In the world of professional sports, the National Football League blitzes the competition. The organization oversees America's most popular spectator sport, acting as a trade association for 32 franchise owners. Among the league's functions, the NFL governs and promotes the game of football, sets and enforces rules, and regulates team ownership. It generates revenue mostly through marketing sponsorships, licensing merchandise, and by selling national broadcasting rights to the games. The teams operate as separate businesses but share a percentage of the league's overall revenue. Founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, the league has been known as the NFL since 1922.In the world of professional sports, the National Football League blitzes the competition. The organization oversees America's most popular spectator sport, acting as a trade association for 32 franchise owners. Among the league's functions, the NFL governs and promotes the game of football, sets and enforces rules, and regulates team ownership. It generates revenue mostly through marketing sponsorships, licensing merchandise, and by selling national broadcasting rights to the games. The teams operate as separate businesses but share a percentage of the league's overall revenue. Founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, the league has been known as the NFL since 1922.

De Vere Group (formerly Greenalls Group) is finally getting around to flattening some of the very beer bellies it created. The hotel operator (and erstwhile pub owner) operates the De Vere Collection, which includes a hotel portfolio of about 12 upscale properties throughout the UK, some of which offer not-so-ordinary leisure activities such as hot air ballooning, clay pigeon shooting, and paintballing. De Vere Group company also offers seasonal and fractional ownership of its Collection hotels, as well as lodge rentals. Its De Vere Venues offers about 30 spaces for training, meeting, and conference needs. De Vere's remaining spirits operation, G&J Greenall, makes vodka and gin.

Noble Investment Group was founded in 1979 by former chairman Dr. Bharat Shah. (Shah retired in 2005.) Noble Investment Group holds its head high when walking through a hotel lobby. Noble Investment Group company owns or manages more than 30 upscale hotels under the Starwood, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott brands. Another sector of the Noble operation is its development arm, Noble Development Group, which develops hotels, convention centers, conference centers, and resorts; it also acquires existing hotel properties. In addition, the firm manages several golf courses and restaurants.

The Houston Astros Baseball Club joined Major League Baseball in 1962 as the Colt .45s of the National League (it was renamed in 1965) but have yet to win a World Series championship. The team has been a perennial playoff contender, however, and earned its first pennant in 2005. (Houston lost the World Series that year to the Chicago White Sox, however.) The Astros play host at Minute Maid Park. The team is owned by local businessman Drayton McLane, who's family built a fortune through wholesale food supplier McLane Company.

Guoman Hotels (formerly Thistle Hotels Limited) is trying to stick it to the competition with its chain of UK hotels. Guoman Hotels company operates more than 30 hotel properties in the UK under the Guoman and Thistle brands, and is one of the largest hotel operators in London. Targeting both business and leisure travelers, its full-service, four-star hotels feature such amenities as fax, modem, and PC hookups, as well as restaurants, conference rooms, and lounges. Properties include the Thistle Marble Arch, Thistle Piccadilly, Thistle Bloomsbury, Thistle Hyde Park, and One Whitehall Place.

CMR is a giant in the Mexican restaurant world. Focused on casual dining, CMR operates more than 100 restaurants located throughout Mexico (but primarily located in large metropolitan areas). Although it does have its share of restaurants offering authentic Mexican dishes, CMR's food and restaurant concepts transcend the taco shack cliche. The company bar and restaurant brands include Wings, Fonda Mexicana, La Desitileria, and Cocina y Pan as well as a single high end restaurant called El lago. The company also operates about 30 Chili's locations franchised from Brinker International. Founder Don Joaquin Vargas Gomez and his family control 70% of CMR.

Flat Out Crazy was formed in 2009 as the holding company for two Asian concept restaurants based in Chicago: Flat Top Grill and Stir Crazy. Customers at Flat Top Grills combine their own vegetable, protein, and sauces for a customized stir-fry dish, while Stir Crazy's full menu includes traditional Asian-inspired fare including Vietnamese sandwiches, Thai noodle bowls, and Chinese entrees including the requisite Kung Pao chicken and Mongolian beef. Both casual dining restaurants also offer a variety of drinks and desserts. Combined, the restaurants comprise approximately 30 locations in several states including Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, New York, and Wisconsin.

Our business is providing innovative, marketing driven hotel management services to investors, individual owners and lending institutions. We’re proud to be ranked among the largest independently owned, third party hotel management companies in the country with over 30 hotels and 8,000 guest rooms representing all major brands as well as independents. With over thirty years experience, our success comes from recruiting some of the country's most talented people in the hospitality industry. Our primary goal is to increase revenues through innovative marketing programs and maximizing Net Operating Incomes utilizing proven cost controls and providing unparalleled customer service.

Equinox Holdings (doing business as Equinox Fitness Clubs) hopes you go to the gym more than twice a year. The company owns and operates about 50 full-service, upscale fitness clubs in select US cities, about 30 of which are in New York City. Beyond the monthly membership fee, Equinox gyms earn revenue from its cafes, spa services, and on-site stores that sells sportswear. Equinox opened its first club in New York in 1991 and was originally owned by North Castle Partners. The company was bought by New York real estate developer Related for $505 million in 2006. Many of Related's new developments now have an Equinox Fitness Club in the building.

MLB oversees the game of professional baseball in North America that includes 30 franchises in 28 cities across the US and in Canada. The teams operate as a separate business but each is regulated and governed by MLB. The league sets official rules, regulates team ownership, and collects licensing fees for merchandise. It also sells national broadcasting rights and distributes fees to the teams. (Regional broadcast rights are held by each franchise.) MLB was formed when the rival National and American Leagues joined together in 1903.

Inviting Real Estate Agents, Job Placements Agents, Educational Institutes, Software Service Providers, Real Estate Builders, Marriage Bureaus, Travel Agents, Restaurant Owners, Health & Fitness Centers and other Local Businesses to Post a FREE Classified Advertisement on Cootera.com Classifieds Website.