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AROUND THE HORN: MARINERS NEGOTIATE; RANGERS TEST NEW SLOGAN

          As the Mariners await their July move to Safeco Field
     with "increased revenues that could put the team in the
     black for the first time in the '90s," they are set to begin
     talks with CF Ken Griffey Jr. and SS Alex Rodriguez on
     contract extensions -- "a bidding process that could ensure
     the team never breaks even," according to Larry LaRue of the
     Tacoma NEWS-TRIBUNE.  Mariners Minority Owner John Ellis,
     who said he is "chasing a moving target" with salaries:
     "We've managed to develop a fan support and loyalty, and
     produce a stadium -- all of which should produce a stronger
     revenue base.  If our revenues increase, if the target keeps
     moving and you have to lose money to be competitive,
     something is haywire with the system. ... It's a system that
     has to change."  With the 15th highest payroll in MLB, the
     team lost nearly $2M last year (NEWS-TRIBUNE, 1/27).  LaRue
     also wrote that the Mariners must be "creative beyond the
     dollars" in the player signings, and that Griffey owning
     part of the team has been mentioned.  Mariners President
     Chuck Armstrong called the scenario "complicated," but not
     "impossible."  One team exec: "The problem with that is that
     Junior and Alex know better than to own something that
     continually loses money" (Tacoma NEWS-TRIBUNE, 1/27).
          MLB NOTES: In Dallas, Richard Alm writes on the
     Rangers' new advertising slogan, "The Texas Rangers: Your
     Friendly Neighborhood Team."  Rangers VP/Marketing Charlie
     Seraphin said the team would start running ads next week. 
     Two TV spots have been shot, one featuring manager Johnny
     Oates and the other featuring 1B Rafael Palmeiro (DALLAS
     MORNING NEWS, 1/29).  Also in Dallas, Ken Daley examines
     MLB's economic disparity under the header, "Money Market:
     Small-Budget Baseball Teams Are Out Of Their League" (DALLAS
     MORNING NEWS, 1/29)....In Oakland, prospective A's buyer
     Andy Dolich said the comments of his partner, Joe Morgan,
     that he wasn't interested in buying the team for $120M
     "weren't out of line at all with the group's collective
     thinking."  Dolich, who feels a deal can still occur: "There
     are two major hurdles that we're basically discussing
     amongst our group.  The first is the purchase price of the
     club, as it relates to markets around the country. 
     Secondly, there is discussion and concern in regard to the
     economic structure in baseball" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 1/28).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

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