THE TEAM: SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT, & MEDIA SELECTED AS FUNDRAISER FOR EDDIE G. ROBINSON MUSEUM

COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 9, 2006) – The Team: Sports, Entertainment, & Mdia has been selected to raise funds for the establishment and creation of a museum honoring legendary football coach Eddie Robinson.

The Team was approved as the museum’s fundraiser on Thursday by the Eddie G. Robinson Museum Commission after receiving powerful endorsements from John Belton, the Louisiana governor-appointed chairman of the Museum Commission’s board, and former Grambling baseball coach Wilbert Ellis, who heads The Friends of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum.

“We are extremely excited and honored to lead this important initiative,” said Dave Whinham, President and CEO of The Team. “Everyone involved with this project has a clear vision for a world class facility that will not only honor this great man and his achievements, but also serve as a location from which his legend and mission will continue to grow.”

Added Belton, “We chose The Team because we believe in the vision that Dave Whinham presented to us. Not only does The Team Sales Company have a viable plan in terms of fundraising and making the museum a reality, but Dave is also very compassionate about his relationship with Coach Robinson. Having The Team as part of our team only adds to the credibility and integrity of the efforts of the museum board.”

The Eddie G. Robinson Museum will be located on the campus of Grambling State University where Coach Robinson achieved legendary status by becoming college football’s all-time winningest coach. Coach Robinson won 408 games at Grambling during a football coaching career that stretched from 1941-1997 and is the namesake of the Football Writers Association of America’s National Coach of the Year Award.

During his illustrious career, Coach Robinson won nine Black College National Championships and 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships. The College Football Hall of Fame inductee graduated over 80% of his players and saw more than 200 of his athletes play in the NFL, including four who are now enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Coach Robinson has achieved so much as a football coach, as an American, and as a man,” Whinham commented, “but perhaps the most endearing quality about Coach Rob is how he made a special point to give a piece of himself to everyone he encountered.

“That is what has meant so much to me personally and to thousands and thousands of players, coaches, fans, and others. When we dedicate this museum he will be able to continue to give a piece of himself for generations to come.”

The Team expects to raise $5 million for the creation of the museum, its exhibits, and ongoing museum operations and programs.

Plans call for the Eddie G. Robinson Museum to be housed inside the old Women’s Memorial Gymnasium, an 8,000-square-foot building on the Grambling campus. The museum will be designed and produced by Murphy & Orr Exhibits and will recognize Coach Robinson’s extraordinary life and achievements, both on and off the field.

“We are very excited to get started on this project because of what Coach Robinson meant to football and what he’s done for America,” said Coach Ellis, a longtime friend and colleague of Coach Robinson. “We very much want Coach Robinson and his family to be able to walk through the doors of his museum in the near future and experience what will be a wonderful facility. We believe The Team has the best interests of the project at heart and we also recognize Dave Whinham’s association with Coach Robinson through the years and know that he will get the job done for us.”

The Team will embark on an extensive national fundraising effort on behalf of the museum. In addition to Grambling alumni, former players, and Louisiana residents, The Team will also devise comprehensive strategies to reach out to private individuals, organizations, and corporations throughout the United States, starting with every major professional sports league and players association.

A sports, entertainment, and media company that began operations in January 2002, The Team has successfully managed transactions for an array of entities throughout the sports and entertainment industries, including teams at all levels, venues, buyers, sellers, licensed products, television and media projects, and other related businesses.

Along with brokering professional sports and entertainment opportunities, The Team also offers comprehensive consulting services to sports and entertainment organizations throughout North America. Additionally, Collegiate Capital LLC, a division of The Team, provides financial solutions and management alternatives to colleges, universities, and municipalities as it relates to the construction and renovation of stadia, arenas, multi-use and joint-use facilities, parking structures, student housing, and student unions.