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For Immediate Release
| Contact: | Kendra Calvert Blue Equity, LLC Tel: 502.588.7159 kcalvert@blueequity.com | Charlie Bernard 5W Public Relations Tel: 212.584.4278 cbernard@5wpr.com |
Tennis Star John Isner Inks Endorsement Deals with Nike and Prince
SFX Worldwide Secures Multi-Year Deals for Rising Tennis Star
LOUISVILLE, KY, August 29, 2007 - Blue Equity, LLC (www.blueequity.com) announced today that highly touted tennis star John Isner has signed multi-year, mid-six figure agreements to endorse Nike and Prince. Represented by the firm's SFX Worldwide Division, Isner's deals also include performance base incentives such as tournament and year-end ranking bonuses. John Isner currently trains at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa alongside the number one doubles team and current Prince athletes, the Bryan Brothers. Up and coming star Sam Querrey is also an SFX athlete who endorses Prince.
The Isner endorsement announcement comes on the heels of his stunning upset victory at the US Open yesterday over Jarkko Nieminen in which he recorded 34 aces.
"I am excited to formalize a professional relationship with Nike and Prince," states Isner. "I was a Nike athlete at the University of Georgia, and used Prince racquets there as well, so I am thrilled to continue endorsing Nike as well as Prince as I begin the next phase of my career."
John Isner, a North Carolina native, was an Intercollegiate Tennis Association All American (ITA) each of his four years at the University of Georgia. Isner also led his team to an unbeaten season (32-0) and NCAA title this past May.
Isner finished No. 1 in doubles and No. 2 in singles in the 2007 Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings administered by the ITA, and was ranked No. 1 in singles for six ranking periods this past season (and three ranking periods as a junior). Additionally, he captured one national singles title (2005 Polo Ralph Lauren All-American as a junior) and three national doubles titles (2005 NCAA as a sophomore, 2006 Polo Ralph Lauren All-American and ITA National Indoor last fall as a senior) during his four-year University of Georgia career.
"John took a different route than most of his peers, but he will be the first to tell you that he does not regret playing college tennis," said Sam Duvall, agent for John Isner. "We feel strongly that his 4 years of playing collegiate tennis -- with the various stresses of academics and playing for a team -- has made his transition to the ATP Tour much smoother."
In addition to his US Open win yesterday, Isner reached the finals of the Legg Mason Championship and has been selected to join the United States Davis Cup team as a practice partner for their semi-final match up against host country Sweden the week of September 17th. Prior to the Davis Cup trip, John will play a $100,000 Challenger tournament in Orleans, France, after which he will return to the United States to compete in the Challengers.
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About Blue Equity
Blue Equity's holdings in sports are comprised of SFX Worldwide, Worldwide Football, Blackwave Sports, Team Championships International (TCI), Humarks and Game Seven Sports Marketing. Current clients include Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, NFL Pro Bowlers DeAngelo Hall, Will Smith and Michael Vick, NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace, 2007 NBA Lottery picks Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer, Australian, French and US Open Champion Justine Henin, US Open Champion Andy Roddick, No. 1 doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan, Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith, Arizona State basketball coach Herb Sendek, Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe, Ole Miss basketball coach Andy Kennedy, Arkansas basketball coach John Pelphrey and Massachusetts basketball coach Travis Ford. Media & Event properties include the US Open Tennis Championship, the French Open Tennis Championship, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, numerous US-based ATP tournaments, Rock 'n Racquets, Hoop It Up, Let It Fly, Kick It, the Boston Marathon, EliteXC Mixed Martial Arts, the Superstars Competition, the AVP Beach Volleyball tour, Ice Wars, the World Cup of Softball, Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge, the Men's and Womens' Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships and the Men's Ford Tennis Championship.
www.sfxworldwide.com | www.blackwavesports.com | www.teamchampionships.com | www.game-seven.com | www.humarks.com
Blue Equity, LLC is an independent, private equity firm based in Louisville, Kentucky. It is committed to actively investing growth capital and business expertise in enterprises with solid development potential. Blue Equity forms strategic partnerships with existing management teams and leverages its expertise and relationships to stabilize, strengthen and grow lasting value. Investment efforts and managerial expertise are focused on the operation of a global and diversified portfolio of business enterprises, including opportunities in media, publishing, sports and entertainment, financial services, real estate and international trade. Blue Equity is dedicated to helping businesses grow by accelerating opportunity and driving innovation to the marketplace. www.blueequity.com