Closing Bell, January 14, 2003

MLB SEASON OPENER TO FEATURE MARINERS AND A’S IN TOKYO

MLB today announced that the ’03 season will open on Tuesday, March 25, in Tokyo, Japan, with the Mariners facing the A’s in a two-game series. It marks the earliest Opening Day ever and the second time the league has opened its season in Japan. In the U.S., MLB opens the season with Rangers-Angels on Sunday, March 30, and a full slate of games on Monday, March 31 (THE DAILY).

ATHENS ORGANIZERS “MAKING STRIDES” ON VENUE CONSTRUCTION

REUTERS reports that IOC President Jacques Rogge today “praised the ‘outstanding’ progress in preparations for the 2004 Athens Games and said he was confident the Greek capital would be ready on time.” Rogge said that Athens organizers were “making strides in catching up” on infrastructure and venue construction deadlines (REUTERS, 1/14).

The AP reports that members of British Parliament “believe London could host a great Olympics in 2012 but aren’t sure its worth spending $8[B].” The Parliamentary debate continues tomorrow (AP, 1/14).

CA PENSION FUND INTERESTED IN CHELSEA’S PROPERTY PORTFOLIO

The SACRAMENTO BUSINESS JOURNAL reported that the Premier League’s Chelsea FC “faces a takeover offer worth perhaps $80[M] from” the CA Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). The deal would give CalPERS control of Chelsea Village, the property company that owns the team. The fund’s chief interest, however, is “thought to be Chelsea Village’s property portfolio – which includes a hotel, luxury apartments, restaurants and conferences facilities – and not the team” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/13).

AHL PRESIDENT DAVE ANDREWS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FUTURE

With the ’04 AHL All-Star Game being held in Grand Rapids, AHL President Dave Andrews discusses the state of the league with the editorial staff of the GRAND RAPIDS PRESS. Andrews, on attendance: “By the end of the year we'll be very close to what our average was last year (5,895, the 14th consecutive season attendance has increased). Considering the economy it’s a pretty good performance, relative to what’s happening with other professional sports certainly.” On the health of the AHL: “Overall, we are very, very healthy. There is strength in numbers. I think we will eventually get to 30 (teams). The thing that will drive it is the health of the [NHL] and the willingness to have full affiliates. We’re going very much in the right direction” (GRAND RAPIDS PRESS, 1/14).

BUZZER BEATERS

The NHRA announced today that drag racing analyst Mike Dunn has signed a three-year extension to continue working NHRA telecasts on ESPN. Dunn works with play-by-play announcer Marty Reid in the booth. All 23 national events in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2 (THE DAILY).

BRANDWEEK reports that Sign Boy, a “character featured in FootJoy ads prior to 2002, returns to the airwaves for a yearlong flight of four 30-second TV spots” that break February 8 on CBS' telecast of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (BRANDWEEK.com, 1/14).

FleetCenter spokesperson Courtney McIlhenny said that an estimated 1,000 people, “including legendary athletes” as well as Will McDonough’s newspaper, radio and TV colleagues, “turned out [Tuesday] morning to pay their respects to the renowned scribe and his family.”  More were expected at the evening calling hours from 4:00-7:00pm ET (BOSTON.com, 1/14).

N.Y. welcomed Hideki Matsui today after he formally signed a three-year, $21M contact with the Yankees.  Mayor Michael Bloomberg encouraged the player to spend his new found millions: “Goodness, we need the sales-tax revenue. If George [Steinbrenner] is ever going to get a new stadium, you’ll have to spend a lot” (AP, 1/14).  Matsui was also a guest today on “Live With Regis and Kelly!”

Churchill Downs Inc. today launched the official ’03 Kentucky Derby Web site (THE DAILY).

The DeSoto (MS) TIMES reports that ticket sales for Friday night’s Thomas “Hitman” Hearns-Thomas Reid bout at the DeSoto Civic Center “have been slow.” The number sold to date is “believed to be less than 500” (DeSoto TIMES, 1/14).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

In an ad for Sorbent toilet tissue, ATP player Lleyton Hewitt is featured taking too long during a bathroom break because of a lack of toilet paper. Hewitt uses his cell phone to call his mother, Cherilyn, who pulls toilet paper from her bag and passes it through the crowd. The toilet paper is ultimately delivered to Hewitt by a ballboy. Said Lleyton’s mother, “The media have given him so much crap over the years that he actually needs a bit of toilet paper” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/14).

Both the Eagles and Bucs are pre-selling NFC Conference champions merchandise on their Web sites. While NFLSHOP.com is pre-selling the merchandise for all four remaining teams, the Raiders and Titans are not offering any AFC Conference champions gear on their Web sites (THE DAILY).

TONIGHT’S EVENTS

Charles Barkley will speak at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Auditorium Theater at 7:00pm MT as part of the KeyBank Denver Distinguished Lecture Series. Earlier in the day, Barkley will talk with students at Manual High School in Denver from 2:00-2:45pm (THE DAILY).

The CBA All-Star Classic will be broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio Network tonight at 6:30pm CT, live from the Sioux Falls Arena and Convention Center (THE DAILY).

CHANNEL SURFING

ESPN will air NCAA men’s basketball, Michigan State-Purdue at 7:00pm ET, and Kentucky-Vanderbilt at 9:00pm ET. Georgia coach Jim Harrick will serve as a guest analyst during ESPN’s “Chalk Talk Live” segment throughout the second game.

ESPN2 will air NCAA men’s basketball, Pittsburgh-West Virginia at 7:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air the Australian Open at 10:30pm ET.

ESPN Classic’s “SportsCentury” will profile Hank Greenberg at 11:00pm ET.

Titans TE Frank Wycheck, Giants WR Amani Toomer, NHL Kings C Jason Allison, Cavaliers coach John Lucas and actress Julia Stiles are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”

HBO’s “Real Sports” with Bryant Gumbel at 10:00pm ET will feature Raiders OL Frank Middleton and Mo Collins, DT Sam Adams, Saints DT Norman Hand and former NFLer Brad Culpepper discussing health concerns facing NFL linemen. Former NBAer Bob Love and 84-year-old triathlete Norton Davey are featured in separate pieces.

A&E’s “Biography” will profile Tom Selleck at 8:00pm ET.

E!’s “True Hollywood Story” will profile Phyllis Diller at 8:00pm ET.

VH1 will air “100 Greatest … Moments That Rocked TV: 80-61” at 10:00pm ET.

The Travel Channel will air “Inside the World Series of Poker” at 9:00pm ET.

HEADLINERS

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

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

The CHICAGO READER’s Michael Miner writes about the Chicago Tribune’s hiring of former L.A. Times columnist Mike Downey under the header, “So Much for Retirement.” The addition of Downey comes after SI’s S.L. Price and the N.Y. Times’ Mike Wise turned down offers for the same position (CHICAGO READER).

Also, the CHICAGO TRIBUNE conducts an interview with Downey, whose first column will appear January 19. Downey, on readers questioning his Chicago sports credentials: “These were my teams as a kid. … I’m concerned as a Chicago person about them doing well. So while I’ve been out of state I haven’t been out of touch. I’ve been following Chicago teams from afar, but following them still” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE).

The BOSTON GLOBE’s Kevin Paul Dupont writes, “What became all too familiar in a struggling economy in recent years – biotech busts, folded big box realtors, dot.com bombs – in recent days and months has started to become de rigueur in the sports world,” a segment of the economy that had been “virtually impervious to economic roil and failure” (BOSTON GLOBE).

The L.A. TIMES’ Helene Elliott examines the decisions facing Olympic Gold Medalist Sarah Hughes, noting that her performance in Salt Lake City “spawned a whirlwind.” Elliott quotes a Hughes family friend as saying the family now divides the world into two categories: “‘Before people,’ whom they knew and trusted prior to her victory, and those who began glad-handing when her star rose” (L.A. TIMES).

USA TODAY’s Vicki Michaelis writes that Hughes “must consider her money making potential.” The skater is a spokesperson for two programs, General Electric Heroes for Health and Campbell’s Labels for Education, and her father is “acting as her agent and keeping her commercial exposure low-key” (USA TODAY).

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

TODAY’S TEASER…

Which of the following sports personalities was the first to host “Saturday Night Live?”

1. John Madden
2. Bill Russell
3. O.J. Simpson
4. Fran Tarkenton

IN OTHER NEWS…

CBS President & CEO Leslie Moonves, on the dearth of reality programming: “With the amount of reality shows announced, I'm sure (by) this spring and next fall (the networks) probably will have overdone it” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 1/14).

The MILWAUKEE BUSINESS JOURNAL reports that Miller Brewing Co. President & CEO John Bowlin has resigned, effective February 1. South African Breweries Chair & Managing Dir Norman Adami will replace Bowlin (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/14).

THE DAILY STAT: MAGAZINE TOTALS FOR '02

The following information from Publishers Information Bureau details advertising revenue and ad pages for select sports-related titles in ‘02 compared to ‘01. The magazine totals in this report are calculated by using equivalent issues for the reporting period (PIB).

…TODAY’S ANSWER

Fran Tarkenton was first, having hosted the show January 29, 1977. Simpson (2/25/78), Russell (11/3/79) and Madden (1/30/82) followed.

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

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