The company landed a merchandising license for the coming Summer Olympics in Seoul. Then, luck came into play when Major League Baseball, stung by controversy that followed Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis's negative comments about blacks on a television program, increased its efforts to do business with minority-owned companies. Major League Baseball and the NFL, which was also under scrutiny regarding racial issues at the time, each awarded licenses to Drew Pearson Cos. in 1987. The business grew from there. Pearson has entered into about 40 licensing agreements with sports leagues, movie studios and other entities, giving it the right to sell headwear with the sponsors' logos.
Wood is a writer in Nashville.
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