eBay Sports Offers A Record Setting Number of Athlete-Inspired Experiences and Big-Ticket Collectibles to Celebrate the Launch of Its New Site

[Max]

eBay Sports Offers A Record Setting Number of Athlete-Inspired Experiences and Big-Ticket Collectibles to Celebrate the Launch of Its New Site -- Shoot Hoops with Magic Johnson? Play Golf with Jack Nicklaus? Own a Dragster Signed by the New York Yankees? It is All Possible and Only Available on Ebay Sports Now Through October 11

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Story Filed: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 7:30 AM EST

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct 2, 2002 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- eBay, the World's Online Marketplace(TM), opens the world's ultimate sports store today at www.eBaySports.com by stocking its virtual shelves with an outrageous number of athlete-inspired experiences and extraordinary collectibles. Proceeds from a majority of these experiences will benefit a wide range of charities.

These exclusive items, available on eBay Sports from October 1-11, 2002, give fans the chance to spend time with their favorite athletes and teams, who -- in many cases -- offer experiences to raise money and awareness for nonprofit organizations. Consumers with drive and determination can get into the race as a die-hard fan and emerge as part of the pit crew.

"Athletes and nonprofits have come together to give fans unprecedented access to the world of sports by offering a record-setting number of packages on eBay Sports," said Bob Hebeler, vice president and general manager, eBay Sports and Tickets. "With their help, we're able to offer fans the ultimate sports experience."

More than 40 once-in-a-lifetime packages are being offered to celebrate the launch of eBay Sports, including:


-- Shoot hoops with Magic Johnson (offered by AllStarLineup).
-- Play golf with Jack Nicklaus (offered by Barnes Sports Group).
-- Go fishing with NASCAR Winston Cup drivers (offered by
NASCAR.com).
-- Go motorcycle riding with NASCAR driver, Kyle Petty (offered
by Victory Junction Gang).
-- Rock climb with the one of the world's best rock climbers,
Alli Rainey (offered by Barnes Sports Group).
-- Go behind the scenes with FOX Sports on the set of FOX NFL
Sunday in Los Angeles (offered by FOXSports.com).
-- Practice Tae Bo(R) with Billy Blanks (offered by Billy Blanks
Foundation).
-- Dine with celebrities and meet baseball legend Keith Hernandez
at a charity dinner he is hosting for the Alzheimer's
Foundation on November 6 (offered by Marty Appel Public
Relations).
-- Have dinner with top wrestler and U.S. Gold Medalist Rulon
Gardner (offered by the United States Olympic Committee).
-- Dogsled with top Iditarod Racer DeeDee Jonrowe (offered by
Barnes Sports Group).
-- Do martial arts with Olympic Gold Medalist Steven Lopez
(offered by Barnes Sports Group).
-- Play your own baseball game on Edison International Field,
home of the Anaheim Angels (offered by Walt Disney Internet
Group).
-- Watch a baseball game with Cal Ripken Jr. (offered by Cal
Ripken Sr. Foundation).
-- Take a boxing lesson with Joe Frazier (offered by
AllStarLineup).
-- Play hockey with NHL Hall of Famers (offered by The Hockey
Hall of Fame).
-- Take a private lesson from a Supercross superstar (offered by
Clear Channel Motor Sports).
-- Be a VIP at three Monday Night Football games (offered by NFL
Auctions).
-- Watch the NY Giants from your very own VIP box (offered by
ESPN Auctions).
-- Meet and greet world-class skateboarder Tony Hawk at the Boom
Boom HuckJam (offered by Tony Hawk Foundation).
For a complete list of all of the experience packages, please visit: http://www.eBay.com/sportsexperiences.

As a magnet for must-have-memorabilia, eBay Sports offers serious fans the most coveted, unique collectibles -- not for sale in any other showroom. Three unique vehicles-turned-collectibles are available only on eBay Sports from October 1-11 2002 with proceeds benefiting several charities.


-- National Hot Rod Association Dragster Signed by 2002 New York
Yankees
Autographed by the NY Yankees, this blue-and-white pinstriped
dragster runs 320 mph and goes from zero to 100 in .08
seconds. Proceeds benefit the Darrell Gwynn Foundation, a
nonprofit organization committed to preventing and curing
spinal cord injuries through educational programs and
research.
-- Nitro Bass Fishing Boat Signed by 43 NASCAR Winston Cup
drivers
Signed by all 43 NASCAR Winston Cup drivers and featuring
artwork from adventurer Guy Harvey, this fishing boat is the
big catch for the ultimate NASCAR collector. Proceeds benefit
the Betty Jane France Pediatrics Center, Speediatrics (a
pediatrics unit at Homestead Hospital in Florida), the Darrell
Gwynn Foundation for spinal cord research, and the Guy Harvey
Research Institute.
-- Kyle Petty Victory Motorcycle signed by champions in the world
of sports
NASCAR driver Kyle Petty's personal motorcycle, painted just
like his race car, is plastered with signatures from sports
champs like Barry Bonds, Mario Andretti, Curt Schilling, Kurt
Warner, Marshall Faulk, Richard Petty -- and more! Proceeds
benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a youth camp founded
by the Petty family in honor of their son Adam, who died in a
racing accident in 2000.



Upcoming Charity Auctions
eBay Sports will offer athlete-inspired charity packages throughout the upcoming season. In March, golf lovers can bid on the chance to hit the links with ESPN sports anchor Stuart Scott and other celebrities at the 2003 Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic in August. Proceeds will benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research.


About eBay Sports
eBay Sports ( www.eBaySports.com), a part of eBay Inc., is the Internet's largest marketplace for buying and selling all things sports. The site offers a wide array of sporting goods, team and athlete-related merchandise, memorabilia, tickets and experiences. Recently ranked the No. 7 sports site on the Web by Media Metrix and Nielsen//NetRatings, eBay Sports expects nearly one billion dollars worth of sports-related items to be transacted on its site this year.


About eBay
eBay is the world's online marketplace(TM). Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay through auction or fixed price formats. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world.


CONTACT: Kaplow Communications for eBay
Tracy Huber, 212/221-1713
tracyh@kaplowpr.com

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KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SPORTS
INTERNET
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SOURCE:
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