Vote Online Today for Your Favorite NFL Coach; Staples Coach of the Year Voted Strictly by the Fans

Business Wire, Nov 17, 2003

Sports Editors/Football Writers & Columnists

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 2003

Are you a dedicated football fan with a favorite NFL head coach? Starting today, Staples and the NFL are providing fans the opportunity to show their team loyalty by accepting votes for the 2003 Staples Coach of the Year. Voting is easy, simply log on to NFL.com now through December 31 and click on the team logo.

Now in its fifth year, the Staples Coach of the Year honors the league's most popular coach voted strictly by the fans. The winning coach will have $25,000 donated in his name to the charity of his choice and is announced during the AFC Championship pre-game show January 18 on CBS.

"It's all about the fans and football enthusiasts are especially loyal to their favorite team," said Marci Grebstein, vice president of media and consumer marketing at Staples. "Staples and the NFL are providing fans with an easy way to honor their coach for his hard work throughout the season."

Last year more than 350,000 fans voted, resulting in Green Bay Packers' Coach Mike Sherman winning 2002 Staples Coach of the Year honors. As part of his award, Staples donated $25,000 in Sherman's name to the Marion House, a home for young mothers located in Green Bay.

"It was a great honor being voted by the fans as the Staples Coach of the Year last season," said Mike Sherman, head coach of the Green Bay Packers. "It gave me the opportunity to thank our loyal fans and give a large donation to a charity that is important to my family."

Past winners include Jim Haslett, New Orleans Saints in 2001, Dick Vermeil, St. Louis Rams in 2000 and Dan Reeves, Atlanta Falcons in 1999.

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 spending account and a school visit from the coach. Now in its eighth year, Staples has donated more than $600,000 in school supplies to schools nationwide through the Staples Coach of the Week program.

About Staples, Inc.

Staples, Inc. is headquartered outside of Boston and sells a wide range of office products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and business services. With 2002 sales of $11.6 billion, Staples is committed to make buying office products easy. Nearly 58,000 associates serve consumers and businesses of all sizes - from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in the US, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Staples invented the office superstore concept and today, with approximately 1,500 office superstores, is the largest operator of office superstores in the world. Staples also serves its customers through its mail order catalog, e-commerce and contract businesses. More information is available at http://www.staples.com.