Closing Bell, January 28, 2003

MINA TO SERVE AS FOOT LOCKER USA PRESIDENT & CEO

Foot Locker today announced that Rick Mina has been promoted to the newly created position of President & CEO of Foot Locker USA. Mina, who will report to Foot Locker President & CEO Matthew Serra, will be responsible for the company’s U.S. retail store divisions – Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker and Champs Sports. Mina had been Champs Sports President & CEO since ’99 (THE DAILY).

ADELPHIA CREDITORS LATEST TO DELAY HAMISTER’S PURCHASE

The BUFFALO NEWS reports that prospective Sabres Owner Mark Hamister is “open to the idea” of a joint bid with former Sabres suitor B. Thomas Golisano, as suggested in a letter by Erie County Exec Joel Giambra. Hamister has received four extensions from the NHL due to various delays. The most recent delay “centers around a list of roughly three dozen conditions that Adelphia’s creditors faxed to Hamister late Wednesday,” less than 48 hours before Hamsiter “expected to sign his deal to buy the Sabres” (BUFFALO NEWS, 1/28).

BLATTER HOSTS ROUNDTABLE TO DISPLAY FIFA TRANSPARENCY

FIFA President Sepp Blatter today hosted the first in a series of FIFA media roundtables in London, the purpose of which is to open up FIFA and its senior management to the media. Blatter: “When I spoke of transparency after my re-election in Seoul last year, it was not merely hollow rhetoric, but a promise that I shall keep. … Neither FIFA nor its President have anything to hide, nor do they wish to. And these talks will underline this.” The free form roundtables are to be held three to four times per year in London (THE DAILY).

YOUBET.COM REPORTS FIRST-EVER POSITIVE CASH FLOW FOR Q4 ‘02

The THOROUGHBRED TIMES reports that Youbet.com posted a net loss of $1.3M for Q4 ended December 31, but the online wagering company’s EBITDA was $226,000, “marking the first time the seven-year-old company has had a positive cash flow for a quarter.” Year-end figures showed that EBITDA improved 76%, to a loss of $2.8M, from a loss of $11.5M a year ago. Net losses improved 40%, from a $14.8M deficit in ’01, to a $8.9M loss this year. Overall handle increased 72%, to $163M, from $95M (THOROUGHBRED TIMES, 1/28).

NORTH CHARLESTON INKS NEW DEAL WITH ARENA VENTURES

The Charleston POST & COURIER reports that the city of North Charleston “scored a new deal with Arena Ventures for the coliseum that puts about $300,000 in the city’s pocket and gives it back naming and advertising rights for the arena.” Arena Ventures, a partnership between the NBA and Clear Channel Entertainment, “produced only five of a promised 30 events last year, prompting some city leaders to claim breach of contract and demand compensation” (Charleston POST & COURIER, 1/28).

BUZZER BEATERS

Lincoln JOURNAL STAR Editor Kathleen Rutledge today announced that the newspaper will no longer use the name “Redskins” when referring to the NFL team, but instead will call the team “Washington.” The newspaper has also discontinued the use of logos for professional and college teams that use Native symbols (Lincoln JOURNAL STAR, 1/28).

K2 today received antitrust clearance from the FTC for its proposed acquisition of Rawlings Sporting Goods. Furthermore, the FTC granted the companies early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act (THE DAILY).

Nielsen//NetRatings today reported that more than one million unique visitors from home logged on to SuperBowl.com on Sunday, a 266% increase over Saturday (THE DAILY).

FOXSports.com today announced that it has partnered with CustomWeather to provide weather information for sporting events (THE DAILY).

The NBA today announced that Wizards F Michael Jordan was named to the ’03 NBA All-Star team as a reserve (THE DAILY). Visit NBA.com to see the full rosters.

Iola Winston of Akron, OH, filed a police report on Monday claiming that LeBron James backed his Hummer into her car. Winston was not injured (ESPN.com, 1/28).

ANANOVA.com reports that WWE is seeking $18M from English yacht equipment manufacturer Lewmar “to pay for a settlement to the family” of wrestler Owen Hart. Hart died four years ago when his safety harness came undone while being lowered into the ring. Lewmar “made the shackle clip on Hart’s harness” (ANANOVA.com, 1/28).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

The DALLAS MORNING NEWS reports that Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith “declined induction” into the TX Sports HOF. A family scheduling conflict precluded Smith from attending the ceremony, one of the requirements for induction (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/28).

TONIGHT’S EVENTS

ESPN has invited members of the DC chapter of the National Sports Marketing Network to be part of a guest audience for the taping of “Seasons of Change: The African American Athlete” at 7:00pm ET at Howard University. Confirmed guests for the show include Center for the Study of Sport in Society Dir Emeritus Richard Lapchick, Jets RB Curtis Martin and former Georgetown Univ. men’s basketball coach John Thompson (THE DAILY).

CHANNEL SURFING

ESPN will air NCAA men’s basketball, Indiana-Michigan State at 7:00pm ET and Florida-LSU at 9:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will NCAA men’s basketball, Texas A&M-Oklahoma at 7:00pm ET.

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

Actor Orlando Jones and jockey Julie Krone are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”

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

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

The History Channel will air “Empires of Industry: Cola Wars” at 6:00pm ET.

President Bush’s “State of the Union” address will air at 9:00pm ET.

HEADLINERS

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

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

The HOUSTON CHRONICLE’s Richard Justice writes that there are but “369 days until America’s biggest sporting event,” Super Bowl XXXVIII, comes to Reliant Stadium. Justice notes that in the 29 years since Houston last hosted a Super Bowl, the game “has grown from one day of football to a 10-day festival that’s as much about corporate hospitality, celebrity excess and tourism dollars as sport” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE).

Also, the HOUSTON CHRONICLE’s Dale Robertson writes, “Monday morning, we went on the clock … and the process of defending Houston as a right smart choice for hosting America’s most-watched sporting event begins” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE).

In anticipation of the Bush Administration’s Commission on Opportunity in Athletics recommendations, novelist and National Wrestling Hall of Fame member John Irving writes in a N.Y. TIMES Op-Ed, “What’s wrong is that, in practice, there are two TitleIX’s.” The law was passed “to put an end to sex discrimination in schools – good for the original Title IX! The second Title IX, the one currently enforced … is functioning as a gender quota law” (N.Y. TIMES).

In a USA TODAY sports section cover story, Erik Brady writes, “Do boys like to play sports more than girls do? The assertion that they do has animated the culture wars over Title IX since it was enacted more than 30 years ago. And this week that familiar premise continues at the center of an ongoing tug-of-war over the law that forbids sex discrimination at schools receiving federal funds” (USA TODAY).

The CHICAGO SUN-TIMES’ Mike Mulligan calls the NFL “king of American sports and the greatest made-for-television programming since the sitcom,” but offers five ways the league could be even better during the ’03 season (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES).

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

TODAY’S TEASER…

Sports & Entertainment: Name the NBA HOFer and current Hawks Dir of Player Development that starred in the 1987 nuclear disarmament film “Amazing Grace and Chuck.”

IN OTHER NEWS……

The Consumer Confidence Index fell to 79.0 in January from a revised 80.7 in December. While the index “has now fallen for seven of the past eight months, the drop was more moderate than average forecasts for 78.1” (REUTERS, 1/28).

The DESERET NEWS reports that the ’02 Olympics “continue to benefit Utah,” as the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau “booked 537,791 room nights for Salt Lake County hotels last year, which will add an estimated $245[M] to Utah’s economy in coming years.” Rooms booked through 2012 will attract “more than 228,000 delegates and [contribute] more than $177[M] to the local economy” (DESERET NEWS, 1/28).

THE DAILY STAT: TOP SPORTS SITES FOR WEEK ENDING JANUARY 12

The following are the top five sports Web sites ranked according to unique home and work audiences for the week ending January 12, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Unique Audience = the number of persons accessing the site or network, with each counted only once. Average time spent = the average amount of time a visitor has spent at that property for the week. This data is based on 50,000 home and 7,000 work users with Internet access (Nielsen//NetRatings).

…TODAY’S ANSWER

Alex English

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

The Closing Bell provides an afternoon recap of the latest news and headlines each Monday through Friday at approximately 4:00pm ET. If you would like to sign up for an e-mail alert to the Closing Bell, go to My Account and personalize your e-mail alert options.