PSA/DNA Authentication Services will be on hand to provide certification of autographs when 50 of the world’s most famous athletes and Poker Pros meet with fans at the first PokerNews Sports Legends Challenge. The four-day sports fantasy and gaming experience presented by AbsolutePoker.net will take place at Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas, September 14 – 17, 2009.
PSA Certified Authenticators will be there to issue Certificates of Authenticity and “tag” autographed items with patented, invisible-to-the-naked eye synthetic DNA-laced ink that can be verified with a specific laser frequency. PSA/DNA services will be available for both signed-in-the-presence autographs obtained on-site during the event as well as certification for genuine, previously-signed autographs.
Among the sports celebrities who will be participating in various events such as no limit Texas Hold ‘Em, blackjack, slots and golf tournaments will be:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Troy Aikman
Rick Barry
Jim Brown
Randy Couture
Mike Ditka
Julius “Dr. J” Erving
Tony Hawk
Bobby Hull
Reggie Jackson
Sugar Ray Leonard
Lennox Lewis
Chuck Liddell
Rocco Mediate
Mark Messier
Joe Namath
Kyle Petty
Richard Petty
Laffit Pincay
Brooks Robinson
Gale Sayers
Emmitt Smith
Ozzie Smith
Herschel Walker
Jerry West
Fuzzy Zoeller
Well-known, participating poker professionals include Johnny Chan, Annie Duke, Jamie Gold, Phil Hellmuth and Mike Sexton.
“The Sports Legends Challenge is honored to be affiliated with a company as distinguished as PSA/DNA Authentication Services. We believe this is the beginning of a fantastic long-term relationship between our two organizations. Avid sports fans and memorabilia collectors will be provided with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cross the line from spectator to competitor at the Sports Legends Challenge, and what could be ore fitting than an opportunity to authenticate the experience. This is truly a win-win opportunity for all involved,” said Bruce Bibbero, CEO and Founder of The Sports Legends Challenge.
“Signed-in-the-presence authentication by PSA is absolutely the best way to guarantee the authenticity and maximize the value of autographed memorabilia,” said PSA/DNA President Joe Orlando. “Together, the non-transferable, tamper-evident PSA/DNA label, the matching Certificate of Authenticity and the synthetic DNA used to permanently identify certified items provide ironclad security. The chances of replicating the synthetic DNA used by PSA/DNA are one in 33 trillion.”
The Sports Legends Challenge will offer up to $10 million in prize money, and the Sports Legends All-Star Poker challenge will be televised later by the FOX Sports Network.
Additional information about the event is available online at www.SportsLegendsChallenge.com or by calling the headquarters office in Atlanta, Georgia at (404) 869-5000.
PSA/DNA has authenticated game-used footballs for past ten Super Bowl games. The synthetic DNA-ink system also has been used by PSA/DNA to certify for future generations the bat used by Babe Ruth to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium in 1923; Barry Bonds’ 600th career home run baseball; Mark McGwire’s 70th and Sammy Sosa’s 66th home run baseballs in the 1998 season; Hank Aaron’s career 715th home run ball and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson’s famous “Black Betsy” baseball bat.
PSA/DNA Authentication Services is the world’s largest sports memorabilia certification company and is a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. of Santa Ana, California (NASDAQ: CLCT). For additional information, visit online at www.PSADNA.com or call (800) 325-1121.
