Below are samples of news-and-notes items developed for Upper Deck products, geared for beat writer gameday editorial -- extending already-released news by fleshing out new, relevant storylines...

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Email Subject Header: *NCAA vs. NHL: Final Four Face-Offs This Week*

It's Indy versus the Internet this week. While one hosts the NCAA Final Four, the other is center ice in a face-off of history's top four NHL teams.

In December, trading card giant Upper Deck started a weekly bracketed 16-team online tournament featuring hockey's greatest-ever single-season squads. The fan-selected winner will be included in its All-Time Greatest Collection set, available at retail this fall.

With four million votes in, they were then -- like the handmade swooped blade of a hockey stick -- whittled down to four.

This past Sunday, the 1963/64 Toronto Maple Leafs beat the 1973/74 Philadelphia Flyers to reach next week's finals. Currently on the ice: the 1991/92 Pittsburgh Penguins and the 1969/70 Boston Bruins.

In the virtual third period, with only three days to go, the Pens are out to a big lead. Voting ends midnight Saturday at www.thealltimegreatest.com.

Unlike the NCAA Tournament, there is still one No. 1 seed left: the 1963/64 Leafs. The three other top seeds -- the 1981/82 New York Islanders, the 1984/85 Edmonton Oilers and the 1976/77 Montreal Canadiens -- have been eliminated.

The Oilers were shocked in the first round, losing to the No. 14 seed, the 1953/54 Detroit Red Wings. The other two went down in the quarterfinals -- the Isles in a buzzer-beater, losing by only two percent of the vote.

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Email Subject Header: *SB XL Media Note: From Boys to Man(ning)*

In youth pick-up games across America, kids have been copying Peyton Manning's at-the-line ad libs, changing plays, re-routing receivers. Now, one Pop Warner squad will learn first hand the Colts' QB's from-scrimmage secrets.

The team? The Indianapolis Youth Football League Tigers, winners of Upper Deck's Gridiron Trivia Battle -- a partnership with Pop Warner Football to further young players' knowledge of the game's history and foster teamwork.

The Tigers -- who coincidentally play just miles from Manning's home field, the RCA Dome -- beat out teams from 21 states, huddling up to answer the greatest number of trivia questions found on insert cards in exclusive NFL trading card packs.

In addition to giving insight into his audibles, Manning will participate in a trivia battle with the Tigers the day of the clinic, scheduled for this spring.

This is the second year Upper Deck has teamed with Pop Warner. To spur participation and connect kids with their on-field idols, the company has given free NFL trading cards to nearly half-a-million Pop Warner players in the U.S.

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Email Subject Header: *NBA All-Star Game Note: ALL-STAR, ALL GONE*

Seven hundred fifty All-Star Edition of LeBron James' "Athlete LeBron" vinyl figurines -- a limited-edition collectible toy capturing just one of the three characters in Nike’s latest TV spots, "The LeBrons -- sold out in 87 minutes yesterday according to Upper Deck, the company behind its creation.

All feature the red special-edition Nike Zoom LeBron III shoes and L23 gear James will be wearing at the game.

The number of minutes it sold out in coincidentally mirrors James' point total in his final two games before the NBA All-Star break. The other three The LeBrons -- Business, Kid and Wise (MSRP $45) -- will hit hobby stores and other retail in April.

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Email Subject Header: *Howe: Iced Out of NHL 'Greatest' Collection?*

One of the best ever to strap on skates, Gordie Howe may be iced out of the first-ever fan-selected trading card set, determining the greatest players in NHL history.

While only a month into voting for Upper Deck's All-Time Greatest Collection -- www.thealltimegreatest.com -- Howe is a distant second to former Red Wings' teammate Ted Lindsay, with only one player per team making the set.

Upper Deck's collection will also include the top six rookies ever. Detroit's former No. 9 now sits at No. 9 in the all-time rookie vote, and will have to face off against Sidney Crosby -- currently in seventh place -- for that sixth and final spot.

With every Crosby top-shelf goal, will the Pens' rookie be more top of mind with fans?

As he did with the Whalers, Howe could complete another comeback. Voting ends on the season's final day.

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Email Subject Header: *By the Numbers, LLWS Media Note: Jr. Squad Gets Jr. Griffey Clinic*

11: Age at which Ken Griffey Jr. made only one out at bat during an entire Little League season. Junior Griffey will be sharing his swing secrets with junior squad players who redeemed more baseball card packs than any other team in a contest by Upper Deck.

11: Number of different Griffey trading cards in Upper Deck's most popular set among all Little Leaguers in the contest. Four members of Maitland, Fla.'s World Series squad were on regular season teams that participated in the program.

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