TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET edition of FSN's
"Fox Sports News" led with Raptors-Pacers, followed by
Lakers-Hornets. The first non-NBA story, at 8:08 into the
broadcast, was a report on this weekend's Daytona 500. Last
night's 11:00pm ET edition of CNN/SI's "Sports Tonight" led
with Lakers-Hornets, followed by T'Wolves-Knicks. The first
non-NBA story, at 7:50, was Deion Sanders arriving early to
Reds spring training camp in FL. Last night's 11:00pm ET
edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter" led with Lakers-Hornets,
followed by a report on Hornets F Derrick Coleman being
acquitted on charges of driving while intoxicated. The
first non-NBA story, at 11:57, was the Auburn Univ.-
Vanderbilt Univ. men's college basketball game (THE DAILY).
CARTER'S ALL STAR SMASH IN CANADA: In Toronto, William
Houston reports that the "star power" of the Raptors' Vince
Carter helped CTV's NBA All-Star Game on Sunday become the
"highest rated basketball game ever" on Canadian TV. CTV
drew 806,000 viewers for its NBC simulcast, compared to its
previous record audience of 706,000 for Michael Jordan's
"final game in '98." Houston writes that Carter "is a major
draw in Canadian sports television and the sport's best hope
for growth" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/17).
DOES NASCAR GET IT? NASCAR Senior VP Brian France said
that media members upset about the Article Four requirements
initially inserted on media credentials for the Daytona 500
were "conspiracy theorists" (See THE DAILY, 1/24). France:
"In the wording, we left a gray area. If we were off with
our language, we'll get it right." NASCAR COO Mike Helton:
"We understood what we meant to do. What we didn't
understand was how to write it down." But in Gastonia, NC,
Monte Dutton writes that NASCAR "still doesn't get it" when
discussing the controversy of the provision (GAZETTE, 2/17).
FOXSPORTS.COM ON THE MOVE? In S.F., Dan Fost profiles
the competition between sports news sites on the Web and
writes that "coming on strong" is Foxsports.com. Site VP
Danny Greenberg found the popularity for the site's high
school sports offerings "more incredible than I ever would
have thought" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/17).
DATABASE MANAGEMENT: In Toronto, Kevin Marron profiles
the NHL's use of computer software to provide game stats to
media and teams. The NHL uses Lotus Notes applications that
allow stats to be accessible to each team's coaching staff
and the league offices so they can "slice and dice the data"
and use it "on and off the ice" (GLOBE & MAIL, 2/17).
NOTES: On Foxsports.com, Keith Olbermann writes on
industry buzz surrounding Mike Freeman's upcoming book,
"ESPN: The Uncensored History" (See THE DAILY, 2/16).
Olbermann: "From their early reaction it is uncertain if my
old alma mater will stand the impact of this comet headed
for good old bucolic Bristol" (Foxsports.com, 2/17).
