Closing Bell, September 9, 2003

NASCAR TODAY RELEASES ’04 NEXTEL CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

NASCARtoday released schedule for the ‘04 Nextel Cup and Busch Series. The Cup slate remains at 36 races, plus twospecial events – the Budweiser Shootout and the all-star race formerly calledThe Winston. The biggest change fromthe current season is the addition of a second race at California Speedway onLabor Day weekend. Darlington Raceway’straditional Labor Day date moves to November 14. North Carolina Motor Speedway, which has long held two annualraces, will host only one event next season, February 22 (THE DAILY). View the complete Nextel Cupand BuschSeries schedules.

“SI EXCLUSIVE” TO OFFER MAGAZINE PIECES TO SUBSCRIBERS ONLINE

SportsIllustrated today launched a special section of SI.com, “SI Exclusive.” The new section, available only to printsubscribers, will provide online access to news offerings and features, oftenbefore the magazine arrives on newsstands. Also, the magazine’s cover will be revealed on “SI Exclusive” every Wednesdaymorning. Print subscribers will beasked to login to the site, while non-subscribers will be offered a sign-up form (Sports Illustrated).

BOBCATS TODAY ANNOUNCE SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM ADDITIONS

TheNBA expansion Charlotte Bobcats today officially announced their seniormanagement team. Execs not previouslyintroduced include, in alphabetical order: VP/Community Relations LaRitaBarber; VP/Marketing Andy Feffer; VP/Broadcasting & GameOperations John Guagliano; Dir of Ticket Operations Jamie Hall;VP/Franchise Relations Ed Lewis; Dir of Human Resources Kay Lowery;Exec VP/Administration Colleen Millsap; Dir of IT Jamie Pope;VP/Corporate Partnerships Tod Rosensweig; Exec VP & CFO PeterSmul; and Controller Sheryl Willie. In addition, WNBA Sting Senior VP/Business Operations Steve Swetohawill serve as VP/Ticket Sales & Service (Bobcats).

ITALY’S SERIE B CLUBS TODAY END DISPUTE; SERIE A TO EXPAND

TheAP reports that Italy’s Serie B teams today agreed “they will playthis week, ending a dispute that delayed the full start of their season.” Most Serie B teams had “refused to playbecause of the expansion of Serie B from 20 to 24 teams” (AP,9/9). The AP also reports thatItaly’s Serie A “will be expanded from 18 to 20 teams next season after a dealwas finally struck with rebel second division clubs” (AP,9/9).

BUZZER BEATERS

EASports today announced that reigning NASCAR Winston Cup champion TonyStewart will be the official cover athlete for “NASCAR Thunder 2004.” Stewart will appear on all packaging andmerchandising (EA Sports).

NBCtoday reported that the net’s coverage of Washington State-Notre Dame onSaturday earned a 3.1/8 Nielsen rating, a 15% increase over the comparable gamelast year, Purdue-Notre Dame, which earned a 2.7/8 (NBC).

DOWJONES NEWSWIRES reported that MN-based golf equipment retailer 2^ndSwing is planning a stock IPO of 2 million shares at $8-10 per share for asearly as this week, marking the company’s second attempt following thewithdrawal of a June IPO (DOW JONES NEWSWIRES, 9/8).

CollegeSports TV and The Sports Network today announced an agreement under which the17^th annual I-AA College Football Awards will be telecast onCSTV. Under the deal, the national Div.I-AA poll will be renamed The Sports Network/CSTV I-AA Top 25 poll (TheSports Network).

Sharesof Russell Corp., following the company’s revision of its earnings expectationsfor Q3 ’03 and FY ’03, have fallen 15.6% to $16.30 today. The stock’s opening trade today was $19.31 (THEDAILY).

ThePROVIDENCE JOURNAL reports that the NFL “will likely investigate potentialtampering in the signing” of former Patriots S Lawyer Milloy by theRedskins. Milloy told SportsIllustrated.com last week that the Redskins made him an offer prior to hisrelease from New England. NFLVP/Communications Greg Aiello: “We are awareof the media report and we expect to look into it” (PROVIDENCEJOURNAL, 9/9).

TheAP reports that the IAAF today sent Kelli White’s case to USATF fordisciplinary action following its ruling that the American sprinter “committed adoping offense at the World Championships and should be stripped of her twogold medals” (AP,9/9).

The PACIFIC BUSINESS NEWS reported that the Raiders “have again chosenHawaiian Airlines to provide charter service to fly the team to its awaygames,” marking the company’s fourth year of winning the contract (BIZJOURNALS.com,9/9).

OfficialCollege Sports Network (OSCN) today reported that nearly 5.8 million Internet usersvisited the company’s collective Web sites during August, a 26% increase overAugust ’02. OCSN manages Web sites for145 university athletic departments, conferences and related associations (OCSN).

TheAHL Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings’ top affil, today announced a six-gameTV package with WXSP-UPN for the ‘03-04 season. The six-game slate begins with the ’03 Red & White Game, theannual Red Wings intra-squad scrimmage, which will be played next Thursday atVan Andel Arena (Griffins).

TONIGHT’S EVENTS

MarinersDH Edgar Martinez will be inducted into the Hispanic Heritage BaseballMuseum HOF as part of the club’s “MasterCard Salute to Latin AmericanBeisbol Night” prior to tonight’s 7:05pm PT game against the Rangers. The first 20,000 fans at Safeco Field willreceive a set of Mariners Hispanic Heroes Trading Cards.

CHANNELSURFING

Mike Ditka will be on Fox NewsChannel’s “Your World” with Neil Cavuto at 4:00pm ET.

RedskinsOwner Daniel Snyder will be on ESPN’s “Rome is Burning” at 7:00pmET.

ESPNwill debut “Notre Dame: The Season Weekly,” at 8:00pm ET, a ten-partdocumentary that includes behind-the-scenes footage and features on theprogram.

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

ESPN2will air the season finale of “Streetball:The AND 1 Mix Tape Tour” at 7:30pm ET, which will include the announcementof the AND 1 endorsement contract winner.

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

ESPN’s “Outside The Lines Nightly”willexamine the Michael Vick phenomena and how he has energized the city ofAtlanta at 1:00am ET.

“Extra”goes behind the scenes tonight to examine the roles of Rangers RW Anson Carter and D Darius Kasparaitis, Devils C ScottGomez, D Scott Stevens and LW Jay Pandolfo on the September 30episode of NBC’s new sitcom “Whoopi.”

Ditka,Nets F Richard Jefferson, actor Joe Lawrence and Rocco DiSpitito of NBC’s “The Restaurant” are scheduled to appearon FSN’s “BDSSP.”

MLB HOFerWillieMays will be on CBS’ “The Late Late Show” withCraig Kilborn at 12:35am ET.

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

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

HEADLINERS

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

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

TheTORONTO SUN writes while the Maple Leafs,who are beginning a two-week training session in Stockholm, are "not thefirst NHL team to hold a training camp here," visits in '00 by theCanucks and in '01 by the Avalanche, "pale in comparison." Catarina Oscarsson of EMATelstar, thepromotional company that has arranged all three teams' visits, said,"There is a lot more interest this time around. ... We already have 50journalists packed in for each game” (TORONTO SUN).

USATODAY’s Kelly Whiteside profiles U.S. women’s soccer team captain JulieFoudy in a Sports Cover Story, and writes, “During an era in which mostathletes stand for nothing more than their shoe company’s logo, Foudy, 32, hasbeen called this generation’s Billie Jean King, the most activeadvocate for women’s sports still playing. … She pushed for the creation ofa women’s pro league that began in 2001, became the Women’s Sports Foundation’syoungest president and, during the last year, served on a presidentialcommission examining Title IX” (USA TODAY).

TheFINANCIAL TIMES’ Neil Dennis writes, “A climate ofincreasing geopolitical tension is making insurers nervous about what coverthey can offer for big sporting events that are seen as prime targets forterror attacks. With fewer optionsavailable from insurance companies, organisers of events are seeking alternativemethods of covering the risk of cancellation” (FINANCIAL TIMES).

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

TODAY’S TEASER…

Sports& Entertainment: Which of the following former NFLers did not appear in either“Cannonball Run” or its sequel?

1. Joe Klecko
2. Terry Bradshaw
3. Joe Theismann
4. Mark Gastineau

IN OTHER NEWS……

TheAP reports that Republican candidate Peter Ueberroth is withdrawing fromthe CA Gubernatorial recall race, as “the latest poll shows him trailingbadly.” Ueberroth has scheduled a4:00pm ET news conference to make the announcement (AP,9/9).

THE DAILY STAT: TOP SPORTS SITES FOR WEEK ENDING AUGUST 24

Thefollowing are the top five sports Web sites ranked according to home uniqueaudience for the week ending August 24, 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 is based on 37,000 home users withInternet access (Nielsen//NetRatings).

…TODAY’S ANSWER

N.Y. Sack Exchange member Mark Gastineau didnot make the “Cannonball Run” franchise cut. Bradshaw and Klecko appeared in the original, while Theismann had a spotin the sequel.

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

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