ROSEMONT, Ill., Jan. 12, 2012 — Riddell announced today it has acquired Gunther’s Athletic Service, of Anaheim, California, a West Coast leader in helmet and protective reconditioning, and sales of sporting goods, uniforms and equipment. Riddell will maintain operations at Gunther’s facility in Anaheim, California, and deliver the same service offering. In addition, Bob Brown and Craig Drager, previous owners of Gunther’s, will remain in key sales and management roles. The terms of the agreement will not be disclosed.

“The acquisition of Gunther’s Athletic Service is part of Riddell’s ongoing effort to grow its brand presence in key areas of the country like the West Coast,” said Dan Arment, president of Riddell Sports. “Gunther’s established helmet reconditioning business, combined with the deep heritage and protective benefits of the Riddell product line, allows us to service schools at a much deeper level.”

Founded in 1969, Gunther’s Athletic Service has developed one of the largest independent reconditioning businesses on the West Coast. As an original member of the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association (NAERA) and a licensed National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) reconditioner, Gunther’s is recognized for its quality reconditioning of helmets, shoulder pads, blocking pads, uniforms and other athletic equipment

About Riddell
Founded in 1929, Riddell is a premier designer and developer of protective sports equipment and a recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation. One of Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.’s most well-known brands and the Official Helmet of the NFL, Riddell is the leading manufacturer of football helmets, shoulder pads and reconditioning services (cleaning, repairing, repainting and recertifying existing equipment).

About Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.
Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell, Giro, Riddell and Blackburn. Its products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, the company has 31 facilities worldwide. More information is available at www.eastonbellsports.com.

Contact:
Erin Griffin(224) 585-5231eegriffin@riddellsports.com
OR Laura Moore (818) 902-5807lkmoore@eastonbellsports.com

CHICAGO – January 4, 2012 –Riddell announced today it will be the first manufacturer to provide users with an easy-to-read, initial season of use/maximum life label. The label will be affixed to the exterior of its helmets as part of Riddell’s commitment to designing and manufacturing football helmets and equipment to provide athletes with the highest level of protection possible.

The initial season of use/maximum life label clearly shows a helmet’s year of manufacture, as well as its maximum lifespan, so athletes, coaches and parents can easily determine when to replace their equipment. A new policy from the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association (NAERA) states any football helmet 10 years and older will no longer be eligible for reconditioning and recertification. This new label will be affixed to the back of every new Riddell helmet and any helmet reconditioned at a Riddell facility.

“It is important for schools to know the age of their helmets and recondition them each year to best protect athletes,” said Dan Arment, president of Riddell Sports. “Our new system helps coaches and parents easily determine the age of a player’s helmet.”

This initiative is supported by Chairman Inez Tenenbaum of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which works to improve the safety of thousands of consumer products under its jurisdiction.

“I applaud Riddell for stepping forward and empowering parents, players, and coaches with information that could prevent injuries on the football field,” said CPSC Chairman Tenenbaum. “I am also very encouraged that other helmet manufacturers have responded to my call that this become an industry standard, as quickly as possible. Every parent, player, and coach should be able to look at the back of any helmet and instantly know whether that helmet might still be eligible for use.”

The initial season of use/maximum life label is now in effect for the upcoming 2012 football season for all new Riddell helmets and reconditioned helmets. For more information, visit www.riddell.com.

ABOUT RIDDELL
Founded in 1929, Riddell is a premier designer and developer of protective sports equipment and a recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation. One of Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.’s most well-known brands and the Official Helmet of the NFL®, Riddell is the leading manufacturer of football helmets, shoulder pads and reconditioning services (cleaning, repairing, repainting and recertifying existing equipment).

ABOUT EASTON-BELL SPORTS, INC.
Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell, Giro, Riddell and Blackburn. Its products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, the company has 31 facilities worldwide. More information is available at www.eastonbellsports.com.

CHICAGO – Dec. 12, 2011 – Riddell, the official helmet of the National Football League®, and the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) announced today an exclusive partnership to provide educational programs for athletic administrators. This partnership works to raise awareness of innovative equipment, technology and services among coaches and parents and furthers the organizations’ joint commitment to protecting football players at every level.

The NIAAA, an independent non-profit organization based in Indianapolis, promotes positive working relationships with state athletic administrators and state and national athletic associations. As a strategic partner of the NIAAA and recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation, Riddell will ensure that certified athletic administrators and athletic programs across the U.S. stay informed on the most important issues affecting athlete protection on the field.

“The NIAAA is a terrific organizational fit for Riddell. We share many of the same goals with its dedicated members such as our focus on improving junior high and high school athletic programs,” said Dan Arment, president of Riddell Sports. “This partnership will have a direct positive impact for players and parents and represents a further extension of our commitment to football programs nationwide.”

Riddell, whose equipment is worn by players at all levels, will be woven into the NIAAA’s 12-month calendar of national events and initiatives. Riddell will provide educational opportunities for athletic administrators and directors on key issues such as proper helmet fitting, return-to-play counsel, helmet reconditioning and recertification services, safety standards and procedures, and emerging technologies.

“The NIAAA is excited to have football’s most respected protective sports equipment company as a partner,” said Bruce Whitehead, executive director of the NIAAA. “Our partnership with Riddell will help support the vital role of interscholastic athletics in the educational system, demonstrating how essential on-field leadership, sportsmanship and player safety is to students’ football experience.”

Riddell will offer the NIAAA its industry-leading protective technologies in the form of helmets and shoulder pads as well as comprehensive tutorials and educational resources for athletic administrators, coaches, parents and players throughout the year.

For more information about Riddell Sports, visit riddell.com. For more information about the National
Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, visit niaaa.org.

About Riddell
Founded in 1929, Riddell is a premier designer and developer of protective sports equipment and a recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation. One of Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.’s most well-known brands and the Official Helmet of the NFL®, Riddell is the leading manufacturer of football helmets, shoulder pads and reconditioning services (cleaning, repairing, repainting and recertifying existing equipment).

About Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.
Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell, Giro, Riddell and Blackburn. Its products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, the company has 31 facilities worldwide. More information is available at www.eastonbellsports.com.

About the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association
The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Associatio preserves, enhances and promotes the educational values of interscholastic athletics through the professional development of its members in the areas of education, leadership, and service. The NIAAA’s commitment to leadership programs, resources and services support the athletic administrator’s efforts in providing quality athletic participation opportunities for students. The NIAAA promotes a positive working relationship with state athletic administrator and State and national athletic/activity associations in addition to developing strategic alliances with other education based agencies.

Rosemont, Ill. — October 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Riddell, the official helmet of the National Football League®, is taking an in-season time out to educate coaches, players and parents about how to properly inspect helmets and shoulder pads. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, football is the most popular sport for high school boys with more than a million participants.

Click here to view the complete Multimedia News Release.

USA Football’s National Youth Football Kickoff is part of the NFL’s Back to Football campaign. Coinciding with the NFL’s Kickoff Weekend, youth teams on more than 2,000 fields will begin their Sept. 10 games with a special red, white and blue commemorative football provided by USA Football without cost, celebrating the season’s return.

Leagues will upload photos and messages from their Saturday games on Facebook and Twitter to be shared with the entire youth football community. All social network messages and a list of participating leagues are found at www.usafootball.com/kickoff.

USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and each of its 32 teams.

Approximately 3 million children age 6-14 play youth football, placing it among the country’s most popular youth sports.

“For millions of Americans, regardless of our age, the return of football at all levels unites us in an exciting way,” said USA Football Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK. “That’s what Saturday is about – celebrating the kids, families and volunteers whose dedication powers this sport and uniting us through fun social networking.”

Based in Indianapolis, USA Football is the sport’s national governing body in the United States. Sixty-two (62) countries spanning six continents possess national federations of sport dedicated solely to football.

About USA Football
USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in the United States, inspires participation, and ensures a positive experience for all youth, high school, and other amateur players. The independent nonprofit hosts more than 80 football training events annually for coaches, players and youth football league commissioners. USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams and manages U.S. national teams for international competition. Endowed by the NFL and NFL Players Association in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football distributes $1 million annually in equipment grants and offers youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Former NFL team executive Carl Peterson is USA Football’s chairman.

CHICAGO – August 1, 2011 – Riddell and the Chicago Bears today announced that the Bears will be the first organization in the National Football League (NFL®) to offer its players Riddell’s new RipKord shoulder pad technology as part of the Bears’ standard equipment package during the 2011 season.
Riddell’s RipKord™ Shoulder Pad, introduced in June, 2011 at the National Athletic Trainer’s Association’s (NATA) 62nd Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposia, is an emergency management technology that is incorporated into the Riddell CPX (Custom Power Extreme) shoulder pads. The new shoulder pad removal system provides more efficient and immediate access to an athlete’s chest and airway in the event of a suspected head, spine or chest injury. The RipKord Shoulder Pad allows athletic trainers and medical professionals to treat severe injuries during the crucial window of time.
“The removal of the shoulder pads and helmet continues to be a critical aspect of treating severe head, neck and chest injuries,” said Tim Bream, Head Athletic Trainer for the Chicago Bears. “Riddell’s RipKord Shoulder pads will not only serve our players better, but also are a key development which will be used by youth athletes across the country giving medical personnel the ability for improved care.”
RipKord was invented by Mike Kordecki, a Physical Therapist and Certified Athletic Trainer who worked Chicago Bears training camps in the 1980s and 90s, after seeing that it took six to 10 individuals to lift a player off a spinal board before they could remove equipment for treatment or evaluation procedures. The removal of shoulder pads with RipKord can now be accomplished by two trained professionals without removing the player from a spinal board. By pulling a single cord, shoulder pads outfitted with RipKord can be quickly and easily removed by two trained professionals without elevating a player.

“Riddell has a history of maintaining the highest levels of protection in its football equipment,” said Dan Arment, President of Riddell Sports. “We were thrilled with the Bears interest in this new technology from its earliest stages through refinement and development of the product. The Bears are leading by example and our goal is that other NFL teams will follow suit.”
For more information on Riddell RipKord visit www.riddell.com/innovation/ripkord.

ABOUT RIDDELL
Founded in 1929, Riddell is a premier designer and developer of protective sports equipment and a recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation. One of Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.’s most well-known brands and the Official Helmet of the NFL®, Riddell is the leading manufacturer of football helmets, shoulder pads and reconditioning services (cleaning, repairing, repainting and recertifying existing equipment).

ABOUT EASTON-BELL SPORTS, INC.
Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell, Giro, Riddell, and Blackburn. Easton-Bell Sports’ products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, Calif., the company has 30 facilities worldwide.

ABOUT CHICAGO BEARS
One of the founding franchises of the National Football League, the Chicago Bears were originally established in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys by legendary player, coach and owner, George Halas. The team moved to Chicago in 1921 and has gone on to win the most games in league history along with nine championships. The Bears 27 Hall of Famers is the most of any team in the NFL. In the community, the Bears strive to be leaders throughout Chicago and its suburbs by supporting initiatives focused on Education, Health and Fitness, Youth Football, and Volunteerism and Civic Involvement.

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Contact:
Christie Burgner Shein
MSLGROUP
(312) 861-5237
christie.shein@mslgroup.com

Scott Hagel
Sr. Dir. Corporate Communications
Chicago Bears
(847) 739-5220
Scott.Hagel@bears.nfl.net

Rosemont, Ill. – June 20, 2011 – Riddell® today unveiled a new shoulder pad technology that could significantly improve the way in which spine and head injuries can be treated on the football field. The Riddell RipKord™ is being featured at the National Athletic Trainer’s Association (NATA) 62nd Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposia this week in New Orleans. RipKord™ will be offered in Riddell CPX (Custom Power Extreme) shoulder pads this season and will soon be available to players at all levels of football.
“Riddell has a history of maintaining the highest levels of protection in its football equipment,” said Dan Arment, Riddell President. “RipKord’s emergency management technology allows athletic trainers and medical professionals to treat severe injuries during a critical window of time by allowing immediate access to the chest and airways.”
Removal of the shoulder pads and helmet continues to be challenging when treating injuries. Doctors and athletic trainers are often hindered in their efforts to access the injury for x-rays and MRIs or when placing a cervical collar on an injured player.
When dealing with apparent spinal injuries, the removal of shoulder pads with RipKord™ can be accomplished by no more than two trained professionals without removing the player from a spinal board. Current procedures require six to 10 individuals to lift a player off a spinal board even before they can remove equipment for treatment or evaluation procedures. By pulling a single cord, shoulder pads outfitted with RipKord™ can be quickly and easily removed by two trained professionals without elevating a player.
“The RipKord system is designed to provide a number of distinct advantages to athletic trainers and medical professionals when treating players on the field who have encountered head and spinal injuries,” said Mike Kordecki, former Physical Therapist and Certified Athletic Trainer for the Chicago Bears and inventor of RipKord™. “This new shoulder pad removal system allows improved access to an athlete’s chest and airway in the event of a suspected head or neck injury. We believe that shoulder pads manufactured with RipKord™ can significantly improve the ability to evaluate and treat severe injuries during the critical window of time.”
For more information on Riddell RipKord™ visit www.riddell.com/innovation/ripkord.

ABOUT RIDDELL
Founded in 1929, Riddell is a premier designer and developer of protective sports equipment and a recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation. One of Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.’s most well-known brands and the Official Helmet of the NFL®, Riddell is the leading manufacturer of football helmets, shoulder pads and reconditioning services (cleaning, repairing, repainting and recertifying existing equipment).

ABOUT EASTON-BELL SPORTS, INC.
Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell, Giro, Riddell, and Blackburn. Easton-Bell Sports’ products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, Calif., the company has 30 facilities worldwide.

ABOUT MICHAEL KORDECKI, D.P.T., S.C.S., A.T.C.
Michael Kordecki served as Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer for the Chicago Bears for nine seasons. Today, he works with dozens of younger players from the high school and collegiate ranks, helping shape their futures through thoughtful and progressive rehabilitation techniques. Through his clinic, Praxis Physical Therapy and Human Performance, hundreds of patients have come to depend on his experienced analysis, straightforward counsel, and motivational guidance to successfully complete their courses of therapy or improve skills through his customized human performance programs. He holds a Doctorate of Physical Therapy, from Finch University, The Chicago Medical School and is Board Certified as a Clinical Sports Medicine Specialist by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). He is also a Certified Athletic Trainer and member of APTA and NATA (National Athletic Trainers Association).

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Contact:
Christie Burgner Shein
MSL Group
(312) 861-5237
pr@riddellsports.com

“This is a continuation of our practice of encouraging football programs to transition to the most protective helmets available,” said Dan Arment, President, Riddell. “We are very pleased that our work to educate coaches, certified athletic trainers and parents since 2002 has led to the large majority of our customers transitioning their players to the Riddell Revolution® family. We remain committed to using the latest research and technologies to design football helmets with features that lessen the forces from impacts and help reduce the incidence of concussion.”

To take advantage of this trade-in program, please contact your Riddell sales representative at 1-800-275-5338.

ABOUT RIDDELL
Founded in 1929, Riddell is a premier designer and developer of protective sports equipment and a recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation. One of Easton-Bell Sports, Inc.’s most well-known brands and the Official Helmet of the NFL®, Riddell is the leading manufacturer of football helmets, shoulder pads and reconditioning services (cleaning, repairing, repainting and recertifying existing equipment).

ABOUT EASTON-BELL SPORTS, INC.
Easton-Bell Sports, Inc. is a leading designer, developer and marketer of branded sports equipment, protective products and related accessories. The company markets and licenses products under such well-known brands as Easton, Bell,Giro, Riddell, and Blackburn. Easton-Bell Sports’ products incorporate leading technology and designs and are used by professional athletes and enthusiasts alike. Headquartered in Van Nuys, Calif., the company has 30 facilities worldwide.

Download entire press release

Contact:
Christie Burgner Shein
MSLGROUP
(312) 861-5237
christie.shein@mslgroup.com