December 16, 2008 - As the tennis world gears up for the first Grand Slam of 2009, here’s what our fave female ballers have been up to…

• Maria Sharapova is on the cover of January’s Women’s Health magazine - Masha is recuperating well and on target to resume her career next month but in the meantime, she remains busy as a cover girl.  She’s also been spotted at Tiffany events in Los Angeles and NYC.
• Serena Williams is  on the cover of Vibe magazine’s annual “Tabloid Issue” for January ‘09 featuring the Best and Worst of 2008. Serena, along with rap star Nelly, is shown above the category of “Hottest Bodies”.
•  Serb beauty Ana Ivanovic continues her modeling career appearing in a 2009 limited edition calendar. for sponsor Verano Motors.  Ana has been busy on a myriad of fronts. She is also on the cover of the new issue of L’Equipe Sport & Style magazine, has just bought a house in Mallorca and has been traveling the world with hot boyfriend Fernando Verdasco.
• Retired world number one Justine Henin received a lifetime career achievement award in Belgium at her nation’s most prestigious sporting occasion, the Sports Gala. The seven-time Grand Slammer was reunited with compatriot Kim Clijsters and received videotaped congratulatory messages from tennis legends Pete Sampras + Stefan Edberg.
• World No.1 Jelena Jankovic,  Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams and Zheng Jie will all warm up for the Australian Open at the JB Group Classic exhibition in Hong Kong January 7th-10th.
• Former world number 4 Jelena Dokic won her first round today in Australian Open wildcard competition by defeating Sophie Letcher but was upset on the second day of the round-robin play-off.
• Three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport has decided to continue playing professional tennis in 2009 and has entered the Australian Open.
• Visitors to the Tennis Channel site can now pick the best match of 2008  Polls will remain open until Dec. 19.
• Wimbledon has their own line of tennis gear out including the elegant High Street Racer Tank ($48) + Flounce Skirt ($39). The tank features a beautiful racer back and v-neck wrap front while skirt has contrast detailing and an elastic waistband.

Did we miss anything?

Filed under: Events, Fashion, Fun Stuff, General, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Tennis, Venus Williams by jane
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Got some holiday cash to burn? Or do you need a last minute item to add to your list? Check out these adorable sporty bags. 1. Adidas by Stella McCartney Kaunis Bag - Cute, big, and a great look by an amazing designer.2. Nike Connection Tote - Perfect price and a nice design for school or practice.3. Nike Heritage Mix Premium Women’s Club Bag - Tons of room for books and gear, but still resembles a handbag. Can’t afford the retail price? Check out Ebay or search for some after Christmas sales. Do you have a fave bag you can’t live without? 

Filed under: Entertainment, Fashion by keri mikulski
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December 15, 2008 - Global sport lifestyle brand PUMA and Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) announced an exclusive partnership making PUMA an official founding partner of  WPS and an official sponsor of all WPS  franchises.

The multi-year partnership makes PUMA the official sport and lifestyle apparel, footwear and equipment supplier of WPS, including the official WPS Match Ball.  In addition to on-field performance wear, PUMA will outfit the athletes and teams at all WPS-related events, activities and WPS appearances in sportlifestyle apparel. This partnership kicks off with the inaugural season in April 2009 and will see PUMA collaborating with WPS to enhance the game of women’s soccer and will act as the foundation in the PUMA Women’s category.  (via press release)

According to the WSJ, the German shoe manufacturer and clothing retailer will pay roughly $10 million to become the official equipment supplier to WPS. That means that if players in the seven-team league don’t have existing deals with other cleat makers (e.g. Abby Wambach and Nike), they will wear PUMAS during WPS games.

That’s just the start for PUMA, which will have its name and logo on the league’s balls, uniforms, goalkeeper equipment, even sports bras. “Women’s soccer is on a tremendous growth pattern in the U.S.,” says Jochen Zeitz, chief executive of PUMA. “This is a huge opportunity for us.”

PUMA ranks third by sales behind Nike and Adidas in the global athletic-footwear market and fifth in the U.S. Its decision to join forces with WPS is part of an effort to target its marketing to young women. The company already has a footwear deal with Brazilian star Marta Vieira da Silva, who is widely recognized as the best female soccer player in the world, and is expected to play in WPS. PUMA also has a deal with U.S. national team player Leslie Osborne, who will be playing for FC Gold Pride.

If I remember correctly, Nike provided uniforms for some of the now defunct WUSA teams, which may have led girls and their moms to assume the company was providing key corporate support. I believe, however, Nike declined a league invitation to be its exclusive sponsor and failed to provide help when the league needed it most.

Given PUMA’s name recognition and reach in soccer, the deal is a milestone for the new women’s league especially amid a global recession so kudos to PUMA.

Filed under: Fashion, Pro Soccer, Soccer by jane
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November 28, 2008 - If you slept in this morning, never fear. There’s still time to take advantage of  “Black Friday,” the post-Thanksgiving free-for-all where everyone celebrates yesterday’s gluttony by going on a huge holiday season shopping spree.

With consumer spending down, merchants are putting even greater emphasis than usual on the importance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. (Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday, the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday season.)

So, in order to do our part to stimulate the economy, here are some deals you can take advantage of:

Black Friday and CyberMonday deals:

Amazon: Visit Amazon.com to find great Black Friday deals and get FREE Super Saver Shipping on millions of items.

Footlocker.com: Black Friday Special Offer! Take $15 off $75. Use Code LKS18BF7. Valid 1.26-11.29.

J & R Electronics: Black Friday Deals $50 to $100 at JR.com

Zazzle: 15% off & Free Shipping on Zazzle Tees (use code ZazzleFriday)

Sports Authority: Get 15% off your entire order at SportsAuthority.com! (exclusions apply) 12.1.08

MotoSport: $20 Instant Holiday Bonus when you spend $150 or More at MotoSport.com!

eSportsonline: eSportsonline Holiday Gift Shops. 20-50% Off + Free Shipping.

Filed under: Electronics, Fashion, General, shopping by jane
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November 23, 2008 - She may not have played a competition in months but women’s tennis star Maria Sharapova has been keeping busy and obviously staying in shape.

Still recovering from a shoulder injury, which forced her to miss a significant part of the 2008 season, Masha hopes to return to playing tennis in January.

In the meantime, the Russian ace has been having fun on the fashion front, attending New York fashion week,  and modeling for such publications as British Hello!, Russian Vogue (Nov. 08 cover) and California Style (Dec. 08 cover). Sharapova also recently posed for the December 2008 issue of Spanish GQ Magazine.

Check out this vid for a sneak peak of the Pretty Tough fashionista’s latest photo shoot or visit Sharapova’s website for more photos.

Filed under: Fashion, General, Maria Sharapova, Tennis by jane
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November 20, 2008 -

Cosmogirl RIP: It’s the very last issue of CosmoGirl (tear) which becomes the fourth major teen mag to suspend publication this year after YM, Ellegirl and Teen People. CG, which was published ten times a year and reached approximately eight million readers before folding, will continue with it’s website but I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that the print version of the teen mag will be universially missed.

The Dec 08/Jan 09 issue featuring the lovely Taylor Swift on cover, takes a cue from Barbara Walters by doing their own spin on the most intriguing people of 2008.  Included are gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson who are honored as girls who have the guts to follow their hearts rather than the crowd.

Uniqlo Try: To get the word out about their newly launched Bra Top, Japanese retailer Uniqlo recruited hundreds of women to participate in a video survey; questions ranged from “how comfortable is the top?” to “what’s your favorite magazine?” and the resulting videos were posted on a website called Uniqlo Try. Site visitors can opt to watch videos of women physically (age, height, size and build) similar to them. The website has gone viral, spreading to blogs and news sites, which apparently has contributed to a five-fold increase in sales of the Bra Top

Filed under: Beauty, Entertainment, Fashion, General, Gymnastics, Tips by jane
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November 20, 2008 - It started out with the fierce fourteen 2 months ago and ended last night when Brittany ‘McKey’ Sullivan was chosen to be the next America’s Top Model.

The former tomboy from Lake Forrest, Illinios, McKey, won (all together now…) a contract with Elite model management, a spread and cover for Seventeen magazine, and a $100,000 contract with covergirl.

Nineteen-year-old McKey defeated her rival, LA high school student Samantha Potter, after strutting along one unique runway, a giant hot pink hill, and striking memorable poses. Annaleigh was third in the contest.

We picked both of the finalists at the beginning because of their athleticism and beauty. Winner McKey played all kinds of sports as a kid including hockey and soccer. She now trains as a boxer with her cagefighter bf. 

When McKey was 15, a sports injury forced her off the field and she began to channel her competitive energy into modeling.  Looks like it paid off!!

Filed under: Beauty, Boxing, Entertainment, Fashion, MMA, TV by jane
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November 19, 2008 - Skateboarding shoe brand Emerica has a couple cool contests going on right now.

For those of you whose notebooks are filled with sketches and doodles, the ninth edition of Emerica’s Design-A-Tee contest maybe the perfect chance to leverage your design skills.

To qualify, you must somehow incorporate an Emerica designed theme into your doodle.  Get the Design-A-Tee template here and get your creative juices flowing because the contest ends December 3rd.

After the contest ends, three winners will be chosen, each of whom will receive five shirts bearing their winning design, and three pairs of Emerica shoes. Note: Upon entering the contest, your artwork becomes the property of Emerica (Sole Technology, Inc.) The three winners’ designs will be produced in a future Emerica Gear (apparel) line, and the only payment is the prizes listed (that means no royalties on your fantastic design).

Here’s what Emerica wants you to avoid:  Do not submit any entries containing the words “God Bless Emerica” (despite the title of this post) or depict an American flag with Emerica Triangle logos in place of the stars. Another cliché to avoid is the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon graphic with a Triangle logo prism.

You can also enter now for a chance to win a year’s worth of Emerica shoes! All you have to do is build your own Emerica Team profile page and post a link to it in the comments sections.

Trick out your page with a cool background and fill each section of it–News, Photos, Video–with at least five posts. The company is looking for original, creative and personal content. When the contest is over,  one winner will receive 12 free pairs of Emerica shoes. This contest ends on December 31, 2008.

Though Emerica’s is mostly a guys brand, there’s no clause that prevents you from entering, so get crackin.

Filed under: Contest, Fashion, Skateboard by jane
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November 18, 2008 - The latest shock tactic in sports gear has been unveiled by Nike: the pink soccer cleat - for men!

So what guy is brave enough to put in a shocking pink performance? A guy very sure of himself - who’s fast as a whippet and capable of scoring a hat-trick every game. Or is the pink thing for guys not a big deal anymore? I feel like the shock value may be passe.

See what reaction the cleats have caused among Europe’s finest male players — including Rio Ferdinand, Cesc Fabregas, Gabby Agbonlahor and Theo Walcott — in the latest Nike video viral.

The hue is technically called Mercurial Rosa but make no mistake, it’s pink. Don’t know how many guys will go for the cleats but I can think of more than a few girls who might check them out - they’re pretty cool!

Filed under: Fashion, Reviews, Soccer by jane
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November 17, 2008 - This month’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar features the swinging sisters of tennis.

Serena and Venus Williams took part in a high-fashion editorial shoot in Flushing Meadow, home to the US Open, posing for photog Terry Richardson. The girls wore an array of designers including Donna Karan, Oscar de la Renta, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Sonia Rykiel, Diane von Furstenberg, Celine, and Herve Leger by Max Azria.

In the top right shot, Serena reaches for a serve while sporting a $695 Diane von Furstenberg dress, a $380,000 De Beers bracelet and a $148,000 Tiffany necklace.

The sisters went to great lengths for the shoot including wearing stilettos to practice.

“High heels kind of hurt on the court, but fashion is pain.” —Venus told Harpers.

Serena felt the fashion accessories gave her a view of the court from a whole new angle.

Asked who would win a fashion match, Serena said she would because she’s a little quicker in her heels! 

Check out this vid of the shoot.

Filed under: Fashion, Serena Williams, Tennis, Venus Williams by jane
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