Victoria Batik

Chandler, AZ — (SBWIRE) — 03/21/2012 — As The Golf Championships prepares to go live with their all new televised series ‘The Million Dollar Invitationals’ on CBS this fall, Golf Belles ( http://www.golfbelles.com ) gets ready to take the brand global with a customized social media marketing approach designed to engage viewers and participants alike before, during and beyond each event.

During 2012, players from all over the world will compete in The Golf Championships, ( http://www.TheGolfChampionships.com ) a series of televised events, which include the Million Dollar Invitationals, a high-stakes competition. The Million Dollar Invitationals series, to be telecast on CBS in the late Fall, will host four events at premiere golf courses in the US, Europe and the Caribbean.

The Golf Championships, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Armada Sports Entertainment, Inc., is a series of four competitive events held in the US, Europe and Caribbean. Only 144 players will be selected to compete in each of the four tournaments,with the top 10 players competing in a dramatic, nine-hole elimination shootout with a total purse of $1,560,000, and the winner taking home $1,000,000!

The participants of the 2012 Million Dollar Invitationals will also be automatically entered into the 2012 World Putting Tour Championships. This series of events will take place simultaneously with the Million Dollar Invitationals. Each of the four World Putting Tour Championships will have a total purse of $150,000, with a top prize of $100,000 after a nine hole shootout, giving the 144 participants two chances to compete to win!

The Golf Championships is set to bring a breath of fresh air to the sport with an accomplished team of executives with a wealth of experience in the sports entertainment industry and unique, compelling golf competitions. The CBS Television Network, which brings you the hit shows NCIS, CSI, Survivor and The Amazing Race will proudly televise all four million dollar invitational events broadcasting across the nation in two hour shows leading into College Football on Saturdays. The launch is set for early fall this year and will mark a day in history for the golf industry, as one that brought the sport a new appeal in the global eye.

The Golf Championships brand was designed to create interesting but compelling life changing opportunities for golfers of all skill abilities. We believe that the Million Dollar Invitationals and other unique made for television events in the sport will ignite interest in the sport from new audiences, invigorate the existing golf audience and help grow the sport of golf in the long term, stated R. Thomas Kidd, CEO of Armada Sports Entertainment, Inc.

Golf industry marketing company Golf Belles ( http://www.golfbelles.com ) has been commissioned by The Golf Championships to developcustomized marketing solutions for the brand that will introduce it across the social media networks growing enthusiasm and interest in the build up to the launch dates. The approach will seek to engage the audience, arouse interest and improve the brand’s influence and following. The golf industry has suffered a series of blows over the past few years; states Golf Belles Chief Susanita de Diego, declines in sponsorship and funding, global popularity and viewership, not to mention a decrease in the number of competitive events. Our involvement with The Golf Championships seeks to excite the global golfing audience once again; in turn the industry will benefit from the value of increased popularity and a return to the game at all levels worldwide.

About Golf Belles
Golf Belles is a marketing, management and media company, with a nontraditional golf marketing focus that brings our clients products and services to the forefront of their desired target markets in a unique and viral way. We believe vision creativity are the most valuable resource in todays new economy and this will renew businesses and lead the global golf industry to new levels of success. The most valuable brands in the world today are all led by inspired minds whove built strong creative cultures. It is our focus on creative contribution to business strategy that leads to exceptional outcomes. Aspire to live your dream ~ Inspire others to live theirs! http://golfbelles.com http://golfbellescentral.com

About Armada Sports Entertainment, Inc.
Armada is a sports marketing company engaged in owning, developing and conducting made for television sports entertainment events. Armada currently owns The GolfChampionships, Inc. a series of unique competitions in the sport, known as The Million Dollar Invitationals, The World Putting Tour Championships, and the Celebrity Challenges. The events will be televised on CBS Sports for two years beginning in the fall-winter of 2012. More Information is available at http://www.TheGolfChampionships.com

Press Media Contact:
Tiffany Litherland
Golf Belles LLC
2013 W Periwinkle Way
Chandler, AZ 85248 – USA
602-904-5028
info@golfbelles.com

http://www.golfbelles.com

For Los Angeles Dodgers fans, it’s
not the record $2.3 billion bid that matters, it’s who made it.

The investors behind the winning offer for the bankrupt
Major League Baseball franchise include Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., the hall-of-fame Los Angeles Lakers guard, and Peter Guber,
chief executive officer of Mandalay Entertainment Group and the
producer of movies including “Rain Man.”

They are “big names in Los Angeles,” said Steven Travers,
the author of two books about the team, including 2009′s
“Dodgers Past amp; Present,” and a fan himself. “They have
panache. They present what the city of LA is: sports,
entertainment, Hollywood style.”

A sports franchise can boost a city’s image, and a high-
profile part-owner may even attract new businesses, according to
Kevin Starr, a historian at the University of Southern
California in Los Angeles. He said local ownership matters when
it comes to the storied baseball team, owned since 2004 by
Boston real-estate developer Frank McCourt.

“You lose the Dodgers,” Starr said before the sale
announcement was made March 27, “you lose Los Angeles.”

Enthusiasts appeared to agree, celebrating online with
comments on the Dodgers’ Facebook page (“When I heard the news
last night it felt like Christmas Eve,” wrote one) and blogs
devoted to the team that moved to the nation’s second-largest
city from Brooklyn in 1958.

“As far as Magic being owner, I just want him to be
Magic,” wrote a blogger named Robert Timm, who runs
dodgerdugout.com. “I want LA to be cool again.”

‘A New Chapter’

The investor group, Guggenheim Baseball Management LCC,
isn’t all homegrown. It includes Chicago-based Mark Walter, CEO
of Guggenheim Partners LLC, and Stan Kasten, a former president
of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, who will move to
Los Angeles to run the Dodgers. Guber is co-owner of the
National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors.

While Walter is the controlling partner, Johnson’s name has
star power. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called him “a great
community leader” and said his group’s purchase of the team
would be “an opportunity to write a new chapter.” Dodgers
outfielder Matt Kemp said on ESPN Radio that he was encouraged
because “Magic knows the team, and he knows LA”

The 52-year-old, who owns Beverly Hills-based Magic Johnson
Enterprises Inc., won five NBA championships with the Lakers in
the 1980s during what’s known as the “Showtime” era, for the
style of play on the court and the celebrities in the stands. He
quit playing in 1991 after disclosing he had HIV, returning for
32 games in 1996.

Paying Creditors

Johnson sold his minority stake in the Lakers two years ago
to billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, the richest man in Los
Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal, and a
member of a group that made a competing bid for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers sale must be completed by April 30, the day
McCourt is required under a settlement to pay his ex-wife, Jamie McCourt. He put the team into bankruptcy last June, and the
McCourts split up. They fought over the Dodgers and their six
homes, among other things, during divorce proceedings that
revealed they retained a $120,000-a-year hairstylist. The
settlement gave him the team, and she got $131 million.

He may collect more than $1 billion from the sale after
paying off Dodgers’ creditors and his ex-wife.

Under McCourt, who paid $430 million for the team, fans
complained management didn’t spend enough on free agents,
scouting and the farm system that develops talent. On opening
day last year, a San Francisco Giants fan suffered severe brain
injuries when he was beaten in the Dodger Stadium parking lot.
The Dodgers finished the season with the 13th-best winning
percentage out of the 30 Major League teams.

Six World Series

The Dodgers have won six World Series, the last in 1988.
Five of them came in Los Angeles, where Duke Snider, Sandy Koufax, Steve Garvey, Fernando Valenzuela and Kirk Gibson led
them to championships.

The Johnson group’s bid price topped the previous record
amount for a major US professional sports franchise: the $1.1
billion real estate developer Stephen Ross paid for the NFL’s
Miami Dolphins.

“I’m thrilled,” said Bert Fields, an attorney in Los
Angeles who represented Jamie McCourt in the divorce before
withdrawing last year. “I’m just happy there is someone there
who can put some money into the team.”

Time will tell whether the Dodgers with Johnson as part-
owner will sell more tickets, or bring more prestige to LA
sports, according to David Carter, a principal with the Sports
Business Group consulting firm in Los Angeles.

“After the honeymoon,” Carter said, “they have to
deliver.”

To contact the reporter on this story:
Christopher Palmeri in Los Angeles at
cpalmeri1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Anthony Palazzo at
apalazzo@bloomberg.net

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(Editors note: The economic figures used below by author Bruce Landon were not independently verified. The figures were arrived at using economic impact figures provided in a Western New England Law Review study. Landon is the president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons)

The Springfield Falcons Professional Hockey teams brings many benefits to this area. In addition to providing great sports entertainment where you get a chance to see the stars of tomorrow right here in your own backyard and the award-winning community outreach program we have, the Falcons have a major tangible economic impact in the Western Massachusetts community.

The economic theory is that outside money turns over seven times in the community and local money turns over four times. So using this economic theory, lets examine how the Falcons impact our region.

Falcons players take residence in the area for approximately 7 months. Each player will spend approximately $2000 monthly with rent, utilities, food, etc. for a total of about $14,000. With normally about 25 players and coaches on the roster during the season, this means that a total of $350,000 is being spent. Using the economic multiplying factor of seven, this would mean an economic impact of $2,450,000.

Visiting teams will spend in excess of $50,000 in hotel costs and another $25,000 in food costs. They also purchase other goods and services while in Springfield which could push their total purchases to about $90,000. Again, using the same formula would mean that the visiting teams have an economic impact of $630,000. AHL referees will spend approximately $20,000 during the season on lodging, meals and entertaiment which means another $140,000 again using the same multiplying factor. In addition, you have visiting hockey personnel who stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants.

The Falcons employ 12 full-time people who live in this area and spend money. If you factor in the employees that the MassMutual Center have to hire on nights of games it is conceivable that the economic impact between the Falcons and the MassMutual employees could account for almost $1,600,000 if you use the economic theory of local money turning over four times.

You also have the Falcons business and the dollars they spend on transportation, supplies, advertising, printing, merchandise, promotional expenses and numerous other expenses which could run as high as $500,000 or $2 million using the multiplying factor of four.

Therefore, a conservative total economic impact of having the Springfield Falcons playing in the City could be well over $6 million on an annual basis.

We also have to remember that the Falcons help put Springfield on the map, as they travel to cities throughout the American Hockey League, in addition to the media attention they draw both regionally and nationally.

Often times, it is easy to forget that the Springfield Falcons are more than just a professional hockey team and that they are a very important part of the economic pulse of this region.

Bruce Landon is president and general manager of the Springfield Falcons. He can be reached by commenting on this blog or sending him an e-mail at blandon@falconsahl.com. For more information visit the team website.

Studio 23 to air lsquo;Wrestlemania XXVIII

MANILA, Philippines — Witness the once-in-a-lifetime match of two of sports-entertainments most celebrated icons, The Rock and John Cena, when they face off in WrestleMania XXVIII.

The match will air on local free TV via Studio 23 on Tuesday, April 3.

For hardcore WWE fans, the Kabarkada Network will also host a special via satellite screening of Wrestlemania XXVIII free for all on Monday at the Trinoma Activity Center.

While the public viewing is for free, those who would like to get a chance to get good seats at the event can log and register on www.studio23.tv.

Other matches for this annual wrestling event include:

bull; The Undertaker vs. Triple H
bull; Team Teddy vs Team Johnny
bull; WWE Champion CM Punk vs Chris Jericho
bull; World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus
bull; Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs Big Show
bull; Randy Orton vs Kane
bull; Divas Champion Beth Phoenix and Eve vs Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos

After a year of verbal jousts and limited physical confrontations, The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment The Rock will finally battle his fellow multiple World Champion, The Cenation Commander-in-Chief John Cena.

The Rock has been aiming at Cena ever since he returned to the WWE scene after a 7-year hiatus.

The two crossed path in various WWE events but not as opponents.

WWEs Wrestlemania XXVIII will be airing on primetime on April 3, 9:30 pm, in its new home on Philippine free TV, Studio 23.

As a lead up to this, BALLS Channel will also be airing the 1-hr special JOHN CENA/ROCK: ONCE IN A LIFETIME on Sunday, April 8 at 2 pm.

NEW YORK and SAO PAULO, March 27, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –
Ketchum, one of the world’s leading communications consultancies, has expanded its sports and entertainment marketing presence to Brazil. With teams already based in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Austin and Atlanta, Sao Paulo, Brazil, marks Ketchum Sports & Entertainment’s first international base. The team will be located in Ketchum’s office in Brazil.

“With Brazil preparing for two of the world’s largest and most celebrated sporting events in the next five years, there is a great energy and a unique business opportunity for brands looking to get involved,” said Ann Wool, partner and global director of KSE. “The eyes of the world are focused on Brazil, and from a marketing perspective, the games have already begun.”

KSE Brazil provides clients with 20 years of sports and entertainment experience in supporting the presence of brands and corporations at the Olympic Games and other major sporting events on a worldwide basis, along with nearly 25 years of success operating in the local Brazilian market.

With a highly qualified team of professionals in Brazil, KSE is now able to offer its services to clients and prospective clients looking for creative and strategic ways to tap into sports and entertainment opportunities there. The team will also provide on-the-ground know-how and deep in-market knowledge in public relations, digital and social media and events.

Wool leads KSE globally, and locally the team is led by Vania Ciorlia, executive director of KSE Brazil. Ciorlia brings nearly 25 years of public relations, event production, internal communication and journalism experience, having held roles at Brazil’s largest magazine, Veja, and having recently coordinated branding work for Brazil’s Figueirense soccer team. Wool has 25 years of experience optimizing sponsorships for brands, and has helped multiple companies activate at the past 10 Olympic Games, including executing Lenovo’s global official sponsorship of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and global Olympic Torch Relay.

For Ciorlia, the upcoming sporting events offer tremendous opportunities for brands, but they also can generate some scrutiny as well. “With the entire world watching these events they become lightning rods for brand challenges. As public relations counselors, we can help our clients map out potential risks and scenarios, develop prevention plans and apply training to prepare.”

With the support of KSE’s core teams in the United States and Ketchum’s global network present in 70 countries, KSE Brazil will offer clients services that include: media relations, crisis management, spokesperson training, event management, stakeholder engagement, digital and social media, social responsibility and internal communications, among others.

About Ketchum

Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. Named 2012 PR Agency of the Year (PRWeek) and the winner of an unprecedented three consecutive PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc.

/quotes/zigman/237213/quotes/nls/omc OMC
-1.52%

, visit
www.ketchum.com .

About Diversified Agency Services

Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc.

/quotes/zigman/237213/quotes/nls/omc OMC
-1.52%

(
www.omnicomgroup.com ), manages Omnicom’s holdings in a variety of marketing communications disciplines. DAS includes over 200 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organizations, serving international and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

SOURCE Ketchum Public Relations

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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OMC

Omnicom Group Inc.

US

: NYSE Euronx

$
49.13

-0.76
-1.52%

Volume: 1.45M
April 4, 2012 4:01p

P/E Ratio14.78
Dividend Yield2.44%

Market Cap$13.61 billion
Rev. per Employee$196,494

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Add to portfolio

OMC

Omnicom Group Inc.

US

: NYSE Euronx

$
49.13

-0.76
-1.52%

Volume: 1.45M
April 4, 2012 4:01p

P/E Ratio14.78
Dividend Yield2.44%

Market Cap$13.61 billion
Rev. per Employee$196,494

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Mar 29, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Electronic Arts Inc.

/quotes/zigman/71356/quotes/nls/ea EA
-2.34%

announced today that EA SPORTS(TM)
will celebrate UEFA EURO 2012(TM) with the only officially
licensed videogame of the 2012 European Football Championship which
begins June 8 in Poland and Ukraine. EA
SPORTS UEFA EURO 2012(TM) will be available as
a paid digital expansion pack to fans who own EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 12
on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game
and entertainment system, and PC. The videogame will be available to
fans beginning April 24, 2012.

EA SPORTS UEFA EURO 2012 recreates all the drama and excitement
of the official tournament with all 53 UEFA member national teams, all
eight official stadiums in the tournament, and all the pageantry and
atmosphere of one of the largest and most-watched sporting events on the
planet. Fans will be able to compete online* for national pride and
glory as their favourite European country in the UEFA EURO 2012(TM)
tournament against rival nations in the group stage, progress through
the sudden victory knockout rounds, and ultimately compete for the
chance to be crowned UEFA EURO 2012(TM) champion. Plus, a live service will
drive real-life story lines from the UEFA EURO 2012(TM) qualifying campaign
and during the tournament into the game, enabling fans to relive
dramatic moments with challenges based on real-life matches. Challenges
will enable fans to earn experience points and level up their EA SPORTS
Football Club profile.

“This game will tap into the passion fans have for their national teams
by capturing all of the national rivalries in-game, and re-creating all
the emotion of the UEFA EURO 2012(TM) tournament,” said Producer Sebastian
Enrique. “We are utilizing the best-playing FIFA Soccer videogame
ever, driving live, digital content created from the biggest headlines
from the tournament into the game, and offering an exclusive new mode
that will challenge gamers in unique and compelling ways.”

The all-new Expedition Mode designed exclusively for UEFA EURO 2012
enables fans to build, manage and compete with a customized team against
other European nations, crafting the perfect strategy for European
domination. Fans will choose their favourite European player or FIFA
Soccer 12 Virtual Pro to captain their customized team, win matches
to earn better players from defeated nations, and then defeat the best
nations to earn the best players in a campaign quest to defeat all 53
countries and complete the journey to conquer Europe.

UEFA EURO 2012 is developed by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. It is
scheduled for release on April 24, 2012 in North America and Europe, and
April 25 in other countries around the world. The manufacturer suggested
retail price is $19.99, 1800 MS Points and 2,500 FIFA Points on PC. UEFA
EURO 2012 is rated “E” for Everyone and PEGI 3+. For more
information visit:
http://www.ea.com/soccer/euro12 .
To download assets visit the EA press site at
http://info.ea.com .

Join more than eight million fans in the EA SPORTS soccer community at

http://www.facebook.com/easportsfifa

or follow us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/easportsfifa .

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the
world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive
technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA
SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports
through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL
football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball,
NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX,
and Fight Night boxing. For more information about EA SPORTS,
including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit
www.easports.com .

*INTERNET CONNECTION, Origin (EA) Account registration and FIFA 12
ONLINE PASS required for online play on Xbox 360 and PS3.
INTERNET CONNECTION and Origin (EA) Account registration are required
for PC. Must be 13+ to create an account.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts

/quotes/zigman/71356/quotes/nls/ea EA
-2.34%

is a global leader in digital interactive
entertainment. The Company’s game franchises are offered as both
packaged goods products and online services delivered through
Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and
tablets. EA has more than 100 million registered players and operates in
75 countries.

In fiscal 2011, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.6 billion.
Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for
critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster franchises such as The
Sims(TM), Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed(TM), Battlefield(TM), and Mass
Effect(TM). More information about EA is available at
http://info.ea.com .

EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Active, The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks
of Electronic Arts Inc. Battlefield is a trademark of EA Digital
Illusions CE AB. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio
and Publishing) Ltd. John Madden, NFL, NCAA, Tiger Woods, PGA TOUR and
FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with
permission. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony
Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox 360 is a trademark of the Microsoft
group of companies. The UEFA and EURO 2012 words, the UEFA EURO 2012
logo and slogans and the UEFA EURO trophy are protected by trade marks
and/or copyright of UEFA. No use for commercial purposes may be made of
such trade marks. Official FIFA licensed product. “© The FIFA Brand OLP
Logo is a copyright and trademark of FIFA. All rights reserved.”
Manufactured under license by Electronic Arts Inc. All other trademarks
are the property of their respective owners.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50221800&lang=en

SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.

Electronic Arts Inc.
Steve Frost, 604-456-5067
Manager, Communications
sfrost@ea.com
Colin Macrae, 604-456-3685
Sr. Director, Communications
cmacrae@ea.com
David Tinson, 650-628-5189
VP, Communications
dtinson@ea.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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EA

Electronic Arts Inc.

US

: Nasdaq

$
16.26

-0.39
-2.34%

Volume: 3.84M
April 4, 2012 4:00p

P/E RatioN/A
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$5.62 billion
Rev. per Employee$508,553

/quotes/zigman/71356/quotes/nls/ea

Add to portfolio

EA

Electronic Arts Inc.

US

: Nasdaq

$
16.26

-0.39
-2.34%

Volume: 3.84M
April 4, 2012 4:00p

P/E RatioN/A
Dividend YieldN/A

Market Cap$5.62 billion
Rev. per Employee$508,553

As the calendar turns to April, four major events are happening that make this the best time of year to be a sports fan — outside of football season, of course .

The Final Four, opening day, the Masters and the glitz, glamour, pomp and pageantry that can only mean one thing — WrestleMania.

WrestleMania XXVIII will emanate this year from Miami (7 pm Sunday, Pay Per View)

The Social Media Event of the Year also includes the first WrestleMania Pre-Show, simulcast live on YouTube,

Facebook and WWE.com.

In 2011, WrestleMania had more than 1.1 million PPV buys worldwide. That number could be topped this year, thanks to the Once in a Lifetime main event between Dwayne The Rock Johnson and John Cena. This match of past and present-day icons has been a year in the making and is expected to draw more than 70,000 fans to Sun Life Stadium — around 30,000 more than a Dolphins game.

Wrestling has come a long way from the time when you were a kid. The WWE is a fully integrated, multi-platform sports entertainment media company worth more than $1 billion.

In addition to live events, it produces movies, books and merchandise.

No doubt its manufactured controversy creates a lot of cash.

MASTERS WEEK

The Masters begins next Thursday and Friday (ESPN 4 to 7 pm) and continues through the weekend (CBS 3:30 to 7 pm Saturday and 2-7 pm Sunday).

The Masters is on CBS for the 57th consecutive year and this could me one of the most intriguing in recent memory. Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and

Tiger Woods all appear to have their games in top shape.

Woods is coming off his first PGA Tour win in more than two years and could be poised to win his first major since 2008 and first green jacket since 2005.

Last years Masters ratings were down as Woods was a non-factor in the tournament. CBS says the final day drew a 10.4 percent household in the top 56 US markets, compared with a 12.0 rating in 2010, when Woods was making his return to competition in the wake of his sex scandal.

As usual on CBS, there will be limited commercial interruption.

What a novel concept.

PLAY BALL

The Marlins and Cardinals are on-deck to begin the season Wednesday (7:05 pm, ESPN). The game should be a spectacle thanks to the Marlins brand new, tax-payer funded ballpark. If you cant find a parking space — which will be likely — dont count on watching the game on your smart phone. All live games on the MLB.com At Bat app are subject to local blackouts.

BALL IS TIPPED

CBS also will broadcast the NCAA Division I Mens Basketball Final Four on Saturday (6 to 11:30 pm). It tips off with Kentucky against Louisville (6:09 pm), then Kansas against Ohio State follows (approximately 8:50 pm)

Coverage begins with The Road to the Final Four (CBS 4 to 6 pm) with Greg Gumbel as host and analysts by Charles Barkley, Greg Anthony, Kenny Smith and Seth Davis — live from New Orleans.

Barkley on Bourbon Street? This could get interesting.Ben Becker is a news anchor and executive producer for sports business program Beyond the Game on CBS 12. You can follow him on twitter@yahoo.com.

About 28 Days of Mania: This will be an ongoing series for the next 28 days leading up to the biggest event in sports entertainment, WrestleMania 28. The idea behind the piece is to build more momentum for the event and give you, the Bleacher Report fan, a chance to read, comment and weigh in with opinions about the WWE, the business and the event. It is my hope this becomes something positive and we all enjoy the ride for the next four weeks to Miamiand the biggest event of the wrestling year. Enjoy.

We are almost at the end of the road. The trip as been one hell of a ride and with three days remaining, the sight of South Beach and the excitement that is brewing has left me giddy. I guess I am a true wresting fan and geek.

Its a badge I wear proudly.

When WrestleMania 28 ends, we will have seen one of the greatest shows in recent memory, maybe in wrestling history. And all the hype, drama, conflict and BS will have been worth it. I cannot wait.

But when it ends, like John Cena has said before, it is back to his office, where he and other wrestlers will go about their usual business, trying to gain gold, battle opponents in new feuds and seek the better truth to Rise Above the Hate.

It isnt just Cena who is in a conflicted situation, as others are in the same ebb and flow of the company. Some actually need more of a push and angle than Cena. His stature as an icon in this company helps him attain superstar status. Others will have to work harder to achieve less to get more.

Here are some wrestlers who really need a big showing after Sunday night.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The following is an opinion editorial provided by Ted Welch, of Ted
Welch Investments, regarding the “Fairness in Ticketing Act” that was
introduced last week in the Tennessee General Assembly:

As is the case with many American businesspeople, I invest each year in
a variety of sports and entertainment tickets that are shared with
clients and business associates. I find that spending time with others
at concerts or sporting events is a great way to network and share the
fun.

Of course, there are occasions when I give the tickets to others without
attending myself, and other times I have resold tickets that were not
otherwise being used. But my ability to freely share tickets or resell
them is being threatened by an effort led by Ticketmaster and its
partners to eliminate these choices.

Initially these threats were only in the marketplace, as Ticketmaster
began introducing “restrictive paperless ticketing” here in Tennessee
and nationwide. But last week, legislation was introduced in the
Tennessee General Assembly that raises the stakes and seriously
threatens the freedom of all ticket buyers, especially the several
thousand local businesses and families who purchase season tickets.

Here is how restrictive paperless ticketing works: You pay admission
costs through Ticketmaster using your credit card. You never receive
actual tickets because it is a purely electronic transaction. But here
is the rub: You personally have to be at the event to use the “tickets.”
To get into an event, you must be physically present and show both the
credit card used to buy admission and a photo identification to get your
guests into the event.

This means that if I were unable to attend due to illness or a conflict
of some type, or if decided to give tickets to friends or associates,
none of my guests could attend without me there. If I want to sell
unused tickets, I would be unable to do so without paying yet another
fee to Ticketmaster. In Tennessee, reselling tickets is perfectly legal;
but this system takes away our ability to do so.

The ticketing system is becoming more common in Tennessee. There were
three concerts in Nashville this month that used paperless admission,
and one had been planned for Memphis. There are some parts of the
country where it is used more frequently, and some professional sports
teams have joined in. The San Francisco 49ers have begun using
Ticketmaster and its system for their games, and it is also being used
by some NBA teams.

I buy dozens of tickets each week and distribute them to my guests. It
would be impossible for me to be with every one of them as they entered
the various events. So implementing a wider-reaching restricted ticket
system would probably cause me to look for other ways to entertain
clients and business partners, with sports and entertainment being off
the table.

That’s why I am concerned about the woefully misnamed “Fairness in
Ticketing Act” that was introduced last week in the Tennessee General
Assembly. This bill has a few provisions that would benefit fans, but
its real impact will be to guarantee that Ticketmaster and its
event-producing and sports team partners have all the power over ticket
distribution, even AFTER we pay for our tickets. More than half of the
sports and entertainment season ticket buyers are businesses and
professional firms. How many more tickets would go to waste if those
entities saw their freedom to distribute tickets taken away?

Restrictive ticketing doesn’t just hurt those of us who purchase large
numbers of tickets. It can also affect a parent who buys a teenage child
a concert ticket. Or a friend who wants to give event tickets as a gift.
Under the restricted system, those gift recipients could not attend the
concert unless the purchaser went with them.

In business and in commerce, when I buy something I own it. Why should
tickets be any different? New York State has guaranteed that consumers
choose whether to purchase nontransferable tickets, but Tennessee is
poised to favor Ticketmaster even though consumers will be harmed as a
result. I hope the Tennessee General Assembly will consider this bill
carefully before it acts.

(Ted Welch is a commercial real estate executive and owner of Ted Welch
Investments in Nashville, Tenn. Welch has also served as national
finance chairman for the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, George
Bush, John Connally, Bob Dole and Howard Baker.)

Peter Guber is bringing some Hollywood flash, and drama, to the Dodgers.

A longtime player in film and television, Guber, 70, has had a hand in some of the best-known movies of the last four decades including Batman, Rain Man and Midnight Express but also has a checkered record, stemming primarily from his troubled tenure as head of Sony Pictures.

Guber and Magic Johnson have joined forces before, including on the Dayton, Ohio, single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, which they continue to own. Guber also once owned the Dodgers triple-A affiliate when it was located in Las Vegas.

But he is far better known in the entertainment world. Beginning his career as a film and record producer, Guber came to run Sony in 1989. On his watch, the company launched shows such as Mad About You and films including Terminator 2 and City Slickers. But Guber also drew criticism from established Hollywood figures such as director Michael Apted and producer Rob Cohen, who said Guber deceived him in negotiations.

Guber, who left Sony in 1994, later became the subject of a book, Hit and Run: How Jon Peters and Peter Guber Took Sony for a Ride in Hollywood, which painted a largely unflattering portrait of Guber and his former partner.

Guber has also drawn supporters in the industry. Bradley Fuller, a producer who is working with Gubers current company, Mandalay Entertainment, on a new version of Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds, said in an interview on Thursday that he admired Gubers people and dealmaking skills.

Hes a very compelling personality, Fuller said. When you come out of a meeting with him you find yourself saying, Lets do things the way Peter wants to do them.

Guber could not be reached for comment.

In recent years, Guber has been expanding into sports via his subsidiary, Mandalay Sports Entertainment. He is a co-owner of the Golden State Warriors and also is an owner of a host of minor league baseball teams including the New York Yankees triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Guber will not have to divest of his minor league teams as a result of a Dodgers deal.

Although Gubers involvement brings an element of Hollywood know-how, fans could be forgiven for being wary of an owner who has an entertainment pedigree. It was less than a decade ago that the team was owned by 20th Century Fox parent News Corp. and run by former Warner Bros. honcho Bob Daly who later acknowledged that selling the team to Frank McCourt was a mistake.

steve.zeitchik@latimes.com