Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Closing Bell

Closing Bell, September 8, 2003

The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Monday, September 8, 2003
4:00pm ET

IPG Expected To Dissolve Sports & Entertainment Group, Realign Other Units

Eagles To Open The Linc Tonight; Lincoln Financial Chair Speaks About Deal

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Seeking $57,000 From NFL

ESPN To Air Season Premiere Of “The New American Sportsman” Tonight

Cameras Today Banned From Courtroom For Kobe Bryant’s Preliminary Hearing

Buzzer Beaters/Tonight’s Events/Channel Surfing/In Other News/The Daily Stat


IPG EXPECTED TO DISSOLVE SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

ADWEEKreports that inits drive to consolidate services and cut costs, IPG “is expected to dissolveits Sports and Entertainment Group and realign its six units with otherdivisions,” while sources have questioned the future of Chair & CEO Mark Dowley. Last week, an IPG rep discounted thespeculation, saying, “Mark Dowley remains chairman and CEO of Interpublic’sSports and Entertainment Group, and is in discussions with IPG regarding hisfuture role” (ADWEEK.com,9/8).


EAGLES TO OPEN THE LINC TONIGHT AS LINCOLN CHAIR TALKSDEAL

TheEagles will open Lincoln Financial Field tonight with a 9:00pm ET “MNF” gameagainst the Buccaneers. LincolnFinancial Group Chair & CEO JonBoscia appeared live on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” from the stadium today todiscuss the company’s 20-year, $139M naming-rights deal with the Eagles. Boscia: “What we’re really looking for outof this [deal], – is those situations where people are looking at a Lincolnproduct, there’s no doubt in their mind that they’ve heard of Lincoln FinancialGroup.” Boscia also lauded the deal’snational scope. Boscia noted Lincolnhas arrangements with Eagles QB DonovanMcNabb and K David Akers,with intentions to pursue agreements with other NFL players (“Power Lunch,”CNBC, 9/8).

TheEagles will host a 35-minute pregame show beginning at 8:30pm, including alaser light and fireworks displays and a flyover by F-16 jets (Eagles).


DC TRANSIT AUTHORITY SEEKS $57,000 CHECK FROM NFL FOR SERVICE

TheAP reports that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority today “madeit clear to NFL officials that it expects to be paid for the extra subwayservice provided for last week’s NFL Kickoff Festival on the NationalMall.” In a letter sent to NFLEntertainment Marketing Dir Tracy Perlman, the authority is seekingpayment of $57,000. There were 719,082rail trips taken last Thursday, “making it the ninth highest ridership day inthe subway system’s history” (AP,9/8).


DEION IS BACK IN PRIMETIME TONIGHT WITH “SPORTSMAN”PREMIERE

ESPNtonight will air the season premiere of “The New American Sportsman” at 10:00pm ET with new host Deion Sanders, followed by the seasonpremieres of “Totally Hooked” at 11:00pm and “Offshore Adventures” at 11:30pm.

InAtlanta, Mike Tierney writes, “The Sanders we knowwould appear as ill-fitted for this tranquil activity as Robin Williamsat a chessboard. … The first half of tonight’s premiere is all Sanders andthree pals, trolling for bass in Mexico. It’s followed immediately by actor Robert Duvall’s sailfishingexpedition in Costa Rica. In it – and,evidently, future segments – Sanders does not accompany the celebrity anglerbut merely reintroduces the subject after each commercial” (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 9/8).

InK.C., Brent Frazee writes of Sanders’ reaction to landing a bite, “He hoots andhollers and mugs for the camera as he fights an undoubtedly large bass. … Andyou can almost see the fish cower as Sanders continues his brash routine, doingeverything but spiking his catch and performing his trademark end-zone dance” (K.C. STAR,9/8).


BUZZER BEATERS

TheAP reports that cameras “will be banned from the courtroom during thepreliminary hearing in Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case” October 9 (AP,9/8).

TheHawks today announced three separate ticket plans for the ’03-04 season: aseven-, ten- and fifteen-game plan. Theseven-game plan, dubbed the “Magnificent Seven,” features games against the76ers, Cavaliers, Kings, Lakers, Magic, Pacers and Rockets (Hawks).

ScarboroughSports Marketing today announced that MLBP has selected the company forconsumer and fan research services. Under the contract, MLBP will utilize Scarborough’s Multi-Marketdatabase, a service that aggregates 75 local market studies, measuring over200,000 adults annually (Scarborough).

ESPNtoday announced that commentator Tim Ryan will serve as a play-by-playannouncer for the net’s coverage of Grand Slam tennis events, as well as selectESPN and ESPN2 college football games. Ryan will continue his work on select ESPN2 “Tuesday Night Fights” andESPN “Boxing Specials” (ESPN).

SportBrands Int’l, the holding company which recently purchased Fila, todayannounced that it has formed a multiyear strategic partnership withProline. Under the deal, Proline willassume sales and operations responsibilities for the Fila brand in the UK, aswell as assist in product design. PaulGroom will serve as Commercial Dir for Proline and Fila UK (Sport Brands).

MLStoday unveiled an initiative to educate and inform the soccer community aboutthe fight against breast cancer. Tosupport the initiative, league and team reps will participate in Sunday’s KomenN.Y. Race for the Cure, as well as observe a “moment of awareness” in each ofthe league’s ten stadiums this month and next (MLS).

Miami-basedBEVsystems Int’l today announced that Bills LB Takeo Spikes will endorseits Life 02 Super Oxygenated bottled water, who will join 49ers WR TerrellOwens in endorsing the product (BEVsystems Int’l).

HorizonProductions today reached an agreement with Pro Football HOFer LawrenceTaylor to coach Team Euphoria in the inaugural Lingerie Bowl. Former Bears QB Jim McMahon willcoach Team Dream (Horizon Productions).

The Predators today extended their affil agreement withthe ECHL Toledo Storm through the ’03-04 season (Predators).

7Up today renewed its sponsorship agreement with FLW Outdoors, retaining itsstatus as the official soft drink of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. 7 Up will sponsor all six of FLW Outdoors’tournament trails (FLW Outdoors).


A LIGHTER BUZZ

TheN.Y. DAILY NEWS reported that following Jennifer Capriati’s three-setdisappointing loss to Justine Henin-Hardenne in the U.S. Open semifinalsFriday night, Capriati’s “friend,” Matthew Perry, tried to console herby offering to go to the interview room and answer the press’ questions forher. Though Capriati declined, Perryhad his opening line ready: “It’s the last year of ‘Friends.’ What do you want to know?” (N.Y. DAILYNEWS, 9/7).


CHANNELSURFING

ABCwill air “ESPN’s Blunderful World ofSports” at 8:00pm ET.

ABCwill air Bucs-Eagles at 9:00pm ET.

ESPNwill air Monday Night Countdown at7:30pm ET.

ESPN2will air “The Sports Reporters Primetime”at 7:30pm ET.

ESPN2will air the WNBA playoffs: Monarchs-SparksGame 3 at 10:30pm ET.

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

ESPN’s“Outside The Lines Nightly” willexamine the return of American football to Cuba at midnight ET. The show also spent today in Manhattan withU.S. Open champion Andy Roddick.

NFLGiants DE Michael Strahan, Rams RB Marshall Faulk, rapper Nelly and actor Anthony Anderson are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”

FormerBills RB Thurman Thomas will be onThe Golf Channel’s “19th Hole”at 7:00pm ET.

Roddickwill appear on CBS’ “Late Show” with David Letterman at 11:35pmET.

WWEwrestler Chris Jericho will be onFX’ “The Orlando Jones Show” at11:00pm ET.

BoxerOscar De La Hoya will be on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno at 11:35pm ET.

A&E’s“Biography” will profile the soap opera “AllMy Children” at 8:00pm ET.


HEADLINERS

Here are tonight’s headline guests on thefollowing talk shows:

“Late Show” Jeff Black
“The Tonight Show” John Larroquette
“The Late Late Show” Juliette Lewis
“Late Night” Kim Cattrall (r)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” Wilmer Valderrama

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

ThePHILADELPHIA INQUIRER’s Larry Eichel wrote, “No team loses money in theNFL. It just isn’t done. But some make more than others. Relatively speaking, there are haves andhave-nots. With the opening of LincolnFinancial Field, the Eagles move emphatically into the ranks of thehaves.” Eichel offers some of the annualsources of added cash the Eagles will have at their new stadium (PHILADELPHIAINQUIRER).

TheL.A. DAILY NEWS’ Billy Witz wrote, “When Rose Bowl [GM] Darryl Dunnfirst set eyes on the new soccer stadium in Carson, he reacted just like theother thousand or so guests who attended the grand opening. His jaw dropped. But as Dunn, … surveyed the state-of-the-art Home Depot Center –from its clean design to its luxury suites and intimate seating – his heartsank. … Dunnhas good reason to worry” (L.A. DAILY NEWS).

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


TODAY’S TEASER…

Sports:Prior to AndyRoddick’s U.S. Open victory yesterday, who was the last American not named PeteSampras or Andre Agassi to win the men’s championship?


IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILYVARIETY reports that nothing “could have prepared DavidBlaine for the British reaction to his latest stunt, ‘David Blaine: Abovethe Below,’ which sees him suspended in a Plexiglas box above the River Thamesfor 44 days without food.” Over theweekend, the magician was “pelted with eggs while some keen golfers took theopportunity to practice their teeing off skills from Tower Bridge, using Blaineas their target” (DAILYVARIETY, 9/8).


THE DAILY STAT: N.Y. TIMES BESTSELLING NONFICTION

Thefollowing presents best-selling nonfiction books for the week ending September8 (NYTIMES.com, 9/8):

THIS WEEK
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1)
LIES (AND THE LYING LIARS WHO TELL THEM), Al Franken (Dutton)
2)
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Walter Isaacson (Simon & Schuster)
3)
UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN, Jon Krakauer (Doubleday)
4)
LIVING HISTORY, Hillary Rodham Clinton (Simon & Schuster)
5)
TREASON, Ann Coulter (Crown Forum)
6)
KATE REMEMBERED, A. Scott Berg (Putnam)
7)
SEABISCUIT: Special Illustrated Collector's Edition, Laura Hillenbrand (Random House)
8)
BIG LIES, Joe Conason (Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's)
9)
THIEVES IN HIGH PLACES, Jim Hightower (Viking)
10)
A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING, Bill Bryson (Broadway)

…TODAY’S ANSWER

JohnMcEnroe wonthe event in ’84, capping a seven-year stretch in which either he or JimmyConnors were victorious.


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

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

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2003/09/08/Closing-Bell-September-8-2003.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Closing-Bell/2003/09/08/Closing-Bell-September-8-2003.aspx

CLOSE