Online Voting Kicks off for Staples Coach of the Year Award; Fans to Select Top NFL Coach and Enter Staples Coach of the Year Sweepstakes

Business Wire, Dec 6, 2002

Sports Editors/Business Editors

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 6, 2002

Staples and the NFL remind you that fans may cast their vote online for the Staples NFL Coach of the Year. Through Jan. 19, 2003, fans can log onto www.nfl.com/coachoftheyear. Last year, over 200,000 votes were cast overall and participation this year is expected to be higher. Football fans may also enter the Staples Coach of the Year Sweepstakes until Dec. 30, 2002. The Grand Prize is a trip for four to the February 2, 2003 Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The winning head coach will be announced January 19th during the AFC Championship pre-game show on CBS. In addition, $25,000 will be presented to the coach's selected charity on behalf of Staples and the NFL.

"Staples and the NFL are working together to honor an NFL coach who exemplifies excellence, teamwork and leadership through the Coach of the Year program," said Marci Grebstein, vice president of media and marketing communications for Staples Inc. "The Coach of the Year program is a great way for customers and fans to recognize the most deserving NFL coach as well as give back to the community."

"We are pleased to work with Staples throughout the year on the Coach of the Week Program and to provide our fans the opportunity to salute their favorite coach through the Coach of the Year voting," said Roger Goodell, NFL's chief operating officer.

The program kicked off in 1998 with its first winner, Dan Reeves, of the Atlanta Falcons. Last season, Dick Jauron from the Chicago Bears earned the honor and a donation of $25,000 was awarded to his favorite charity, the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. A complete list of previous Staples Coach of the Year winners is listed on www.nfl.com/coachoftheyear.> The Staples NFL Coach of the Year award complements the Staples Coach of the Week program that honors an NFL head coach each week for an outstanding game during the regular season. In conjunction with this recognition, a local school in that coach's region is randomly drawn from entries to receive a $5,000 Staples gift certificate and a visit from the coach. Now in its seventh year, Staples has donated more than $500,000 in school supplies to schools nationwide through the Staples Coach of the Week program. Staples is also the official provider of office supplies to the NFL.

For the official rules of the Staples Coach of the Year Sweepstakes, log on to www.staplesoffers.com/coachofyear.> About Staples, Inc.

Staples, Inc. is an $11 billion retailer of office supplies, business services, furniture and technology to consumers and businesses from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal. Headquartered outside Boston, Staples invented the office superstore concept and today is the largest operator of office superstores in the world. The company has approximately 55,000 associates serving customers through more than 1,400 office superstores, mail order catalogs, e-commerce and a contract business. More information about the company is available at http://www.staples.com.