Closing Bell, April 30, 2004

NBC TO BROADCAST 130^TH RUNNING OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY SATURDAY

NBC will broadcast coverage of the 130^th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Saturday from 5:00-6:30pm ET, with the race set to begin at 6:04pm. ESPN will air coverage from the track from noon-5:00pm and post-race coverage from 6:30-7:30pm, while ESPN2 will air “Breakfast at Churchill Downs” from 9:00-10:00am ET. The following details a five-year Nielsen ratings trend for the race. NBC is in the fourth year of a five-year deal to broadcast the Visa Triple Crown. The 8.1 overall rating in ’01 represents the highest national rating for the Derby since an 8.9/26 in ’92 (THE DAILY):

NBC Sports President Ken Schanzer: “The Kentucky Derby will do the biggest rating of anything on Saturday, including prime time. It will be the highest-rated sports show of the weekend, which is remarkable given it's on a Saturday” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/30).

AFLAC’S NEW AD TO FEATURE U.S. SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING TEAM

BRANDWEEK reports Aflac said today that it will break a new 30-second ad on Monday, featuring its duck icon and the U.S. Olympic synchronized swimming team. The ad, via Kaplan Thaler Group, N.Y., shows the Olympic team “immersed in a pool, donning colorful swim caps and performing a standard routine when the Aflac Duck joins them, ultimately launching its trademark ‘Aflaaaaaaac’ quack, as voiced by comedian Gilbert Godfried” (BRANDWEEK.com, 4/30).

“BOBBY JONES: STROKE OF GENIUS” OPENS TONIGHT NATIONWIDE

Film Foundry’s “Bobby Jones: Stroke Of Genius,” starring Jim Caviezel as the famed golfer, opens in theaters nationwide today. The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE notes that you can “quibble with the cartoonish club-throwing scenes and footage that depicts” the Old Course at St. Andrew’s directly bordering the sea, but the movie’s “gentle pace mirrors the game’s rhythm and any avid golfer will get a lump from the final scene” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/30).

In Dallas, Philip Wuntch writes, “The worshipful new movie avoids graphic details of the physical agony caused by syringomyelia, a spinal disorder that plagued Jones since childhood. Its tone is mostly upbeat in the manner of Old Hollywood ‘biopics’” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/30).

In DC, Desson Thompson writes, “Caviezel’s likable enough. But the story around him is so inert and formula-bound, and the characters around him so subsidiary and one-dimensional, he's functionally useless” (WASHINGTON POST, 4/30).

In Charlotte, Lawrence Toppman writes, “You either swallow this movie whole or not at all. It requires an almost childlike faith to get into the spirit of ‘Stroke of Genius,’ an old-fashioned willingness to believe that the world was once this way – and might, somehow, become this way again” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/30).

BUZZER BEATERS

The AP reports that "more than 100 people applied for four independent spots" on the USOC's new BOD by today's deadline. The independent candidates "have a wide range of backgrounds – including finance, marketing, public relations and athletics" (AP, 4/30).

The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that the Angels have extended their affiliation agreement with the Triple-A PCL Salt Lake Stingers through the ’08 season (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 4/30).

WEEKEND EVENTS

The Colts will open mini camp to the public at Ball State Univ. in Muncie at 4:30pm CT, and the INDIANAPOLIS STAR noted that it is the “first time in [President Bill Polian’s] six years with the Colts that the team has had an open minicamp practice anywhere other than the RCA Dome” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/14).

Hockey writer Cecil Harris and the NHL’s first black player, Willie O’Ree, will sign copies of Harris’ new book, “Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey,” from 6:00-8:00pm ET at Hue-Man Bookstore in Harlem.

California Speedway will light up the facility for the first time in preparation for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Pop Secret 500 in September.

Sabres Owner B. Thomas Golisano will play Mary Mclean Wilson, wife of Bills Owner Ralph Wilson, in a tennis match at Mid-Town Athletic Club in Rochester to benefit the Zonta Rochester Foundation, a women’s service organization (Rochester DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 4/29).

Oregon State Univ. will break ground on the 8,000-seat expansion of Reser Stadium during the annual spring football scrimmage at the venue (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/30).

Wachovia will break the first two of three new print ads in support of its title sponsorship of the Wachovia USPRO Cycling Championship in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has proclaimed Saturday as Smarty Jones Day in the state in honor of the Kentucky Derby entrant.

Sprite will be relaunch its Web site as a “virtual representation of [Miles Thirst’s] crib, complete with on-line games, a blog and other new attractions.” The site will also feature an eight-month promotion, “Thirst Out,” that will “dangle free Blockbuster movie and video rentals, Musicmatch downloads and Midiringtones cell phone sounds” (BRANDWEEK.com, 4/26).

The USOC will posthumously honor James Edward “Doc” Counsilman with a Lifetime Achievement Award during its Coach of the Year Dinner at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs.

The 27^th Annual Bike New York: The Great Five Boro Bike Tour will begin at 7:00am ET at Franklin and Church Streets in N.Y. NYC2012 Founder Daniel Doctoroff and Bike New York Exec Dir Pam Tice will join Olympians and Paralympians in the largest mass cycling event in the U.S. to promote the city’s bid for the 2012 Olympics.

ESPN will host a cocktail reception from 4:00-5:30pm ET at The Wine Loft in New Orleans as part of their 25^th anniversary celebration.

The Ravens will host their Spring Football Festival featuring the NFL Experience from 1:00-6:00pm ET at M&T Bank Stadium.

American Idol reject William Hung will perform “She Bangs” during halftime of Heat-Hornets Game Six at 1:00pm ET at New Orleans Arena.

CHANNEL SURFING

ESPN will air horse racing’s Kentucky Oaks at 5:00pm ET.

ESPN will air the NBA playoffs: Hornets-Heat Game Five at 7:00pm ET and Nuggets-T’Wolves Game Five at 9:30pm.

ESPN2 will air the NHL playoffs: Flyers-Maple Leafs Game Four at 7:00pm ET.

FSN will air “Kentucky Derby: The Works” at 7:30pm ET.

Actors Jim Caviezel and William Petersen and musician Yo-Yo Ma will appear on HBO’s “On the Record” with Bob Costas at 11:00pm ET.

CSTV will air NCAA softball: Fordham-Massachusetts at noon ET.

CBS will air the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships at 1:00pm ET.

NBA TV will air the ’04 Euroleague Championship: Skipper Bologna-Maccabi Tel Aviv at 2:30pm ET.

ABC will air the NHL playoffs: Flames-Red Wings Game Five at 3:00pm ET.

CBS will air third-round coverage of the PGA Tour: HP Classic at 3:00pm ET.

NBC will air the Budweiser Boxing Series: Kermit Cintron-Elio Ortiz at 3:30pm ET.

Fox will air the NASCAR Busch Series: Stater Bros. 300 at 4:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air MLS United-Earthquakes at 4:00pm ET.

ESPN will air third-round coverage of the LPGA: Chick-fil-A Charity Championship at 5:00pm ET.

The Golf Channel will air second-round coverage of the Champions Tour: Bruno’s Memorial Classic at 5:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air NHL playoffs: Canadiens-Lightning Game Five at 7:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air “The Fast Life: Countdown to Indy” at 9:00pm ET.

Actress Lindsay Lohan will host NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” with musical guest Usher at 11:30pm ET.

Sunday

Lakers F Karl Malone will be the subject of “Sunday Conversation” on ESPN’s 10:30am ET edition of “SportsCenter.”

ESPN will air the NBA playoffs: Heat-Hornets Game Six at 1:00pm ET.

CSTV will air NCAA softball: Texas A&M-Nebraska at 1:00pm ET.

NBC will air the Rolex Equestrian Championships at 1:30pm ET.

CBS will air final-round coverage of the PGA Tour: HP Classic at 3:00pm ET.

Fox will air NASCAR Nextel Cup: Auto Club 500 at 3:00pm ET.

NBC will air AFL regional coverage of Firebirds-Gladiators, Dragons-Desperados, Soul-Crush, Rush-Fury or Storm-Predators at 3:00pm ET.

ABC will air the NBA playoffs: Spurs-Lakers Game One at 3:30pm ET.

ESPN will air final-round coverage of the LPGA: Chick-fil-A Charity Championship at 3:00pm ET.

ESPN will air NHL playoffs: Maple Leafs-Flyers Game Five at 4:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air softball: U.S National Team-UCLA at 5:00pm ET.

CSTV will air NCAA baseball: Texas A&M-Nebraska at 5:30pm ET.

ESPN will air Red Sox-Rangers at 8:00pm ET.

FSN’s “Beyond the Glory” will premiere the profile of George Foreman at 8:00pm ET.

FSN will air the 25^thannual Sports Emmy Awards at 9:00pm ET.

TODAY’S TEASER…

What was Elvis Presley’s profession prior to becoming a musician?

CRITICS WEIGH IN: “ENVY” & “GODSEND”

Jack Black stars as an entrepreneur who turns a crazy idea into a profitable invention in “Envy,” while Ben Stiller portrays the friend who did not join the venture and is whipped into a frenzy of jealousy. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and Greg Kinnear star as a couple whose son is killed in a freak accident in “Godsend,” and Robert DeNiro plays the genetic scientist who brings him back to life through cloning.

THE DAILY STAT: AGENTS FOR LAST FIVE ’04 NFL DRAFT PICKS

The following details the agents for the final five picks in the ’04 NFL Draft (THE DAILY):

…TODAY’S ANSWER

Elvis was previously a truck driver.

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

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