The Detroit Lions is one of the older franchises in the National Football League, being founded in 1930 as the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans. The team moved to Detroit and changed its name in 1934 and went on to win four championship titles, its last in 1957. More recently, however, Detroit fans have been disappointed most seasons by losing records and failed attempts to reach the post-season. The team plays host at Detroit's Ford Field. William Clay Ford Sr., descendant of automobile pioneer Henry Ford, has controlled the Lions since 1964.

AlacraStore.com is an e-commerce website offering consumers access to select reports from a host of premium databases. Searching AlacraStore.com is free. You register to purchase and download reports with a credit card. Types of business information available include company fundamentals and financials, credit research, earnings estimates, economic data, filings, market and investment research and news. Company coverage includes more than 50,000 global public companies, 20,000 private issuers of public debt and 350,000 global private companies with more than $20 million in revenue or 200 employees. Searches can be performed by keyword, company name, ticker symbol, publisher, or industry criteria. AlacraStore.com is a service of Alacra, Inc. Alacra is a leading global provider of business and financial information and solutions. A privately held company founded in 1996, Alacra is headquartered in New York City. The company provides a diverse portfolio of authoritative databases along with proprietary solutions that enable clients to quickly find, analyze, package and present mission-critical business information. Alacra customers include more than 700 leading financial institutions, professional service firms, consulting, law and accounting firms and other corporations throughout the world.

Fitness Formula thinks it has the formula for a healthy, long life. The company owns and operates seven upscale health and fitness clubs in the Chicago area. Most locations include fitness classes (yoga, Pilates, aerobics, spinning, water aerobics), specialized training for marathons and triathlons, rock climbing walls, and all the usual machines, weights, and toned bodies. The company also operates two private clubs mostly used as corporate health facilities which include sauna and spa facilities. Fitness Formula was founded in 1984 by president and CEO Gale Landers.

Hibernian might be the Roman term for Ireland, but the soccer club competes in the Scottish Premier League. The team, along with city rivals "The Hearts" (nickname for Heart of Midlothian F.C.), represents Edinburgh in the league. Founded in 1875 by members of the St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, "Hibs" (or "Hibees," as they're affectionately known) was the first British team to enter European competition in 1955. Hibs has won the Scottish League nearly a half dozen times, along with several Scottish Cup titles. The team's colors are green and white.

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe certainly doesn't lack ingenuity. The Native American tribe owns and operates Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley on the Mille Lacs Reservation in rural east central Minnesota. The casinos offer bingo, blackjack, poker, slot machines, and table games. The resorts also have restaurants, an amphitheater, an events and convention center, an RV park, a golf course, and various retail operations. Nearby Lake Mille Lacs offers fishing, hiking, and snowmobile rentals. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe belongs to one of six groups making up the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

Carlson Hotels Worldwide has a little R&R on its mind. One of the world's leading hotel franchisors, Carlson operates five lodging chains with more than 1,000 properties in more than 70 countries, including the upscale Radisson Hotel brand. The Radisson chain offers upscale amenities at more than 400 locations in about 70 countries. Carlson also owns the mid-market Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts chain, as well as the Park Inn economy brand. In addition, its Country Inn & Suites chain provides extended-stay service at more than 480 locations. And with a 42% stake, Carlson is the largest shareholder in The Rezidor Hotel Group. Carlson Hotels is a division of leisure conglomerate Carlson Companies.

Gotham's other professional hockey team, the New York Islanders entered the National Hockey League in 1972 and dominated the league in the early 1980s: The franchise won four consecutive Stanley Cup titles until its streak was ended in 1984 by the Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers. Playing host at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, the team's roster has featured such greats as Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies, and Pat LaFontaine. Former CA executive Charles Wang has owned the Islanders franchise and its home arena since 2000.

Florida Gaming Corporation engages in the ownership and operation of two jai-alai frontons and inter-track pari-mutuel wagering facilities in Florida. Florida Gaming Corp. operations primarily comprise card rooms, live jai-alai performances, inter-track pari-mutuel wagering on jai-alai, horse and dog racing, and the sale of food and alcoholic beverages. The Fort Pierce location provides inter-track wagering on interstate simulcasting of horse and dog racing, and jai-alai from various tracks and frontons in the United States. The jai-alai games are played live and simulcast from the Miami facility via satellite to 62 pari-mutuel wagering locations in Florida, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, as well as in Mexico, Central America, and Austria.

Trans Inns Management is one of the nation's leading independent full and select service hospitality management companies. Trans Inns currently owns and/or operates 23 properties in 13 states across the US under a number of premier brands. Trans Inns Management re focused on adding value and believe in an approach that balances guest satisfaction, revenue optimization, and operating efficiency.For 25 years, Trans Inns has successfully navigated multiple business cycles. A dedicated and experienced management team, extensive network of resources, and the ability to act and adapt quickly as markets evolve allow us to consistently deliver superior property and asset management while creating value for investors and owners.

Ripley Entertainment believes in weirdness. Ripley Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of Canadian conglomerate Jim Pattison, publishes the "Ripley's Believe It or Not!" oddities comic strip that appears in about 200 newspapers in more than 40 countries, and licenses its name for toys and games, as well as a Paramount Pictures-produced movie based on the life of the company's founder. It also owns about 60 other entertainment attractions -- including Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums (called odditoriums), Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum, aquariums, 3-D simulation theaters, haunted house adventure parks, miniature golf courses, and sightseeing trains. The brand was created by cartoonist Robert L. Ripley in 1918.

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.