Closing Bell, May 14, 2004

NBC TO RIDE SMARTY JONES STORY DURING PREAKNESS COVERAGE

Smarty Jones will attempt to win the second leg of theTriple Crown, the Preakness, Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.  NBC begins coverage at 5:00pm ET, and USATODAY notes that NBC producer David Michaels “will be all over theSmarty Jones story, with features on owners Roy and Pat Chapmanand a comparison of relatively unknown jockey Stewart Elliott withbig-race veteran Mike Smith on Lion Heart.  Michaels says the past assault charges against Elliott will bementioned but not stressed because ‘there’s nothing to investigate’” (USA TODAY, 5/14).

NEWSDAY reported that Pimlico officials expect to break thePreakness attendance record of 104,454 because of the “crush of Smarty Jonesfans from the Philadelphia area.” Pimlico Dir of Communications Mike Gathagan: “We’re going tosmash the figure easily.  People fromPhilly have been calling here non-stop” (NEWSDAY, 5/12).

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell hasproclaimed Saturday as Smarty Jones Day in the state (PA Office of theGovernor).

SMARTY JONES JOCKEY ELLIOTT INKS DEAL WITH ARGENT MORTGAGE

By LizMullen, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Stewart Elliott, the jockey of Kentucky Derby winnerSmarty Jones, has signed a two-race deal with Argent Mortgage to wear the logoof the Irvine, CA-based mortgage lender on his pants, according to Elliott’smarketing agent Kelly Wietsma. Reports today note that trainer John Servis has decided thatSmarty Jones will not run in the Belmont Stakes unless the horse wins thePreakness.  Contrary to a report intoday’s issue of the L.A. Times cited by The Daily, Elliott will notwear the logo of syndicated radio personality Jonathon Brandmeier.

Smarty Jones Owner Roy Chapman approved the Argentdeal on the condition that Elliott share the endorsement fee with Smarty Jones’groom, Mario Arriagas, and some other employees of Servis who have beeninvolved with the horse.  Wietsma: “Mr.Chapman wanted to make sure the guys who take care of the horse every day wereincluded and it was Stewart’s pleasure to do it.”

Wietsma declined to reveal the value of the deal, sayingthat she had agreed to a confidentially clause, but said it was more lucrativethan the $25,000 and $30,000 endorsement deals that many jockeys received forwearing advertising in the Kentucky Derby. Wietsma added that Elliott was offered another deal with a bigger bonus,but turned that down because the Argent deal “was a better fit.”

Argent sponsors the Argent Dixie, a Grade II turf race onthe Preakness card, as well as a race on the Belmont Stakes day card.  Wietsma said another one of her clients, JerryBailey, who will ride Eddington in the Preakness, is likely to wear aWrangler logo on his pants.  MikeSmith, who will ride Lion Heart, has signed a deal with TrimSpa.

ISC TO CLOSE NAZARETH SPEEDWAY AT THE END OF THIS YEAR

Nazareth SpeedwayPresident Craig Rust today released the following statement: “Earliertoday our parent company, International Speedway Corporation, announced that itintends to realign Nazareth Speedway’s NASCAR Busch and IRL IndyCar seriesevents and will discontinue all spectator motorsports events at the end of the2004 season” (Nazareth Speedway).

“NASCAR DRIVERS: 360” PREMIERES TONIGHT ON FX AFTER BUSCH RACE

“NASCAR Drivers: 360,” a series of eight, one-hour weekly unscriptedshows, will premiere tonight on FX at 10:30pm ET, immediately following theNASCAR Busch Series Funai 250.  Thefollowing is a sampling of media reviews:

In S.F., Steve Kroner writes, “The show, which has no narration, devotes too much time to the mundanetasks these drivers and their families do during the course of the week. … [It]does improve in its second half, with some of the more intriguing footagefocusing on the communication between the drivers, their pit crews and spottersduring races” (S.F.CHRONICLE, 5/14).

In SPORTSILLUSTRATED, Sridhar Pappu writes, “While many programs promise unfetteredaccess to athletes, this show actually delivers the goods.  The premiere features genuinely tender andawkward moments in the households of drivers Kevin Harvick, KennyWallace and Rusty Wallace. … The program’s greatest strength is thatit reminds us that the drivers aren’t risking their lives just to satisfy aneed for speed – they’re trying to make a living” (SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 5/17issue).

In L.A., LarryStewart writes, “The one-hour show is well produced, and racing andnon-racing fans should find it interesting. … It includes such things asgood-natured barbs exchanged between Harvick and his wife DeLana, RustyWallace flying in his private jet to Pittsburgh on a business trip, and KennyWallace attending his 13-year-old daughter’s basketball game” (L.A.TIMES, 5/12).

WNBA STORM TO BREAK NEW AD CAMPAIGN DURING MARINERS GAME

The SEATTLE TIMES reported that the WNBA Storm “will unveil its new marketing campaignSaturday during the Mariners-Yankees series on [FSN Northwest].  The 10-second commercials mark the firsttime the organization has run spots during Mariners broadcasts.”  Storm COO Karen Bryant, on the adsfeaturing Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson: “They’re going to be a lotless touchy-feely, cause-related like we’ve run in the past.  We’ll still market to women and children,but we’re going to go after the sports enthusiast” (SEATTLETIMES, 5/12).

BUZZER BEATERS

FIFA will announce Saturday which African country will hostthe 2010 World Cup.  Those contendingfor the event include South Africa, Morocco, Egypt and Libya (FIFA).

The EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE notes that the Suns season-ticketrenewals are “running about 5[%] behind last season, when the club ended upselling the equivalent of about 11,000 season-ticket packages” (EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE,5/14).

The CHICAGOSUN-TIMES reports that Chicago-based Relay Sports & Event Marketing has“signed on to help Cingular Wireless strengthen its reach to Hispanics” in theU.S. (CHICAGO-SUNTIMES, 5/14).

The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL noted that during the NHLPA’sannual meeting yesterday in Toronto, neither the issue of agent Dave Frost,who represents Blues F Mike Danton, nor the possible decertification ofN.Y.-based agent Jay Grossman, was raised (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL, 5/13).

The AP reports that the Florida Supreme Court ruledunanimously that the proposal to allow South Florida voters to decide whetherthey want slots at dog and horse tracks and jai alai frontons “meets the legalrequirements to get on the ballot.”  Ofthe nearly 500,000 signatures needed,elections officials have verified 250,000 to date (AP, 5/14).

HBO PPV Exec VP Mark Taffet “expects more than 302,000 buys Saturday” for the Antonio Tarver-RoyJones Jr. bout at Mandalay Bay.  Inhis last two fights, Jones “sold 600,000 pay per views with his victory overheavyweight John Ruiz and got the 302,000” for his first bout againstTarver (LASVEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/14).

WEEKEND EVENTS

ESPN’s “Outside The Lines Nightly” will celebrate its firstanniversary with a special at midnight ET.

The U.S. Army will formally introduce the eight cowboys whowill represent “An Army of One” in rodeo competitions throughout this year andnext, beginning with the Pace Picante ProRodeo Chute-out at Orleans Arena inLas Vegas.  The U.S. Army’s sponsorshipdeal with the PRCA was first reported in The Daily.

The Buccaneers, in cooperation with N.Y. modeling agencyWilhelmina, will host cheerleading auditions from 9:00am-5:00pm ET at Univ. ofSouth Florida’s Sun Dome.

The Red Wings will hold an equipment sale from11:00am-4:00pm ET at Joe Louis Arena. Available merchandise includes new and used sticks and skates, hockeypants and shirts.

The MLB Rangers will host their second Field of DreamsSleepover at Ameriquest Field in Arlington beginning at 6:00pm CT.  The $125 per adult and $99 per child feeincludes free games in the Coca-Cola Sports Park, dinner, breakfast, a T-shirtand a goody bag.

Former NBAer Steve Kerr will return to the Univ. ofArizona’s McKale Center as commencement speaker.  Kerr will also receive the Univ. of Arizona’s Alumni AchievementAward (ARIZONADAILY STAR, 5/14).

Baseball Tomorrow Fund Exec Dir Cathy Bradley willpreside over the lighting ceremony at Heidelberg Davis Sports Complex inTacoma, WA, at 6:00pm PT.  The complex,which serves over 2,700 youth players, was renovated as the result of $146,421grant from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund.

CHANNEL SURFING

USA Network will air the PGA Tour EDS Byron NelsonChampionship at 3:00pm ET.

Boxer Roy Jones, Jr.will appear on FSN’s “I, Max” at 6:00pm local time.

TNT will air the NBA playoffs: Nets-Pistons Game Five at 7:00pm ET and Kings-T’Wolves Game Five at9:30pm.

ESPN will air softball: U.S.National Team-Univ. of Texas at 7:30pm ET.

FX will air the NASCAR Busch Series Funai 250 at 7:30pm ET.

CSTV will air NCAA baseball: North Carolina-Miami at 8:00pm ET.

A’s GM Billy Beanewill appear on CNN’s “NewsNight” at 10:00pm ET.

FX will debut the one-hour weekly “NASCAR Drivers: 360,” a behind-the-scenes look at NASCAR, at10:30pm ET.

Actors Dennis Hopper,Leslie Nielsen and Peter Graves, director David Zucker and George Thorogood and the Destroyers will appear on HBO’s “On theRecord” with Bob Costas at 11:00pmET.

ESPN2 will air “2dayat the Preakness” at noon ET.

ESPN will air the “PreaknessSpecial” at 2:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air third-round coverage of the LPGA Tour Franklin American Mortgage Championship at2:00pm ET.

ABC will air the NHL Eastern Conference Finals: Lightning-Flyers Game Four at 3:00pmET.

CBS will air third-round coverage of the PGA Tour EDS Byron Nelson Championship at 3:00pmET.

NBC will air the Budweiser Boxing Series: Calvin Brock-Serguei Lyakhovich at3:30pm ET.

ESPN2 will air MLS Revolution-Crewat 4:00pm ET.

NBC will air the PreaknessStakes at 5:00pm ET.

FX will air the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Chevy American Revolution 400 at 7:00pmET.

TNT will air the NBA playoffs: Heat-Pacers Game Six at 8:00pm ET and Spurs-Lakers Game Six at 10:30pm.

OLN will air the PBR PennzoilInvitational at 8:00pm ET.

Mary-Kate and AshleyOlsen will host NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” with musical guest J-Kwon at 11:30pm ET.

NBC will air gymnastic’s Pacific Alliance Championships at 1:00pm ET.

Speed Channel will air the Craftsman Truck Series UAW/GM Ohio 250 at 2:00pm ET.

CBS will air final-round coverage of the PGA Tour EDS Byron Nelson Championship at 3:00pmET.

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

ABC will air the NBA playoffs: T’Wolves-Kings Game Six at3:30pm ET.

ESPN will air the NHL Western Conference Finals: Sharks-Flames Game Four at 4:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air final-round coverage of the LPGA Tour Franklin American Mortgage Championshipat 4:00pm ET.

ESPN will air Angels-Oriolesat 8:00pm ET.

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

OLN will air coverage of the PBR Pennzoil Invitational at 8:00pm ET.

TNT will air the NBA playoffs: Pistons-Nets Game Six at 8:00pm ET.

TODAY’S TEASER…

General:  Namethe jockey who guided Tank’s Prospect to the Preakness record of 1:53.4 in’85.  Aboard Louis Quatorze in ’96, thesame jockey equaled the mark.

THE DAILY STAT: TOP TEN ADVERTISING SPENDERS ON CABLE

The following presents the top ten advertisers on cableduring ’03, according to the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau.  Note: Altria Group includes Kraft Foods andPhilip Morris (BROADCASTING & CABLE, 5/10):

CRITICS WEIGH IN: “TROY” & “BREAKIN’ ALL THE RULES”

The kidnapping ofHelen sparks the great Trojan War in “Troy,” an epic starring Brad Pitt asthe legendary warrior Achilles. Meanwhile, Jamie Foxx stars in “Breakin’ All The Rules” as a manwho, after being unceremoniously dumped by his fiancée, pens a “how to” book onbreaking up and becomes a best-selling author on the subject.:

…TODAY’S ANSWER

Pat Day, who has also guided Summer Squall (’90),Tabasco Cat (’94) and Timber Country (’95) to Preakness victories.

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

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