Closing Bell, January 3, 2003

SCALPERS SCRAMBLING TO FIND TICKETS TO FIESTA BOWL

The Univ. of Miami and OH State Univ. face off tonight in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl for the national championship at 8:00pm ET on ABC, and the DAYTON DAILY NEWS reports that “ABC is doubling its usual number of cameras for a college game to 22.” Among the extra cameras will be “one mounted on a ‘jib,’ a moving 18-foot, long-armed contraption that gives extra dimension to the action [and] a camera … mounted on one of the goal posts.” Halftime is scheduled to last 20 minutes (DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 1/3).

The RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH reports that Circuit City Stores CEO W. Alan McCollough tonight will “present the trophy named for the Richmond-based chain” to the winners. Circuit City “hopes to score a big win – as in sales – for having the trophy naming rights and the opportunity to award the prize on national television” (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 1/3).

The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports that ticket agencies and scalpers “are scrambling to obtain enough tickets to fill orders they've taken. Many ticket brokers are paying more than their customers to get seats. A seat that a customer has paid $650 for might now cost the broker $800” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/3).

The WASHINGTON POST points out that the game “marks the first time both teams vying for football's national title represent universities led by women,” OH State Univ. President Karen Holbrook and Univ. of Miami President Donna Shalala (WASHINGTON POST, 1/3).

BCS COORDINATOR SAYS THERE ARE FOUR POSTSEASON OPTIONS

The AP reports that the BCS “will form a committee to discuss changes that eventually could lead to a college football playoff.” One president from each of six conferences – the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC – will be picked for the committee this month and are expected to make a recommendation in ’05, at the conclusion of the second rotation of current championship bowl games. BCS Coordinator Mike Tranghese today said, “There are four options. We can go back to the old system, we can stay where we are, we can tweak it, or we can go to a playoff. We're going to spend some time and talk about all of them.” One “likely solution would be to add one game after the existing bowls” to determine the national champion. ABC, which has a $525M, seven-year contract to televise the BCS games, “has an exclusive negotiating period in the second half of 2005 to keep the games on the network” (AP, 1/3).

CONVOCATION CENTER GIVES MIAMI ON-CAMPUS HOME

The Univ. of Miami will christen its new $48M, 7,000-seat on-campus Convocation Center tomorrow night as the Hurricanes men’s basketball team faces the Univ. of NC, and the MIAMI HERALD noted that the team “finally has a real home after traipsing from the Coral Gables High gym to the Miami Beach Convention Hall to Miami-Dade Junior College to Dinner Key Auditorium to the James L. Knight Center to Miami Arena” (MIAMI HERALD, 12/30).

CHL TEAM LAYS OFF MAJORITY OF FRONT OFFICE EMPLOYEES

KVIA.com reported that the CHL El Paso Buzzards “could be taken over by the league as soon as” today as the team “laid off a majority of its front office employees” on December 31. Buzzards Dir of Communications Michael La Placa said that the fifteen “employees were laid off because of financial reasons and that five office workers and all players are still employed.” He also said that “no one has been paid for the two week period of December 16th through January 1st.” Additionally, the team owes the El Paso County Sports Authority “13 games worth of back lease payments,” about $20,000 (KVIA.com, 1/2).

BUZZER BEATERS

AROUND THE RINGS today released its “Golden 25,” an annual compilation of the most influential personalities involved with the Olympics for the year ahead. The top five are as follows (AROUND THE RINGS, 1/3):

U.S. Soccer today announced the winners of the inaugural “Best of U.S. Soccer” awards, as determined by an online fan vote. The MLS Columbus Crew won three awards: Best Soccer Stadium, Best Game Promotion for the team’s “Buck-a-Brat” night and Best U.S. Goal for Brian McBride’s diving header against Portugal in the World Cup (THE DAILY).

ARGUS LEADER reports that the Huron City Commission “has approved a license allowing beer sales at Xtreme Basketball Association (XBA) games held at the Huron Arena.” Huron’s XBA franchise, the Dakota Lightning, is scheduled to play its firs game Monday (ARGUSLEADER.com, 1/3).

WEEKEND EVENTS

Friday

The NLL Colorado Mammoth begin its inaugural season in Denver at 7:00pm MT at the Pepsi Center against defending league champion Toronto Rock. The team relocated from Washington, DC, where it was called the Power (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 1/3).

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Saturday

The Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM reported that Magic Johnson, Ice Cube and Master P “will be sitting courtside” for the St. Vincent-St. Mary-Mater Dei high school basketball game at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion at 9:30pm ET on ESPN2. The game features LeBron James and D.J. Strawberry, son of former MLBer Darryl Strawberry. Tournament organizers expect “several Hollywood celebs, music industry types and sneaker company big wigs to be in attendance, giving it the look and feel of a Lakers game” (Long Beach PRESS-TELEGRAM, 1/2).

The first 1,000 people to visit the Braves Museum & HOF, beginning today, will receive a complimentary Braves bobblehead (THE DAILY).

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Sunday

The Buffalo Sabres Carnival, which includes appearances by current and former Sabres, a silent auction and various games, will be held from 11:00am-2:00pm ET at HSBC Arena (THE DAILY).

Celtics F Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker will treat 200 local children to a special screening of “Harry Potter & The Chamber of Secrets” at 3:00pm ET at Loews Boston Common to promote the ’03 NBA All-Star Game and balloting (THE DAILY).

The U.S. Army All American Bowl, featuring 78 top high school players in an East vs. West format, kicks off at the Alamodome at 6:00pm CT (THE DAILY).

THE DAILY STAT: MOST-PLAYED SONGS OF ‘02

The following lists radio’s top ten most-played songs of ’02 according to music industry monitoring service Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 1/3).

CRITICS WEIGH IN: “ABOUT SCHMIDT” AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE

“About Schmidt,” which features a Golden Globe-nominated performance by Jack Nicholson, opens nationwide after a three-week limited release. George Clooney’s directorial debut, “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” which is based on the “The Gong Show” creator Chuck Barris’ biography, and “Love Liza” open in limited release.:

CHANNEL SURFING

Boxing promoter Don King is scheduled to appear on CNN’s “Crossfire” at 7:00pm ET.

ESPN will air “College GameDay” from Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ, at 7:00pm ET.

ABC will air the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State-Miami, at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN will air Trail Blazers-Celtics at 8:00pm ET, and Nuggets-Sonics at 10:30pm.

ESPN Classic’s “SportsCentury” will profile Bill Vukovich at 8:00pm ET.

SATURDAY

ESPN Classic begins a 17-game, 35-hour, two-day college football marathon to celebrate the end of the ’02 season at 8:00am ET with Virginia Tech-Boston College ‘00, and concluding Sunday with Florida State-Miami ’02 at 6:00pm ET.

ESPN will air “NFL Countdown” at 11:00am ET.

CBS will air NCAA women’s basketball, Penn State-LSU at noon ET, Tennessee-UConn at 2:00pm and Purdue-Notre Dame at 4:00pm.

BET’s “Maad Sports” will feature Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham at noon ET.

ABC will air 76ers-Mavericks at 1:30pm ET.

ABC will air Colts-Jets in the AFC Wild Card game at 4:30pm ET, and Falcons-Packers in the NFC Wild Card game at 8:00pm.

ESPN2 will air St. Vincent-St. Mary-Mater Dei high school basketball at 9:30pm ET, featuring LeBron James vs. D.J. Strawberry.

FSN will air “The NFL Show” at 10:30pm ET.

“NFL Under the Helmet” on Fox will feature 49ers QB Jeff Garcia, who will be interviewed by 49ers coach Steve Mariucci’s son, Tyler, Jets LB Mo Lewis, Giants QB Kerry Collins and Titans RB Eddie George.

“NBA Inside Stuff” on ABC will feature Pistons G Jon Barry, Sonics G Brent Barry, Kings G Mike Bibby, Rockets G Cuttino Mobley, Suns G Penny Hardaway and Warriors G Jason Richardson.

ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” will examine college recruiting at 9:30am ET.

ESPN will air “Sunday NFL Countdown” at 11:00am ET.

CBS will air Browns-Steelers in the AFC Wild Card game at 1:00pm ET.

Fox will air Giants-49ers in the NFC Wild Card game at 4:30pm ET.

CBS will air NCAA men’s basketball, Villanova-Memphis or LSU-Georgia at 4:30pm ET.

ESPN2 will air NCAA women’s basketball, Texas-Ohio State, at 5:00pm ET.

FSN will air NCAA men’s basketball, Virginia-NC State at 5:30pm ET, and Duke-Clemson at 8:00pm.

ESPN2 will air the 2003 U.S. Army All-American Football Game at 7:00pm ET.

ESPN Classic will air “Emmitt Smith: Run With History” at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN will air Red Wings-Blackhawks or Stars-Mighty Ducks at 8:30pm ET.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson will be the subject of ESPN’s Sunday Conversation.

FSN’s “Beyond The Glory” will profile Reggie White.

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

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