Closing Bell, August 20, 2004

NEWS FROM THE ATHENS GAMES, DAY 8: TODAY HAD THE MOSTACTION

AROUND THE RINGS notes thattoday was “Super Friday” at the Athens Olympics, as the events at 29 venuesmark the “busiest day on calendar. Saturday will bring 27 events, and thenumber will keep dropping until the finale on August 29.” Despite the “heaviest demand of the Games fortransport and spectator services, Athens 2004 reports no strains on the systemwith the day half over” (AROUNDTHERINGS.com,8/20).

Meanwhile, efforts by ATHOC“to quash the latest issue of the Greek edition of Playboy apparently havefailed, with a Greek court refusing to issue an injunction against themagazine.” The magazine “featuresundressed female athletes and some tongue-in-cheek copy (‘Go For A SexathlonGold’) and use of the Olympic rings. ATHOC says the magazine violates Olympictrademarks” (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 8/20).

TORONTOREADY TO OPEN OLYMPIC SPIRIT FACILITY

TheTORONTO SUNreported that Olympic Spirit Toronto will open Saturday morning at 10:00amET. The privately-funded complex “has anabundance of simulators and static displays of sports from both the Summer andWinter Games. Various multimediadisplays allow you to re-live all your favorite Olympic moments.” The facility also has a 200-seat restaurantand 41 past, present and future Olympians on staff (TORONTO SUN, 8/19).

TheTORONTO STAR reported that the $40M complex was “originally slated to open atthe beginning of August to coincide with the start” of the Athens Games (TORONTO STAR, 8/19).

BILLS SELL OUT FIRST PRESEASON GAME SINCE ‘73

BUFFALOBUSINESS FIRST reported that Saturday night’s Titans-Bills games at RalphWilson Stadium is a sellout, marking the first time a Bills home preseason gamehas sold out since August 17, 1971, when the stadium opened. The “sellout was ensured when Turkey HillDairy of Pennsylvania agreed to buy the remainder of the tickets.” Turkey Hill, which just introduced aBills-themed ice cream, will donate the tickets to children’s charities. Since it is a sellout, the game will bebroadcast on WKBW-ABC.

EVERNHAM, UNILEVER FOODS TO FIELD BUSCH SERIES TEAM IN ‘05

NASCARteam owner Ray Evernham announced today the formation of Evernham Motorsports’first Busch Series team. Withsponsorship form five Unilever Food Division brands, Evernham Motorsports willfield the No. 6 Hungry Drivers Dodge for the full 34-race Busch Series schedulenext season. The participating UnileverFood brands are Ragu pasta sauce, Shedd’s Spread Country Crock spread, Liptontea, Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Lawry’s seasonings (Evernham).

SPECIAL COMIC PAINT SCHEMES TO RUN IN MICHIGAN THIS WEEKEND

TheNASCAR Busch Series Cabela’s 250 and the Nextel Cup GFS Marketplace 400 will beheld Saturday and Sunday, respectively, at Michigan Int’l Speedway, where DCComics and Hot Wheels will combine their efforts for the Justice League RacingWeekend. Nine entries in the races willfeature Justice League superheroes on their paint scheme. The following details the drivers and theirrespective character pairings (DC Comics):

BUZZER BEATERS

The af2 Hawaiian Islanders will "need to raise $525,000 in aditionalsponsorships and alternative money" by September 30 to continue nextseason (HONOLULU ADVERTISER, 8/20).

TheUniv. of Alabama’s75-year relationship with Birmingham’s LegionField “ended Thursday with the announcement that Alabamawill move the final two football games in its contract” to Tuscaloosa. Structural problems at the stadium “rendered the 9,000 seats in theupper deck unusable” (MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER, 8/20).

Formersoccer star Mario Kempes has joinedESPN Deportes as an analyst (ESPN).

WEEKEND EVENTS

Friday

The Little League WorldSeries playoff tournament begins in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. ESPN and ESPN2 will air 25 games, and ABCwill air the U.S.championship game and series final

The Padres will unveil theretired numbers of former players Dave Winfield (31), Randy Jones (35) andSteve Garvey (6) in a ceremony before their game against the Marlins.

The MLB Giants, along withthe Japanese Cultural Center & Community Center of Northern California, theConsulate General of Japan, All Nippon Airlines and former Japanese baseballplayers Wally Yonamine and Masanori Murakami will host US/Japan Night at SBC Park,prior to their game against the Mets.

Saturday

TheBobcats will unveil their uniforms during a noon ET news conference at SouthPark Mall in Charlotte. Replica jerseys will go on sale immediatelyfollowing throughout the mall and at Belk Department Stores for the remainderof the weekend.

CHANNELSURFING

Friday

Clickhere for a total listing of Friday’s Olympic coverage across the NBCUniversal networks.

NBC’s “Nightly News” will profile the U.S. women’s gymnastics team at6:30pm ET.

CBS will air NFL preseason: Ravens-Eagles at 8:00pm ET.

The Golf Channel will air second-round coverage of the PGA Tour Reno-TahoeOpen at 8:00pm ET.

Dodgers CF Steve Finley and actors Morris Chesnutand Scott Baio are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”

Clickhere for a total listing of Saturday’s Olympic coverage across the NBCUniversal networks.

CBS will air “John Elway,Hall of Famer” at 1:00pm ET.

Fox will air MLB regional coverage: Red Sox-White Sox (34%)or Indians-Twins (11%)at 1:00pm ET or Braves-Dodgers (34%)or Mets-Giants (19%)at 4:00pm ET.

TNT will air the NASCAR Busch Series Cabela’s 250 at1:00pm ET.

CBS will air third-round coverage of the World Golf ChampionshipNEC Invitational at 2:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air second-round coverage of the LPGA Tour Wendy’sChampionship for Children at 2:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air the U.S. Amateur Championship semifinalsat 4:00pm ET.

OLN will air DCB PBR Bull Riding at 7:00pm ET.

ESPN will air NFL Preseason: Jets-Colts at 8:00pm ET.

The Golf Channel will air third-round coverage of the PGA Tour Reno-TahoeOpen at 8:00pm ET.

HDNet will air MLS MetroStars-Rapids at 9:00pm ET.

Clickhere for a total listing of Sunday’s Olympic coverage across the NBCUniversal networks.

CBS’ “Topspin” will examine the U.S. Open at noon ET.

CBS will air the ATP Legg Mason Classic final at 12:30pmET.

ESPN2 will air the MLL Championship at 1:00pm ET.

TNT will air the NASCAR Nextel Cup GFS Marketplace 400 at2:00pm ET.

CBS will air final-round coverage of the World Golf ChampionshipNEC Invitational at 2:30pm ET.

ESPN2 will air the U.S. Amateur Championship final at3:00pm ET.

ABC will air the IRL Honda Indy 225 at 3:30pm ET.

The Golf Channel will air final-round coverage of the PGA Tour Reno-TahoeOpen at 8:00pm ET.

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

TODAY’S TEASER…

General: When were the Olympicsfirst televised?

CRITICS WEIGH IN: “WITHOUT A PADDLE” & “OPEN WATER”

Seth Green, Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard star in “Without A Paddle”as three friends on a canoe trip who face backwoods farmers, whitewater rapids,hippie chicks and a crazy mountain man during a search for hiddentreasure. Blanchard Ryan and DanielTravis star in “Open Water” as a couple on a scuba diving expedition whileon vacation. They accidentally get leftbehind to fend for themselves in shark-infested waters.

…TODAY’SANSWER

According to various sources, the 1936 BerlinOlympics were not only the first Games televised, but were also the firsttelevised sporting event. Berlin residents watchedthe Games on 25 large screens housed in television halls in the city. A receiver placed in the Olympic Villageenabled the athletes to view the competition. Unfortunately, problems occurredwith the broadcast images. For example,viewers typically were only able to see dark-colored horses at the polo events,giving rise to the term “dark horse.” The first Olympics covered by U.S.television was the 1960 Summer Games in Romeby CBS.

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