| | The Daily Insider
Afternoon News & Headlines
Friday, July 16, 2004
4:00pm ET | |
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| • | ESPN Sunday To Televise 12th Annual ESPY Awards; Foxx Returns As Host |
| • | Quarrel Between Ilitch Siblings Results In PR Exec Being Shown The Door |
| • | Rather Than Face Steroid Hearing On Sunday, Runner Regina Jacobs Retires |
| • | Maria Sharapova Continues Media Tour With NBC’s “The Tonight Show” |
| • | Critics Weigh In: “I, Robot” & “A Cinderella Story” Heavily Panned |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Tonight’s Events/Channel Surfing/In Other News/The Daily Stat |
JAMIE FOXX RETURNS AS HOST OF 12TH ANNUAL ESPY AWARDS
ESPN will televise the 12th annual ESPY Awards Sunday at 9:00pm ET, four days after the net distributed the awards at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Returning as host, Jamie Foxx brings a revised version of his serenade to Serena Williams, “Can I Be Your Tennis Ball?” OutKast will close the show with a performance of “I Like The Way You Move.”
This year’s 36 winners were completely determined by the fans, with more than 10.5 million votes cast over a 19-day period on ESPN.com.
Celebrity and athlete presenters include Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Billy Bob Thornton, Rob Lowe, Tom Brady, Terrell Owens, Andy Roddick, Williams and LeBron James. Celebrity presenters received a gift bag including free LASIK eye surgery, a one-year membership to L.A.’s Spider Club and a pair of Converse’s new vintage Chuck Taylor sneakers.
ESPN will provide behind-the-scenes coverage of celebrity interaction and green room activity. Additionally, a segment featuring Serena Williams performing a makeover on WNBA Mercury G Diana Taurasi will be featured on the broadcast (ESPN.com, 7/14).
QUARREL BETWEEN ILITCH SIBLINGS RESULTS IN DISMISSAL OF EXEC
CRAIN’S DETROIT reports today that Ilitch Holdings co-President Christopher Ilitch last Friday dismissed Dir of Community Affairs & Public Relations Al Sebastian because he “had been working on a project for Denise Ilitch without Christopher’s knowledge and approval.” Denise is the other co-President. Ilitch Holdings is the parent company of the Red Wings, Tigers, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Olympia Entertainment Inc. and Olympia Development. Sebastian’s departure follows the recent resignations of Tigers Senior VP/Business Affairs Jim Stapleton and Ilitch Holdings General Counsel Jay Bielfield (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 7/16).
ABC TAKES OVER COVERAGE OF 133RD OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY
ABC picks up coverage of the 133rd Open Championship Saturday from 9:00am-2:30pm ET. The net also will air live coverage Sunday from 8:00am-1:30pm. Joining Mike Tirico and Ian Baker-Finch in the ABC booth will be Nick Faldo, the latest golfer to audition for the analyst position vacated by Curtis Strange. Paul Azinger, Corey Pavin and Hal Sutton have all moonlighted in the booth (THE DAILY).
Meanwhile, BRANDWEEK reported that Foster’s Lager will air several new TV spots on ABC’s broadcasts. The campaign, via Ogilvy & Mather, N.Y., is dubbed “Project Angel,” and will run on summer sports telecasts, ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and OLN, among others (BRANDWEEK.com, 7/15).
NASCAR PROMOTING NEXTEL CUP SERIES DURING WEEKEND OFF
With the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series taking the weekend off, the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Home Depot Chevy driven by Tony Stewart, DEI No. 15 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy driven by Michael Waltrip, Petty Enterprises No. 43 Cheerios Dodge driven by Jeff Green, Richard Petty Driving Experience and official pace car of Atlanta Motor Speedway will be on display as part of NASCAR Night at Turner Field prior to Friday’s 7:35pm ET Expos-Braves game (NASCAR).
Braves Senior Dir of Marketing Gus Eurton: “It gives us a chance to market to a very similar fan base. Our research and studies show that we have a crossover between NASCAR fans and Braves fans. … We have a lot of similar partners. Home Depot, Bell South and Coca-Cola, to name the big three” (NASCAR.com, 7/14).
Meanwhile, NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will attend Sunday’s American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/16).
BUZZER BEATERS
The AP reports that former Blues C Mike Danton today plead guilty to a federal murder-for-hire conspiracy charge and “could face seven to ten years in prison when he is sentenced October 22” (AP, 7/16).
REUTERS reports that Thrashers RW Dany Heatley today was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury "on vehicular manslaughter, wreckless driving and several other" charges in connection with a '03 car wreck that killed teammate Dan Snyder (REUTERS, 7/16).
U.S. runner Regina Jacobs retired yesterday, “three days before an arbitration hearing [was] scheduled in her doping case” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/16).
The Hampton Roads DAILY PRESS reports that Norfolk-area U.S. Reps Ed Schrock, Bobby Scott and Randy Forbes sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig’s office this week, “touting the region as deserving of a Major League franchise” (Hampton Roads DAILY PRESS, 7/16).
The Sun Bowl Association today announced a three-year deal with State Farm Insurance, which will sponsor the Sun Bowl Basketball Tournament through ’06 (Sun Bowl Association).
WEEKEND EVENTS
Friday
The Tigers will unveil the ’05 MLB All-Star Game logo prior to the team’s 7:05pm ET game against the Yankees. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig will host a 5:00pm news conference prior to the unveiling (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/16).
The MLB Rangers will unveil a 12-foot tall acrylic bell in the second deck of the left field seats prior to the team’s 7:05pm CT game against the Blue Jays. The bell will ring when the gates at Ameriquest Field open, when the Rangers hit a home run and after victories (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/16).
The Royals will begin their second annual Campout at the K. For $175, fans will sleep on the Kaufmann Stadium grass, receive tickets to Friday and Saturday’s games and meet and greet with Royals players and coaches.
The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington will begin Secretariatfest at 5:00pm ET. The two-day tribute to the horse’s legacy will include the unveiling of a statue of Secretariat on Saturday.
Saturday
The Packers will enshrine President Bob Harlan in the team’s HOF. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will attend the ceremony (Green Bay PRESS-GAZETTE, 7/16).
Sunday
As Jerome Young was ruled guilty of steroid violations last month, the ITF will meet to “determine the fate of the gold medals from the Sydney men’s 4x400 relay,” won by the U.S. (USA TODAY, 7/16).
CHANNEL SURFING
Live coverage of the U.S. Open Series this weekend includes:
| ATP Mercedes-Benz Cup | Net | Day | Time |
| Semifinal | ESPN2 | Friday | 5:00pm ET |
| Semifinal | ESPN2 | Saturday | 6:00pm ET |
| Final | ESPN2 | Sunday | 6:00pm ET |
| WTA Bank of the West Classic | Net | Day | Time |
| Semifinal | ESPN | Saturday | 2:00pm ET |
| Semifinal | ESPN2 | Saturday | 11:00pm ET |
| Final | ESPN2 | Sunday | 4:00pm ET |
Friday
USA Network will air second-round coverage of the PGA Tour B.C. Open at 4:00pm ET.
Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban will appear on FSN’s “I, Max” at 6:00pm local time.
Travel & Leisure Golf Editor Jonathan Lesser will appear on CNBC’s “Bullseye” at 6:00pm ET.
ESPN will air coverage of Great Outdoor Games V at 9:00pm ET.
CSTV will air the ABCD Camp Senior All-Star Game at 8:00pm ET.
NBA TV will air WNBA Shock-Fever at 8:00pm ET.
Red Sox 1B Kevin Millar, Red Wings RW Brett Hull, U.S. soccer players Heather Mitts and Aly Wagner, former NFLer Jim McMahon and actor Denis Leary are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”
Lennox Lewis will appear as himself on Fox’ “The Jury” at 9:00pm ET.
USA Network will air coverage of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials at 11:00pm ET.
Maria Sharapova will appear on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” at 11:35pm ET.
Serena Williams and ESPN’s Chris Berman will appear on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” at 12:05am ET.
Saturday
TNT will air third-round coverage of the British Open at 7:00am ET.
OLN will air Tour de France: Stage 13 at 7:30am ET.
Fox will air MLB regional coverage: Phillies-Mets or Cardinals-Reds at 1:00pm ET, or White Sox-A’s or Padres-Astros at 4:00pm ET.
NBC will air coverage of the Life Time Fitness Triathlon at 2:00pm ET.
ESPN2 will air MLL Lizards-Barrage at 2:00pm ET.
NBC will air second-round coverage of golf’s American Century Celebrity Championship at 3:00pm ET.
USA Network will air third-round coverage of the PGA Tour B.C. Open at 3:00pm ET.
ESPN will air coverage of Great Outdoor Games V at 3:30pm and 9:00pm ET.
ESPN2 will air MLS Rapids-Earthquakes at 4:00pm ET.
CBS will air the NFL Quarterback Challenge at 5:00pm ET.
NBC will air coverage of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials at 5:00pm ET.
ESPN will air the IRL Firestone Indy 200 at 7:00pm ET.
HDNet will air MLS Wizards-Burn at 8:30pm ET.
NBA TV will air WNBA Sun-Comets at 8:30pm ET and Monarchs-Sparks at 10:30pm.
Sunday
TNT will air final-round coverage of the British Open at 6:00am ET
OLN will air Tour de France: Stage 14 at 9:00am ET.
Oxygen will air WNBA Silver Stars-Shock at noon ET.
NBC will air coverage of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials at 1:00pm ET
ESPN will air coverage of Great Outdoor Games V at 1:00pm ET.
ABC will air the Michael Douglas & Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament at 1:30pm ET.
CBS will air the NFL Quarterback Challenge at 2:00pm ET.
CBS will air the American Le Mans Infineon Grand Prix of Sonoma at 3:00pm ET.
NBC will air final-round coverage of the American Century Celebrity Championship at 3:00pm ET.
USA Network will air final-round coverage of the PGA Tour B.C. Open at 3:00pm ET.
ABC will air coverage of Great Outdoor Games V at 3:30pm ET.
HDNet will air the ChampCar World Series Molson Indy Vancouver at 3:30pm ET.
NBA TV will air WNBA Sting-Liberty at 4:00pm ET and Lynx-Mercury at 9:00pm.
ESPN will air Dodgers-D’Backs at 6:00pm ET.
NBC will air coverage of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials at 7:00pm ET.
ESPN2 will air soccer: Poland-U.S. at 7:00pm ET.
FSN’s “Beyond the Glory” will profile Anna Kournikova at 8:00pm local time.
TODAY’S TEASER…
General: Who was the last ruling British Monarch to attend a British Open?
THE DAILY STAT: CITIES WITH THE MOST PASSIONATE SPORTS FANS
The Center for Sports Psychology recently released a study measuring the passion for sports across U.S. cities that have an MLB, NBA, NFL and/or NHL team. The study gave equal weight to DirecTV sports package sales, in-game attendance, a sports media survey and a sports fan survey. The following details the top 20 (DirecTV):
| RK | CITY | RK | CITY | RK | CITY | RK | CITY |
| 1) | Denver | 6) | Green Bay | 10) | Buffalo | 16) | San Diego |
| 2) | Boston | 6) | Chicago | 10) | St. Louis | 16) | Kansas City |
| 3) | S.F./Oakland | 8) | Baltimore | 13) | Dallas | 18) | Salt Lake City |
| 4) | Philadelphia | 9) | Cleveland | 14) | Milwaukee | 18) | Tampa |
| 5) | New York | 10) | Los Angeles | 15) | Detroit | 20) | Charlotte |
CRITICS WEIGH IN: “I, ROBOT” AND “A CINDERELLA STORY”
Will Smith stars in “I, Robot” as a detective in the year 2035, who is the only person who believes that a robot can commit murder. In “A Cinderella Story,” Hilary Duff plays a high school girl who tries to escape from her overbearing stepmother to meet her dream guy at the dance.
| | ————Movie———— |
| | “I, Robot” | “A Cinderella Story” |
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…TODAY’S ANSWER
A ruling British monarch has not attended a British Open since George VI visited Muirfield in 1948. However, the Duke of York — one of three sons of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip — assures a royal presence.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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