Armour

Orb's path to the finish line in the second leg of the Triple Crown remains uncrowded. Normandy Invasion, the fourth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, dropped from contention for Saturday's 138th running of the Preakness on Sunday. Trainer Chad Brown and owner Rick Porter decided to stick with their original plan and point the horse toward prestigous races for 3-year-olds later in the summer. That leaves Orb, the colt co-owned by Baltimore County resident Stuart Janney III and Ogden Mills "Dinny" Pipps' stable, with only seven confirmed challengers at this point.

I was filled with admiration after reading about Kevin Plank's dedication to staying in his home state of Maryland ("Under Armour founder Kevin Plank sees himself as the underdog," May 9). I have no doubt that he will achieve his goal of growing Under Armour into a Fortune 500 company. Minutes later, I read Constance Kihm's letter bidding farewell to Maryland because of the laws passed by our (democratically elected) leaders ("Farewell, my Maryland, farewell to taxes, farewell to extreme liberalism," May 10)

Baltimore-based Under Armour hosted a press event in New York City Tuesday to introduce what the company has dubbed "its biggest ever global marketing campaign. " While the new "I Will" campaign recalls the old "Will you protect this house?" commercial that first helped the company become popular -- the respondents always answered "I will!" -- the new spot released Tuesday focuses on an area that has become increasingly important: high-end technology and innovation. Let's just say that the commercial ends with a woman adjusting the composition and color of her clothing by using a touch screen built into her sleeve.

By now you've surely seen the video, below, of Tom Brady getting super, duper excited about Orb winning the Kentucky Derby. In it, he runs over to congratulate Ogden Phipps II, son of co-owner Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps. I'm not sure how they know each other. Maybe Brady just really revels in the good fortune of other fantastically rich people. Also, he apparently bet $4,700 on the colt and won $25,000 . (In some versions of the video you can see the other co-owner, Maryland resident Stuart Janney, roam through the shot in a tan rain coat and Orb hat, looking for all the world like maybe he'd mistakenly arrived in that place at that time.

Bob Baffert strode into the Preakness stakes barn Friday morning, shouting toward Orb's trainer Shug McGaughey loud enough so all could hear. "OK, Shug, I'm here to take away that media spotlight for you," he said. Baffert, indeed, is one of the few people in the sport who could have swiped some of the attention from McGaughey and his heavily favored colt this week . Baffert has won the Preakness five times, and on three occasions he's moved on to Belmont with a chance at the Triple Crown.

Baltimore-based apparel manufacturer Under Armour announced fourth-quarter profits of $506 million, representing a 25 percent increase from the same period in 2011. The company also announced its full-year revenues of $1.835 billion represented a 25 percent increase, year over year. "We closed 2012 strongly, delivering net revenue growth of at least 20% for the eleventh consecutive quarter in Q4 by building upon key apparel technology platforms like Storm Fleece and Charged Cotton," Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank said in a statement.

Under Armour's multimillion-dollar bid to gain a toehold in the broader athletic shoe market began over the weekend with the launch of its new cross trainer, but it could take weeks until the Baltimore company knows whether it has a winner. Preliminary reports indicate that the new shoe didn't break any sales records, but some say it didn't do badly either. One analyst said sales exceeded generally low expectations, while another said the new shoe landed in stores with subdued fanfare.

The story of Kevin Plank and his company, Under Armour Performance Apparel, has so far been a feel-good tale: The former University of Maryland fullback comes up with a new kind of athletic clothing that sweeps the nation and lands him contracts with everyone from the National Hockey League to the United States Ski Team and makes his product a must-have among the Little League set. But now comes the part in the story where the battle really begins....

Under Armour, a company that angles to outfit the country's most prominent sports stars, has managed to get in on one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year -- "The Dark Knight Rises. " The Baltimore sportswear maker has declared itself the "official outfitter" of the movie's football team, the Gotham Rogues. Under Armour made the team's uniforms featured in the movie. And they're making the fanwear that people can buy. There are jerseys, jackets and hats, all in the team colors that look suspiciously similar to a certain team from Pittsburgh.

Thomas M. Armour, a retired claims examiner for the Social Security Administration, died Friday after a heart attack while attending the races at Pimlico. He was 69 and lived on Forest Glen Road.He is survived by his wife, the former Clara Wall; a son, Leon Armour of Fairfax, Va.; a daughter, Dr. Karen M. Armour of Baltimore; five sisters, Pearl Satterfield of Bowling Green, Ky., Doris Sampson of Milwaukee, and Ida Gamble, Vernia Martin and Judy Wilkes, all of Indianapolis; a brother, Morris Armour of Indianapolis; and a grandson.

Sports apparel maker Under Armour is launching its third "What's Beautiful" online fitness competition for women, the company said Wednesday. Women compete by setting fitness goals and chronicling the journey in an online forum. Under Armour will select the three most inspirational women, who will win all-expenses-paid fitness retreats to Costa Rica. The competition will be hosted through a mobile app and a microsite  where women can share videos, photos and diary entries and view content featuring Under Armour athletes and professional trainers.

Under Armour plans to hire hundreds of workers at its Locust Point headquarters this year, expand facilities on its campus and bring its brand of sports apparel and footwear to new markets in the U.S. and around the world. CEO Kevin Plank outlined the goals Tuesday while promising shareholders more of the rapid growth that has defined the $1.8 billion company in recent years. During an annual meeting in which Under Armour pitchman and record-setting Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps made a surprise appearance, Plank said the company is just beginning to make inroads in areas such as athletic footwear, women's sports apparel and international markets, with room to grow.

When Heat Press last ran in Maryland, he finished third in a three-horse race. Yet his owner - the same man who managed to turn the idea of quick-drying fabric into an athletic apparel empire that brought in nearly $2 billion in revenue last year - spent much of Monday touting the horse's chances against the best 3-year-olds in the country. Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank has never been one to pay the odds much mind. On Monday, he bounced from interview to interview, assuring each camera and recorder of his faith in the inconsistent colt.

Under Armour launched a new marketing plan earlier this year, touting its up-and-coming athletes and most innovative products in an intense but short burst they called “a brand holiday.” It appears to have paid off. The Baltimore-based athletic apparel maker delivered better than expected financial results for the three months ended March 31. Under Armour's income of 7 cents per share income topped analysts' consensus estimates of 3...

The tryout dates for the 2013 Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic underclass tournament have been set, Under Armour, Inc., and Corrigan Sports Enterprises, Inc., announced Wednesday. Players who will graduate in 2014, 2015 or 2016 are eligible to participate in the open tryouts, which will be held around the country in May and June. The Under Armour All-America Lacrosse Classic underclass tournament is scheduled for July 5-7 at Towson University, with boys and girls teams from 10 different regions -- Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Long Island, upstate New York, Midwest, New England, New Jersey, Philadelphia, South, and West.

California footwear maker Gravity Defyer Corp. accused Baltimore-based Under Armour of trademark infringement in a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court. The maker of shock-absorbing athletic, casual and dress shoes says in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court that Under Armour intentionally created a product with a name that sounds like its G Defy trademark. The lawsuit seeks to prevent further infringement. Under Armour representatives could not be immediately reached Monday afternoon.

Under Armour CEO and president Kevin Plank earned $1.53 million in total compensation last year, a 35 percent jump over 2011, the Baltimore-based sports apparel company reported Tuesday. Plank, the company's founder and chairman of the board, had a base salary of $26,000 - unchanged from 2011, according to a proxy statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. But Plank earned $1.5 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation, up from $1.1 million in incentive plan earnings in 2011, the company said.

While trying to assemble the best team possible to renew the Big 33 Football Classic rivalry with Pennsylvania this summer, the Maryland Big 33 coaches have run into a few more challenges than anticipated. Enough skill position players turned out, but not enough linemen, when Big 33 officials invited 139 players to a tryout combine at the Ravens' Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills on Feb. 9. Gilman coach Biff Poggi, who will coach Maryland in the Big 33, and his assistants hope to remedy that by having more linemen attend the final tryout on March 9 in Crofton.