Closing Bell, July 15, 2003

MLB ALL-STAR GAME: FOX’ COVERAGE, RATINGS, SECURITY

TheWhite Sox will host the 74^th MLB All-Star Game tonight at U.S.Cellular Field in Chicago, with Fox beginning coverage at 8:00pm ET. For the first time ever, the winning leaguewill earn home field advantage in the World Series.

Fox’pre-game festivities will be hosted by Jeanne Zelasko and KevinKennedy. Vanessa Carltonwill sing the American national anthem, followed by Michael Bublesinging the Canadian national anthem. JoeBuck will provide the play-by-play with Tim McCarver asanalyst. Steve Lyons and Kennedywill report from the dugouts (Fox).

FoxProducer Mike Weisman, on changes to the coverage because of the WorldSeries tie: “(Director) Bill Webb and I are approaching this game likeit’s a postseason playoff game. Withless to concentrate on off the field, we’re cutting back the number of camerasfrom 15 to 11. Because of the change,there will be no more miked managers or interviewing of players while they stillare in the game” (USA TODAY, 7/15).

RATINGS: The following presents aNielsen ratings trend for the MLB All-Star Game since ’98 (THE DAILY):

In Minneapolis, Judd Zulgadwrites, “Fox and [MLB’s] multi-million dollar advertising campaign fortonight’s All-Star Game has been ‘This time it counts.’ What both sides really are hoping is ‘Thistime it rates,’ as in a much higher television audience than last year.” Zulgad notes that last season’s 9.5 finalNielsen rating was the lowest since the All-Star Game moved to prime time in’70 (MinneapolisSTAR-TRIBUNE, 7/15).

MLB Exec VP/BaseballOperations Sandy Alderson appeared live on CNBC’s “Open Exchange” fromU.S. Cellular Field, and said when asked by CNBC’s Scott Wapner if the changesaround the All-Star Game “have to do with poor ratings in the past”: “I don’tthink it necessarily has to do with poor ratings. I do think it has to do with the popularity of the game andtrying to make it more popular with fans, not only at the ballpark, but also athome. … We want to continue to improve [the event].” (“Open Exchange,” CNBC,7/15).

SECURITY: The host White Sox and MLB“must worry about terrorism but also need to keep fans in the stands.” For the latter, MLB Senior VP/Security KevinHallinan said that ushers will practice “ticket discipline,” ensuring thatpeople are in their proper seats (USA TODAY, 7/15).

RINGINGTRUE: TheSportsBusiness Journal’s Bill King writes from Chicago that new Angels Owner ArturoMoreno bought a defending World Champion, but has opted against purchasing oneof the traditional accoutrements that go with that status. Moreno, who watched last night’s Home RunDerby from MLB’s VIP box behind home plate, was not wearing a World Seriesring. Moreno: “The Angels won the ringlast year and I wasn’t part of that. I’ll wear a ring if I’m part of earning it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be right. When we win another one, I promise you, I’ll wear a ring with pride” (THEDAILY).

U.S. CELLULAR CEO JOHN ROONEY DISCUSSES EXPOSURE IN CHICAGO

U.S.Cellular CEO John Rooney appeared live on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” from U.S.Cellular Field, where he discussed his company’s 23-year, $68M stadium namingrights deal with the White Sox. Rooney,on the exposure he expects to receive from tonight’s nationally-televised game:“We get very, very broad national exposure, plus extremely high coverage in theChicago area, which is really why we entered into the transaction with theWhite Sox. Chicago is our hometown, butwe hadn’t had any business here, so trying to get our brand established in theface of the competition here, this gives us a tremendous opportunity toacquaint the Chicago fans with the name U.S. Cellular.” Rooney, on the naming-rights investment: “Wedid a fairly-detailed analysis of how this measured up against other alternateuses of that money. It’s really $3.4[M]a year over 20 years – that’s a small part of our advertising budget” (“PowerLunch,” CNBC, 7/15).

TheFt. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that AT&T “has been polling Chicagoansand encouraging them to call 1-877-WE-CALL-IT to answer whether they still callthe south side stadium Comiskey.” AT&T claims that of the 2,663 people polled, 79% still call itComiskey. The company is also handingout 12,000 free T-shirts around All-Star Game events, reading “I Still Call itComiskey” (Ft.Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 7/15).

CAMPBELL VOWS TO FILIBUSTER USOC REFORM LEGISLATION

TheAP reports that U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) today introducedlegislation to restructure the USOC. The bill “drastically scales back the USOC’s unwieldy governing bodies,provides more congressional oversight of the committee’s functions and extendswhistleblower protection to Olympic employees.” A key obstacle to the bill could come from U.S. Sen. BenNighthorse Campbell (R-CO), who “vowed to filibuster the measure if it doesnot make” Colorado Springs the USOC’s permanent HQs. Campbell wanted the bill to designate the CO city as the HQs, butMcCain refused (AP,7/15).

FORMER COWBOYS PRESIDENT & GM TEX SCHRAMM DIES TODAY

TheDALLAS MORNING NEWS reports that former Cowboys President & GM TexSchramm died this morning at his Dallas home at the age of 83. Schramm was inducted into the Pro FootballHOF in ‘91 (DALLASMORNING NEWS, 7/15).

NFLCommissioner Paul Tagliabue: “Tex Schramm was one of the visionaryleaders in sports history – a thinker, doer, innovator and winner with fewequals. He played a major role inbuilding the NFL into America’s passion by developing a glamour franchise withnational appeal and by his leadership on so many league issues” (NFL).

CowboysOwner Jerry Jones: “On behalf of the entire Dallas Cowboys organization,its players, coaches and fans, we express our deepest sympathy to the SchrammFamily and everyone whose life was touched by Tex. His ultimate legacy is that of a family man and a football man,and he was a champion in both pursuits. His essence and influence nurtured the Dallas Cowboys from an expansionteam to America’s Team” (Cowboys).

ProFootball HOF coach Don Shula: “I truly believe he had as much, or moreto do with the success of professional football as anyone who has ever beenconnected with the league” (Dolphins).

BUZZER BEATERS

WhileTNT hold the U.S. cable rights, ESPN today announced that it has reached a newfour-year agreement for int’l rights to the British Open through ’06. Under the agreement, ESPN Int’l will be theexclusive cable and satellite broadcaster of the British Open for 65 countriesand territories throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East andNorth Africa. The agreement alsoincludes rights to the Senior and Women’s British Opens (THE DAILY).

ThePortland OREGONIAN reports that the Trail Blazers will name former Nets GM JohnNash as GM tomorrow, “ending a search of nearly three months for areplacement for Bob Whitsitt” (PortlandOREGONIAN, 7/15).

Yankees2B Alfonso Soriano today signed a multiyear agreement with CO-based ProSports MVP that calls for the firm to exclusively represent Soriano in allmarketing and promotion activities. Inturn, Pro Sports MVP has retained the services of N.Y.-based sports PR andmarketing agency Silverman Media & Marketing Group to assist in theeffort. Soriano last week named SFX’ DiegoBentz as his contract rep (THE DAILY).

TheAP reports that safety belt manufacturer Bill Simpson today “dropped adefamation lawsuit that accused NASCAR of wrongly blaming his former company’s seatbelt for Dale Earnhardt’s death.” The $8.5M suit was “filed last year in Indianapolis and was set fortrial in September, but Simpson and NASCAR representatives resolved theirdifferences” yesterday (AP, 7/15).

Bruce Springsteentonight begins a sold-out, ten-concert run tonight at Giants Stadium, and theAP reported that NJSEA President George Zoffinger “acknowledges thatSpringsteen is to thank for a major portion of Giants Stadium’s projectedprofit of $21[M] this year” (AP, 7/14).

CHANNELSURFING

Andre Agassi andESPY host Jamie Foxx will be on ESPN’s “Rome is Burning” at 7:00pm ET.

ESPNwill air a new episode of “Beg, Borrow& Deal 2” at 8:00pm ET.

ESPNClassic’s “SportsCentury” will profile GregNorman at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN’s“Outside The Lines Nightly” willexamine the declining participation of black athletes in baseball at midnight ET. The program will also remember Schramm.

Foxwill air the 74^th MLBAll-Star Game at 8:00pm ET.

Serena Williams will be on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno at 11:35pm ET.

A&E’s“Biography” will profile Betty Whiteat 8:00pm ET.

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

HEADLINERS

Hereare tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

USATODAY’s Mel Antonen offers tenways MLB could improve the game, writing, “Intoday’s oversaturated sports world, the status quo is not enough. Sports leagues must have vision andcreativity, plus a willingness to change with the times. … Because fans demandit.” Antonen writes of the suggestions,“Many of them might sound costly, but we ask that everybody in MLB stopworrying about today’s bottom line and start investing in the game’s future” (USATODAY).

SeeThe Daily Insider’s Articles ofInterest section for more sports business-related links.

TODAY’S TEASER…

Sports& Entertainment: Name the only MLBer appearing in this year’s All-Star Game who had arole in the ’93 film “Rookie of the Year.”

IN OTHER NEWS……

TheAP reports that U.S. shoppers “emerged from a lull and got into the buyinggroove in June, driving up sales at the nation’s retailers by 0.5[%], the bestshowing in three months.” The increase,reported by the Commerce Department today, “came after retail sales were flatin May.” The top-sellers in June werebuilding and garden supplies, sporting goods, clothing and furniture (AP,7/15).

BROADCASTING& CABLE reports that HDNet/HD Movies “have licensed 58 films from New LineTelevision in a long-term deal.” Inaddition to 48 New Line library titles, the two services “will share networkwindows for recent films,” including “The Astronaut’s Wife,” “Blow,” “Life as aHouse” and “Simone” (BROADCASTING& CABLE, 7/15).

THE DAILY STAT: TOP SPORTS SITES FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNE 29

Thefollowing are the top five sports Web sites ranked according to home uniqueaudience for the week ending June 29, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Unique Audience = the number of persons inthousands accessing the site or network, with each counted only once. Average time spent = the average amount oftime a visitor has spent at that property for the week. This data isbased on 50,000 home users with Internet access (Nielsen//NetRatings).

…TODAY’S ANSWER

Giants LF Barry Bonds

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