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Closing Bell

Morning Buzz, March 13, 2002

 
The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Wednesday, March 13, 2002
4:00pm ET

Schultz Addresses Hornets' Move During World Congress Of Sports
Univ. Of Portland Inks Apparel & Equipment Deal With Nike
Foot Locker Releases Q4, Full Year Numbers: Company Sees Improvement
Eddie Irvine Wins U.K. Court Case Over Misuse Of Image By Radio Station
Leonsis Reveals His List Of 101 Things To Do In Life
Buzzer Beaters/Tonight's Events/Daily Stat/In Other News/Channel Surfing

TALK AT WORLD CONGRESS PROVIDES INSIGHT TO HORNETS' MOVE

The inaugural World Congress of Sports, presented by sister publication SportsBusiness Journal and Octagon, opened in N.Y. today with over 500 industry leaders in attendance. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue gave the opening keynote address on the "State of Sports In Society," and was followed by a roundtable of Sonics Owner Howard Schultz, Kings co-Owner Gavin Maloof, Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis, Giants co-Owner Bob Tisch and Suns Chair & D'Backs Managing General Partner Jerry Colangelo discussing the state of the industry.

Schultz, asked about the possible relocation of the Hornets to New Orleans said, "Sitting in Seattle, Washington, as an NBA owner, what I would like other owners in the NBA to understand is that what happens in their respective city, good or bad, has a deep effect on our franchise in Seattle and the level of trust and confidence that people have in the NBA. When our fans in Seattle read about the arrogance, the hubris of owners just picking up and leaving, and the way that trust and confidence has been broken in that environment, it's very unhealthy for the NBA, and it's very unhealthy for me in Seattle. … In my point of view, the situation is not positive and needs to be resolved quickly." Colangelo, who leads the committee that will make its recommendation on the relocation request, said, "I think it's a hot button for a lot of people in the league. I've heard from a number of people who are very strongly opposed to a move, but our committee will weigh all the plusses and make the recommendation to the board." Colangelo said he expected a vote on the committee's recommendation during the April 7 Board of Governors meeting.

Tisch said that he thinks the NFL will vote next week to lift the ban on Northern and cold-weather cities hosting the Super Bowl. Tisch: "I think there is a very strong possibility the 2007 Super Bowl will be here in the city of New York at Giants Stadium." Tisch, when asked whether NFL owners will approve taking a 49.1% ownership stake in the AFL during the NFL's meetings next week: "I don't know. … Whether or not it will have [the] three-quarters vote (necessary for approval), I just don't know."

Leonsis was asked about the medical condition of Michael Jordan and his possible return. He joked, "I had the same surgery on my meniscus and three days later, I went back to AOL" (THE DAILY).

CNBC aired live today from the World Congress. The following are excerpts taken throughout the day:

Interpublic Sports & Entertainment Group Chair & CEO Mark Dowley, on the state of the industry: "I think it is always a good time to get together and talk about what the issues are that are facing us as a whole. We had a very successful Olympics. We do have challenges with ticket prices. We do have challenges with the ratings. We do have challenges with the splintering of the audience, in terms of what people are interested in. We do have tremendous challenges in terms of demographic shifts, where we have young people getting more and more into extreme sports and other activities rather than soccer and baseball and football" (CNBC, 3/13).

Kings co-Owner Joe Maloof, on whether the value of the Kings has increased under his family's ownership: "Absolutely. We think the value of our franchise has appreciated tremendously. We are excited with the team that we have, with the management team we have put together. … We are very comfortable with the direction our team is going right now" (CNBC, 3/13).

Leonsis: "I've grown up in an industry (with AOL) where Moore's Law is the theorem that drives success. You offer more and more for less and less. And in sports, we're going just the opposite way. We offer less and less and charge more and more. That's not a good model" (CNBC, 3/13).

A-B VP/Global Media & Sports Marketing Tony Ponturo said 70% of A-B's sponsorship dollars go toward sports. Asked what the company's "best performer" is, Ponturo said, "From a single, one-day event, it is the Super Bowl. You're basically reaching half of your population. Everyone is tuned in. It is really an event, beyond sport. … On a week-to-week basis, NASCAR continues to grow. Big numbers" (CNBC, 3/13).


LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR: UNIV. OF PORTLAND INKS WITH NIKE

The Portland TRIBUNE reports that the Univ. of Portland (UP) has signed a five-year deal with Nike which calls for the sporting goods company to outfit all of the school's teams as well as provide athletic equipment. UP believes the deal will "boost their profile while helping manage their budget." UP AD Joe Etzel also "sees some potential for occasional use of each others' facilities." Nike's deal with UP is "an exclusive, extensive one," and replaces arrangements in various individual sports UP previously had with both Nike and adidas (Portland TRIBUNE, 3/13).


FOOT LOCKER'S Q4 NUMBERS SHOW NET INCOME UP OVER LAST YEAR

Foot Locker reported today financial results for its Q4 and full year ending February 2. Adjusted net income for the company's Q4 increased to $42M, or $0.28 per share, compared with $37M, or $0.26 per share, last year. Earnings per share increased 47% in '01 from adjusted net income of $27M, or $0.19 per share, in last year's Q4, which included an additional week in line with the National Retail Federation Calendar. Meanwhile, adjusted net income for the full year period increased from $111M, or $0.80 per share, to $142M, or $0.98 per share. Sales from adjusted operations rose from $4.2B to $4.3B. Adjusted operating profit increased 13% from $272M to $300M (THE DAILY).


JUST WHAT THE DOCTORED PHOTO ORDERS? IRVINE WINS LAWSUIT

The London GUARDIAN reports that Formula One driver Eddie Irvine has won a high court battle against Kelvin MacKenzie's Talk Sport in the U.K. "after the radio station used a doctored photograph of him in an advertising brochure." The photo showed Irvine dressed in his racing gear and holding a cell phone to his ear "but had replaced the phone with a radio with a logo for Talk Radio – Talk Sport's name at the time – emblazoned on it." Irvine's lawyers had argued that the ad carrying his image "could give the false impression their client was paid to endorse Talk Radio." The judge presiding over the case will decide by March 25 how much money to award Irvine (London GUARDIAN, 3/13).


FIGURE SKATER SASHA COHEN SIGNS WITH WILLIAM MORRIS

Olympic figure skater Sasha Cohen signed with the William Morris Agency for representation, with an eye toward opportunities in television, motion pictures, publishing and commercials. Cohen will compete in the World Figure Skating Championships next week and will be featured on most of the upcoming Olympic Champion Figure Skating Tour (THE DAILY).


BUZZER BEATERS

The UHL Canton, OH, expansion team, which is scheduled to make its debut with the '02-03 season, will be called the Canton IcePatrol. The team will unveil a new logo next week that will feature the team colors of gold, silver and black (THE DAILY).

Three-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser captured his fourth title Tuesday by covering the 1,100-mile race in record time. Buser's team completed the race in 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 2 seconds, becoming the first team to finish in under nine days and besting the old record of 9 days, 58 minutes and 6 seconds. Buser "credited a top-notch dog team that got an assist from [a] good trail for most of the race." The win earned Buser a $62,587 cash prize and a new Dodge pickup (ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS, 3/13).


TODAY'S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis reveals to ESPN.com his list of 101 things to do in life, which he compiled after surviving a plane crash in '83.

Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Darren Rovell profiles Leonsis.

The K.C. STAR's Randy Covitz on NAIA President & CEO Steve Baker.


TONIGHT'S EVENTS

Mystics F Chamique Holdsclaw and Fever F Tamika Catchings will coach two teams of Congressional Democrat and Republican representatives in the 10th Gallaudet University Congressional Basketball Classic tonight at 7:30pm ET.


IN OTHER NEWS…

Pearl vodka is launching its first ad campaign, "which will appear in 15 magazines and a handful of newspapers." Three executions of the "There is only one Pearl … treasure it" campaign, via DMG, S.F., will appear in issues of the Village Voice, Movieline and the Wall Street Journal (BRANDWEEK.com, 3/13).

Estee Lauder's M.A.C. Cosmetics brand unveiled an ad campaign for its VIVA GLAM lipstick last week that features Mary J. Blige, Elton John and singer Shirley Manson of the band Garbage (BRANDWEEK.com, 3/13).

Canal Plus announced yesterday that it was filing a $1B lawsuit against News Corp. subsidiary NDS, accusing the smart-card business of "stealing technology and encouraging piracy to undermine" the company (FINANCIAL TIMES, 3/13).

CMGI Inc. said yesterday that its net income for its fiscal Q2 ending January 31 rose from a net loss of $2.5B, or $7.79 per share, to $15.2M, or $0.20 per share. The company also said that net revenue for the quarter fell from $334.9M a year earlier to $210.8M (iMarketingNews.com, 3/13).


THE DAILY STAT: PRIMETIME NIELSEN RATINGS

The following lists the final Nielsen ratings for the top ten primetime shows for the week of Mar. 4 - Mar. 10. Also provided are Nielsen ratings averages season to date for the nets primetime coverage (USA TODAY, 3/13).

TOP TEN PRIMETIME NIELSEN RATINGS FOR MAR. 4 – MAR. 10
 
RK
  PROGRAM NET DAY
RAT/SHR
VIEWERS
(IN MILLIONS)
1)
  9/11 CBS Sun
22.3/33
39.0
2)
  Friends NBC Thu
16.3/25
26.3
3)
  CSI CBS Thu
16.2/24
26.7
4)
  ER NBC Thu
15.7/26
23.8
5)
  Everybody Loves Raymond CBS Mon
14.0/21
21.6
6)
  Law & Order NBC Wed
13.5/23
20.1
7)
  Survivor: Marquesas CBS Thu
13.1/20
23.4
8)
  West Wing NBC Wed
12.8/20
19.5
9)
  Leap of Faith NBC Thu
12.0/18
19.0
10)
  Will & Grace NBC Thu
11.7/18
18.5
 
NIELSEN AVERAGES SEASON-TO-DATE
 
  NBC    
9.2
 
  CBS    
8.2
 
  ABC    
6.5
 
  Fox    
6.1
 
  UPN    
2.8
 
  WB    
2.5
 
 

CHANNEL SURFING

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will appear on CNN this evening.

Phillies manager Larry Bowa and Univ. of Cincinnati men's basketball coach Bob Huggins will be on "The Last Word."

Dolphins RB Ricky Williams, Ice Cube and John Leguizamo will be on the "Best Damn Sports Show Period."

ESPN's "SportsCentury" will profile Bob Knight at 7:30pm ET.

Dolphins DE Jason Taylor will be featured on MTV's "Cribs" at 10:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air the NIT, South Carolina-Virginia, at 7:30pm ET.

A&E's "Biography" will profile Charlie Sheen at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN will air Bruins-Rangers at 8:00pm ET.

TNT will air Kings-76ers at 8:00pm ET.

E!'s "True Hollywood Story" will profile the relationship between Sean Penn & Madonna at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air the NIT, LSU-Iowa, at 9:30pm ET.

TNT will air Wizards-Clippers at 10:30pm ET.

ESPN2 will air the NIT, Temple-Fresno State, at 11:59pm ET.


HEADLINERS

Here are tonight's headline guests on the following talk shows:

"The Late Show"

Rene Russo

"The Tonight Show"

Jennifer Connelly

"The Late Late Show"

Milla Jovovich

"Late Night"

Harry Connick, Jr.


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

The Closing Bell provides an afternoon recap of the latest news and headlines each Monday through Friday at approximately 4:00pm ET. If you would like to sign up for an e-mail alert to the Closing Bell, go to My Account and personalize your e-mail alert options.

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