The Team: Sports, Entertainment, & Media

2003 NEWS ARCHIVES

The Team Sales Company continues to build partnerships for Destroyers

COLUMBUS, OH (October 3, 2003) – A week after leading the transaction that brought the Arena Football League's Destroyers to Columbus, Ohio, The Team Sales Company continues to forge meaningful partnerships between the Columbus Destroyers and the Columbus community that will help make the Destroyers a success both on and off the field.

The Team Sales Company hired former Ohio State University All-American linebacker Chris Spielman as the Destroyers' first Director of Football Operations and added the Buckeye Legends, a group that includes Spielman and former Ohio State University stars Jim Lachey and Jim Karsatos, to the fold as promotional partners.

"Chris Spielman's approach to the game is one that any team would want its players to emulate," said Dave Whinham, President of The Team Sales Company and interim President of the Columbus Destroyers. "Furthermore, by adding Jim Lachey and Jim Karsatos to this team, we are extremely fortunate to assemble this group of local legends whose respectability and popularity will help us generate great interest and support of Arena Football in central Ohio.

"People the caliber of Earle Bruce, Chris Spielman, Jim Lachey, and Jim Karsatos do not lend their name and efforts frivolously," Whinham continued. "It's just another indication that the Destroyers are building a program that the community will be proud to support."

A beloved figure in Columbus, Spielman will assist in all aspects of the Destroyers' football operations activities, including scouting and recruiting players. He will also help to promote the Destroyers in the community.

Spielman was a two-time All-American and a three-time All-Big Ten selection while playing for the Buckeyes under then-head coach Earle Bruce, who is now the head coach and general manager of the Destroyers. He then spent 11 seasons in the NFL after being selected as the 29th overall pick in the 1988 National Football League Draft. Spielman is also a sports talk show host in Columbus and serves as an analyst on ESPN college football broadcasts.

Lachey and Karsatos will lend promotional support to the Destroyers as members of the team's front office. Lachey is a former OSU offensive lineman who spent 10 seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins. Karsatos was a quarterback for the Buckeyes and enjoyed a professional football stint with the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Both are also members of the Ohio State University football radio broadcast team.

The addition of Spielman and the Buckeye Legends is just one of a number of partnerships already established by The Team Sales Company between the Destroyers and the Columbus community. The Team Sales Company also led the search for the team's first head coach and general manager, which ultimately led to the hiring of football coaching legend Earle Bruce.

In addition, The Team Sales Company developed a unique partnership between the team and Nationwide Arena that will harness the marketing power of Nationwide Arena and the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets to help promote the Destroyers. The arena partnership is based on a sharing of staff and key personnel, allowing for the arena to do a majority of the team’s marketing and ticket sales in conjunction with other sports and entertainment events at Nationwide Arena.

Just days after it was announced that the Destroyers would kick-off in Columbus in 2004, the team has already sold nearly 2,000 season tickets. The addition of Spielman and the Buckeye Legends, along with some exciting new partnerships on the horizon, should allow the Destroyers to have one of the most solid season-ticket fan bases in the Arena Football League.

Dave Whinham, President of The Team Sales Company, will serve as President of the team during its first season, allowing The Team Sales Company to lend its expertise in the areas of promotion, sponsorship and ticket sales, and front office management to the club.

After beginning operations in January of 2002, The Team Sales Company quickly became the business brokerage for the sports and entertainment industry. Along with brokering professional sports opportunities, The Team Sales Company also offers comprehensive consulting services to owners new to the industry, prospective owners, and current owners facing challenges.

The Team Sales Company has established a world-class advisory board, many of whom are actively involved in its consulting and acquisition practice, as well as an outstanding roster of strategic partners that assists The Team Sales Company in providing client services.

The Team Sales Company has compiled an impressive listing of professional sports opportunities in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe, including numerous sports and entertainment related technologies, professional sports teams at all levels, and several professional leagues and projects. The Team Sales Company also represents a variety of clients interested in professional sports acquisition, ranging from successful pro sports owners to those seeking first-time acquisition.

The Team Sales Company directs transaction to bring Arena Football to Columbus

COLUMBUS, OH (September 26, 2003) – Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, is the newest home of Arena Football thanks to numerous partnerships developed by The Team Sales Company. The Team Sales Company directed the transaction to relocate the Arena Football League's Buffalo Destroyers to Columbus, where the team will kick-off play at Nationwide Arena in February 2004.

In addition to acting as the agency of record for the relocation, The Team Sales Company also brought local ownership to the club and negotiated a working partnership between the team and Nationwide Arena.

Along with the original owner Mark Hamister, a Buffalo business man who owned the team in Buffalo, the Destroyers' ownership group includes James Renacci, a Columbus businessman, and John H. McConnell, majority owner of the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets.

"I have always believed that Arena Football and Columbus were a perfect match," said Dave Whinham, President of The Team Sales Company and a long-time Arena Football coach and front office executive. "It took a dynamic partnership combining the best of what Columbus had to offer relative to ownership, venue, and marketing power to put the Destroyers in a position to be a leader on the field and as a business."

The Team Sales Company forged a unique partnership between the team and Nationwide Arena that will harness the marketing power of Nationwide Arena and the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets to help promote the Destroyers.

The arena partnership is based on a sharing of staff and key personnel, allowing for the arena to do a majority of the team's marketing and ticket sales in conjunction with other sports and entertainment events at Nationwide Arena.

"The Team Sales Company was instrumental in structuring this unique deal to bring the Columbus Destroyers to Nationwide Arena," said Jay Cooper, General Manager of Nationwide Arena. "Our partnership with the ownership group will allow us to utilize the strength of the arena's marketing and sales resources off the field with a veteran football operations staff on the field. The expertise of The Team Sales Company laid the groundwork for a successful future for the Destroyers and a long-term relationship with Nationwide Arena."

The Destroyers' front office management and football operations staff will also have a distinct local flavor. The Team Sales Company spearheaded the search for team personnel and tapped legendary former Ohio State University head coach Earle Bruce as the franchise's inaugural head coach and general manager.

Bruce was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and coached nine seasons for the Buckeyes beginning in 1979. Bruce also has Arena Football coaching experience, having coached in the league from 1994-96 with Cleveland and St. Louis.

"The Team Sales Company and Dave Whinham did a wonderful job throughout the process," said Renacci. "This was a very challenging and complex transaction and they were a key factor in making it work. Any time a new company is formulated into a city, it's very important to have local people involved who know the city and can help add a local flavor. It just adds credibility to the company in the eyes of its consumers. I think that was accomplished with the Destroyers and we look forward to a very successful run in Columbus."

The Team Sales Company will oversee the overall operation of the team while conducting a search for other key front office personnel. Whinham will serve as interim President during the first season. In addition, The Team Sales Company will locate a Director of Football Operations for the Destroyers.

"We are very pleased with what we have been able to put together here, but believe me, this is just the first of many similar partnerships that we will build for our clients," Whinham said.

The Team Sales Company wraps up solid first year with huge prospects for future

BATON ROUGE, LA (January 21, 2003) – The Team Sales Company made steady progress towards its goal of becoming the leading business brokerage in the area of professional sports and entertainment in 2002, its first year of existence. The company officially opened on January 1, 2002, building a solid reputation as the confidential source for buyers, sellers, and those new to the industry.

"As a business started during a challenging economic period, we are, number one, happy to be in business, number two, grateful for our early success, and number three, extremely excited about our future," said Dave Whinham, President of The Team Sales Company.

The Team Sales Company primarily focuses on placing buyers and sellers together and representing individuals and organizations on both the buy and sell sides, as well as providing consulting services to struggling organizations and those new to the industry.

"We work hard to sell what the owner has worked hard to build, and we help pro sports buyers achieve their dream," explained Alan Risher, The TEAM's Vice President, "and the industry is beginning to notice the results."

The month of December was the company's biggest to date with three closings negotiated and the addition of several key clients. The Team Sales Company's "Top 20" account list includes buyers and sellers with properties or interests in the NFL, NHL, Arena Football, world-wide pro soccer, minor league baseball, CFL, and women's professional sports, as well as several facility projects, start-up leagues, and companies that own numerous teams and related assets. While The Team Sales Company serves individuals and organizations outside of its "Top 20", the gross assets and target acquisitions within it currently stands around $900,000,000.00.

In addition, The Team Sales Company has successful consulting experience in the areas of ticket sales, sponsorship sales, introduction to pro sports ownership, team/league operations and organizational structure, marketing, and brand awareness.

"We are not a large company," stated Whinham, "but we are one designed so that no job is too big or too small. That is where our staff, Advisory Board, and strategic partners are at their best, creating environments for success at any level."

The TEAM's strategic partners and Advisory Board are stocked with some of the strongest talent in the industry in the fields of team ownership/operation, facility management, M & A law, investment banking, research and development, finance, marketing, ticket sales, advertising, sponsorship sales, merchandise, league operations, on-field operations, business brokerage, and funding. Many of these professionals are actively involved in The Team Sales Company's transactions and consulting assignments. Whinham and Risher credit their efforts for the growth of the young company.

Another factor involved has been The Team Sales Company's investment in advertising, both within and outside the industry.

"It is not just about taking a listing or a buy-side client and doing your best," Risher explains. "We are making a significant investment in support of our clients to let people know that some level of professional sports ownership, whether it be as a major league owner/operator or a limited partner in their local minor league organization, is available to them."

Currently The Team Sales Company has offices in Baton Rouge, LA, and the Tampa Bay area, with plans for a New York City location in the future.

"We're growing, and we are constantly being presented with new opportunities and directions," said Whinham. "The focus of The Team Sales Company will always be on providing quality ownership and management to the sports and entertainment industry and our commitment will always be to the people who comprise it. We think we have found the right niche, plan, and people to get this done."

For more information on The TEAM Sales Company go to www.teamsalesco.com or call toll free 1-866-4-THE TEAM.

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