NEW YORK – This morning, NBC's Today Show announced live from Torino that the Roots Team USA beret was voted the trendiest, must-have Olympic item at the 2006 Winter Games.  Standing outside in downtown Torino, host Katie Couric modeled the beret as she said that Roots won the Today Show’s online poll by a landslide, taking 58% of the votes. As she spoke on camera, dozens of smiling spectators behind her were also wearing the beret. Competing against the Roots beret was the Nike bobsled T-shirt and the “Heidi hat” ski hat. Nike came in second place with 22% of the votes.

NBC initiated the survey yesterday when the Today Show showed the various Olympic items on their program. Viewers were invited to vote online for what they thought would be the next hot article in Olympic apparel this year. More than 2,000 people took part in the poll through the NBC website. Voting continued until midnight last night when the final results were tabulated.

Today’s online victory follows the acclaim the Roots beret won earlier this week in Los Angeles from big names in the music business at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Roots Olympic apparel, hats and leather bags were available in the Talent Gift Lounge at the Grammys where stars congregated during the three days leading up to the Award Ceremony on Wednesday night.

Celebrity performers and presenters, including Grammy-winner Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Elvis Costello, James Taylor, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Billie Joe Armstrong (of Green Day), Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Will.i.am, Dr. John, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mary J. Blige, stopped by the Roots stand, many posing for photographers as they wore their new Roots beret. See images on www.roots.com/usa and www.wireimage.com (search under “Roots”).

At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Roots Team USA Beret was the must-have Olympic item, with Roots selling over a million of the berets.

For further information, contact:
Robert Sarner,
Director of Communication and Public Affairs
416-781-3574 ext 4280
E-mail : rsarner@roots.com

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