On March 19th 2012, ultra-endurance athlete, Jason Lester, will begin the Journey for a Better World. He will be running and biking 102 days and over 4,700 miles across the United States, relaying the Nike message that a better world starts with sport. Along the way, Jason will be stopping at 39 Nike Stores, sharing how sport inspires hope, instills discipline, raises confidence and rallies communities just like yours. Show your support by joining Jason along the journey and ignite a fire to create one of your own.

Long after Jason moves on to the next stop, you and your community will continue blazing new trails, knocking down barriers and creating a better world through sport.

For real-time updates and inspiration, join the action:

http://www.nikebetterworld.com/journey
http://www.twitter.com/nikebetterworld 
Hashtags: #betterworld #journey

For Immediate Release

HBO SPORTS AND NFL FILMS EXAMINE THE LIFE OF “BROADWAY JOE”
NAMATH, ONE OF PRO FOOTBALL’S BIGGEST STARS, IN A
DOCUMENTARY DEBUTING JAN. 28, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

            NEW YORK, Nov. 22, 2011 – The Emmy®-winning combination of HBO Sports and NFL Films will explore the fascinating life and career of one of pro football’s biggest stars in a documentary on New York Jets icon Joe Namath, it was announced today by Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports.  NAMATH debuts SATURDAY, JAN. 28 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

            “Joe Namath is one of the most compelling sports figures of the last 50 years and we are delighted to tell his story,” said Bernstein.  “We will retrace his life not only from Joe’s perspective, but also from the viewpoints of many others who are familiar with Joe’s extraordinary football career, following his journey from Beaver Falls to today.  We hope to present the definitive film on an NFL icon and a trailblazing free spirit.”

            “In the mythology of pro football, Joe Namath is Arthur,” says Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films.  “He pulled the proverbial sword from the stone and the NFL became the Camelot of American sports.  His story is timeless, authentic and also very human.  It is a privilege for NFL Films to partner with HBO Sports once again in documenting the life of ‘Broadway Joe.’ ”

            Born in Beaver Falls, Pa. in 1943, Namath was raised in western Pennsylvania and was a stellar high school athlete in basketball, baseball and football.  He accepted a football scholarship to the University of Alabama and played quarterback for the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant.  Namath led the Crimson Tide to the top of the national polls in 1964 and his stock as a pro football prospect soared.

            With entertainment mogul Sonny Werblin at the helm of ownership of the New York Jets, Namath elected to sign with the upstart American Football League for a then-staggering $427,000, and by game five of his first season had become the Jets’ starting quarterback.  He was subsequently named AFL Rookie of the Year, and was one of the first sports celebrity superstars, captivating both the entertainment press and fans with his movie-star looks and bigger-than-life “Broadway Joe” personality.

            In a moment that would alter the NFL landscape, Namath led the underdog New York Jets to a world championship title in Super Bowl III versus the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.   His “guarantee” of a Jets upset brought him legendary status.

While his MVP performance in Super Bowl III was the high point, Namath fashioned a high-flying all-star career during his 13 years in pro football, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Now 68, Namath remains engaged in the game with which he has had a lifelong love affair.  He provides radio commentary, is connected to new media initiatives through Facebook and Twitter (@realjoenamath), and hosts his own website destination (broadwayjoe.tv).

            HBO Sports and NFL Films have a long history of acclaimed football productions, including the 2010 documentary “Lombardi,” which earned rave reviews and received the Sports Emmy® for Outstanding Documentary.

            The executive producers of NAMATH are Rick Bernstein for HBO Sports and Steve Sabol for NFL Films; produced by Joe Lavine for HBO Sports and Keith Cossrow for NFL Films; Liev Schreiber narrates; music composed by Dave Robidoux of NFL Films; executive producer for Namanco Productions Inc, James Walsh.

Fernando broke onto the scene in 1981 and in his rookie season became the first rookie to win both the rookie of the year and the Cy Young Award in the same season. His pitching both in the regular season and his three wins in the post season led the Los Angeles Dodgers to their first World Series Title in twenty six years. Fernando was named to the All-Star team six times, threw a no-hitter in 1990 and was considered one of the best hitting pitchers ever retiring with a lifetime batting average of .250.

Jason Lester, ESPY Award Winner, activist and ultra endurance athlete of EPIC5 fame, will run 306 miles from Las Vegas through Death Valley, continuing through Badwater Basin until reaching Mount Whitney in an effort to raise funds for an international clean water charity. The event, titled H2OPE 2011: Badwater for Clean Water, will take place November 1 – 5th. The idea for this project was born out of Lester’s belief that athletic pursuits are an excellent platform from which to raise money for charity.

Lester’s Never Stop Foundation will be managing the details and promotion of the run. Lester founded the Never Stop Foundation in 2009 to address the unmet needs of challenged youth by utilizing the positive forces of athletic pursuits and the arts. Taking a page from his inspirational book titled "Running on Faith" (HarperCollins 2010), Lester notes "I truly believe that the gifts and talents we are given are not meant to be used for self-glorification, but for the building-up, supporting and encouragement of others. We should use our gifts to make the world a better place."

To help support the run you can donate here:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=Dhuy_t4z_i1MwXmbu40jUietLePNlEWcgTPvmsOJ3iW1rp1HDftL812vck0&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8db2b24f7b84f1819390b7e2d9283d70f1

Please make payments payable to:
The Never Stop Foundation
214 Main Street #271
El Segundo, Ca 90245

Official Website: www.H2OPE2011.com

Did you know…

• More than 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to safe water. Three times that number lack access to proper sanitation.
• 3.575 million people die each year because of water-related disease
• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives than any war through guns
• People living in slums pay 5 to 10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people
• An American taking a 5 minute shower uses more water than a typical person in a developing country use in a whole day
• Diarrhea remains the 2nd leading cause of death among children under five globally. Nearly 1 in 5 deaths is due to diarrhea. It kills more young children than aids, malaria and measles combined.
• Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water related disease
• About 80% of sewage in developing countries is discharge untreated
• Less than 1% of the world’s fresh water is readily accessible for direct human use
• Average American uses 100 gallons of water per day
• Average African uses 12 gallons per day
• More than half of the all wells delivered by aid fail and fewer than 7% are well maintained
• Only 62% of the world’s population has access to improved sanitation – defined as a sanitation facility that ensures hygienic separation of human excreta from human contact.
• In just one day, more than 200 million hours of women’s time is consumed for the most basic of human needs – collecting water for domestic use. This lost productivity is greater than the combined number of hours worked in a week by employees at Wal*Mart, United Parcel Service, McDonald’s, IBM, Target, and Kroger
• Children in poor environments often carry 1,000 parasitic worms in their bodies at any time.
• In the developing world, 24,000 children under the age of five die every day from preventable causes like diarrhea contracted from unclean water.

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What are the solutions?
Sometimes the best solutions to a problem don’t yet exist. Solutions are the correct answer to a puzzle. The water crisis is a big puzzle and requires many pieces to address it.

So how can you help?
One could – Make a personal contribution at http://www.ob.org/h2ope. All donations will go directly to OBI and the building of water wells. $1800 provides water for several hundred people a day.

One could contribute your services – tell us about yourself – do you have a skill that would be useful to H2OPE?

If you own a business – Would your company be interested in offering matching funds or grants?

Would your company be interested in sponsoring a well or holding a company-wide fundraiser?

Can your company provide a service or goods that will help?

Ordering a pair of custom H2OPE Nike frees would be a huge support as Nike will be donating proceeds from these sales to OBI; you will get to sport a new pair of frees and also help spread the message of H2OPE.

Please visit http://www.Nikestore.com/H2OPE to order!

We believe in H2OPE and the idea that we all must join together in continuing to H2OPE for not just a world of clean water but a safer, healthier and more loving world. We believe this is the magnitude of H2OPE – that it ignites h2ope which incites action up and outside of ourselves to continue to help create change for others…

Legendary Hall of Fame pitcher for the Dodgers, Sandy Koufax sits down with Joe to talk about his approach to pitching and the injury that cut short his career. Joe also talks about the 1st time he ever faced Koufax and what a thrill it was for him.

To hear Joe speak with the greatest left-handed pitcher of all-time, click the link below to go to Joe Morgan’s website and listen to the podcast:

http://www.joemorganshow.com/_blog/The_Joe_Morgan_Show_Podcast/post/Joe_Morgan_Show_Sandy_Koufax/

SPORTS PLACEMENT SERVICE INC. CLIENT JOE NAMATH appears on David Letterman on behalf of Topps to promote their new Football line of trading cards. Namath has had a long relationship with Topps going all the way back to his rookie card in 1965. On the Lettermen show, Joe tells the story behind the making of the card and how and where the photo was taken.

“It has been twenty years since we struck our first deal with Joe and his business partner James Walsh”, said Sports Placement founder Harlan J. Werner. “It is only fitting that Joe and Topps are back as a team.” Namath spent a whole day last week doing media for Topps which included TV, Radio and Print. The day was capped off by the appearance on Lettermen.

This is a tough post to write. I don’t really know where to start. How does one stare into a coming trial, one that will test everything that they are and put that fear, trepidation, thrill, excitement, dread, anticipation, anxiety, nervousness, elation into words?

I am about to embark on the greatest challenge of my life. I have never faced anything as difficult as what lies in front of me now. All my life has led me to right here, right now.

Let me try to cast my vision.

I feel as if I am on the edge of a precipice. As I gaze down, I see before me a very long stretch of merciless desert just waiting to destroy me. That desert seems to sneer, to mock me and dare me to just try it. That desert, in spite of its savage beauty, is just waiting to tear me apart.

It is going to hurt, probably worse than I have ever hurt before. I will summit a new level of pain. It is going to be hellishly hot and I will struggle with a thirst that goes on for days. And that is exactly why I am doing what I am. You see, in the past year a series of events have brought the clean water crisis to my attention. I always knew, in a very abstract way, that there were a lot of people that did not have access to clean water but I had never really thought that out–thought about what it must be like to not have clean, safe water.

Honestly, I’m not sure any of us living in developed countries can really imagine what that would be like.

But try. Imagine holding your child in your arms as they die a terrible, horrendous death. Writhing from the grip of intense pain as their life is taken by a water-borne disease…and all the while they are parched and begging for a bit more of the very water that is killing them.

Continue reading the full article at: http://jasonplester.com/wordpress/?p=112

Los Angeles, California
May 9th, 2011

DODGER HALL OF FAME BROADCASTER VIN SCULLY SIGNS WITH SPORTS PLACEMENT SERVICE INC.

Hall of Fame Broadcaster Vin Scully, The Voice of the Dodgers for the past sixty-one seasons, has given Sports Placement Service INC. the exclusive rights to create a product line of licensed hand signed collectibles. “This is huge news for Dodger fans, autograph collectors and the millions upon millions of sports fans worldwide who grew up listening to Vin on the radio or watching him on television”, said Harlan J. Werner, founder of SPS INC.

Art of The Game with locations at Dodger Stadium, The Staples Center and Anaheim Stadium will offer the very limited and exclusive items. All items signed by Mr. Scully will be shot and registered by Onlineauthentics.com. Werner, who went to Russia in 1993 to conduct an autograph signing with the former leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, said this is equally historic for serious autograph collectors.

Items will be extremely limited and expected to sell out quickly.

5 Days, 5 Islands, 703 Miles…

The brain child of Sports Placement Service client Jason Lester, the EPIC5 Challenge is an unprecedented athletic and spiritual journey which begins on the island of Kauai before traveling on consecutive days to O’ahu, Moloka’i and Maui and concluding in Kona.

The inaugural kickoff for the 703 mile annual journey was in 2010. In 2011, the event will be comprised of five athletes selected from around the world, with one charity slot & one 3-person relay team.

Each athlete is encouraged to raise money for the charity of their choice, or to join Jason with raising funds for the NEVER STOP Foundation.

Each day will entail a full iron distance triathlon — 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2 mile run

The athletes should be able to complete each island’s journey in approximately 15 hours.

Visit the EPIC 5 LIVE website at http://www.epic5.com