| | The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Monday, August 18, 2003
4:00pm ET | |
| |
| • | CART Shares Fall Nearly One-Third After Announcement Of Proposed Buyout |
| • | ESPN Today Announces Plan To Televise ‘04 NFL Pro Bowl In Primetime |
| • | USTA, IBM Today Re-Launch USOpen.org With Expanded Features |
| • | Red Sox Today Unveil Big Concourse Details: More Restrooms, ATMs, TVs |
| • | ESPN Plus, Chambers Announce Five-Year Univ. of OR Programming Deal |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Tonight’s Events/Channel Surfing/In Other News/The Daily Stat |
CART TODAY ANNOUNCES RECEIPT OF BUYOUT PROPOSAL LETTER
CARTtoday announced that it has received a proposal from Open Wheel Racing Series(OWRS) to enter into a letter of intent for the acquisition of all of theoutstanding shares of CART for $0.50 per share. Although CART declined to sign the letter of intent, it isengaged in negotiations with OWRS, which is a newly formed holding companyowned indirectly by a group of investors including Gerald Forsythe, KevinKalkhoven, Paul Gentilozzi, Carl Russo and Motorock LLC. The group currently owns approximately 23%of CART’s outstanding shares (CART).
BLOOMBERGNEWS reports that shares of CART fell as much as 32% after the announcement, asOWRS “offered to buy the company for less than a third of what the stock hadbeen trading at” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/18). As of presstime, shares of CART were down $0.58, or 31.69%, to$1.25.
NFL PRO BOWL RETURNS TO ESPN AFTER NINE-YEAR RUN ON ABC
ESPNtoday announced that it will televise the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday, February 8,2004, at 7:30pm ET, marking the game’s return to the net following nineconsecutive years on ABC Sports. ESPNwill complement its coverage with a variety of studio and feature programming,including on-site editions of “SportsCenter” and “Sunday NFL Countdown.” ESPN’s “Sunday Night Football” announcingteam will work the game (ESPN).
RE-LAUNCHED USOPEN.ORG TO FEATURE IBM REAL-TIME SCOREBOARD
The USTA and IBM todayannounced the re-launch of USOpen.org,which offers video programming, expanded match analysis, interactivebehind-the-scenes access and exclusive product offerings. The Web site also will feature the IBMReal-Time Scoreboard for all matches. The USTA produces, designs, manages and creates all of the content andprogramming for the site, which last year generated record traffic across theboard, including 12.9 million visits and 125 million page views from fans in166 countries. IBM, the USTA’s ITpartner for the past seven years, develops and hosts the site (USTA).
RED SOX TODAY UNVEIL DETAILS OF THE BIG CONCOURSE
The Red Sox today unveiledthe Big Concourse, an expanded area beneath the right field stands and centerfield bleachers, offering new concessions, kitchens, restrooms, waterfountains, picnic tables, ATMs, TVs and centers for Fan Services and FirstAid. The expansion doubles the BigConcourse’s width from 30 to 60 feet. The new concession stands provide 25 new points of sale, up from 56 to81, a 45% increase. The stadium willnow feature six ATMs, up from two at the beginning of this season (Red Sox).
LATINO SPORTS GROUP SPORTIVO LAUNCHES TODAY WITH L.A. HQs
RLPublic Relations + Marketing today announced the launch of Latino sports groupSportivo, which will be based in L.A. with offices in Mexico City and BuenosAires. The group’s capabilities willinclude media and community relations, brand marketing and sponsorships, professionalathlete publicity and sports and special events (RL Public Relations +Marketing).
ESPN PLUS, CHAMBERS COMMUNICATIONS REACH UNIV. OF OR DEAL
ESPNPlus/Oregon Sports Network and Eugene-based Chambers Communications todayannounced a five-year agreement that will allow Chambers to continue to produceand televise Univ. of OR sports programming, as it has done for the past threeyears. Chambers will produceapproximately 109 hours of original programming per year, up from nearly 80hours of programming last year (ESPN Plus).
BUZZER BEATERS
GreekPremier Costas Simitis, today on Athens’ preparations for the ’04Olympics: “Problems? They existtoday. That is exactly why we are doingthe test events: to see where there are shortcomings. We do not have theillusions that everything is perfect – anything but. But because of this, we want to go forward with plans anddecisiveness” (AP,8/18).
PremierManagement Group today announced that it has signed Olympic Gold Medalist speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno to a representation deal (Premier ManagementGroup).
TheBlackhawks and their AHL affil, the Norfolk Admirals, today announced that theyhave signed an affiliation agreement with the ECHL Florence Pride for the‘03-04 hockey season (Blackhawks).
TheECHL today announced that it has signed a two-year agreement with NJ-basedDewhirst Design to be the league’s official print and design firm. In addition to exposure in the league’s 31markets, Dewhirst receives in-arena signage and print and broadcast mediaaround the ’04 Par-A-Dice/ECHL All-Star Game & Skills Competition (ECHL).
U.S.Team Captain Jack Nicklaus and Int’l Team Captain Gary Playertoday announced their Captain’s Choices for the ‘03 Presidents Cup, which willbe played November 17-23 at Fancourt Hotel & Country Club Estate in George,South Africa. Nicklaus selected JayHaas and Fred Funk, while Player selected K.J. Choi and TimClark (PGA Tour).
BaseballHOFer Mike Schmidt said yesterday that a decision on Pete Rose’sreinstatement “will be made and announced some time after the WorldSeries.” Schmidt met with MLBCommissioner Bud Selig and two of Rose’s other former teammates – JohnnyBench and Joe Morgan – last month at the HOF (CINCINNATIENQUIRER, 8/18).
LOUISVILLEBUSINESS FIRST reports that Kentucky Speedway and the Univ. of KY ChandlerMedical Center “have extended a medical services partnership” through ’05,under which the center is the official medical provider of the speedway (BIZJOURNALS.com,8/18).
TheBowling Proprietors’ Association of America today announced a new idea-exchangeprogram, whereby member centers are asked to submit marketing ideas to sharewith fellow member centers. Submissionswill be posted on the association’s official Website (BPAA).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
TheATLANTA CONSTITUTION asks, “Is there a Madden curse?” Following Falcons QB Michael Vick’s injury Saturday nightin a preseason game against the Ravens, the newspaper notes that since“Electronic Arts began putting NFL players on the cover, all four coversubjects have either had injuries or suffered a decline in performance.” The others: Rams RB Marshall Faulk(‘03), Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper (‘02) and Titans RB Eddie George(’01) (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 8/17).
TONIGHT’S EVENTS
TheNBA will host the 3rd Annual Back-To-School Style Preview at the NBAStore in N.Y., beginning at 6:00pm ET. Bucks F Tim Thomas, Liberty G Becky Hammon, Sun F NykeshaSales will join Pepsi endorser Hallie Kate Eisenberg to model thelatest NBA and WNBA fashions for the upcoming school year.
CHANNELSURFING
ABCwill air preseason Bucs-Rams at8:00pm ET.
ESPNwill air Angels-White Sox at 8:00pmET.
ESPN2will air the Little League World Seriesat 5:00pm ET and 7:00pm ET.
ESPNClassic’s “SportsCentury” will profile part one of Billy Martin at 8:00pm ET.
ESPN’s“Outside The Lines Nightly” willexamine the purpose of the NFL preseason at midnight ET. The show will also look at Tommy Johnsurgery.
NBAtwin brothers — Nets C Jason Collinsand Jazz C Jarron Collins –billiards player Ewa Laurance and FXtalk show host Orlando Jones arescheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”
TheGolf Channel will premiere “SecondSeason” at 6:00pm ET, a new show hosted by Hal Sutton that highlights golfers’ fishing and huntingpursuits. Jack Nicklaus is tonight’s guest.
HBO willair an encore presentation of the documentary “:03 From Gold” at 7:00pm ET.
TheTravel Channel’s “Secrets” willfeature the world’s most dangeroussports events at 9:00pm ET.
A&E’s“Biography” will profile Jane Pauleyat 8:00pm ET.
VH1premieres “I Love the ‘70s” with twoepisodes at 9:00pm ET and 10:00pm ET.
HEADLINERS
Here are tonight’s headline guests on thefollowing talk shows:
| “Late Show” | Eugene Levy (r) |
| “The Tonight Show” | Colin Farrell (r) |
| “The Late Late Show” | Robert Evans |
| “Late Night” | Luke Wilson (r) |
| “Jimmy Kimmel Live” | Mark-Paul Gosselaar |
TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST
TheWASHINGTON POST’s Charles Duhigg writes of Baltimore-based Under ArmourPerformance Apparel, “Today, the company has 235 employees and sells its ninelines of clothing in 4,500 stores. Customers include 101 major college football teams, players from 28 NFLteams and thousands of high school and teenage athletes.” The company is an official supplier to MLB,the NHL, MLS and the U.S. Ski Team (WASHINGTON POST).
TheDALLAS MORNING NEWS’ Richard Alm wrote, “Acres ofvacant land around American Airlines Center may reflect unfulfilled promise,but the arena’s finances remain on track even in the face of a slackeconomy. Afew weeks into its third year of operations, the $420[M] building has keptbusy, drawing about 3 million customers to nearly 200 sports and entertainmentevents a year. ... But the success of AAC continues to cast a cloud overReunion Arena” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS).
SeeThe Daily Insider’s Articles ofInterest section for more sports business-related links.
TODAY’S TEASER…
Sports:The 10,000thhome run in Fenway Park history was hit last Saturday, August 9. Who hit it?
IN OTHER NEWS…
Lowe’stoday released its Q2 ’03 earnings, and the AP reports that the company posteda $597M profit, up 28% from a $467M profit in the same period a year earlier,as “homeowners caught up on spring projects delayed by cold and wetweather.” Sales increased 17%, from$7.49B to $8.77B. Comparable storesales increased 6.9% (AP, 8/18). As of presstime, shares of Lowe’s were up $3.01, or 6.16%, to $51.91.
TheL.A. BUSINESS JOURNAL cited a ComScore Media Metrix report as stating thatDisney’s Movies.com, a Web site offeringmovie reviews, trailers and local show times, “is the fastest-growing generalmovie site.” The site’s trafficincreased more than 53% from June to July, and by 65% since July ’02 (BIZJOURNALS.com,8/18).
THE DAILY STAT: N.Y. TIMES BESTSELLING NONFICTION
Thefollowing presents best selling nonfiction books for the week ending August 9 (NYTIMES.com,8/18):
| THIS WEEK | HARDCOVER NONFICTION |
| 1) | KATE REMEMBERED, A. Scott Berg (Putnam) |
| 2) | BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Walter Isaacson (Simon & Schuster) |
| 3) | UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN, Jon Krakauer (Doubleday) |
| 4) | TREASON, Ann Coulter (Crown Forum) |
| 5) | LIVING HISTORY, Hillary Rodham Clinton (Simon & Schuster) |
| 6) | SEABISCUIT: Special Illustrated Collector's Edition, Laura Hillenbrand (Random House) |
| 7) | THE KENNEDY CURSE, Edward Klein (St. Martin's) |
| 8) | MONEYBALL, Michael Lewis (Norton) |
| 9) | WENDY'S GOT THE HEAT, Wendy Williams and Karen Hunter (Atria) |
| 10) | A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING, Bill Bryson (Broadway) |
…TODAY’S ANSWER
Red Sox 1B Kevin Millar hit the historic shotoff of Orioles P Travis Driskill.
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