Thirty-two teams have battled week in and week out for a chance to make it to the playoffs and ultimately on to the biggest game of the season, the 2012 Super Bowl.  Now that only 12 teams remain in the hunt, the stakes are even higher.  The excitement unfolds this Saturday as the wildcard games begin and the lower seeded teams match up against each other for a chance to move on.

We hope you’ll tune into the games and cheer on your favorite teams.  And when the games are over (or before they start!), get out there and get active.  After all, professional athletes would undoubtedly be among the first to tell you about the important role that physical activity and exercise have in an active, healthy and balanced lifestyle.  Just take a look at the NFL’s Play 60 initiative.

This weekend, wear your team’s colors with pride.  And while you heat up the grill, don’t forget to hydrate with your favorite non-alcoholic beverages and cheer on your favorite teams.

Watching the Women’s World Cup reminds us of the importance of staying active.  So remember this summer to take some to get out there and get active.  And while you are out there, remember to stay hydrated!  It can be extremely easy to become dehydrated while doing activities in the heat – especially with the current heat wave.  So, select the beverage that’s right for you,  hydrate and cool off while you enjoy the Women’s World Cup Final this Sunday!

We at Sip & Savor wish Team USA the best of luck in the final!

First, it’s important to point out that while water is a perfectly good choice for normal hydration purposes, sports drinks can provide additional benefits for anyone who is exercising or exposed to high temperatures – including children. Why?  Because in addition to providing much-needed hydration, they also can replenish electrolytes, which are salts found in the body fluid, tissue and blood that are lost during exercise or in the heat.  Common electrolytes include sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

In fact, aside from athletics, there are times when the added benefits of sports drinks can be beneficial. For example, today in the District of Columbia (like many of our readers in various parts of the country), we are experiencing a bit of a heat wave.  Just a short while ago, the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency sent out an alert to subscribers on protective actions for heat.  Among many helpful tips, they advised combating dehydration by “drinking plenty of water along with sports drinks or other sources of electrolytes.” And for those who work outdoors during the warm weather – whether professionally, such as in construction, or in your spare time tackling the garden or mowing the lawn – sports drinks can help you stay hydrated and reduce muscle cramping.

Second, it is a misperception that sports drinks are high in sodium. On average, sports drinks contain only 50 to 100 milligrams of sodium per serving. In fact, most sports drinks qualify as a low-sodium food according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s definitions for sodium health claims.  Did you know that an 8 ounce serving of a sports drink has a similar sodium content to a cup of 2 percent milk?

Finally, as with many beverages, sports drinks can have calories.  However, due to industry innovation, there is a wide variety of options from which to choose. Due to industry innovation, lower-calorie versions of sports drinks are now available for consumers who want nutrients and electrolytes, but fewer calories.  After all, we know that when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, what matters most is balancing calories consumed from all foods and beverages with those burned through exercise.

Whatever beverage you choose for you and your family, remember that, as with all foods and beverages, the key is moderation.  You can find out more about all of our industry’s beverages by visiting our Products Issue Site.

College football is a great American sport, and it’s great to see communities coming together to celebrate these athletes and their achievements.  The tradition in Auburn, Ala., is to meet up in the heart of campus at a spot called “Toomer’s Corner.”  Students, fans and alumni were gathered there in full force late into the night last night, and anxiously watched for the results of the game.  Check out this view of the famous corner with this live webcam.

Our member companies support communities in Alabama and across the country.  Dr Pepper’s sponsorship of the trophy is just one of many ways the beverage industry supports the state of Alabama.  In fact, just last month, The Coca-Cola Company sponsored a local basketball tournament in Gulf Shores, Ala., and Buffalo Rock, a local Pepsi bottler in Mobile, continues to support their community by sponsoring a number of charitable and community events each year.

In Oregon, the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Eugene supports causes that benefit children, and is a long-time supporter of local arts and music.  And Swire Coca-Cola, USA, a local Coca-Cola bottler that services the state of Oregon, supports the United Way and efforts to end juvenile diabetes.

Once again we congratulate the winning team on their victory. And we hope the athletes from both teams that made it to the championship are an inspiration to us all to get out and get active!

It’s been an exceptional year for baseball.  In fact, so spectacular has this season’s pitching been that it has been dubbed the “year of pitcher” – the likes of which have not been seen since 1968.  And after watching the first two rounds of playoffs, it’s clear the theme continues in the post-season.

Just a few weeks ago, in the National League East playoffs, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay shut out the Cincinnati Reds with a no-hitter.  It was his second of the year, and only the second in playoffs history.  Left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee will start tonight for the Rangers – he’s 3-0 with a 0.75 earned run average, 34 strike outs and, amazingly, only one walk.  And if you look across the entire season, there were more strikeouts per inning – 7.1 – than in the history of the game.

We hope you enjoy what’s sure to be another round of exceptional pitching, and some really good baseball.  For the full World Series schedule, visit MLB.com.  And remember to check back with Sip & Savor for more current events, fun beverage facts and important topics to our industry.

Regular season baseball wraps up in September and we hit the ground running with the post season games in October. The U.S. Open is always scheduled around Labor Day and with the tournament more than half over, the next several days will offer up plenty of excitement as we find out who will become the 2010 champs. The number of U.S. players competing is low compared to previous years, but that hasn’t impeded a good showing of super fans rooting for both old and new faces in the tennis world.

Here at Sip & Savor, we enjoy a fall favorite – football.  Both college and professional leagues are fun to watch. For some, this is the most exciting time of year! Between Fantasy Football and game day rituals, not to mention scheduling risks and training camp injuries, the anticipation definitely captivates fans of all ages.

Looking forward to watching the competition on the fields and courts this fall can serve as a reminder for all of us to continue working on our own lifestyles by balancing healthy diets and exercise.

So here are a couple of moments sure to be remembered for quite some time:

• John Isner and Nicolas Mahut’s multi-day, physically and emotionally exhausting 10+ hour match (the longest in tennis history);

• And what’s a Grand Slam without mention of at least one (or both) of the Williams sisters? To make it into the fourth round, younger sister Serena defeated her Slovakian opponent winning 37 of 43 service points – in fact, she won the opening set in just 18 minutes; and while we also respect Venus’ athletic prowess, one can’t forget the Tina Turner-inspired dress that she debuted on Day One of play;

• All England Club Top Seed Roger Federer’s first round struggle to surpass Alejandro Falla in five sets after being a mere two points from elimination;

• And how can we overlook Rafael Nadal?  Coming off his recent win at Roland Garros where he claimed the French Open for the fifth time, and ranked number one in the world, Nadal withstood 28 aces from opponent Robin Haase to advance to round three. And we can’t overlook his defeat of Robin Soderling (who took a medical timeout for a blister) which led to Nadal’s entry into the quarterfinals.

While we can’t all play like these athletic superstars, we can recognize that playing tennis regularly is a great way to get aerobic exercise, build and tone muscles, and burn calories to boot!  In fact, according to comments from avid tennis player Dr. Gordon Blackburn, an exercise physiologist at The Cleveland Clinic’s Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute, “A 135-pound woman playing an hour of tennis can burn 330 calories during doubles and 420 calories during singles … An average-sized man playing an hour of tennis can burn about 425 calories during doubles and 600 calories during singles.”

So grab a racket and a partner and start swinging!

In short, LeBron didn’t shake the other team’s hands, left the locker room quickly, and didn’t stand up to answer any post-game questions. To make matters worse, the next day, LeBron explained his actions this way: “If somebody beats you up, you’re not going to congratulate them…I’m a competitor…It doesn’t make sense for me to go over and shake somebody’s hand.”

A group called Positive Coaching Alliance pounced on the let-down by a player whom many kids look up to and used it as a proverbial teaching moment. PCA is dedicated to going across the country holding seminars for coaches on how to be positive teachers and mentors, as well as for parents on how to help their children achieve and compete in sports with the right perspective. In other words, teaching folks that being a type-A competitor and a gracious competitor are not mutually exclusive; in fact, they’re intertwined at the essence of what sports is all about.

PCA Founder and Executive President Jim Thompson used LeBron’s actions no so much to scold the all-star, who in his own right is only 24-years-old and still a very young man, but to use the mistake to reinforce with athletes, coaches and parents that sportsmanship must never take a back-seat to competitiveness.

PCA is worth checking out. Many youth sports leagues in America require coaches and parents to go through the training in order to lead teams or register their children for participation.

As most know, as well, our industry is a strong supporter of youth sports leagues. Its part of our culture, because our heritage is being part of the fabric of every community. Our companies support youth sports because of the character it teaches, the competition it provides and the simple fun of playing ball with your friends that it affords. It’s a means to bring a neighborhood and a community together.

LeBron made a mistake. A mistake by a still maturing young man. He is a good and humble ambassador for the NBA. Hopefully, LeBron will figure this one out and do right by the young people who look up to him.

In the meantime, for the parents and coaches out there, LeBron has provided us all with a teachable moment on what it means to be a gracious competitor – whether on the athletic field, in the classroom or in the board room. And that even good people make mistakes. It’s what they do about those mistakes that matters most.

Now it is playoff time in two major sports: the NBA and NHL. Already, these sports are featuring some terrific series.

One common thread is the return of Chicago, both in basketball and hockey. Not since the days of Michael Jordan and Chris Chelios have the Bulls and Blackhawks looked so good and brought such excitement to the Windy City. The Cubs and Sox have had to wait their turn this spring to recapture the attention of the Chicago sports fan.

And there’s much debate in the sports world on whether a first-round series can qualify as an all-time classic series in the NBA. But if any series fits that mold, and is worthy of that stature, it was the thrilling seven-game series eventually won Saturday night by the Boston Celtics over the Chicago Bulls. Four of the seven games went to overtime. Five of the seven games were decided by one basket. Every game came down to thrilling finishes (don’t let the score of Game 7 fool you, as some desperation fouls at the end extended the score for Boston.)

Here in Washington, we’re a sea of Red – no, not Nationals red. Capitals Red!

The Caps have thrilled our town all year with our human highlight machine, Alex Ovechkin, and an exciting group of young guys and veterans like Sergei Fedorov – who showed he still has it by helping the Caps rally from down 3-1 to beat the New York Rangers.

Now the Caps are facing their arch-nemesis, the evil Penguins of Pittsburgh. It’s Alex Ovechkin vs. pretty-boy Sidney Crosby. A matchup reminiscent of Bird vs. Magic; Jordan vs. Magic-Bird-Isaiah-Malone; Young vs. Aikman; Pedro vs. Roger (or Pedro vs. Zimmer); Jeter vs. Nomar.

The nation’s capital is in a frenzy – and this time it’s not over the new president or his dog.

Anyway, we know it’s baseball season and the call of spring draws us outdoors. But don’t forget to watch the playoffs in the NBA and NHL. They’re promising to be some of the most thrilling in long time for both these sports. The teams and the superstars are giving these sports a much needed shot in the arm, renewing fan enthusiasm from coast to coast. (Full disclosure: our companies are proud sponsors of these sports and their teams.)

So settle in for watching some exciting nights of action of the courts or the ice over the next few weeks. It’s going to be a thrilling ride.

And as the weather is starting to warm across America, and the sun is starting to shine more consistently, it’s time to start enjoying a day at the park with a cool, refreshing beverage – a tasty soda pop. (You’re with the kids, save the beer for some other time.)

Just as we did with spring training parks, Sip & Savor thought it would be interesting to sports fans to know what beverage companies are the suppliers of beverage choices at each ballpark. Our industry has a long, strong and proud tradition of supporting Major League Baseball – a great American industry paired with the great American pastime. It doesn’t get better than that. So get out to the ballpark with the family.

Major League Stadiums

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Camden Yards

Baltimore Orioles
Coca-Cola

Fenway Park

Boston Red Sox
Coca-Cola

Rogers Centre

Toronto Blue Jays
Coca-Cola

Tropicana Field

Tampa Bay Rays
Pepsi

Yankee Stadium

New York Yankees
Pepsi

Comerica Park

Detroit Tigers
Pepsi

Kauffman Stadium

Kansas City Royals
Pepsi

Metrodome

Minnesota Twins
Coca-Cola

Progressive Field

Cleveland Indians
Pepsi

U.S. Cellular Field

Chicago White Sox
Pepsi

Angel Stadium

Los Angeles Angels
Pepsi

Oakland Coliseum

Oakland A’s
Pepsi

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

Texas Rangers
Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper

Safeco Field

Seattle Mariners
Pepsi

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Citi Field

New York Mets
Pepsi

Citizens Bank Park

Philadelphia Phillies
Coca-Cola

Dolphin Stadium

Florida Marlins
Pepsi

Nationals Park

Washington Nationals
Coca-Cola

Turner Field

Atlanta Braves
Coca-Cola

Busch Stadium

St. Louis Cardinals
Coca-Cola

Great American Ball Park

Cincinnati Reds
Coca-Cola

Miller Park

Milwaukee Brewers
Pepsi

Minute Maid Park

Houston Astros
Coca-Cola

PNC Park

Pittsburgh Pirates
Pepsi

Wrigley Field

Chicago Cubs
Pepsi

AT&T Park

San Francisco Giants
Coca-Cola

Chase Field

Arizona Diamondbacks
Pepsi

Coors Field

Colorado Rockies
Coca-Cola

Dodger Stadium

Los Angeles Dodgers
Coca-Cola

Petco Park

San Diego Padres
Coca-Cola