| | The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
4:00pm ET | |
| • | McCann-Erickson Lands Grand Slam MLB Marketing & Advertising Assignment |
| • | ConAgra Foods To Title Sponsor Men's Big East Basketball Championship |
| • | Rams, Patriots To Receive 13,000 Super Bowl Tickets Via Allocation Process |
| • | USSF Confirms Three Overseas Contests As Preparations For World Cup |
| • | Pierce, Nowitzki Lead List Of First-Time NBA All-Stars |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/In Other News/Daily Stat/Channel Surfing |
MLB CONSOLIDATES MARKETING EFFORTS WITH MCCANN-ERICKSON
MLB announced today that it has named McCann-Erickson, N.Y., to handle strategy, research, integrated consumer marketing and advertising. This marks the first time that MLB has consolidated these responsibilities with one agency. In addition, McCann will assist in developing communications for the All-Star Game, the Century 21 Home Run Derby and the World Series, as well as support for MLB brands and properties, including consumer products and MLB Charities. TV and radio spots will run with their broadcast partners on their asset media -- the market value of which is estimated at $25-30M (THE DAILY).
CONAGRA FOODS SINKS TEETH INTO BIG EAST TITLE SPONSORSHIP
ConAgra Foods has reached a multi-year agreement with ESPN Regional Television to become the title sponsor of the Big East Men's Basketball Championship beginning with the '02 event. As part of the sponsorship, ConAgra Foods will receive extensive on-air advertising on ESPN and ESPN2, plus exposure through ESPN Regional Television, ESPNews, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine (THE DAILY).
TICKET ALLOCATION GIVES RAMS, PATRIOTS 13,000 SEATS EACH
The ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH reports that the NFL's system for allotting Super Bowl tickets "gives the Rams and the [Patriots] roughly 13,000 tickets each to the 72,000-seat Superdome in New Orleans." The league distributes about 18,000, and the other NFL teams "split about 24,500 tickets," while most of the remainder "go to the city of New Orleans" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/29).
USSF CONFIRMS THREE OVERSEAS WORLD CUP PREP GAMES
The U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed today that the national men's team "will play exhibition games at Italy, Germany and Ireland in preparation for the World Cup." The three games had previously been announced by the European teams, but the USSF "had said they weren't finalized" (AP, 1/29).
BUZZER BEATERS
In New Orleans today, Sony unveiled the 989 Sports' "Locker Room Challenge on Tour," a 30-foot mobile gaming vehicle that will allow sports fans to be fully immersed in a sports environment as they compete in sports video games (THE DAILY).
Celtics F Paul Pierce and Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki were among seven reserves picked today for their first NBA All-Star games. Mavericks G Steve Nash, T'Wolves F Wally Szczerbiak, Kings F Peja Stojakovic and Nowitzki were first-time picks on the West team, while Pacers C Jermaine O'Neal and Hawks F Shareef Abdur-Rahim join Pierce in making their first appearances for the East. Read a complete list of the NBA All-Star Game starters and reserves (AP, 1/29).
The BOSTON HERALD reports that U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and his wife, Teresa Heinz, "did not watch the Pats victory over the Steelers in the comfort of [Patriots Owner] Bob Kraft's luxury box" on Sunday. While Kerry was seen celebrating a Patriots touchdown in the second quarter with Kraft in his luxury box, an unnamed source added, "[You have to] feel bad for the guy. They went in for a minute to wish the Krafts luck, and got on TV during the two-minute warning of the first half" (BOSTON HERALD, 1/29).
The AP reports that minor-league baseball players will visit CT schools to tell students that cigarettes and other tobacco products are "not cool" as part of a program "designed to reach more than 15,000 kids in almost 100 schools by May." The education program, which is being funded by a $150,000 state grant, is a tie-in to the National Tobacco Free Double A All-Star Game, which is being held in Norwich, CT, this year (AP, 1/29).
TODAY'S ARTICLES OF INTEREST
The L.A. DAILY NEWS' Rich Hammond on the NHL FANtasy held during All-Star weekend in L.A.
The HARTFORD COURANT's Jack O'Connell on the future of corporate sponsorships and naming rights deals in MLB after the fall of Enron.
The COLUMBUS DISPATCH's Rob Oller details the risks of entering a naming rights deal.
The PALM BEACH POST's Charles Elmore on problems companies face after committing to naming rights deals.
The Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM's Doug Krikorian on the "dubious" past of Rams Owner Georgia Frontiere.
Loyola College, MD, economics professor Steve Walters writes an Op-Ed in the Baltimore Sun on financial reasons why MLB should move the Expos to Northern NJ as opposed to Washington, DC, or Northern VA.
See The Daily Insider's Articles Of Interest section for more sports business-related links.
TONIGHT'S EVENTS
The Mavericks will host "No Need For Clippers" before the team's home game against the Clippers. The first 50 fans who show up to the American Airlines Center between 5:00-6:30pm MT and get their heads shaved by a Pro-Cuts representative will receive free tickets to the game (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/27).
The Hurricanes will honor C Ron Francis, who recently played his 1,000th game with the Whalers/Hurricanes franchise, during the team's game against the Sabres at the Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena (THE DAILY).
John Hancock's Financial Services is throwing a party at the Cyclorama in Boston in honor of Red Sox co-Owner John Henry and his ownership group, hosted by Chair & CEO David D'Alessandro (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/24).
IN OTHER NEWS……..
IBM today named Samuel Palmisano as CEO, effective March 1, to replace Louis Gerstner. Gerstner, whose contract expires on March 1 when he turns 60, will remain Chair through '02 (REUTERS, 1/29).
Coca-Cola Co. reported that its profit "dropped 4 percent in the fourth quarter and warned that volume growth in 2002 will likely be at the low end of expectations." The company said that it earned $914M, or $0.37 cents a share, in Q4 '01, down from $950M, or $0.38 cents a share, before one-time charges and other special items in the year-earlier period (REUTERS, 1/29).
Kellogg Co. said today that its Q4 earnings "rose 34 percent as it boosted sales with increased advertising, gained U.S. market share in cereals, and benefited from the acquisition of cookie maker Keebler last March" (REUTERS, 1/29).
The Screen Actors Guild [SAG] picked the nominees for its annual awards show today, with stars from "A Beautiful Mind" and "In the Bedroom" among the actors named. This year's 8th Annual SAG Awards will be broadcast on TNT on March 10 (REUTERS, 1/29).
THE DAILY STAT: NFL MERCHANDISE/JERSEY SALES RANKINGS
The following presents the top-selling team merchandise and NFL jerseys through Jan. 8, 2002. This listing includes NFLShop.com. Names in bold represent Super Bowl XXXVI teams and players:
| TOP SELLING TEAM MERCHANDISE RANKINGS |
| 1) | Oakland Raiders | 6) | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 2) | Dallas Cowboys | 7) | San Francisco 49ers |
| 3) | Green Bay Packers | 8) | Chicago Bears |
| 4) | St. Louis Rams | 9) | New England Patriots |
| 5) | Pittsburgh Steelers | 10) | Philadelphia Eagles |
| TOP SELLING NFL JERSEY RANKINGS |
| 1) | Marshall Faulk, Rams | 11) | Peyton Manning, Colts |
| 2) | Donovan McNabb, Eagles | 12) | Emmitt Smith, Cowboys |
| 3) | Brett Favre, Packers | 13) | Curtis Martin, Jets |
| 4) | Jerome Bettis, Steelers | 14) | Ray Lewis, Ravens |
| 5) | Jerry Rice, Raiders | 15) | Warren Sapp, Buccaneers |
| 6) | Brian Urlacher, Bears | 16) | Randy Moss, Vikings |
| 7) | Kurt Warner, Rams | 17) | Michael Vick, Falcons |
| 8) | Keyshawn Johnson, Buccaneers | 18) | Kordell Stewart, Steelers |
| 9) | Eddie George, Titans | 19) | Anthony Thomas, Bears |
| 10) | Jeff Garcia, 49ers | 20) | Charles Woodson, Raiders |
CHANNEL SURFING
ESPN will air men's college basketball, Illinois-Ohio St., at 7:00pm ET.
ESPN2 will air men's college basketball, St. John's-Seton Hall, at 7:30pm ET.
TBS will air Clippers-Mavericks at 8:00pm ET.
ESPN will air men's college basketball, Kentucky-Florida, at 9:00pm ET.
ESPN Classic's "SportsCentury" will profile Jerry Rice at 8:00pm ET.
Rams CB Dre Bly and Patriots LB Willie McGinestwill be on ESPN's "Unscripted."
McGinest and Patriots CB Terrell Buckley, as well as Rams LB London Fletcher and DE Grant Wistrom, will be on FSN's "The Last Word."
Former NHLer Pat LaFontaine will be on FSN's "The Best Damn Sports Show Period."
E!'s "True Hollywood Story" will profile the TV show "Bewitched" at 8:00pm ET.
A&E's "Biography" continues football week with a profile of Joe Montana at 8:00pm ET.
ABC will air "The Chair," hosted by John McEnroe, at 8:00pm ET.
CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox will air the "State of the Union Address" at 9:00pm ET.
HEADLINERS
Here are tonight's headline guests on the following talk shows:
| "The Late Show" | Bruce Willis |
| "The Tonight Show" | Drew Carey |
| "The Late Late Show" | Diane Farr |
| "Late Night" | Ray Liotta |
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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