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Contacts: Joe Carberry Keith
Gordon
THIRTY-ONE FANS SELECTED TO BE HONORED AS ULTIMATE FANS
AT THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Visa Hall of Fans program recognizes fans’ dedication and passion for
fourth year
SAN
FRANCISCO (January 14, 2002)
-- To ultimate fans, football is not a hobby, but a way of life, and
their beloved teams are not a fleeting interest, but a passion that
envelops their entire lives. Several years ago, Visa struck upon an
idea that successfully brought NFL fans and Visa cardholders closer to
the sport -- the Visa Hall of Fans program.
For
the fourth consecutive year, 31 “ultimate” face-painting,
costume-wearing, shrine-building, season ticket-holding fans will be
honored at a permanent exhibit in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in
Canton, OH. The program is characteristically unique, not only to the
world of football, but in all professional sports.
Visa,
the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL recognize this dedication and
passion in a fan-only exhibit in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In
addition to this special place within the hallowed walls of the Hall of
Fame, each fan was honored at local ceremonies during pre-game or
halftime of a home game on the field of their heroes.
“Visa founded the Visa
Hall of Fans program over four years ago because it honors one of the
most important ingredients of the NFL – the fans,” said Jennifer Hemmer,
director, event and sponsorship marketing, Visa U.S.A. “We continue to
support and celebrate NFL fans and all Visa cardholders by recognizing
these remarkable fans from among the 168 million NFL fans nationwide.”
The Visa Hall of Fans is the first and only
exhibit in sports that recognizes and honors specific fans for their
contributions and dedication to the sport they love -- professional
football. The Visa Hall of Fans exhibit showcases the honorees through
individual panels featuring the fans’ names, photographs and short
testimonials. The exhibit also includes famous fan mementos, an honor
roll with the names of previous Visa Hall of Fans honorees and a film of
the league’s most dedicated and sometimes outrageous fans.
Earlier this season, Visa, the NFL and the
Pro Football Hall of Fame conducted a nationwide search for the most
dedicated fan from each of the 31 NFL teams. Selected by a panel of
judges from these organizations, the ultimate fans honored this season
are among the most loyal, knowledgeable and enthusiastic in pro
football.
“The Pro Football Hall of
Fame is proud to continue its partnership with the NFL and Visa to honor
the fans that have dedicated their lives in support of the National
Football League,” said John Bankert, the Hall’s executive director.
“The Visa Hall of Fans exhibit allows all football fans to feel a part
of the game they love by seeing these ‘ultimate’ fans earn the highest
recognition in the Hall of Fame, next to their heroes.”
The Visa Hall of Fans
search is just one component of Visa’s integrated marketing program to
support its NFL sponsorship. In its sixth year as the preferred payment
card of the NFL, Visa is proving to fans that “It’s everywhere NFL fans
want to be.” In addition to the fan search, Visa’s NFL program includes
a title sponsorship of the nationally televised “Visa Halftime Report”
on FOX; NFL-themed national advertising featuring previous Visa Hall of
Fans Honorees, the Washington Redskins’ Hogettes; Member-supported
national consumer promotions; and online marketing.
The full list of the
2001-2002 Visa Hall of Fans is included at the end of this release. A
few of this year’s honored fans include:
·
Patrick Olsen,
whose enthusiasm and purple and gold Mohawk
have earned him the moniker “Spiking Viking” and the respect of
Minnesota Vikings fans everywhere
·
Sue Canada,
a Chicago Bears fan so dedicated she missed her nephew’s
wedding - with his blessing - to attend the memorial service of
legendary running back Walter Payton
About the Pro Football
Hall of Fame
Established in 1963, the
Pro Football Hall of Fame is the ultimate shrine for football legends.
From Johnny Unitas to Roger Staubach, each inductee is synonymous with
dedication, team leadership and athletic excellence. The addition of
the Visa Hall of Fans exhibit brings the best of players and fans
together.
About Visa U.S.A.
Visa is the world’s leading payment brand
and largest consumer payment system, enabling banks to provide their
consumer and merchant customers with a wide variety of payment
alternatives. More than 14,000 U.S. financial institutions rely on
Visa’s processing system, VisaNet, to facilitate over $835 billion in
annual transaction volume – including roughly half of all Internet
payments – with virtually 100 percent reliability. U.S. consumers carry
353 million Visa-branded smart, credit, commercial, stored value and
check cards, accepted at approximately 22 million locations worldwide.
Visa’s people, partnerships, brand, payment technology and security
standards are helping to create universal commerce – the ability to
safely conduct transactions anytime, anywhere, anyway. Please visit
www.visa.com for additional information.
The 31 honorees of the
2001-2002 Visa Hall of Fans program are:
Arizona Cardinals: Walter
Howard
Atlanta Falcons: Gordon
Whaley
Baltimore Ravens: Larry
Henson
Buffalo Bills: Rick
Ribaulo
Carolina Panthers: Joseph
Muscarello
Chicago Bears: Sue Canada
Cincinnati Bengals: Jason
Edwards
Cleveland Browns: Louis
Abraham
Dallas Cowboys: Frenchy
Renault
Denver Broncos: Norman
Silva
Detroit Lions: Suzie
Roberts
Green Bay Packers:
Palmiro "Paul" Mazzoleni
Indianapolis Colts:
Anthony Payne
Jacksonville Jaguars: Bob
Robie
Kansas City Chiefs:
Stephen Richard Greer
Miami Dolphins: Melinda
Bermont
Minnesota Vikings:
Patrick Olsen
New England Patriots:
Randy Pierce
New Orleans Saints: Marcy
Beter
New York Giants: Jack
Kissane
New York Jets: John
Gogarty
Oakland Raiders: Ron
Rickard
Philadelphia Eagles: Joe
Brown
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Harvey Aronson
San Diego Chargers: Ross
Warner
San Francisco 49ers:
Noelle Nicula
Seattle Seahawks: Jeff
Schumaiser
St. Louis Rams: Kathleen
Lewis
Tampa Bay Bucs: Jackie
Riles
Tennessee Titans: Penny
Kennedy
Washington Redskins: Fae
Glacken # # # |