Dallas Cowboys' Felix Jones Secures Number-One Spot on September Rising Sports Stars Ranking

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The lockout may have worked to Felix Jones' advantage- lighter, faster and stronger, the first-year Dallas Cowboys running back has put on quite the pre-season show.  Recording 15 carries and 99 yards in the first three pre-season games, Jones has earned the respect of teammates and coaches.  Jones' buzz doesn't stop on the field; he has also quickly become a top fantasy football pick.  Fans will be watching closely as the Cowboys take on Miami tonight in their final pre-season game then go head-to-head against the Vikings for their season opener.

Hurricane Irene was no match for tennis pro, John Isner, who battled 25-30 mph wind gusts to bring home the Winston-Salem Open trophy.  With 19 aces, the fastest recorded at 139 mph; Isner secured his second tournament win for the year which landed him the second spot on the Rising Sports Star list.  

Number three on the Sports Rising Stars list is Boston Red Sox pitcher Andrew Miller, who has allowed just one run and six hits in his last two starts and recently completed his best outing this season when he threw more than six innings of three-hit shutout baseball.  Danica Patrick earns the fourth spot on the list after she announced she will be leaving IndyCar racing in 2012 to compete full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide series.  The full list of Rising Sports Stars and additional details are available at: www.brandaffinity.net/RisingStars/September2011.

"These stars represent fresh, high-performing talent for marketers looking to capitalize on the incredible passion that consumers have for their favorite sports stars," said Ryan Steelberg, CEO of Brand Affinity Technologies, which calculates the monthly Rising Stars ranking. "Many of the pros on this list are underutilized as advertising partners and are poised to deliver strong return via online and social as well as more traditional campaigns. Time and again, we've seen brands that move quickly to sign rising talent come out ahead as breakout stars become top performers."  

Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT) calculates daily consumer affinity based on a proprietary combination of media exposure, performance, awards, popularity, engagement, and fan base, among other indicators, for more than 45,000 athletes and celebrities.  The list identifies sports stars with the greatest leap in popularity over the prior 30 days. A meteoric rise may indicate a standout on-the-field performance, off-the-field achievement, or emergence from utility player to celebrity.  

September Rising Sports Stars

(Details at: www.brandaffinity.net/RisingStars/September2011)

Rising Sports Stars lists go live at the start of each month; subscribe to BAT's Twitter feed at @BAT to learn when new lists are posted.

About Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc.  (BAT)

Founded in 2007, BAT (http://brandaffinity.net) unlocks the marketing power of celebrity through research, endorsements, and interactive experiences. Advertisers such as AT&T, Comcast, IHG, Intuit, Ford, Samsung and Sony use BAT's Endorsement Platform, which provides daily analysis of more than 45,000 celebrities and athletes, along with the ability to identify, license, and activate talent for cross-media advertising campaigns.  BAT has exclusive representation agreements with more than 4,000 athletes and celebrities. BAT also leverages its research and technology engine to engage consumers directly through Fantapper (www.fantapper.com), which brings interactive apps to celebrity content across the web. Connect with BAT on Twitter:@BAT and Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrandAffinityTech.

SOURCE Brand Affinity Technologies

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