FOR APPROVAL ONLY

NFL GATORADE PUNT, PASS & KICK DREAMS BEGIN AT SEARS;
Thousands of Children to Sign Up for Competition at Sears

NEW YORK, July 12 -- NFL Properties and Sears have made America’s largest youth participatory event even larger. Thousands of children will travel again to Sears with their parents July 20 through September 27 to sign up for the NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick competition. This year families will find a fully integrated program designed to attract even more participants and increase sales of NFL licensed merchandise.

More than 500,000 boys and girls, ages 8-15, participated in the nationwide skills contest last year. A separate girls division debuted last year with 125,000 girls competing.

Housed under the NFL’s youth development initiative, "Play Football," the program is supported by in-store promotions, a sweepstakes overlay and gift-with-purchase of a mini-football. NBC Sports televises the finals from the site of one of the AFC Divisional Playoff Games in January.

"We are taking one of the most successful youth-oriented programs and making it even better by integrating our retail, licensee, corporate sponsors, media and broadcast partners," said Jim Connelly, NFL Properties vice president of worldwide retail licensing. "The Play Football program enables us to tie together all of our resources and develop an impactful promotion that benefits our business partners while introducing even more young fans to the game of football."

"As the official retailer of the Punt, Pass & Kick program for the sixth consecutive year, Sears is delighted to have the opportunity to make this exciting program available to children across America," said Mary Kwan, vice president of the children’s division at Sears. "The program provides a lively and energizing family forum for competition and sports."

A comprehensive in-store marketing effort includes triple-tiered promotional signage and sweepstakes entry boxes featuring spokesman Drew Bledsoe of the New England Patriots. One million NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick Tips Books featuring NFL Kids Squad members Marino, Fuad Reveiz and Kordell Stewart will be distributed at Sears. The booklets provide children with pointers on improving their punting, passing and kicking skills. Registration forms for local competitions are included in the booklets, as well as the 800-NFL-SNAP number provided by Sprint. SI For Kids subscription forms are also available in the books.

A sweepstakes overlay provides children a chance to win a trip for a family of four to see the NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick finals, along with $100 spending money and hotel accommodations. Merchandise from licensees Pro Player and "Play Football" hats will also be awarded.

Beginning August 28, fans purchasing $40 of NFL merchandise at Sears will receive a special NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick mini-football from Hutch while supplies last.

The program is supported with ads in Kickoff ‘97 and GameDay magazines. In addition, Sears will highlight the program in its circulars and direct mail pieces, while NFL Properties will promote it in "Play Football" print advertising.