bullets13

hey, half-right ain't bad at all

LONDON -- Insurance giant American International Group will not renew its shirt sponsorship of world club soccer champions Manchester United and has already started cutting back costs in relation to the existing deal. The American company also said in an email sent to Reuters that it was "in active discussions" with the club regarding the current four-year $100 million deal, which runs until next May. The English club, former home to David Beckham and current team of FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo, has a huge global fan base, making it one of the top prizes in sports sponsorship. "In October, AIG told Manchester United that it is not renewing its sponsorship," the company said in response to questions from Reuters. "Further, AIG has been in active discussions with the club regarding the current contract, which expires in May 2010." Once the world's biggest insurer by market value, AIG averted bankruptcy in September last year with an $85 billion federal bailout, which later swelled to about $152 billion. The company has started selling assets and cutting costs to repay part of the government rescue package. It joins a string of other companies that have had to rein in spending on sports as the global economic downturn deepens. AIG said it had been reviewing all sponsorships following the Fed bailout and was already in the process of eliminating marketing, advertising and hospitality costs related to the existing Manchester United deal. The news comes a day after Indian company Sahara, which has interests spanning financial services and real estate, said it had been approached by the Premier League champions about becoming a sponsor. Manchester United spokesman Philip Townsend declined to say whether AIG would stop its sponsorship of the European champions at the end of this season. "The process for the 2010 season has already started," Townsend said. "Sahara is one of a number of companies who have expressed an interest." He added that ideally a sponsor would be named soon for its name to be ready for the start of the 2010-11 season. "We would be starting the process now to find a new sponsor to have the new shirts ready in time for our outlets and fans around the world." Sahara, which sponsors the Indian cricket team, on Tuesday said it had received an "elaborate" sponsorship proposal from the club. British media reports have named Saudi Telecom and British insurer Prudential as other potential suitors. United's appeal is enhanced by its growing legion of fans in the largely untapped Asian market. The club has a series of exhibition games in China, Malaysia, South Korea and Indonesia planned for later this year. With the global financial crisis biting deeper by the day, companies around the world are cutting costs and slashing sponsorship budgets. British soccer club West Ham played for weeks without shirt sponsorship after its sponsor XL went bust last year. Formula One has also been hit. Earlier this week BMW-Sauber lost Swiss bank Credit Suisse as a sponsor, while F1 teams have agreed to reduce their budgets by 30 percent for 2009 after Honda was forced to pull out of the sport last month because of the economic crisis. Manchester United relies on sponsorship for around a third of its revenues. The club pays around 43 million pounds ($59 million) a year to service 660 million pounds in debt created when U.S. owner Malcolm Glazer bought the club in 2005.

Jeff Kent, who built a strong Hall of Fame case while setting the Major League Baseball record for career home runs by a second baseman, will formally announce his retirement Thursday at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers said. Kent Kent's 351 career home runs as a second baseman are 74 more than Ryne Sandberg's total. Kent spent 17 years in the majors, tying for 20th on baseball's all-time list with 560 doubles, while ranking 47th with 1,518 RBI and 62nd with 377 home runs. His career batting average is .290. He drove in more than 100 runs eight times and had at least 20 home runs in a season 12 times. He won the National League MVP award with the San Francisco Giants in 2000, made five All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger awards at second base. Kent was eligible for free agency after playing for the Dodgers in 2008. Blake DeWitt had replaced him at second base for the Dodgers late last season after Kent had knee surgery on Sept. 2. Kent began his professional career after being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989. He also played for the Mets, Indians, Giants and Astros before joining the Dodgers.

Nederland... they will split the series with LCM, but LCM will drop one other game.

steelers and cards in the superbowl. :

aggie and tigersvoice, thanks for clarifying. i honestly was not trying to sound accusatory, and i think that the tone of your responses represent the fact that you understood that. i do understand that sometimes leads can grow when you're not even trying to do so.

Silsbee only suited out 9 players last night. Starting post Stallworth did not play for medical reasons and 2 other players are ineligible. The JV player that I thought would be moved up will not be moved up till Feb. 4. All 9 players are the regular rotation for Silsbee, minus Stallworth. that does help explain it. the only retort i have to that is that if all 9 are in the regular rotation, the common reasoning "you can't ask your subs to come in and not give 100%" does not really apply, and the foot should've been taken off the gas rather than pressed down harder.

Bullets man come one. This is Silsbee....they are like 12-14 deep so there is no let up when they pull the starters!!!! ;D ;D ;D yeah, yeah. i wasn't really accusing, more like asking.

nice to see the lady hawks win in a big way against a very good opponent. keep it up!

32 points in the 4th, expanding a 43 point lead up to 64? overkill?

no way! i have at least 2 inches on him! i'd swat every shot into the flower beds.

this is true... i can STILL dominate on an 8 foot goal

That comment wasn't necessary. it might have been a little mean, but when you make a 15-sentence post and only use two periods, what do you expect? i got a headache reading it.

a very nice win for lumberton.

congrats.

hope he does not get his dads physique!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D he'd sure as heck be able to clear out the post...

nice, convincing win for the hawks... sorry i couldn't make it, lazeek!

he'll make some magical run to get in contention on day four, and then he'll fold like a lawn chair.

Silsbee wins 106-67. write it down.

popeye jones

GOO! you're like an antique or something!

and what about this joker?

Manute Bol and Sam Cassell...........enough said....the voting is over!!!! 8) Did I say E.T.? I meant Gollum.

and Sheldon Williams! he might need to be on my first team!!

i think joakim noah is uglier than Pao Gasol.