LA Sports and Entertainment Commission's 6th Annual NFL 101/201 to Showcase Great NFL Talent

Business Wire, July 7, 2008

LOS ANGELES -- The LA Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC) presents the 6th annual NFL 101/201- Get Ready for Some Football: An Intimate Evening with NFL Legends on Monday, July 14, 2008 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. This is an officially sanctioned NFL event where guests can experience a once-in-a-lifetime evening, playing on the field at one of the most historic sites in football history, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

This year's NFL 101/201 will include a wide array of activities such as the "Play Like A Pro" experience on the field. "Play Like A Pro" features a passing competition, an opportunity to catch passes from a NFL quarterback, a field goal kicking challenge, an NFL equipment demonstration, an NFL photo opportunity and locker room tours that include official uniform displays for all 32 NFL teams. The event, which includes a cocktail reception and a buffet dinner, will conclude with a panel discussion with NFL legends.

This year's panelists include: Tim Brown, Peter King, Andrea Kremer, Mike Pereira, Steve Mariucci, Shawne Merriman and Amy Trask. Additional on-field participants include Green Bay Packers Equipment Manager Gordon Batty; former New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers cornerback Toi Cook; former Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Danny Farmer, former Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Cade McNown and former Oakland Raiders defensive end/linebacker Greg Townsend.

The first annual LASEC "Community Sportsman of the Year Award" will be presented to Tom Rudnai, President and General Manager of Longo Toyota/Scion/Lexus in El Monte, CA. The award was established to recognize and honor an individual who continually contributes to LASEC and the surrounding communities. Rudnai serves on the board of directors of LASEC in addition to several Toyota and Lexus advisory boards and various community organizations. Longo Toyota is the world's largest automobile dealership and has been the #1 Toyota dealership in the U.S. for 41 consecutive years.

NFL 101/201's Community Partner for this year's event is the Special Olympics Southern California. Athletes from Special Olympics will be participating in the on-field activities and will be recognized on stage during the program.

Tim Brown, former wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders, is also that franchise's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He is the third player in NFL history to eclipse the 1000-reception mark. Brown had 42 100-yard receiving games and was named to nine Pro Bowl teams. He is also the 16th player in NFL annals to amass 10,000 career receiving yards. Brown played with the Raiders from 1988-2003 before closing out his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004.

Peter King is a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, a reporter for NBC Football Night in America and also serves as a host on Sirius NFL Radio. King has written five books, the most recent being Inside the Helmet. King also writes the popular Monday Morning Quarterback for Sports Illustrated.com.

Andrea Kremer is a reporter for NBC Sports and also works as a features correspondent/reporter for HBO's Real Sports. She is a prominent member of the broadcasting team for NBC's Sunday Night Football and has been called "the best TV interviewer in the business of covering the NFL." Kremer is one of the most accomplished sports journalists on television, and has worked every Super Bowl since 1985. Kremer also occasionally reports on football for NBC's "The Today Show," and she will be covering the Olympics later this summer for that network.

Steve Mariucci is currently an analyst for NFL Network after having previously been the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. In five years with the 49ers, he led them to a 60-43 record and four playoff appearances. In 2003, Mariucci left the 49ers to become head coach for the Detroit Lions for the next two years. He also had a distinguished career as an assistant coach in the college and professional ranks before securing his head coaching appointment with San Francisco.

In just three professional seasons, Shawne Merriman has become one of the NFL's preeminent defensive superstars. In 2007 he earned his third Pro Bowl invitation and he continues to build upon his status as one of the game's most respected defensive stalwarts.

Mike Pereira has served as the NFL's Vice President of Officiating since 2001. Pereira assumed those duties after a highly distinguished career as an NFL on-field official, and prior to that, he served in a similar capacity in the college ranks. Since assuming his current post, Pereira has been very active in refining and improving many aspects of on-field officiating and various rule improvements and policy revisions. He has also been quite active in overseeing the league's instant replay system, which has been at the forefront in U.S. professional sports.

Amy Trask is the Chief Executive Officer for the Raiders since 1997, and she holds the highest administrative position of any female in NFL history. An attorney by trade, Trask was recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the 75 Most Influential Bay Area Businesswomen.