na Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a

NEW YORK -- Prepare to be inspired. After all, its Olympic ad time.Olympics marketers from Coca-Cola to Samsung are pulling out all the stops this summer, stuffing scores of athletes into ads and telling tearjerker stories. Cokes ads play on gold moments when athletes have a Coke together. An ad for Samsung shows the road to Rio for a runner from South Sudan, the newest country to be recognized by the International Olympic Committee. A Visa ad , customized for different countries around the world, shows a bevy of athletes carpooling to Rio. And P&G continues its Thank You Mom campaign with ads focused on how mothers have helped Olympic athletes along the way.SPONSOR CHALLENGESThe rah-rah campaigns mask an unsettling truth: Its tough out there for an Olympic marketer. The games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, face a number of big problems ranging from the Zika virus to political upheaval . So companies are opting for campaigns that aim to capitalize on the emotional appeal of the Olympics without lingering too heavily on the specifics of Rio or Brazil.Theres an additional challenge. A new rule allows non-sponsors -- that is, companies who havent paid the International Olympic Committee for the privilege of using Olympic trademarks in their ads and other perks -- to make greater use of Olympic athletes in ads.All that means a lot of risk, given that sponsoring the Olympics costs about $100 million to $200 million over four years. But that hefty price tag has a reward, too: an estimated 20 million viewers every evening on NBC over the three week stretch of the Olympics.MORE COMPETITIONTo protect that major investment by sponsors, the Olympic committee long prohibited anyone but sponsors from using Olympic athletes or Olympic rings or logos in ads. But the age of social media made enforcement increasingly difficult, so this year the rules have relaxed.Advertisers could apply in January to use Olympic athletes in their ads, though they were required to start their campaigns in March and still couldnt use official Olympic terminology or logos. Under Armor has been the most high-profile brand to make use of the looser restrictions, and features swimmer Michael Phelps and other Olympians in ads. Others, including General Mills, Gatorade and Asics, have also applied to advertise under the looser regulation, known as Rule 40.Rule 40 is changing the landscape. More advertisers are able to use the Olympics, so sponsors are trying different approaches to stand out, said Villanova marketing professor Charles Taylor.ATHLETES APLENTYOne way theyre doing so is by featuring more athletes in their ads. Cokes campaign features 79 athletes from 23 countries, including new footage of 24 athletes such as U.S. swimmer Nathan Adrian and Australian hurdler Michelle Jennek. The teen-targeted ads show athletes on and off the field sharing a Coke and having memorable moments like a stolen kiss, dubbed Gold moments.The campaign idea is `Gold is a feeling anyone can taste, said Rodolfo Echeverria, a Coca-Cola vice president in charge of advertising.Visas The Carpool to Rio campaign features 15 athletes, including New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams and U.S. swimmer Missy Franklin. The ad shows off Visa payment technology, such as its mobile app and another swiping a credit card at an automated entrance gate to pay for a ferry. The ad, which is airing in 38 countries, was adapted for 14 different markets by using athletes and styles of payments specific to particular locales.Its very much anchored in all the different things Visa can do, said Chris Curtin, Visas brand marketing officer.That multi-athlete strategy lets Olympic marketers avoid the problems that can occur if they bank too heavily on individual athletes. In the most infamous case, then-Olympic sponsor Reebok made little known decathletes Dan OBrien and Dave Johnson into household names leading up to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Posing the question, Who will be the worlds greatest athlete, Dan or Dave?, the campaign had to be modified after OBrien failed to qualify for the games.GET OUT YOUR HANKIESOf course, its always possible just to focus more on athletes inspirational and tearjerker stories than their Olympic achievement. Samsungs Chant ad showcases Margret Rumat Rumar Hassan, a 19 year old runner from South Sudan. The ad shows the South Sudanese, a new country in the Olympics, chanting her name and cheering her on. The tagline is Proud sponsor of those who defy barriers.This Olympics the focus is on telling human stories ... the technology doesnt take center stage, said Pio Schunker, Samsungs global head of marketing.And P&G is continuing its crowdpleasing Thank You Mom ads with the tagline Proud sponsor of moms that started running in 2010. One of the latest showcases U.S. gymnast Simone Biles and her adoptive mother; its already garnered more than 2 million views on YouTube.Wholesale Vans Shoes From China . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. Cheap Vans Sale . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. http://www.cheapvanssale.com/ . Calgary scored on the first shift, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice as the Flames cruised to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Discount Vans Shoes Online .Y. -- Jayna Hefford scored the winning goal Friday as Canada survived a scare with a 4-3 win over Sweden at the Four Nations womens hockey tournament. Cheap Authentic Vans Shoes . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in.NEW YORK -- Hideki Matsui has re-signed with the New York Yankees and retired with his first major league team. The 2009 World Series MVP signed a minor league contract Sunday in front of dozens of Japanese and American media and New York general manager Brian Cashman and assistant GM Jean Afterman. The 39-year-old Matsui then put his signature to his official Major League Baseball retirement papers in an on-field ceremony before the Yaankees played Tampa Bay.dddddddddddd The slugger nicknamed "Godzilla" first announced his retirement in an all-Japanese news conference in New York last December. Several thousand fans lined up outside Yankee Stadium more than three hours before Hideki Matsui bobblehead day. Many were wearing Matsuis No. 55 Yankees jersey. Matsui hit 175 homers and hit .282 in a 10-year major league career, seven with New York. ' ' '