Nets Sign Stoli as "Official" Vodka

The Nets have signed up Stolichnaya as the team's spirits sponsor once they get to Brooklyn, in effect making it the team's official vodka, reports Darren Rovell of CNBC. Brett Yormark completed the deal while in Moscow last month.

You're surprised?

Under the deal, news of which Rovell broke on CNBC Thursday afternoon, the Nets will reap $2 million a year for five years from Stoli. In return, Stoli will have six branded bars in Barclays Center and signage, Yormark told CNBC.  Stoli's US distributor also tells Rovell that Mikhail Prokhorov may appear in the vodka's commercials but wouldn't be definitive.

One problem with that.

As you may have read, the Nets' Russian owner says he doesn't drink vodka ...never tasted it.  In fact, he told Forbes Russia the stereotype of the drunk Russian is one he intends to break.  So how to get around that unfortunate fact? If Prokhorov is indeed willing to push a spirit he doesn't drink, might we suggest this: Stoli shows Prokhorov sitting at a table surrounded by beautiful women, perhaps smoking a cigar. Then, while looking directly at the camera, he says, "I don't always drink vodka but when I do, I prefer Stolichnaya."

Works for us.

• From Russia With Sponsorship (Video) - Darren Rovell - CNBC
• Russian-owned Nets partner with Stoli vodka - AP
• Stolichnaya to Sponsor New Jersey Nets Brooklyn Arena in First Sports Deal - Nancy Kercheval - Bloomberg
• Nets In Spirit With Stoli - New York Sports Journalism
  
• Nets, Russian owner, now sponsored by Russian vodka - Kelly Dwyer - Ball Don't Lie
• Stolichnaya Vodka Signs Multi-Year Founding Partner Agreement With the Barclays Center and NETS Basketball - New Jersey Nets