| | The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Tuesday, October 1, 2002
4:00pm ET | |
| |
| • | Ford Announces Today Title Sponsorship Of PGA Tour Event At Doral |
| • | Fox Fetching Upwards Of $325,000 For 30-Second MLB Playoff Spots |
| • | NFL Responds Today To Minority Hiring Report |
| • | Congress To Vote Tonight On Electronic Payment For Internet Gambling |
| • | ESPN Reports Today That MLB Ratings Up Across The Board This Season |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Daily Stat/Tonight's Events/In Other News/Channel Surfing |
FORD SIGNS FOUR-YEAR DEAL WITH HOME OF THE BLUE MONSTER
Ford announced today that it has reached a four-year agreement to title sponsor the PGA Tour's annual tournament at Doral Resort & Spa in Miami, beginning with next year's March 3-9 event. The event will now be called the Ford Championship. While the tournament marks Ford's first sponsorship involvement with the PGA Tour, Ford has recently inked an endorsement deal with Phil Mickelson and has been the title sponsor of the Senior PGA Tour's Players Championship since '93. The contract coincides with the PGA Tour's new TV agreements. The tournament will continue to be televised on USA Network for the first two rounds and NBC on the weekend. Genuity had been the title sponsor for the past two years after Ryder ended a 14-year stint (THE DAILY).
MLB PLAYOFFS NEARLY SOLD OUT FOR FOX
MEDIA DAILY NEWS reports that the MLB playoffs "are a near" sellout for Fox, "which will broadcast up to eight divisional series games and [both] League Championship Series and World Series." Fox Sports President & Exec Producer Ed Goren said that "the early games were sold out with some availability for the later games, which advertisers are reluctant to buy until they know how the series develop." Goren did not reveal the rates for the spots, but a Fox Sports spokesperson said that 30-second spots range from $100,000 for Division Series games to $175,000 for the League Championship Series to $300,000-$325,000 for the World Series (MEDIA DAILY NEWS, 10/1).
NFL RESPONDS TODAY TO MINORITY HIRING REPORT
The AP reports that the NFL responded today to a report released Monday by a group headed by civil rights attorneys Johnnie Cochran and Cyrus Mehri. The report, "Black Coaches in the NFL: Superior Performance, Inferior Opportunities," used statistics over the past 15 years to note "that black head coaches had been more successful than their white counterparts, but that they weren't hired commensurate with that success." NFL VP/Communications Greg Aiello said, "Progress has been made and we expect that progress to continue. We take the issue very seriously and have initiated several programs in recent years under commissioner (Paul) Tagliabue to ensure that our hiring practices are fair, and that all coaches have opportunities to advance" (AP, 10/1).
TOPPS SALES DOWN FOR FISCAL Q2 '03 AND SIX-MONTH PERIOD
Topps today announced financial results for the fiscal Q2 '03 and six months ended August 31, 2002. For Q2 '03, sales were $70M, compared to $81.2M for the same period last year. For the six-month period, sales were $157.7M, compared to $168.1M in the same period last year. As of presstime, Topps was down $0.07, or 0.81%, to $8.55 (THE DAILY).
IN MEMORY OF HARTLAND DE MONTARVILLE MOLSON
The AP reports former Canadiens Owner Hartland de Montarville Molson has died at the age of 95. In addition to his ownership of the Canadiens, Molson served as director of the Molson brewery "for more than 50 years and held the positions of president, chairman and honorary chairman." Molson was also a Canadian senator for 38 years (AP, 10/1).
BUZZER BEATERS
ESPN reports today that Nielsen ratings for MLB telecasts on ESPN were up 9%, earning a 1.37 Nielsen cable rating, compared to a 1.25 last year. ESPN2's MLB telecasts also were up 9%, jumping from a 0.55 to a 0.60. ESPN's new Wednesday afternoon and Monday night telecasts were up 33% versus the same timeframe last year, from a 0.54 to a 0.72 (THE DAILY).
BLOODHORSE.com reports that Congress is scheduled to vote tonight on a bill "that would outlaw the use of credit cards, checks, and electronic transfer to pay for Internet gambling not already licensed and regulated by the states" (BLOODHORSE.com, 10/1).
The ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS reports that Vail Resorts Inc., "hurt by a weak summer travel season, … is paring expenses and imposing a hiring freeze on full-time management jobs." The company is seeking to cut its budget by 2-4% (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 10/1).
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE notes that Vikings Owner Red McCombs' "career as a play-by-play announcer came to a dramatic end" Sunday night during the team's loss to the Seahawks. McCombs was invited to call a play on KFAN-AM late in the first half, and it just so happened to be Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander's 80-yard touchdown reception (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/1).
Women In Sports and Events (WISE) Founder Sue Rodin and figure skater Nancy Kerrigan were the keynote speakers at a WISE New England Chapter breakfast this morning at Boston Univ. (THE DAILY).
TONIGHT'S EVENTS
The Capitals will host their fourth annual Face-Off Party tonight at the MCI Center. Doors open at 5:30pm ET, when Capitals players will be stationed throughout the building (THE DAILY).
Primedia's Action Sports Group will host a launch party for its new title, "Surf, Snow, Skate Girl Magazine," from 8:00pm-midnight PT at Falcon in Hollywood, CA (THE DAILY).
TODAY'S ARTICLES OF INTEREST
DAILY VARIETY's Marc Graser writes that with wrestling "ratings beginning to hit the mat," network producers are looking for a successor to become "the next cultural phenomenon," and they think mixed martial arts can be "a major rival in the TV ring" (DAILY VARIETY).
The Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER's Caulton Tudor argues that NC is "baseball's best bet" for relocation of the Expos. While Portland, OR; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Mexico City and Indianapolis all "have interesting possibilities," NC is "ideally suited for a marriage with big league ball" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER).
In a special to the L.A. TIMES, Gerard Wright writes that "the story starts with money, or the lack of it" at the America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. Sailing syndicates "with budgets totaling more than half a billion dollars" watch "their destinies unfold in slow motion" (L.A. TIMES).
See The Daily Insider's Articles of Interest section for these and more sports business-related links.
IN OTHER NEWS…
AD AGE reported that overall online retail sales "will grow by 17% this holiday season, down from the 30% increase" from '00 to '01. Online consumer spending is projected at an average of $306, "down from the $313 average of previous years" (ADAGE.com, 9/30).
THE DAILY STAT: PEOPLE LOVE SPORTS IN THEIR SPARE TIME
Reading and watching TV are Americans' favorite leisure activities, according to Harris Interactive's recently released annual study. Below are select results from the study, in which 1,011 adults were asked from August 15-19 to name their "two or three favorite leisure-time activities" (THE DAILY).
| ACTIVITY | '02 | '01 | '00 | '99 |
| Reading | 26% | 28% | 31% | 27% |
| TV watching | 15% | 20% | 23% | 22% |
| Spending time with family/kids | 11% | 12% | 14% | 12% |
| Fishing | 8% | 12% | 9% | 13% |
| Gardening | 8% | 10% | 13% | 15% |
| Playing team sports | 7% | 5% | 5% | 8% |
| Going to movies | 6% | 7% | 6% | 8% |
| Swimming | 5% | 8% | 5% | 6% |
| Golf | 5% | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| Socializing with friends/neighbors | 5% | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Walking | 4% | 6% | 8% | 9% |
| Exercise (aerobics, weights) | 4% | 5% | 6% | 3% |
| Traveling | 4% | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Listening to music | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Renting movies | 3% | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Boating | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| Hunting | 3% | 3% | 3% | 6% |
| Bicycling | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Sleeping | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Hiking | 3% | — | 1% | 2% |
| Camping | 2% | 3% | 4% | 4% |
| Watching sporting events | 2% | 2% | 4% | 5% |
| Running | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Bowling | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Tennis | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Skiing | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| |
CHANNEL SURFING
ABC Family will air ALDS Game One, Twins-A's, at 4:00pm ET.
Fox will air ALDS Game One, Angels-Yankees, at 8:00pm ET.
ABC Family will air NLDS Game One, Cardinals-D'Backs, at 11:00pm ET.
ESPN will air "The Focus Group" at 7:00pm ET.
ESPN will air "Beg, Borrow & Deal" at 8:00pm ET.
ESPN's "Off Course with Jack Wagner," airing at 9:00pm ET, will feature Mike Ditka and former U.S. Softball national team P Jennie Finch.
Jack Ford, Michele Tafoya, Dan LeBatard and Ralph Wiley will be on ESPN's "The Sports Reporters II" at 9:30pm ET.
ESPN Classic's "SportsCentury" will profile Al Unser, Sr. at 8:00pm ET.
Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa and Fox NFL analysts Bill Maas and Daryl Johnston will be on FSN's "The Last Word."
Bucs DT Warren Sapp, Chargers DE Marcellus Wiley, MLB Giants SS Rich Aurilia, VA Tech football coach Frank Beamer, former NBAer Norm Van Lier and Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora will be on FSN's "Best Damn Sports Show Period."
CNN's "Crossfire" will debate Augusta National Golf Club's membership policy at 7:00pm ET.
Terry Bradshaw talks about his new self-help book, "Keep It Simple," tonight at 8:00pm ET on MSNBC's "Donahue."
The Golf Channel will feature PGA Professional Mike Adams discussing the Ryder Cup on "Golf Channel Academy Live" at 8:00pm ET.
A&E's "Biography" will profile Jon Bon Jovi at 8:00pm ET.
E!'s "True Hollywood Story" will profile Tawny Kitaen at 8:00pm ET.
HEADLINERS
Here are tonight's headline guests on the following talk shows:
| "The Late Show" | David Schwimmer |
| "The Tonight Show" | Reese Witherspoon |
| "The Late Late Show" | Dana Delany |
| "Late Night" | Anthony Hopkins |
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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