Closing Bell, March 19, 2003

COMMENTS FROM HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE QUESTIONING ON USOC

The House Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee today questioned several witnesses on the organizational structure of the USOC.  Rep. Jim Ryun (R-KS) commented, "Whether the causes are structural, a lack of transparency, a poorly-realized mission and strategy, or some other reason, the need to restore confidence in the USOC is very important to the continued success of the Olympic movement."  Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) also offered opening remarks.

Highlights from the opening statements to the committee include:

Acting USOC President Bill Martin said, "Three interrelated areas lie at the base of the organization's current difficulty: USOC management, structure, and accountability. Almost equally important is the need to identify and agree on the USOC's mission, or, more realistically, agree on how to balance the many and often competing missions of the USOC as demanded by ourselves, our constituent organizations, Congress and the American people."

Former USOC Exec Dir Harvey Schiller: "New York is the candidate city of the United States for the Games of 2012, and it needs the support of a stable and successful (USOC) to have the chance of making its bid become a reality."

USOC Exec Committee & BOD Member Jim McCarthy: "The mission of the USOC needs to be clear and focused.  The fuzzy, wide ranging mission possibilities inherent in … the USOC's mission statement tempt the organization to try and be all things to all people. As a result, Board membership expands, precious resources are diverted to non-mission specific activities and the role and function of the USOC becomes muddled."

USOC NGB Chair Robert Marbut: "I am concerned that the public controversy involving the USOC will spill over to the NGB's, thus deleteriously impacting the ability of many of them to attract corporate sponsorship dollars from entities that fail to distinguish between the USOC and its constituent members."

Athletes Advisory Council Chair Rachel Godino: "The organization, and the athletes it serves, would benefit greatly from both clear priorities and a streamlined and effective decision-making process.  Any decision that has staying power – whether right or wrong – would be better than the indecision and lack of clarity that we face today."

Olympic Gold Medalist wrestler Rulon Gardner: "This current controversy has been upsetting to the athletes, because we truly care about the Olympic movement.  However, the hubbub about the USOC has not affected my ability to train, nor has it taken away the support that I need.  Not yet" (THE DAILY).

FALCONS TODAY INTRODUCE NEW LOGO, UNIFORMS TO COME

The Falcons today introduced a redesign of the team's logo, the first change since the team was founded in '66.  The logo, which was designed in conjunction with NFLP, is now available on apparel at all Champs Sports locations in the metro Atlanta area.  The team will unveil uniforms featuring the new logo in mid-April (THE DAILY).

SELIG DISCUSSES CANCELLATION ON "THE DAN PATRICK SHOW"

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig was a guest this afternoon on ESPN Radio's "The Dan Patrick Show," and discussed the cancellation of the Mariners-A's series in Japan.  Selig: "I began late last week already to sense that this week was going to be a critical week.  I had everything on hold, but yet all of the plans were moving – the teams were supposed to leave today.  The more I began to think about it, I thought about all of these players and our staff and myself in Japan.  And while Japan is a very, very safe place, … I know how nervous the players were and I thought to myself unless there is something that I don't know, I really need to think about this thing.  I agonized."  Selig added that he had talked to sources within the White House "because I really wanted to do the right thing" ("The Dan Patrick Show," ESPN Radio, 3/19).

RICH MCKAY SAYS HISTORY PROVES OT RULE WILL NOT BE CHANGED

NFL Exec VP/Communications & Public Affairs Joe Browne, NFL VP/Communications Greg Aiello and Bucs GM & NFL Competition Committee co-Chair Rich McKay participated in a conference call today to preview the NFL Owners Meetings, which begins Sunday in Phoenix.

Regarding the proposal to increase the number of playoffs from 12 to 14, McKay said, "From the committee's perspective, we kind of look at it the same way as we did when we went into these eight division of four (teams).  Let's give it two years.  Let's figure out if there are any inequities in this system and then let's see is it appropriate to expand the playoffs."

On the several proposals to change the OT format, McKay said, "The only one that really is worthy of consideration, if we're going to make a change, is the two possession format.  The committee itself remains split on support of that and it will be interesting to see how that vote comes out."  When pressed for a prediction on the outcome of the vote, McKay said, "The history of our league tells us that rules that have been in place this long take two to three years before they get changed.  They don't tend to happen in the first year that something is voted upon" (THE DAILY).

BUZZER BEATERS

Sporting News this week offers its NFL Draft preview and features NFL prospect Terrell Suggs, under the header, "Freak, Too."

Sports Illustrated this week offers its NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament preview.  The cover features all 65 teams, each represented by a player, mascot, cheerleader, coach, fan or band member.  Also featured are broadcasters Dick Vitale, Billy Packer and Dick Enberg, each making their first cover appearance, while Bill Walton makes his 15^th appearance.

As first reported in The Daily, ESPN Magazine's fifth anniversary issue features Serena Williams, Tiffeny Milbrett, Diana Taurasi and Michelle Wie, under the header, "Now."  The cover pays homage to the magazine's first issue, which featured Kobe Bryant, Eric Lindros, Alex Rodriguez and Kordell Stewart, under the header, "Next."

Sporting News	Sports Illustrated
ESPN Magazine	ESPN Magazine

Ahead today announced they have renewed their partnership with the PGA of America's Golf Retirement Plus program to include headgear, the Authentics apparel line, the Kate Lord Collection of women's hats and the "Heavy Metal" line of accessories (THE DAILY).

The Red Sox today officially announced that the team will offer 17 Family Bargain Games during the '03 season, which feature a 25% price reduction on most tickets.  The special pricing was implemented when tickets went on sale February 1, but was not announced until today (THE DAILY).

Tonight's scheduled Sharks-Avalanche game at Pepsi Center has been postponed due to the snowstorm in Denver.  The NHL made the decision to postpone the game after consulting with Denver Mayor Wellington Webb (THE DAILY).

The Indians today announced the opening of their newest Team Shop at Great Northern Mall in Cleveland.  It is the team's ninth retail outlet (THE DAILY).

TONIGHT'S EVENTS

Nike will announce its Q3 '03 earnings during a 5:00pm ET conference call (THE DAILY).

MLS Galaxy VP & GM Doug Hamilton and MF Mauricio Cienfuegos will host a 2:00pm PT news conference at The Home Depot Center to make an announcement regarding the L.A. sports community (THE DAILY).

The opening ceremonies for the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships will be held at the Hale Center in K.C. from 6:00-9:00pm CT (THE DAILY).

CHANNEL SURFING

Surfer Bill Bryan and skateboarder Danny Way will be on FSN's "54321" at 5:30pm ET.

ESPN will air Celtics-Pacers at 7:00pm ET.

ESPN will air NCAA men's basketball: Neveda-Texas Tech in the NIT at 9:30pm ET.

ESPN2 will air NCAA men's basketball NIT games: Ohio State-Georgia Tech at 7:00pm ET and Hawaii-UNLV at midnight ET.

PGA Tour player John Daly, WWE wrestler Chris Jericho, "West Wing" actor Richard Schiff and director Tommy Schlamme are scheduled to appear on FSN's "BDSSP."

HBO will air the third installment of its boxing series, "Legendary Nights," featuring the Aaron Pryor-Alexis Arguello bout at 10:00pm ET.

A&E's "Biography" will profile Sally Field at 8:00pm ET.

E!'s "Revealed" will profile Selma Hayek at 10:00pm ET

Actress Bonnie Hunt will guest host CBS' "Late Show" at 11:35pm ET as David Letterman continues to recover from a case of the shingles.

HEADLINERS

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

TODAY'S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

The WASHINGTON POST's Fainaru & Timberg write of MLB's process for relocating the Expos, "In determining which city wins the prize, MLB officials have made clear that a new ballpark built primarily with public money will be a key. … In each location, officials are exploring unorthodox financing strategies to avoid using existing government resources.  The strategies allow politicians to tell constituents that the ballpark would not take money from other services, but it is unclear whether some of the strategies are workable or even legal" (WASHINGTON POST).

ESPN.com's Mark Kreidler wrote, "Of course sports should shut down if the U.S. invasion of Iraq begins this week. … There is a time for games, and the opening salvo of a war isn't the time.  And of course, sports should resume as quickly as possible after that, as quickly as it makes sense and feels respectful to do so" (ESPN.com).

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

TODAY'S TEASER…

Mindbenders: The following 18 letters can be anagrammed to form a five-word response meaning, "It isn't really important."

A D E G G H H I I N O O T T T T U V

IN OTHER NEWS……

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Vivendi Universal Entertainment Chair & CEO Barry Diller resigned today.  In a statement, Diller said, "Now that Vivendi Universal has begun a formal process in reviewing options for its entertainment assets, it is appropriate to step aside from any direct management responsibility."  It was not "not immediately clear if Diller's resignation signaled his intent to make a run at VUE" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/19).

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE notes that in a move that "has raised eyebrows in some legal and journalistic circles, Clear Channel radio stations in Atlanta, Cleveland, San Antonio, Cincinnati and other cities" have sponsored rallies endorsing President Bush's strategy against Saddam Hussein.  Former FCC Commissioner Glen Robinson said, "I can't say that this violates any of a broadcaster's obligations, but it sounds like borderline manufacturing of the news" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/19).

Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Andrew Conway today reduced his first-quarter earnings estimate for Coors Brewing "because of sluggish volume."  He is now expecting the company will post earnings of $0.33 per share, or a penny less than earlier thought (DENVER BUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/19).

THE DAILY STAT: PRIMETIME NIELSEN RATINGS

The following lists the final Nielsen ratings for the top ten primetime shows for the week of March 10-16.  Also provided are the weekly viewership averages for each net (USA TODAY, 3/19).

…TODAY'S ANSWER

"Don't give it a thought."

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

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