NASCAR: CBS presents the Daytona 500 on Sunday, and
SPEEDNET's Bill Koenig writes that "one way to tell how a
broadcast network feels about an event is to look at who it
assigns to cover it," and the assignment of Greg Gumbel to
the Daytona "shows that CBS" thinks the race "continues to
grow in importance" (SPEEDNET, 2/12). In Chicago, Dave Van
Dyck reports that Gumbel has "politely declined" an
invitation to attend the Saturday dinner which honors this
year's Daytona 500 Grand Marshal, Supreme Court Justice
Clarence Thomas. Gumbel: "Whoever they choose to fill that
role with, obviously, is their right. But I am also not
going to be hypocritical and show up just because this guy
is associated with the Daytona 500" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES,
2/12). In Detroit, Steve Crowe reports that Gumbel's
"refusal to honor Thomas points out the strangeness of
NASCAR's decision to make the justice the grand marshal."
NASCAR President Bill France Jr. "insisted" that Thomas'
position on the Court and "racing interest alone were
factors" in his invitation and that it wasn't an effort to
appeal to African-Americans. France: "There's no race
factor involved one way or the other" (FREE PRESS, 2/12).
NBC GETS ITS RACE STAR: In Providence, Mark Schmiedel
writes that NBC Sports has named Allen Bestwick Jr. as its
lead motor sports announcer. Bestwick will call the Busch
Series race and the Winston Cup race during the NASCAR
Weekend at Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex in
November (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 2/12).
JERRY-MANDERING: USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke reports that
Fox Sports Senior VP/Business Affairs Minna Taylor sent a
letter to CBS Sports stating that announcer Jerry Glanville
is "exclusive" to Fox "unless, and until, Fox elects to
release Glanville from his contract." Taylor added that the
network will "vigorously protect its rights with Glanville."
Glanville: "I never signed anything and Fox never signed
anything." Glanville, on the publicity surrounding the move
and comments by Fox Senior VP/Media Relations Vince Wladika:
"I've worked there (Fox) five years. Vince never got my
name in the paper. Now look what he's done for me."
Wladika: "Jerry's such a good self-promoter, he usually beat
us to the punch" (USA TODAY, 2/12). Glanville: "If they
have a signed document, I'm calling the FBI because there's
a forgery" (Jim Baker, BOSTON HERALD, 2/12).
OTHER PLAYERS: In Chicago, Ed Sherman writes that Fox
Sports Chicago's decision not to renew Chet Coppock's
contract "doesn't come as a major surprise," as Coppock
"carries a hefty salary" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/12)....Midwest
Sports Channel formally announced that Paul Molitor will be
a TV analyst for Twins games as well as a team coach during
spring training. Molitor: "There were some concerns about
attaching myself to an organization when you're unsure of
where it will be in the near future" (PIONEER PRESS, 2/12).
