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Dick's Sporting Goods Teams Up With MLS for Kids' Shopping Events

"The announcement of our alliance with Major League Soccer earlier this year was an illustration of the commitment Dick's Sporting Goods has made to the sport of soccer inthe United States," said Jeffrey R. Hennion, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Dick's Sporting Goods. "However, just as important to our company is our commitment to the communities in which we do business so we are extremely proud to be hosting these shopping events with MLS and its teams."

"Major League Soccer, our clubs and our players, have always felt that we serve our communities and have identified kids as our main focus. Whether that is through local clinics, hospital visits or other initiatives, we and our players feel a need to give back," said Kathy Carter, Executive Vice President of Soccer United Marketing, MLS' marketing arm. "Dick's Sporting Goods shares our mission of giving back to the community and we are excited that our players, from all over the country, will be participating in this event."

The events will take place in select Dick's Sporting Goods stores in each of the teams' home markets and are part of the company's official sponsorship of Major League Soccer. The participating children will be representing local youth charity organizations selected in combination by the teams and Dick's Sporting Goods Community Marketing Team.

About Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc.

Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. is an authentic full-line sporting goods retailer offering a broad assortment of brand name sporting goods equipment, apparel, and footwear in a specialty store environment. As of August 2, 2008, the Company operated 357 Dick's Sporting Goods stores in 38 states primarily throughout the eastern half of the U.S. The Company also owns Golf Galaxy, Inc., a multi-channel golf specialty retailer, with 84 stores in 30 states, ecommerce websites and catalog operations and Chick's Sporting Goods, Inc., which operates 15 specialty sporting goods stores inSouthern California.

About Soccer United Marketing

Founded in 2002, Soccer United Marketing (SUM) is the preeminent soccer business company inNorth America. SUM holds the exclusive rights to the most important soccer properties in the region, including: all commercial rights to Major League Soccer; the United States Soccer Federation; promotional and marketing rights to Mexican National Team games played inthe United States; the marketing and promotion of the CONCACAF Gold Cup(TM), and marketing, promotional and broadcast rights to the prestigious eight-team Mexican club tournament -- InterLiga(TM). SUM also manages promotional and marketing rights inthe United States forMexico's most popular sports team, Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas).

In addition, SUM created SuperLiga, the innovative professional tournament between MLS andMexico's First Division clubs that debuted in 2007. SUM's newest addition to its portfolio is the Pan-Pacific Championship 2008, a new international soccer tournament that crowns the top club from the Pan Pacific region. These global properties are represented by SUM's slogan: One Sport. One Company.(TM) For more information, please visit http://www.SUMworld.com

    CONTACT:  Jeffrey R. Hennion
              Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
              Dick's Sporting Goods
              724.273.3400

SOURCE Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc.