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Closing Bell

Closing Bell, September 23, 2002

The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Monday, September 23, 2002
4:00pm ET

Ryder Cup Returns With A Jolt As Earthquake Shakes Central England

Banking On Success: Sovereign Announces Extended Partnership With Eagles

Reebok Signs Grammy-Winner Shakira To Endorsement Agreement Today

Coca-Cola Today Announces That Dasani Will Be Only Water Sold At Disney

Networks To Use Short-Term Cross-Promotions As Fall Season Opens Tonight

Buzzer Beaters/Daily Stat/Articles of Interest/In Other News/Channel Surfing


WORST EARTHQUAKE IN A DECADE SHAKES RYDER CUP PARTICPANTS

The AP reports that after "a three-year wait, the Ryder Cup finally returned with a real jolt – an earthquake that shook central England early Monday morning and roused European captain Sam Torrance from his sleep." It was the "worst earthquake in Britain in 10 years," measuring a magnitude of 4.8. However, there were no reports of injury or damage (AP, 9/23).

Meanwhile, REUTERS reports that the U.S. team arrived at The Belfry today "amid tight security for this week's long-awaited" event. U.S. captain Curtis Strange said that he was "reassured by the security presence when his 12-man team arrived" (REUTERS, 9/23).


SOVEREIGN BANK SIGNS AS FOUNDING PARTNER OF EAGLES STADIUM

Sovereign Bank, the official bank of the Eagles for the past three years, today announced a ten-year partnership with the Eagles as a founding partner of Lincoln Financial Field, which is scheduled to open in August '03. As part of the agreement, which goes into effect in '03, Sovereign will be offered more promotional and advertising opportunities, including a new interactive zone to be set up in the main exterior plaza of the new stadium (THE DAILY).


SHAKIRA JOINS REEBOK'S “SOUNDS & RHYTHM OF SPORT” CAMPAIGN

Reebok announced today that it has signed Grammy-award winning artist Shakira to an endorsement agreement under the brand's "Sounds & Rhythm of Sport" platform, which debuted in January. Beginning in spring '03, Reebok will support its new line of footwear and apparel with TV and print ads, outdoor billboards, in-store displays and consumer promotions. The first TV spot is due to air worldwide in April '03. Shakira is the first female music artist to join the campaign, which has previously featured Fabolous, Scarface and Jadakiss (THE DAILY).


DASANI TO BECOME EXCLUSIVE BOTTLED WATER WITHIN DISNEY

Coca-Cola today announced that its Dasani brand would become the "exclusive bottled water sold" at Walt Disney's U.S. theme parks and resorts. As part of the multiyear marketing partnership, Coca-Cola will "expand Dasani advertising" on ABC, ESPN, Lifetime and other Disney media properties. The brand will also become an associate sponsor of the Walt Disney World Marathon (REUTERS, 9/23).


BUZZER BEATERS

BRANDWEEK reports that EA Sports' Madden NFL 2003, which already has a number of ads in "heavy rotation," will debut an ad during "MNF" tonight with Broncos TE Shannon Sharpe and Ravens LB Ray Lewis taunting each other (BRANDWEEK.com, 9/23 issue).

BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST reports that Sunday's Bills-Broncos game "drew a record TV audience in the Western New York market," earning the highest rating since meters have been used to measure viewing habits. Nielsen Media Research figures show the game, won by the Broncos 28-23, had a 40.6/64 rating, and only the Milwaukee market had a larger rating, as it earned a 41.6 rating for the Packers-Lions game (BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST, 9/23).

MLB Properties today selected New Era Cap Company, Twins Enterprises and VF Imagewear to create the official '02 postseason caps and T-shirts, known as the Clubhouse Collection. Twins Enterprises will produce all wild card and Division Champions caps. New Era will produce both League Championship and World Series caps. VF Imagewear will produce the T-shirts for all rounds, as well as apparel in women's and children's sizes for the first time (THE DAILY).

The AP reports that a federal appeals court "refused to reinstate a lawsuit" filed by former MLB P John Montefusco against ESPN, agreeing with a lower court ruling that his being compared to O.J. Simpson is not defamation. Montefusco sued over a March 19, 2000, broadcast on ESPN's "SportsCenter 2000" that compared his prosecution on domestic-violence charges to the trial of Simpson for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson. A month earlier, Montefusco had been sentenced to three years probation for trespass and simple assault against his former wife (AP, 9/23).

Raycom Sports today announced the '03 LPGA Longs Drug Challenge will be played the week of September 29 through October 5 at Twelve Bridges Golf Club in Sacramento, CA. The event, which has been played in the spring, changed dates to coincide with the LPGA's traditional schedule of playing on the West Coast in the fall (THE DAILY).

Oakley today announced it has established a new 10,000 sq. ft. prescription eyewear facility at the Clonmore Industrial Estate in Mullingar County, Westmeath, Ireland (THE DAILY).


TONIGHT'S EVENTS

The Blue Jays Charitable Foundation will hold its second annual "Stars and Strikes" party, featuring a meet-and-greet with players and management, tonight at the York Event Theatre. The 6:30pm ET event will benefit the Foundation's "Field of Dreams" ballpark restoration program (THE DAILY).

The Mavericks will host "NBA Basketball 101 For Women" at their practice facility at the American Airlines Center from 6:30-9:30pm CT. F Adrian Griffin, C Raef LaFrentz and coach Del Harris will participate (THE DAILY).


TODAY'S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

In a special contribution to the SEATTLE TIMES, Sonics Owner Howard Schultz writes, "If there's one thing I've learned in the world of business over the years, it's the importance of having a plan." Schultz writes that the "business of sports is no exception," noting that his ownership group has "constructed a strategic plan that would reflect our values, put our fans and the community first and keep the franchise moving in the right direction" (SEATTLE TIMES).

CNN MONEY's Chris Isidore reports that the Collegiate Athletics Coalition, a union formed in January '01 to represent college athletes, is "recruiting members on major college football teams around the country this fall, and aims to go after major basketball team members later this year" (CNN MONEY).

The N.Y. TIMES' Jim Rutenberg writes, "There are signs that ought to give the [broadcast] networks' relief from predictions that they are dinosaurs doomed to extinction by the rise of cable and the rapidly spreading 200-channel universe." Estimates indicate that NBC and CBS "had the best advanced ad sales in their histories," while ABC and Fox "did slightly better than expected" (N.Y. TIMES).

The HOUSTON CHRONICLE's Jonathan Feigen profiles Rockets COO George Postolos' involvement with the construction of the Rockets' new downtown arena, noting that this month "marks the start of the 'second half' of the construction of the last of Houston's three sports venue 'jewels'" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE).

See The Daily Insider's Articles of Interest section for these and more sports business-related links.


IN OTHER NEWS…

USA TODAY reports that in an effort to "juice up audiences" for the fall TV season that begins tonight, ABC, CBS and NBC are "hyping 35 new and ongoing shows" with more than $75M in "short-term cross-promotions with food and retail chains." Fox will continue "more traditional" on-air promotions (USA TODAY, 9/23).

iN Demand reported that it has reached the 2.5 million-subscription mark and "expects to reach 5 million homes by year's end" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 9/23).

The WASHINGTON POST reports that DC-based Public Sector Media plans to launch the "Federal Paper," a weekly newspaper aimed at the "people, politics and business of the executive branch" on September 30. Publisher Daniel Leeds said, "When you look at government as a whole, there has been no weekly newspaper for the top decision-makers within the government" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/23).


THE DAILY STAT: N.Y. TIMES BESTSELLING NONFICTION

The following presents best selling nonfiction books from the N.Y. Times for the week ending September 14 (N.Y. TIMES):

THIS WEEK
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1)
LET'S ROLL!, Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham (Tyndale)
2)
LONGITUDES AND ATTITUDES, Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
3)
LET FREEDOM RING, Sean Hannity (ReganBooks/HarperCollins)
4)
AMONG THE HEROES, Jere Longman (Harper-Collins)
5)
WHAT WE SAW, CBS News (Simon & Schuster)
6)
ABOVE HALLOWED GROUND, by photographers of NYPD (Viking Studio)
7)
THE CELL, John Miller and Michael Stone with Chris Mitchell (Hyperion)
8)
SLANDER, Ann Coulter (Crown)
9)
A MIND AT A TIME, Mel Levine (Simon & Schuster)
10)
BREAKDOWN, Bill Gertz (Regnery)
 

CHANNEL SURFING

ESPN will air "Monday Night Countdown" at 7:30pm ET.

ABC will air "Monday Night Football," Rams-Buccaneers, at 9:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air "The New American Sportsman" at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air "Fish On!" at 9:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air "True Outdoor Adventures" at 9:30pm ET.

ESPN Classic's "SportsCentury" will profile Roger Clemens at 8:00pm ET and George Steinbrenner at 8:30pm ET.

LPGA golfer Natalie Gulbis and singer Travis Tritt will appear on FSN's "Best Damn Sports Show Period."

Columnists Skip Bayless, Jason Whitlock and Jay Mariotti will be on FSN's "The Last Word."

A&E's "TVography" will profile "Malcolm in the Middle"at 8:00pm ET.


HEADLINERS

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

"The Late Show" Bruce Willis
"The Tonight Show" Rosie O'Donnell
"The Late Late Show" David Alan Grier
"Late Night" Chris Rock (r)

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

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