Closing Bell, September 2, 2003

NFL KICKOFF LIVE 2003 CONTINUES AT NATIONAL MALL IN DC

NFLKickoff Live 2003 continues today at the National Mall in DC, and theWASHINGTON POST reports that a crowd of more than 16,000 attended yesterday’sfestivities (WASHINGTONPOST, 9/2). Tonight’s eventsinclude clinics for children ages 6-15, and an autograph session with theRedskins cheerleaders, followed by a performance by the cheerleaders.

PresidentBush isscheduled to host representatives of the NFL, Jets and Redskins in the OvalOffice, where he will be presented with the first game ball of the ’03 season (WASHINGTONPOST, 8/29).

TheWASHINGTON TIMES reports that DC government officials expect the festival to“cause (traffic) delays through Thursday, when authorities will shut down moreroads running through and around the Mall” (WASHINGTONTIMES, 9/2).

SARS GOLF EVENT BENEFITING CITY OF TORONTO CANCELED

TheToronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that organizers for a proposed golf matchpitting Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam against Mike Weirand Lorie Kane to benefit Toronto following the SARS outbreak had “tentativelyscheduled a press conference” for today to announce that the event would beplayed September 23 at the Magna Golf Club, but “developments over the weekendderailed that plan.” A source said thatorganizers and sponsors were about $1.5M “short in funding to stage” the event(Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 9/2).

BLUE JAYS TO UNVEIL NEW LOGOS AND SNEAK PREVIEW OF ’04UNIS

SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reports that the Blue Jays tonightwill unveil new logos and ’04 uniforms, replacing marks “that date back to 1997,which fans viewed as ‘tired and dated.’” The new marks “incorporate many radical changes to the current marks,”including the word “Jays” and the letter “J” being featured – “not thecurrently used letter ‘T’ or the word ‘Blue.’” Colors for the new logos include a “more vibrant tone of the team’sblue,” as well as the introduction of a metallic silver (SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL, 9/1 issue).

NEWS FROM OVER THE WEEKEND…

TheFlames announced that oil and gas company Paramount Resources Chair & CEO ClayRiddell has become a member of the club’s ownership group (Flames).

TheWASHINGTON POST reported that the MLBPA has "received a requireddraft of the league's 2004 schedule, listing all 81 Expos home games inMontreal." While the schedule can be changed, MLBPA AssociateGeneral Counsel Gene Orza called chances of the Expos relocating tothe DC-area for '04 "probably as remote as it can be" (WASHINGTONPOST, 8/31).

TheNewark STAR-LEDGER reports that agents for U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ)and developer Charles Kushner spent the holiday weekend finalizingterms under which a purchase of the Nets "might take place,” andsources said that a deal “could be struck as early as the next couple ofdays" (NewarkSTAR-LEDGER, 9/2).

TheN.Y. TIMES reported that the YES Network filed suit in NY State Supreme Courtto stop Time Warner Cable from “charging its customers in New York $1 extra towatch its cable channel.” YES claimsTime Warner “violated an agreement to treat it equally with MSG Network and FoxSports New York” (N.Y. TIMES,8/30).

AROUND THE RINGS reportedthat the English language version of the ’08 Beijing Olympics Web site “hasapparently been hijacked by a loan company in the U.S. The home page www.beijing-olympic.org isnow in the business of seeking borrowers for home loans, and variations of theaddress supposedly have been registered with a company selling Internet domainnames” (AROUND THE RINGS, 9/1).

CFL+USA,a company formed by the CFL’s teams that is operating as the exclusiverepresentative of the league, yesterday announced a joint venture with TheFootball Network for the net to distribute second-half CFL games, playoffs andthe Grey Cup (CFL+USA).

TODAY’S BUZZER BEATERS

Hooters today announced thatCoastal Carolina Univ. will name its football stadium, which is currently underconstruction, Brooks Stadium after Hooters Chair & CEO Bob Brooks,who gave $2M to the school (Hooters).

Icy Splash Food &Beverage will sponsor the No. 55 Powers Motorsports Dodge Ram Truck driven by TomPowers on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series through the remainder of the’03 schedule. The car will carry IcySplash’s logo (Icy Splash).

The DENVER POST reports that JohnRoche, who was “charged with telephoning a death threat to the Eagle Countywoman” accusing Kobe Bryant of rape, pleaded not guilty to the chargetoday in U.S. District Court in Denver (DENVERPOST.com,9/2).

ATTENDANCEWATCH:

• The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reported that a record crowd of 57,862attended Sunday’s U.S. Open sessions at the National Tennis Center in FlushingMeadows, “breaking the one-day old mark” of 57,115 set on Saturday (N.Y.DAILY NEWS, 9/1).

• The 34,717 attending Sunday’s day session set thesingle session record for the fourth day in a row. Week one attendance was 381,891, which bettered the previousrecord of 371,131 in ’01 (USTA).

• The WASHINGTON POST reported that a crowd of 23,269 attendedSaturday’s El Salvador national team-DC United int’l friendly at RFK Stadium (WASHINGTONPOST, 8/31).

• The CHARLOTTE OBSERVER reported that a crowd ofapproximately 60,000 attended Sunday’s Mountain Dew Southern 500 at DarlingtonRaceway, the final Labor Day race at the venue (CHARLOTTEOBSERVER, 9/1).

• The BOSTON GLOBE reports that a crowd of 61,068 attendedyesterday’s Red Sox-Phillies game, the “largest crowd at the Vet since July 3,1986, and the largest Labor Day attendance in Phillies history” (BOSTONGLOBE, 9/2). The Phillies gaveaway Mike Schmidt bobbleheads (THE DAILY).

• The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that theMarlins surpassed the 1 million mark in attendance with Monday’s crowd of12,413, giving the team 1,010,064 in attendance for the season. The Marlins beat the Expos 5-2, in the 69^thhome game of the season (Ft.Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 9/2).

• The HARTFORD COURANT reported that a crowd of 38,109attended Saturday’s Indiana-UConn game, the inaugural game at Rentschler Field,where UConn won its first Division I-A football game, 34-10 (HARTFORDCOURANT, 9/1).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

TheCHICAGO TRIBUNE reported that beginning this week, a German women’s soccer team“will take to the field sporting jerseys recommending that their fans visit alocal brothel.” “X-Carree: Always Worth a Visit” will be “emblazoned across thewomen’s chests after the brothel, owned by a real estate company in the easterncity of Halle, agreed to pay for the Teutschenthal women’s new gray and reduniforms” (CHICAGOTRIBUNE, 8/31).

WEEKEND RAP…

Thefollowing are excerpts from the panelists’ “parting shots” on Sunday’s editionof ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters”:

• Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan: “One of the stories surrounding the pitiful Detroit Tigers season is whether or not manager Alan Trammell should allow pitchers Mike Maroth and Jeremy Bonderman to lose 20 games, like they’d be traumatized for life. Oh please. These are the Tigers, nobody expects these guys to win. Some great pitchers have lost 20. Walter Johnson, who some people think is the greatest of them all, once lost 20. Steve Carlton once lost 20. It so bothered him, he came back to win three more Cy Youngs. … So much of winning and losing for a pitcher is circumstance. … If Maroth pitched for Boston, he’d have at least ten wins, maybe 12. … Guys, demand the ball, you’ll have our respect.”

• N.Y. Daily News’ Mike Lupica: “The great thing about sports for all of us who love sports is the surprise it gives us almost on a daily basis. We come to our games every day and say the same thing, ‘Surprise us.’ Only now the surprises, all of them off the field, outside the arena, come at us too fast and much too furiously. And they’re all the wrong kind. … It’s not the kind of surprise we want from sports, but we’re getting used to it. In a sports world where we realize more and more that we can no longer count on anything or anybody. … The only thing we can count on is the games, which is all we should’ve counted on in the first place.”

• NBC Sports’ Jimmy Roberts, on Pete Sampras’ retirement: “I’m gonna miss Pete Sampras. … You can look back on the history of sports, all sports, and you mostly get one of two things; either the amazingly skilled or supremely gracious. You don’t usually get both in one package, but with Pete, you did. … It may sound trite to say, but I don’t think I know of a classier guy in any sport. He never thought too much of himself. He left that to the rest of us. And in the end, he went out on his own terms. … Thanks Pete, we’re going to miss you. Now you can concentrate on the important stuff, your family and your golf game.”

• ESPN’s John Saunders: “I’ve had a couple of dreams my entire life: to play in the National Hockey League and to rock the stage at Madison Square Garden. … Now it turns out my dreams can come true. Just ask Phil Mickelson, who this week had a tryout with the Detroit Tigers’ top farm team, the Toledo Mud Hens. Twenty-one wins on the PGA Tour, but his first major could be the major leagues. … Mickelson says he got the idea while playing catch to loosen his rotator cuff. Now this morning, I cleared my throat, but does that mean I’m ready for Carnegie Hall? … This would be his dream come true, … but what about a victory in the Masters? How about an Open win before a baseball whim?”

TONIGHT’S EVENTS

TheUSTA will honor Michael Chang with a retirement ceremony between eveningsession matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

TheNBA will host a 3:30pm ET conference call to discuss Friday’s Naismith MemorialBasketball HOF 2003 induction ceremony. Master of Ceremonies Marv Albert and inductees James Worthyand Robert Parish will participate (NBA).

PackersPresident & CEO Bob Harlan will be honored at a 5:00pm CT ceremonywith the dedication of Lambeau Field’s main entrance as the “Robert E. HarlanPlaza.”

THIS WEEK IN SISTER PUBLICATION SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL…

TheNFL Season Preview includes an exclusive Q&A with NFL Commissioner PaulTagliabue. Other NFL featuresinclude a report that NFL advertising sales have outperformed marketprojections with 8-9% rate increases; a look at NFL Network before its November4 launch; a discussion over the growing disparity among stadium revenues; alist of league sponsors; and more.

CHANNELSURFING

USANetwork will air coverage of the U.S.Open at 7:00pm ET.

ESPNwill air the second episode of “Playmakers”at 9:00pm ET, followed by an encore presentation at 10:00pm ET.

ESPN2will air the WNBA playoffs: Rockers-ShockGame 3 at 7:00pm ET.

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

ESPN’s“OTL Nightly”will examine drug policies in sports at 1:00am ET on ESPN.

Oxygen will airWNBA playoffs:Monarchs-Comets Game 3 at 9:00pm ET.

U.S.women’s soccer team members Julie Foudyand Aly Wagner, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, Astros P Billy Wagner, sprinter Jon Drummond, Univ. of TX footballcoach Mack Brown, former MLBer Ron Darling, former NFLer Ray Crockett and Arsenio Hall are scheduled to appear on FSN's “BDSSP.”

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

E!’s “True Hollywood Story”will profile Jenna Jameson at 8:00pmET.

HEADLINERS

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

THE DAILY STAT: TOP SPORTS SITES FOR WEEK ENDINGAUGUST 17

Thefollowing are the top five sports Web sites ranked according to home uniqueaudience for the week ending August 17, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Unique Audience = the number of persons in thousands accessing the site ornetwork, with each counted only once. Average time spent = the averageamount of time a visitor has spent at that property for the week. Thisdata is based on 37,000 home users with Internet access (Nielsen//NetRatings).

TODAY’S TEASER…

NickNolte, whoplayed footballer Phil Elliott in “North Dallas Forty,” played collegiatefootball for three different universities. For which of the following schools did he not play?

A)Arizona State University
B)Eastern Arizona Junior College
C)Pasadena City College|
D)Northern Arizona University

IN OTHER NEWS……

BROADCASTING& CABLE reports that a TNS Media Intelligence/CMR study reveals that U.S.ad expenditures reached $61.6B in the first half of ’03, a 6.8% increase overthe same period a year ago. Fifteen ofthe 16 measured media experienced growth, with broadcast rising 4.7% to $31.3Band print rising 8.6% to $25.8B (BROADCASTING& CABLE, 9/1).

TheAP reports that Vivendi Universal SA and GE agreed today to"enter exclusive negotiations to merge Vivendi's U.S. entertainmentassets" and NBC. Vivendi said that if a final agreement isreached, "the new company would be 80 percent owned by GE and 20 percent byVivendi" (AP,9/2).

TheN.Y. TIMES reported that Ticketmaster later this year “plans to beginauctioning the best seats to concerts” through its Web site (N.Y. TIMES, 9/1).

WEEKEND BOXOFFICE

…TODAY’S ANSWER

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dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

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