SGB Update Sports & Fitness
Asics Ventures Acquires AI Silk
Asics announced that its investment subsidiary Asics Ventures Corporation has made its first investment, taking a stake in AI Silk Corporation. AI Silk is a venture company affiliated with Tohoku University that develops conductive textiles.

Cleveland Indians Removing Chief Wahoo Logo from Uniforms
Major League Baseball said the Chief Wahoo logo is being removed from the Cleveland Indians’ uniform in 2019

Strava Fitness App can Reveal Military Sites
The US Central Command plans to refine its privacy policies after reports that the online fitness tracker Strava showing maps of people’s exercise habits across the globe could pose security risks for security forces around the world.
Woolmark and Adidas Present the Woolmark Performance Challenge
The competition provides an opportunity for tertiary students to develop innovative new product applications within the sports and performance market, by applying the science and performance benefits of Australian Merino wool.
Fleet Feet, Pro Image Sport Among Top Franchises
Fleet Feet Sports landed at 90 and Pro Image Sports at 110 on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2018 Franchise 500 list of the nation’s top franchise opportunities.

OrthoLite Promotes C.B. Tuite to Chief Sales Officer
OrthoLite, the maker of insoles, announced the promotion of C.B. Tuite to chief sales officer as the company expands globally and identifies strategic opportunities. For the last three years, he previously served as the company’s senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Activist Investor Acquires Stake in Nike
Pershing Square Capital, the $12+ billion dollar hedge fund run by activist Bill Ackman, has reportedly acquired a passive stake in Nike Inc.
Dick’s Opens Regional Distribution Hub in Conklin, NY
Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. opened a regional distribution facility at the Broome County Corporate Park, 9.4 miles south of Binghamton, in Conklin, NY. The hub is expected to create over 450 full-time jobs during the next five years in the Southern Tier.
Fanatics Amplifies Program for Jersey Exchanges
Fanatics in a partnership with American Express will enable buyers of NBA jerseys to exchange their jersey if the player is traded.
NRF: Super Bowl Spending Expected to Climb
American adults are expected to spend an average $81.17 for a total of $15.3 billion as an estimated 188.5 million people watch the New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl next month, according to the annual survey released by National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
WFSGI Appoints Board Members After Successful Year
The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry has appointed three additional members to their Board of Directors to serve for the current term lasting until 2020 at its General Assembly on the 27th of January 2018 at ISPO Munich.

Dick’s Celebrates Employee Roster of 11 Team USA Winter Olympians
Dick’s Sporting Goods, the official sporting goods retail sponsor of Team USA, announced its official roster of athletes from its Contenders program who have successfully qualified for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Adidas Originals Releases ‘Original is Never Finished’ Film
Adidas Originals released its latest film, “Original Is Never Finished | 2018,” featuring a wide range of its ambassadors across music, style and sport. The cast includes Dua Lipa, Miles Silvas, Playboi Carti, Lu Han, A$AP Ferg, Nick Young, Kaytranada, Florencia Galarza, Marcelo Vieira and Adrianne Ho.

Newell Brands Exploring Sale of Rawlings
Newell Brands announced plans to shed assets, including possibly the Rawlings brand, and close factories as it concentrates on nine core consumer divisions.
SFIA Start-Up Challenge Finalists Collectively Raise Over $50 Million In Funding
The first 10 finalists have collectively raised over $52 million in funding to date, with Hookit and ShotTracker leading the pack as the 2016 and 2017 winners, respectively. Applications for 2018 are being accepted now.