01/20/03 Making Driveway Hoops Safer for All Consumers Proven Safety Device Now Available for Use on Regulation Basketball Rims Back in the early 90s, basketball hoop manufacturers introduced adjustable backboards to the marketplace, allowing consumers to lower the height of the basket from 10 feet to as low as 7.5 feet. This innovation revolutionized driveway basketball, allowing kids to play around the rim like their favorite basketball stars. During this same time period, Huffy® Sports developed a basketball net release system called the Quick ClipTM, which allowed the net to pull away from the rim when a certain amount of force was applied. The successful launch of the Quick Clip led to its integration across all of the company's home basketball systems. Now, Huffy Sports is introducing a next generation net release system called the Smart Clip®. This product innovation uses the same technology as the Quick Clip but with one major difference. The Smart Clip works on all standard basketball rims currently sold on the market. "We felt it was important to develop a net release system that would work universally across all basketball rims," said Patrick Ehren, vice president of sales and marketing for Huffy Sports. "The Smart Clip incorporates the same technology we've been using for years on our own products. What's important is the technology can now be used on all types of basketball rims — not just Huffy Sports products." The Smart Clip is a small, polypropylene clip that inserts into a metal ram found on a basketball rim. (A ram is a curved piece of metal welded to the underside of a rim, which holds the net in place.) To install it, the user simply inserts the top of the clip into the metal ram. Once the top of the each Smart Clip is inserted into the 12 rams found on a rim, the user can then attach the net to the bottom of each clip. The entire installation process requires no tools and can be done in minutes. "The Smart Clip doesn't adversely impact the playability of a hoop and requires no maintenance once it's installed," Ehren said. "The only time a player will notice the Smart Clip is when they need it most — when it's important that the net releases quickly and easily." The Smart Clip now comes standard on all Huffy Sports branded basketball systems, including: portables, in-grounds, backboard/rim combination units and replacement rims. The Smart Clip will also be carried as an accessory at various retailers throughout the country for consumers interested in improving the safety of their existing basketball system. Huffy Sports Company is the world's leading manufacturer of home and institutional basketball systems. The company also offers a complete line of inflatable sports balls for sporting goods dealers and mass-market retailers. A division of Huffy Corporation (NYSE-HUF), the company manufactures and distributes three brands of basketball products: Huffy Sports, Sure Shot and Hydra-RIB. Each brand varies by price point and is marketed to a variety of end users. Huffy Sports Company products are available at mass-market retailers, sporting goods dealers and specialty stores throughout the world. For more information, please call 1-800-558-5234. For interview requests and/or product photography, please call Brian Meehan at (262) 789-7630, ext. 133, or e-mail to brianm@celticinc.com.