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The “All American Series”

American Airlines, AA.com, is taking advantage of their monopoly of the 2006 NBA Finals by claiming its “Home Court Advantage.” If you have not figured it out yet, or you just think that the Miami Heat still play in the Miami ArenaThe logo of the old (nonsponsored) Miami Arena, both Miami’s new arena that they currently play in and the arena that is home to the Dallas Mavericks are sponsored by American Airlines. The Dallas Mavericks play at American Airlines Center while the Miami Heat call their home American Airlines Arena. I like the sound of Triple A (American Airliens Arena) better and I am from Miami, so I am going to give the edge to the Heat in this series due to arena names alone. Plus, the reasoning for either the Dallas Mavericks or the Miami Heat to win in 6 games this series (why is no one picking either to win in 7?) has been very sub-par (sorry, B.J. Armstrong, you just are not cutting it).

Anyway, American Airlines is definitely taking advantage of the fact that it will maintain home-court advantage throughout the series, and so it should. At AA.com, American Airlines describes the different contests it is holding in addition to the plethora of giveaways at Heat and Mavericks games throughout the playoffs. Front Row Marketing Services exposed a Press Release on June 6th, which says that American Airlines should receive $9 million per game in branding exposure from its naming rights partnerships with both arenas. Not too shabby. I bet that American Airlines wants the analysts to be wrong, and for the series to go 7 games!

Now, all we need is for the Boston Celtics to play the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals next year for a truly great event: A TD Ameritrade Owned Eastern Conf. Finals! How exciting! Too bad we won’t see either team making it to the Eastern Conference Finals any time soon.

Update: According to the Houston Chronicle, American Airlines is paying $195 million over 30 years for the naming rights in Dallas and $42 million over 20 years for the naming rights in Miami.  Comparatively, Miami seems to be a bargain, or Dallas is extremely overpriced.
[tags]american airlines, nba finals, finals, dallas mavericks, miami heat, boston celtics, orlando magic, td ameritrade, front row marketing[/tags]

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

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