Kickoff 2010 will be televised live, from 7:30-8:30 PM (ET)/6:30-7:30 PM (CT) on NBC and NFL Network, leading up to the season opener between the Saints and the Minnesota Vikings at the Superdome (NBC, Westwood One Radio Sports, 8:30 PM ET).  This is the seventh consecutive year the NFL has saluted the Super Bowl champions with the opening game in their stadium on a Thursday in primetime.

SOURCE NFL

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