NFL News

Former NFL star and avid outdoorsman Steve Bartkowski is taking his passion for sports into the wilds of Montana this fall and inviting sports enthusiasts to join him.

The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback and longtime ESPN outdoor TV host will lead a Sportsman’s Getaway October 21-26 that will include two days of premier fly fishing on Paradise Valley’s Yellowstone River; two mornings or afternoons of wing shooting; and daily horseback riding, hiking and yoga. The excursion is being hosted by Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, Montana’s top-rated guest ranch and resort well-known for its natural surroundings, hospitality, accommodations and cuisine.

“For people who love the outdoors - but don’t mind being a little pampered, too - it really doesn’t get any better than this,” Bartkowski said. “This is the perfect blend of outdoor sports coupled with great amenities like authentic Western lodging, excellent dining and spectacular natural surroundings. We’ll shoot, fish, ride, share stories, hang out - and we’ll get to do it all in one of the most breathtaking places on Earth.”

The Sportsman’s Getaway package includes:

• Two days of fly fishing on the Yellowstone River - some of the nation’s most sought-after waters, and an easy drive from the ranch

• Two mornings or afternoons of wing shooting, including a warm-up round of shooting clays

• Daily horseback riding, enjoying scenic rides through some of the most beautiful terrain in the U.S.

• Daily hiking to explore the beauty of majestic rock overlooks, historical sites, and Montana’s natural splendor

• Lodging in the rustic elegance of private cabins that feature fireplaces, large picture windows and porches to fully capture breathtaking mountain views

• Five-star cuisine from Mountain Sky’s renowned culinary staff - all meals included

The five-night Sportsman’s Getaway is priced at $2,700 per person. For a full itinerary and more details, or to make a reservation call Mountain Sky Guest Ranch (1-800-548-3392) or log on to www.mtnsky.com.

About Mountain Sky: Located in Emigrant, Montana, Mountain Sky Guest Ranch is nestled within 9,000 acres of beautiful, rugged countryside alongside Big Creek in Paradise Valley. Known for its rustic elegance, majestic scenery, peaceful atmosphere and outdoor adventure activities, the ranch has served as a working and guest ranch since 1929. It offers authentic Montana adventure and superb guest services to families, couples, singles, groups and corporate teams seeking to reconnect with the land … and each other.

Source: Mountain Sky Guest Ranch

As Butch Davis prepares his second Tar Heel football team for its Atlantic Coast Conference home opener against Virginia Tech, eight Chapel Hill area organizations have united to produce the “Touch Downtown Chapel Hill” campaign with the shared goal of bolstering the community, hometown spirit and economic activity during football weekends in 2008.

The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, Town of Chapel Hill, UNC Department of Athletics, The UNC Rams Club, Tar Heel Sports Properties and UNC General Alumni Association have contributed more than $150,000 to this campaign that is an extension of the “Fifth Quarter Chapel Hill” promotion that had a soft rollout in 2006 and full implementation last year.

“Touch Downtown Chapel Hill” strives to encourage football fans, both residents and visitors, to start early and stay late in Chapel Hill after the game ends and enjoy nearly 100 restaurants, 50 specialty stores and a mile of family cultural attractions.

Local officials will utilize many more marketing vehicles this season. Magazine, radio and interactive ads. Street banners. A dedicated web site TouchDowntown.com. Email blasts. Brochures. Concerted communications and publicity push. Plus numerous cross promotions.

“We hope the campaign increases economic activity around Chapel Hill and generates even greater interest in Carolina Football,” said UNC Director of Athletics Dick Baddour. “There is a great deal of excitement about the Tar Heels and it’s encouraging to see all these groups come together to promote football Saturdays. There’s no better place to watch a college football game than Kenan Stadium, and we also want our fans to make it a full day or even a weekend with all that Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas have to offer.”

“As its name implies, we want the tens of thousands of fans to touch our community by staying and playing on game day instead of making a beeline for the bus or car and departing town,” said Laurie Paolicelli, Executive Director of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau. “We hope to encourage safe, extended activity downtown and around town after the game ends.”

“We expect the economic impact of each home football game to exceed $6 million,” said Aaron Nelson, President and CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce. “And with a coordinated effort like this one, we look forward to seeing local spending grow, supporting local businesses and our important local government services.”

The partners are committed to enhancing both the gameday and destination experience when North Carolina faces Virginia Tech on September 20, Connecticut on October 4, Notre Dame on October 11, Boston College on October 25, Georgia Tech on November 8 and North Carolina State on November 22.

Chapel Hill Transit offers bus transportation from six Park & Ride lots before and after 2008 Tar Heel football games. Rather than sitting in traffic on I-40, 54, 15-501 and other roads, two of the six lots offer Tar Heel Express service three hours before kickoff and three hours after the game with drop-off points including Franklin Street, Tar Heel Town and Kenan Stadium, so coming early or staying after to enjoy Downtown Chapel Hill has never been easier.

The drop-off site for all six routes is one block from Kenan Stadium and Tar Heel Town. The costs for all Tar Heel Express buses are $5 round trip and $3 one-way.

According to the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, visitors typically spend $285 a day/per person when visiting overnight. Day-trippers, who come for just the game, tend to spend $78 per day, per person and the Bureau would like to see that money spent throughout the destination. Tourism dollars make an annual impact of $147 million in Orange County, NC.

Additional information is available at 919-968-2060 or 888-968-2060 or www.TouchDowntown.com.

Contact: Laurie Paolicelli, Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau 888-968-2060

Martin Armes, 919-608-7260

Source: Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau

Seahawks’ Matt Hasselbeck and Redskins’ Jason Campbell to Star in National Campaign

As the National Football League kicks off the regular season, Expedia(R), The Official Travel Team of the NFL, kicks off “Go Like Pro(TM),” an on and offline program connecting fans with unique travel options to and from NFL cities, and other popular destinations.

The program showcases two quarterbacks — Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks and Jason Campbell of the Washington Redskins — providing the players’ personal travel tips on uniquely designed pages on Expedia (www.expedia.com/golikepro). The program also showcases Expedia-exclusive travel deals for NFL cities across the country, and coming soon, a limited number of VIP vacation packages to the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl in Honolulu. Expedia announced its multiyear sponsorship as the Official Travel Team of the NFL in November 2007.

The centerpiece of the campaign is the “Go Like Pro Show,” Expedia’s national television and online advertising campaign, debuting today. Starring Hasselbeck and Campbell, and giving a nod to the central role travel plays in the life of an NFL player, the tongue-in-cheek ads feature the two quarterbacks as hosts of a travel talk show. Webisodes, longer-form versions of the TV commercials, will be prominently featured on the Expedia NFL pages at www.expedia.com/golikepro.

“More than two-thirds of all Americans are fans of the NFL, and we’ve got a one stop shop for their travel needs,” said Sean Kell, general manager, Expedia.com. “Whether they are traveling for business, for fun or to see a game, Expedia has the best deals for getting them there.”

NFL fans are loyal, and many travel away from home to see their favorite teams play. For those fans planning trips to games, Expedia is making the process smoother, offering city pages for all hometowns with NFL teams, as well as Honolulu, home of the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl. These city pages feature Hasselbeck’s and Campbell’s personal picks for tourist attractions they have visited, or would like to visit, when not on the field. However, whether or not travelers are football fans they can find only-on-Expedia hotel deals, as well as hundreds of other deals with Expedia’s Half-Off Hotel Sale, which has now been extended through September 30. Highlights from the Go Like Pro city pages include:

Seattle

• Hasselbeck’s after game picks: “Going deep to catch a salmon from the fish-throwers at the Pike Place Market; ’spelunking’ along the Seattle Underground Tour; hiking and brunch at Snoqualmie Falls.”

• Campbell’s sightseeing picks: “Dining on salmon - grilled, broiled, baked, it’s all good; getting in shape outdoors at Green Lake; wandering through the art at the Olympic Sculpture Park.”

• Hotel Deals: The Edgewater - save up to 40 percent, from $269 per night; Residence Inn by Marriott Bellevue - save up to 40 percent, from $109 per night; Bellevue Club Hotel - save up to 30 percent, from $205 per night.

Washington, D.C.

• Hasselbeck’s family trip picks: “Watching the kids enjoy the National Zoo; kite flying with the family on the National Mall; being inspired by the Lincoln Memorial.”

• Campbell’s off time picks: “Live jazz at the National Gallery Sculpture Garden; enjoying breakfast or brunch at the Eastern Market; taking a moonlight hike in the National Arboretum.”

• Hotel Deals: Washington Suites Alexandria - save up to 30 percent, from $119 per night; Comfort Inn Largo/FedEx Field - save up to 30 percent, from $122 per night; Sheraton Washington Hotel North - save up to 30 percent, from $103.

Tampa Bay, Fla. (location of Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009)

• Hasselbeck’s vacation picks: “Canoeing on tranquil Lettuce Lake; admiring the architecture in Hyde Park; seeing the Manatees at the Tampa Electric Co. Viewing Center.”

• Campbell’s down time picks: “Sunning and people-watching on Clearwater Beach; seeing rescue efforts at Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary.”

• Hotel Deals: Westin Harbour Island - save 25 percent on three nights, from $161 per night; Don Cesar Beach Resort - save 25 percent on three nights, from $142 per night; Westshore Hotel & Conference Center - save 26 percent on three nights, from $72 per night.

“Some of the best times I’ve had with the Seahawks have been on the road for away games; experiencing a new city together is just a great way to bond with the team,” said Matt Hasselbeck. Jason Campbell concurred and added, “I love hearing about Redskins fans that plan trips based on our away schedule; if I weren’t in the games I’d probably do the same thing.”

Expedia also announced a new regional sponsorship of the Washington Redskins, which includes Expedia-branded booths in-stadium with great fan giveaways and special offers, as well as powering www.redskinstravel.com, the Redskins’ fan travel website.

For the seventh year, Pacific Northwest-based Expedia is also sponsoring the Seattle Seahawks. This season Seattle fans attending the games in Qwest Field can visit the Go Like Pro booth to will enter to win VIP trips to the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl, as well as other travel offers.

Expedia also counts many NFL fans in its company halls, so it is guaranteeing that Expedia employees will attend games across the country this season. Also announced today is an Expedia employee giveaway featuring NFL prizes, including two tickets, and a $500 travel voucher, to the game of their choice. An additional 2009 NFL Pro Bowl trip will be given away as well.

Source: Expedia.com