Women's Sports Foundation Announces The Billies Finalists

Women's Sports Foundation Announces The Billies Finalists

Geena Davis, Kathy Smith, Laila Ali and Sheryl Crow to Act as Co-Chair for Event

LOS ANGELES, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) announced today finalists for its The Billies, which will be presented on Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The WSF recognizes media's profound cultural impact and created The Billies, named for WSF founder, Billie Jean King, to applaud powerful portrayals of women in sports. Since its inception in 2006, the event has raised more than $3 million to support the Foundation's efforts to better women's lives through sports and fitness. The Billies bring stars from the entertainment and sports communities together to celebrate the nominees' insightful depictions of women's sports. Event Co-Chairs include Geena Davis, Kathy Smith, Laila Ali and Sheryl Crow and Honorary Co-Chair Maria Shriver. ESPN is a Contributing sponsor for the event.

The Billies' winners are selected by a panel of women's sports historians, journalists and media industry executives and are awarded in three group categories: "Breakthrough & Innovation", "Entertainment", and "Journalism". Finalists are as follows:

Breakthrough & Innovation -- award honors images and portrayals that challenge the status quo of females as athletes, both current and/or past:

   --  "Women's Soccer Team -- The Greatest Team You've Never Heard of"       -- Nike -- Advertising Campaign -- An ad campaign that introduces       women's soccer's next greats   --  "Boom Boom Tap" -- Under Armour -- Advertising Campaign -- Under       Armour's first ad campaign developed for female team athletes   --  "GKA" -- Fuel TV -- Television Series -- A series dedicated to women's       participation in action sports   --  "Female Snowboarding" -- Quicksilver/Roxy -- Advertising Campaign -- A       print ad campaign displaying female snowboarders performing tricks    

Entertainment -- based on insightful portrayal of women in sports, impact, originality and overall quality of work that was aired, broadcast or released between January 2003 and December 2007:

   --  "Chak! De India" -- Yash Raj Films, Produced by Aditya Chopra -- A       film depicting a group of girls who forgot what it was like to play       simply for the love of field hockey   --  "Generation IX" -- Produced by Jack and Leslie Hamann -- A documentary       exploring the influence of Title IX on women athletes from the 2005       University of Washington's national champion volleyball team   --  "Women in American Horse Racing" -- American Storyboard, Produced by       John Ronan and Sandra Ronan -- A documentary showing how women are       shaping the horse racing industry    

Journalism -- honors insightful portrayals of women in sports, originality and overall quality of work that has been aired, broadcast or published in 2007:

   --  "Mamachas" -- ESPN Deportes -- The tale of the Peruvian women's       national soccer champions, who play in traditional skirts and sandals       made of tires   --  "Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports" --       Carol & Graf Publishers, Kathrine Switzer -- The story of Kathrine       Switzer, who helped introduce women's marathon into the Olympic Games   --  "Pregnant Pause" -- ESPN, Produced by Lindsay Rovegno and Arty Berko       -- A piece exploring how college and universities respond to       student-athletes becoming pregnant   --  Article Series, Chicago Tribune, Melissa Isaacson   --  Article Series, ESPN.com/Kansas City Star, Mechelle Voepel    

The Billies, named for social activist, tennis great and WSF founder, Billie Jean King, will pay tribute to the 35th Anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes where Billie beat Bobby Riggs. The media coverage of the famed match transformed American culture and is still the most watched tennis match in history. King is recognized for spearheading the women's movement through sports and for her lifelong struggle for equality. She became the first president of the women's players union, the Women's Tennis Association, in 1973 in an effort to support women's tennis. More recently, the USTA named the home of the U.S. Open in her honor -- the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, the only museum gallery dedicated to women's sports will open in May of 2008.

About the Women's Sports Foundation

Founded in 1974 by Billie Jean King, the Women's Sports Foundation is a national charitable educational organization seeking to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. The Foundation's Participation, Education, Advocacy, Research and Leadership Programs are made possible by gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations. For more information, please call the Foundation at (800) 227-3988 or visit http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/

About ESPN

ESPN, the year-round leader in women's sports television coverage, features a wide variety of events and sports, including women's basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, figure skating, softball, action sports and much more. ESPN, Inc., is the world's leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 40 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of seven domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes (to be launched around the new year), ESPN Now, ESPN Today), ESPN HD (a high-definition simulcast service of ESPN), ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (networks and syndication), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, SportsTicker, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN Zones (8 sports-themed restaurants), and other growing new businesses including ESPN Broadband, ESPN Wireless, ESPN Video-on-Demand, ESPN Interactive and ESPN PPV. Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

    Contacts:  Christina Lee/Ivy Mollenkamp               ROGERS & COWAN               (310) 854-8100                Jamie McBeth               WOMEN'S SPORTS FOUNDATION               (516) 542-4700 x112  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Women's Sports Foundation

CONTACT: Christina Lee or Ivy Mollenkamp, both of Rogers & Cowan,
+1-310-854-8100, for Women's Sports Foundation; or Jamie McBeth of Women's
Sports Foundation, +1-516-542-4700 x112

Web site: http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment