MLB Rolls Out Special Merchandise For ’02 All-Star Game
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Regional Sites Selected For ’04-06 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournaments
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FSN Offers A Look Under The Hood At “NASCAR on Fox” Coverage
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Stay Up Late For Wimbledon Coverage From Johnny Mac
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Buzzer Beaters/Daily Stat/Articles of Interest/In Other News/Channel Surfing
BOMBARDIER FLEXJET INKS DEAL WITH PGA & SENIOR TOURS
Bombardier Flexjet announced today that it has become the "Official Private Aviation Solutions Provider for the PGA Tour and Senior PGA Tour.” The deal, which runs through ’04, marks the first-ever marketing relationship in the private aviation sector for the PGA Tour. The relationship will focus on the benefits for Tour players, including preferred pricing for fractional ownership programs, as well as Flexjet marketing programs through both Tours (THE DAILY).
MLB UNVEILS FIVE COLLECTIBLE ALL-STAR GAME PROGRAM COVERS
This year’s All-Star Game Program features five collectible covers featuring Giants LF Barry Bonds, D’Backs P Randy Johnson, Rangers SS Alex Rodriguez, Brewers 1B Richie Sexson and HOFer and former Brewer Robin Yount. Artist Kadir Nelson created the portraits of the players. The program also features a Q&A with Johnson conducted by NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (THE DAILY).
MLBP, New Era and Majestic Athletic have partnered to produce the ’02 MLB Authentic Collection All-Star Caps and batting practice jerseys (THE DAILY).
NCAA TABS REGIONAL SITES FOR ’04-06 WOMEN'S HOOPS TOURNEYS
The NCAA Div. I Women's Basketball Committee today announced the regional sites for the '04, '05 and '06 Championships. In addition, the NCAA also chose the RCA Dome in Indianapolis as the venue for the '05 NCAA Women's Final Four (THE DAILY).
Region
Site
2004
East
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
Mideast
Constant Convocation Center; Norfolk, VA
Midwest
Lloyd Noble Center; Norman, OK
West
Wells Fargo Arena; Tempe, AZ
2005
East
Liacouras Center; Philadelphia, PA
Mideast
McKenzie Arena; Chattanooga, TN
Midwest
Municipal Coliseum; Kansas City, MO
West
Bank of America Arena; Seattle, WA
2006
East
Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard; Fairfield, CT
Mideast
Gund Arena; Cleveland, OH
Midwest
SBC Center; San Antonio, TX
West
The Pit; Albuquerque, NM
“TOTALLY NASCAR” TO GIVE BEHIND THE SCENES PRODUCTION TOUR
FSN’s “Totally NASCAR” begins a week-long special tonight showing viewers how Fox produces its NASCAR Winston Cup races. Each night will feature a different aspect of the race production and interviews with the Fox personnel. The series starts tonight with a look at production staff members, including Producer Neil Goldberg and Dir Artie Kempner, and a look at what happens inside the production truck during a race. The rest of the week includes:
Tuesday: Technical Producer Dave Hill gives a tour of the “NASCAR on Fox” compound and an inside look at the mobile production units.
Wednesday: A report with the pit reporters Dick Berggren, Matt Yocum and Steve Byrnes and the rest of the crew on the track.
Thursday: Interviews with “NASCAR on Fox” analysts Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond.
Friday: A report on how in-car cameras work and how viewers are able to follow drivers via the new “NASCAR In Car On iN Demand” feature (THE DAILY).
NEWARK MAYOR WARNS THAT ARENA DEAL REMAINS IMPORTANT
Newark Mayor Sharpe James today in his inaugural address vowed to “continue to block Gov. James McGreevey's budget plans until a new downtown hockey and basketball arena is approved.” An “angry James rejected criticism from within the [Democratic] party and delivered a blunt warning to McGreevey that if the Newark arena dies, so, too, could the governor's political career” (AP, 7/1).
NJSEA LAYS OUT DETAILS OF REORGANIZATIONS
As part of its planned reorganization, The NJ Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) today approved the PERS Early Retirement program, which provides incentives for eligible employees to retire as of November 1. The NJSEA also endorsed the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of Continental Airlines Arena, which will be formally released tomorrow at 11:00am (THE DAILY).
BUZZER BEATERS
The SEC will hold a press conference tomorrow at 11:00am CT to announce its new commissioner, expected to be Conference USA Commissioner Mike Slive (THE DAILY).
NFL Supervisor of Officials & Dir of College Referee Scouting Al Hynes announced his retirement, effective in September. He has held the positions for six years (AP, 7/1).
SD-based Daktronics announced today that it has received an order to provide new scoring and display systems for the football, basketball and baseball facilities at Southern Univ. and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA. The value of the project exceeds $2M (THE DAILY).
Motorsports merchandiser Action Performance today announced the acquisition of the marketer of event and team towels, terry products and golf accessories under licenses of professional sports leagues, colleges and universities McArthur Towel and Sports businesses for $4.6M in cash (THE DAILY).
NASCAR announced today that it is moving the Busch Series banquet to Orlando, FL, from L.A., where it has been held in recent years. The ‘02 Busch Series awards banquet will be held Friday, November 22 at the Portofino Bay Hotel. The banquet will be televised, tape-delayed, on TNT (NASCAR.com).
The N.Y. TIMES’ Selena Roberts reports on the “creep factor” in women’s tennis
See The Daily Insider’s Articles Of Interest section for more sports business-related links.
TONIGHT’S EVENTS
The first 1,500 fans at tonight’s Shock-Lynx game at the Target Center will receive a Katie Smith bobblehead doll. The replica doll honoring the Lynx G and ’01 WNBA scoring champion will be sponsored by Rainbow Foods (THE DAILY).
TBS analyst Don Sutton returns to Braves baseball tonight for the first time since having kidney surgery on June 6. Sutton will join TBS play-by-play announcer Pete Van Wieren in the booth for TBS' coverage of the Expos-Braves game at7:35pm ET (THE DAILY).
“Arli$$” star Robert Wuhl will throw out the first pitch for tonight’s Twins-A’s game at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS…
REUTERS reports that stocks were “mostly lower in early afternoon” trading today, with technology shares “leading declines after former high-flying telecommunications provider WorldCom Inc. undermined investor confidence still further by saying it is billions of dollars in default” (REUTERS, 7/1).
THE DAILY STAT: N.Y. TIMES BEST SELLING NONFICTION
The following presents best selling nonfiction books from the N.Y. Times for the week ending June 22 (NY Times)
THIS WEEK
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1)
YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS, John McEnroe with James Kaplan (Putnam)
2)
STUPID WHITE MEN, Michael Moore (ReganBooks/HarperCollins)
3)
THE RIGHT WORDS AT THE RIGHT TIME, edited by Marlo Thomas (Atria)
4)
JOHN ADAMS, David McCullough (Simon & Schuster)
5)
A MIND AT A TIME, Mel Levine (Simon & Schuster)
6)
MASTER OF THE SENATE, Robert A. Caro (Knopf)
7)
FIREHOUSE, David Halberstam (Hyperion)
8)
PROFILES IN COURAGE FOR OUR TIME, edited by Caroline Kennedy (Hyperion)
9)
ONCE UPON A TOWN, Bob Greene (Morrow)
10)
LUCKY MAN, Michael J. Fox (Hyperion)
CHANNEL SURFING
ESPN Classic’s “SportsCentury” will profile Mario Andretti at 8:00pm ET.
Nets coach Byron Scott and actor David Arquette will be on FSN’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period.”
Former MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent will be on FSN’s “The Last Word.”
ESPN’s “Monday Night Baseball” features Dodgers-D’Backs at 10:00pm ET.
NBC Sports tennis analyst John McEnroe will host the Wimbledon late night update show beginning tonight from 11:35-11:50 pm ET.
A&E continues its “TVography” series with a profile of “The Wonder Years” at 8:00pm ET.
E!’s “True Hollywood Story” will profile the show “Beverly Hills, 90210” at 8:00pm ET.
HEADLINERS
Here are tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:
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