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                                   __________         __________
Double Vision                    |           TOP STORY            |
  SportsNet N.Y.’s carriage      |      Meet Me In St. Louis      |
deal with Cablevision increases  |   After ten months of          |
subscriber base twofold. (#5)    | negotiations, Dave Checketts   |
                                 | has reportedly agreed to pay   |
As The Ball Bounces (#6)         | $150M to purchase the Blues    |
  Three down-to-the-wire games   | and Savvis Center lease from   |
boost CBS’ NCAA tourney          | Bill and Nancy Laurie.  While  |
overnight Nielsen ratings.       | the team has suffered through  |
                                 | a losing season both on the    |
It’s A Small World               | ice and at the gate, the deal  |
  Disney exec Reggie Williams    | should be seen as a win for    |
floated as possible successor    | Blues fans, as Checketts       |
to Paul Tagliabue. (#13)         | brings with him a wealth of    |
                                 | sports and hockey experience,  |
Full-Court Press (#20)           | as well as the intention to    |
  Race-discrimination suit       | keep the franchise in St.      |
against Chicago Niketown         | Louis.  Meanwhile, the         |
granted class-action status.     | ownership experience was less  |
                                 | than lucrative for the         |
The Station-ary Agent (#22)      | Lauries, who claim to have     |
  Carl Poston sues NFLPA         | lost $60M in the two seasons   |
seeking to overturn suspension.  | prior to the lockout and       |
                                 | sought as much as $250M in the |
Hurricane Peter                  | sale.  See (#15) for more.     |
  Karmanos prepping to retire    |________________________________|
from Compuware to focus                           
energies on NHL team. (#25)            ==== QUOTE OF THE DAY ====
                                                  
Real Sports                              “Blogs are a curse.
  N.Y. POST reports Bryant          They’re not held to the same
Gumbel, NFL Network talking         standards as the newspaper.”
about play-by-play job. (#9)                      
                                    -- Trail Blazers GM John Nash
Once A Cheetah... (#3)                    (SI, 3/27 issue).
  Ben Johnson endorsing                           
Canadian energy drink.

1.   SPEED THRILLS: DANICA PATRICK STILL A MARKETABLE ENTITY
          IRL driver Danica Patrick has agreed to a sponsorship
     deal with computer tutorial company Video Professor.  The
     company’s logo will be placed on Patrick’s helmet throughout
     the ’06 season, which begins this weekend at Homestead-Miami
     Speedway.  Patrick wore the Video Professor logo on her
     helmet for the final two races last season (Video
     Professor).  Meanwhile, Patrick has launched a Web site,
     Danicaracing.com, that will sell memorabilia and has
     “started working on a perfume that will come out this year”
     (PALM BEACH POST, 3/24).  In an extensive Q&A with the South
     Florida SUN-SENTINEL’s Sarah Talalay, Patrick said she has
     turned down some endorsement opportunities because they
     “don’t excite me, they don’t make sense, [or] they’re not
     enough money. ... Some of them [I] just wouldn’t want to do,
     it wouldn’t be my style.”  Patrick: “I do the ones that make
     sense.  The ones that excite me, the ones I think would be
     funny, the ones that would get me good publicity along with
     the endorsement deal that it is, it would also have a good
     marketing campaign, because that keeps your name out there”
     (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 3/24).
          UN-BARE-ABLE: Patrick in ’03 posed for a revealing
     photo shoot in FHM magazine, but said, “I wouldn’t do it
     now.  I’m so fortunate to be able to pick what kind of media
     I want to do, what direction I want it to go.  I don’t need
     to do things that don’t appeal to all of my fans.”  Patrick
     turned down an offer to pose for Playboy, and she added,
     “FHM was interested again and Maxim was too and some of them
     wanted covers.  It’s just not what I’m doing right now.”
     She said she would be interested in shoots with magazines
     like Vogue, Glamour or Cosmopolitan, “something where I was
     kind of high fashion, as opposed to like half-dressed”
     (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 3/24).
          DP SQUARED: Danica said filming a “SportsCenter” promo
     with ESPN’s Dan Patrick was done “quick, like record time
     for a commercial.”  Patrick: “We had no time to (film) it.
     ... I was going on Letterman that night, and we had like 45
     minutes to do it.  It was a lot fun.  Dan’s great.  He
     played his role perfectly, and I thought actually our first
     take was good enough” (ESPNews, 3/23).

2.   DRIVING DOWN THE RED CARPET: “CARS” WILL PREMIERE AT LMS
          Disney-Pixar’s new film “Cars” will premiere on May 26
     at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS), in what the speedway calls
     the first-ever multi-screen digital cinema premiere.  Texas
     Instruments’ DLP Cinema technology will serve as event
     technology partner.  Four custom-built movie screens, each
     spanning 115 feet wide and 50 feet tall, will be erected at
     turn two of the track.  Additionally, Hall of Fame Racing’s
     No. 96 NASCAR Nextel Cup Chevy, sponsored by DLP HDTV and
     driven by Terry Labonte, will be painted as the film’s lead
     character, “Lightning McQueen,” for the May 28 Coca-Cola 600
     (Lowe’s Motor Speedway).  In Charlotte, Lawrence Toppman
     notes Walt Disney Studios Chair Dick Cook joined LMS
     President Humpy Wheeler at Thursday’s announcement of the
     premier.  Disney “will mount a media blitz in the days
     before the opening, inviting entertainment press from across
     the country to attend and interview stars.”  A pre-screening
     concert “may include artists from the soundtrack,” such as
     John Mayer, James Taylor and Brad Paisley (CHARLOTTE
     OBSERVER, 3/24).

3.   DO CHEETAHS EVER WIN? ENERGY DRINK RIDES JOHNSON’S INFAMY
          Former Canada Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson is “trading
     on his infamy to sell a new energy drink called Cheetah
     Power Surge,” according to Morgan Campbell of the TORONTO
     STAR.  The creators of the two TV spots featuring Johnson,
     who lost his ’88 Seoul Games Gold Medal after testing
     positive for steroids, said that the “pun is intentional.”
     One ad “juxtaposes images of Johnson and a cheetah ... and
     encourages viewers to ‘go ahead and Cheetah.’”  The other
     features Johnson on a “mock talk show” hosted by D’Angelo
     Brands President & CEO Frank D’Angelo, whose company makes
     the drink.  In the spot, D’Angelo says, “Ben, when you run,
     do you Cheetah?”  Johnson responds, “Absolutely!” The
     audience initially gasps but then applauds when Johnson
     holds up a can of the drink.  Sports and marketing experts
     “find the association with the disgraced sprinter bizarre.”
     Univ. of Massachusetts associate professor of sports
     management Jay Gladden said, “They’re trying to promote an
     all-natural drink with a guy who stands for exactly the
     opposite.  It just strikes me as really misguided.”  Wieden
     & Kennedy Senior Strategic Planner Daniel Cherry said that
     Cheetah “sacrificed credibility for short-term buzz when it
     hired Johnson.”  Cherry: “If this is your step up into the
     marketplace, how do you legitimize yourself?”  But D’Angelo
     responded, “Did the commercial ... make you chuckle?  Then
     that’s all I wanted to do” (TORONTO STAR, 3/24).

4.   ACTION SPORTS UP-AND-COMERS OFTEN STRUGGLE TO LAND SPONSORS
          The efforts of young action sports athletes to find
     sponsors was examined by the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE’s
     Michelle DeCrescenzo, who wrote, “Attempts at gaining
     sponsorship range from sending action footage to companies,
     entering competitions that award sponsorship or being lucky
     enough to have a friend or relative who works in the
     industry.”  After distributing 45 “Sponsor Me” videos of his
     ten-year-old son, Sam, skateboarding, Rick Schoonderwoerd
     received “only three responses.”  Meanwhile, when
     skateboarder Taylor Smith was seven, he “landed a spot on
     the Billabong team after pro skater Bucky Lasek took notice
     of him.”  Now, at 11 years old, Smith has “become the
     youngest” to skate on Danny Way’s Megaramp.  Smith, still an
     amateur, is sponsored by Volcom, DC Shoes, Independent
     Trucks, Boost Mobile, Spy Optics and Plan B Skateboards.
     Smith’s father, Robert, a former skateboarder and surfer who
     quit his job to manage him, said, “I spent a fortune in gas
     and hotels but it comes full circle.  Now the companies end
     up paying for everything.”  Smith said of finding sponsors,
     “There is no formula.  Just let your kid skate.  If he’s
     having fun and he’s good, the rest will happen.”  Motocross
     racer Scott Tilton agreed, saying that he “sent endless
     resumes to companies looking for sponsorship.”  Tilton
     eventually started Sponsorhouse.com with a friend, R.J.
     Krause.  The Web site “provides a venue for sponsors and
     amateurs to meet, by creating an online site where athletes
     build profiles and sponsors do the same.”  Sponsorhouse, in
     its fifth year of business, has had 50,000 athletes and 400
     companies sign on. Tilton: “Companies are really opening up.
     With the talent pool so young now, they’re pretty much
     forced to create relationships at an early age so they have
     their loyalty through their careers” (UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/23).

 

5.   GOING TO THE METS: SPORTSNET N.Y. INKS CABLEVISION AGREEMENT
          Cablevision and SportsNet N.Y. (SNY) have entered into
     a long-term carriage deal. SNY has been added to
     Cablevision’s expanded basic tier. The deal calls for
     Cablevision to air all Mets home games in HD (SNY).  Terms
     of the deal were not disclosed, but sources put the rate for
     SNY at $1.70-1.75 per subscriber per month.  An SNY
     spokesperson said that with Cablevision’s three million N.Y.-
     area homes, the network now has about six million
     subscribers (Mike Reynolds, MULTICHANNELNEWS.com, 3/23).  In
     N.Y., Bob Raissman notes SNY and Cablevision working out a
     deal before Opening Day “is in stark contrast to
     negotiations between Cablevision and other programmers,” the
     most notable being YES Network not appearing on Cablevision
     during the ’02 MLB season.  The talks with YES “set a
     precedent for what tier a regional sports network would
     appear on,” and sources said that SNY asked Cablevision to
     “pay less money, per subscriber per month, than YES was
     asking” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/24).

6.   CBS' RATINGS UP FOR THURSDAY NCAA MEN'S TOURNAMENT COVERAGE 
          CBS earned an average 7.5/13 overnight Nielsen for its
     two broadcast windows on Thursday night of the NCAA men’s
     basketball tournament, up 4.2% from a 7.2/12 last year.
     The network’s coverage for the first four days of the
     tournament averaged a 5.6/12 final Nielsen rating, down
     5.1% from a 5.9/12 last year.  The chart below presents a
     window-by-window comparison of Thursday’s overnights from
     the last three years (THE DAILY).

          MARKET WATCH: Despite Texas-West Virginia being played
     at the Georgia Dome last night, the game “was passed over by
     CBS [in Atlanta] in favor of a UCLA-Gonzaga matchup taking
     place in Oakland.”  WGCL-CBS sports anchor Gil Tyree said
     that station management “pleaded with network officials in
     New York to change the game, but to no avail” (ATLANTA
     CONSTITUTION, 3/24)....Cebridge Cable customers in Kingwood,
     Texas, “missed the Texas A&M first-round game last week.
     Cebridge was picking up KHOU’s HD signal and downconverting
     it to analog and thus missed the A&M game, which was not
     shown in HD” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 3/24).
          DIRECT EFFECT: DirecTV said that nearly 66% of its Mega
     March Madness customers “who had interactive receivers used
     the new array of on-demand interactive features.”  More than
     49% used the Game Mix channel, over 30% pulled up on-screen
     scores and more than 36% used the tournament bracket feature
     to make and follow bracket picks.  DirecTV Entertainment
     Exec VP Eric Shanks noted the company’s success with
     interactive components for NFL, NCAA and Olympics telecasts
     and said, “We will continue to expand the use of this
     technology and take fans beyond the traditional viewing
     experience as we broadcast other major sporting events”
     (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 3/24).
          INTERESTING CONFLICT: In N.Y., Andrew Marchand in an
     open letter to Westwood One writes, “You can’t have John
     Thompson analyze Georgetown games on national radio when his
     son is the Hoyas’ coach, and Thompson Sr. reportedly still
     is being paid $400,000 per year by the university” (N.Y.
     POST, 3/24).

7.   BLOG DAY AFTERNOON: SI EXAMINES IMPACT OF INTERNET
          The Internet is “rapidly changing the relationships
     between athletes, fans and journalists, reapportioning
     access and power, redrawing boundaries and, for better or
     worse, making everyone a self-appointed expert,” according
     to SI’s Chris Ballard in an extensive look at sports
     coverage on the Internet.  Sports reporters “are becoming
     bloggers, teams are ‘filtering’ information, fans are
     getting exclusive interviews with GMs, and anyone with a
     camera phone can document” a player’s off-field behavior.
          LEADING BLOGGERS: ESPN.com’s Bill Simmons is a “pioneer
     in the online sports community” and the “embodiment of its
     prevailing ethos: the empowerment of the fan.”  ESPN Exec
     Editor John Walsh: “He knows what people like to read about
     and writes from the perspective of a passionate fan.  The
     best thing that happened for him is the Internet.  I don’t
     know that this form of writing would have come out
     otherwise.”  Meanwhile, Simmons said he has only “a good 18
     to 20 months left in me’” with his Sports Guy page on
     ESPN.com. Ballard notes Deadspin.com is the Internet’s “most
     popular sports blog, now garnering more than a million hits
     a month (2.5 million in February).  It has become a
     clearinghouse of sorts for the various misdeeds of
     athletes.”  Deadspin Editor Will Leitch: “There was a gaping
     hole for a site like this.  Most sites were either hard-core
     heavy stats, Bill Jamesian, or they were ‘Jets suck!’”
          AN EYE ON TEAMS: Portland Oregonian Trail Blazers beat
     writer Jason Quick began writing a blog this season.  Quick
     was not paid extra, which is a “not-uncommon arrangement for
     print publications and their sites -- but it was a way for
     him to pass on information that didn’t make his column,
     update fans in real time and, on occasion, share his often-
     critical opinions regarding the team.”  Trail Blazers “fans
     loved it; Blazers brass did not.”  Quick “decided to stop
     posting, not wanting to dash off something he’d later
     regret, but he resumed under pressure from his bosses.”
     Trail Blazers GM John Nash: “Blogs are a curse.  They’re not
     held to the same standards as the newspaper.”  Tyler
     Bleszinski operates an “A’s-friendly” blog called Athletics
     Nation that has featured exclusive interviews with A’s GM
     Billy Beane and “Moneyball” author Michael Lewis.  Readers
     are “mainly fellow A’s acolytes,” the “best of all possible
     worlds for a GM looking to spread his gospel.”
           PLAYER SITES: Ballard notes athletes “now use their
     websites to disseminate self-serving information.”  Former SI
     Senior Editor Sandy Padwe: “The link between a player and the
     sport and the fan has changed forever.  We’re going to have
     journalism by website, and readers and viewers are all going
     to suffer.  You’ll never get to know athletes beyond what
     they want you to know” (SI, 3/27 issue).

8.   SKY IS FALLING? IRISH RYDER CUP COVERAGE COULD BE ON FREE TV
          The Irish government is considering ordering the ’06
     Ryder Cup in Kildare, Ireland, “to be shown on a ‘free’
     national Irish television network, RTE,” according to Stu
     Schneider of GOLF WORLD.  This comes despite the European
     Tour having an exclusive contract with BSkyB to televise the
     event throughout the U.K.  Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern
     cited a bill passed in ’99 that let the Ireland Minister of
     Communication “designate events ‘of major importance to
     society’ and order them to be shown on free television
     throughout the country,” despite any existing contracts.  In
     ’03, Ahern argued that the same law allowed the government
     “to move soccer games onto free television despite a
     [US$21M] deal between Sky and the Football Association of
     Ireland.”  Schneider notes Sky reaches about half the HHs
     RTE does in Ireland (GOLF WORLD, 3/24 issue).

9.   PEOPLE & PERSONALITIES: BRYANT GUMBEL TO NFL NETWORK?
          In N.Y., Andrew Marchand cites sources saying that NFL
     Network has “had discussions with Bryant Gumbel about being
     the network’s play-by-player on its new eight-game TV
     package next season.”  Marchand writes Gumbel “would be an
     interesting choice because his huge name definitely would
     bring attention to NFL Network games. ... Besides money, the
     other major issue is Gumbel’s interest, considering he has
     limited play-by-play experience” (N.Y. POST, 3/24).
          LEAVING A BAD TASTE: ESPN’s Jayson Stark apologized
     Thursday “for his tasteless remark involving the manager of
     Cuba’s World Baseball Classic team, but Stark said there was
     no indication he will be disciplined.”  Stark, in a piece
     about Japan’s win over Cuba in the final, wrote Cuba manager
     Higinio Velez “spent the first inning managing like his raft
     was on fire, and it didn’t work out too caliente.”  Stark
     said, “I apologize to anyone I may have offended. ... I
     regret it.  I will never do it again.”  ESPN in a statement
     said, “The comment was clearly in bad taste.  Jayson is
     aware of it and recognizes his error.  It has been removed
     from the column, and we apologize” (MIAMI HERALD, 3/24).

10.  FINAL NIELSEN RATINGS FROM WEEKEND SPORTS EVENTS
          The following lists final Nielsen ratings for weekend
     sports events (THE DAILY).

11.  WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY?
          THE DAILY presents "What's The Frequency?," which
     highlights the subjects being discussed this week during
     afternoon drive shows on sports talk radio across the U.S.
     The following chart lists some of those topics.  Local
     stations are listed in order of market size.

          Want to add your own Frequency?  Contact Josh Rosen at
     joshr@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

      

12.  MEDIA NOTES
          With Fox’ six-year, $2.5B deal with MLB entering its
     final season, the N.Y. TIMES’ Richard Sandomir reports MLB
     recently asked ESPN execs to discuss a network package for
     ABC Sports.  MLB Exec VP/Business Tim Brosnan said, “We have
     a very compelling product and we feel that at the end of the
     day, the marketplace will bear that out.”  But Sandomir
     notes MLB “may discover less than booming interest in its
     rights.”  Fox “wants to keep much of what it has -– except
     for its package of seven [LDS] games -– but does not want to
     pay much of an increase.”  The net does want to keep its
     Saturday afternoon package.  NBC “might need the ratings
     uptick that would come from a successful World Series,” but
     its Sunday night NFL package could be a conflict.  CBS seems
     to be “the longest shot” (N.Y. TIMES, 3/24).
          IN-ARENA EXPERIENCE: The Clippers-Lakers game April 9
     on FSN Prime Ticket will be televised without announcers and
     commercial-free, and “all the camera angles will be from
     floor level.”  FSN Producer Tom Feuer said, “We’re trying to
     give the viewer at home the experience of watching a game
     from a courtside seat.”  The game will be broadcast
     traditionally on FSN West and KTLA-WB (L.A. TIMES, 3/24).
          YES I CAN: YES Network and MLBAM have agreed to a multi-
     year partnership in which MLBAM will design and operate the
     net’s Web site (YES).

 

13.  REGGIE WILLIAMS NAMED AS POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT FOR TAGLIABUE
          Reggie Williams, a 14-year NFL veteran who currently
     serves as VP of Disney Sports Attractions, “could get fairly
     serious consideration” to replace NFL Commissioner Paul
     Tagliabue, according to league sources cited by Paul
     Domowitch of the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS.  Williams said
     that he “has not spoken directly with anyone from the league
     about the commissioner’s job recently.”  But he added, “If
     anyone in the NFL wants to further delve into my
     qualifications, I would be open to dialogue.”  Domowitch
     writes Williams “has the kind of broad appeal that makes him
     attractive to the league. ... His background as a player is
     appealing to those who feel the league needs a football guy
     at the top this time, rather than another lawyer.  And, last
     but not least, he’s a minority” (PHILA DAILY NEWS, 3/24).

14.  UEFA WARNS G-14 CLUBS AGAINST FORMING SUPER LEAGUE
          UEFA’s 52 members on Thursday unanimously passed a
     resolution warning the G-14 group of soccer clubs -- which
     includes Arsenal, Manchester United and Real Madrid -- “that
     they faced expulsion from domestic [soccer] if they
     continued to pursue the formation of a European super
     league,” according to Glenn Moore of the London INDEPENDENT.
     The threat is in response “both to a leaked document
     proposing such a league and an ongoing court case in Belgium
     which could destabalise” int’l soccer around use of club
     players in int’l matches (INDEPENDENT, 3/24). But G-14 GM
     Thomas Kurth said there “are no plans ... in the foreseeable
     future” to split from UEFA (LONDON TIMES, 3/24). Also, the
     English Football Association has “joined Germany in refusing
     to be part of” the UEFA-FIFA defense against a claim brought
     by G-14 in a Belgian court that seeks compensation of nearly
     US$1B “for using their players in international matches over
     the last 10 years” (London TELEGRAPH, 3/24).
          JUST OVER THE POND: In Manchester, Owen Gibson reports
     “some of the Premiership’s biggest matches could be
     broadcast exclusively over the Internet from next year
     rather than via pay TV.” Premier League CEO Richard
     Scudamore said that live games on the Internet would be
     offered for the first time “under a complex plan to maintain
     the flow of media money into the game while satisfying” its
     competition agreement with the European Commission
     (Manchester GUARDIAN, 3/24).

 

15.  CHECK MATE: CHECKETTS AGREES TO BUY BLUES, LEASE FOR $150M
          Sports Capital Partners CEO and MLS Real Salt Lake
     Owner Dave Checketts has agreed to buy the Blues and Savvis
     Center lease for $150M from Bill and Nancy Laurie, according
     to sources cited by Jeremy Rutherford of the ST. LOUIS POST-
     DISPATCH. Checketts has put down a $10M nonrefundable
     deposit on the transaction.  The deal is pending NHL
     approval, but the league “has been monitoring the Blues’
     sale talks for the past few months and probably has given
     the green light for [Checketts] to proceed.”  Sources said
     that Checketts “fully intends to keep the Blues in St.
     Louis,” and the team said that a clause in the deal “will
     hold the team in the city until at least the 2010-11
     season.”  General Sports & Entertainment CEO Andy Appleby,
     who had been negotiating with the Lauries, said, “We were
     very close.  We’re disappointed that it didn’t happen, but
     we put forth our best effort.  We wish everybody luck” (ST.
     LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 3/24).

16.  CROSS-CULTURAL: METS RUNNING SPANISH ADS IN ENGLISH PAPERS
          The Mets over the past two weeks have been running
     Spanish-language ads in English-language newspapers,
     according to Neil Best of NEWSDAY.  One ad reads, “La Hora
     Ha Llegado.  El equipo.  El momento.  Los Mets.”
     Translation: “The Time Has Arrived.  The team.  The time.
     The Mets.”  The ads also noted that fans can get tickets at
     the Mets’ Spanish-language Web site, losmets.com.  Mets Exec
     VP/Business Operations Dave Howard said of the effort, “We
     felt it would be a little bit out of the ordinary, probably
     generate some interest.”  Best notes the Mets are “among a
     handful of teams with a Spanish Web site,” and the club last
     month hired Dir of Market Development Sandra van Meek to
     “head the team’s multi-cultural marketing efforts.” While
     Van Meek “seeks to serve fans of all backgrounds,” she did
     spend “part of her childhood in Colombia and understands
     Spanish language, culture and marketing.”  The Mets have
     also “advertised heavily in Spanish newspapers and radio, as
     well as bus and subway ads,” and “more games than ever” will
     be carried on WADO-AM radio in Spanish.  In addition, some
     members of the team’s ticket office is bilingual and some of
     the game-day staff speak Spanish “and wear orange buttons
     that indicate so.”  Also, the team has “found it is easier
     to get Spanish-speaking players to perform community
     outreach in Spanish neighborhoods because they are more
     comfortable with the language” (NEWSDAY, 3/24).

17.  MELNYK NOT PURSUING FINANCIALLY-TROUBLED CFL RENEGADES
          Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk issued a statement
     Thursday that “crushed any hopes” that he would buy the CFL
     Renegades, according to Naylor & Maki of the Toronto GLOBE &
     MAIL.  The CFL is expected to suspend or fold the franchise
     if a new owner for is not found. In the statement, Melnyk
     said, “It would be unfair for all concerned for me to make a
     commitment to the Ottawa Renegades that I don’t believe I
     could focus my full attention on. ... I will not be seeking
     to purchase the franchise.”   A representative of one group
     interested in the Renegades said that the “logistics of
     operating the team at this point of the year make a deal
     hard to reach.”  The rep added, “I’m not sure we have the
     timetable to do this unless there was some pretty
     significant financial support from either the league or the
     current owner.  You can’t spend judiciously when you’ve got
     to go in and save a market” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 3/24).
     Ontario Hockey League Ottawa 67’s Owner Jeff Hunt, who has
     also been mentioned as a potential buyer, said the Renegades
     are “out of his league” financially (OTTAWA SUN, 3/24).

 

18.  WIRELESS COMPANIES HOPING FOR GOOD RECEPTION AT NEW PARK
          U.S. Cellular is installing six antennas at the new
     Busch Stadium to “enhance coverage” at the ballpark as part
     of its five-year, $5.2M deal to become the Cardinals’
     exclusive wireless sponsor, according to Jerri Stroud of the
     ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH.  The antennas will be “virtually
     invisible to fans.”  U.S. Cellular Regional Manager for
     Construction David Kipp said that the company “worked
     closely with the Cardinals on its plan to enhance cell phone
     reception in the park.”  Also, Cingular Greater Midwest VP &
     GM Nancy Garvey said that the company is spending more than
     $1M to “ensure that customers will have good coverage around
     the stadium.”  Additionally, T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel both
     have “tweaked their coverage to make sure customers’ phones
     will work” in the ballpark.  Cardinals VP/Stadium Operations
     Joe Abernathy said that the ballpark will have the
     “infrastructure for a wireless network, but the team has not
     decided how or when to roll it out to the public” (ST. LOUIS
     POST-DISPATCH, 3/23).

      

19.  FACILITY NOTES
          The Empire State Development Corp. BOD has approved
     $70M in taxpayer money to build 4,735 parking spaces for the
     proposed new Yankee Stadium.  The ESDC also approved $70M
     for “infrastructure improvements” for the proposed Mets
     ballpark (NEWSDAY, 3/24).  ESDC Chair & Commissioner Charles
     Gargano appeared on the YES Network simulcast of “Mike & The
     Mad Dog” on Thursday and said, “I’m very confident that by
     the end of April, the Yankees will be able to break ground,
     and then the Mets whenever they’d like as well” (“Mike & The
     Mad Dog,” YES Network, 3/23).
          HEINZ FIELD: The Allegheny County (PA) Sports &
     Exhibition Authority BOD unanimously approved a 700-seat
     addition to Heinz Field to be completed in time for the NFL
     season.  The authority will contribute about $554,000 toward
     the $4.3M project “out of a capital reserve fund set up as
     part of the construction of Heinz Field,” while the Steelers
     will cover the rest.  It “initially was thought that the
     sports authority ... would pay for two-thirds of the cost
     out of the capital reserve fund” (PITT. POST-GAZETTE, 3/24).
          MARLINS: San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger, Bexar
     County (TX) Judge Nelson Wolff and other city and county
     execs will join Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria for the team’s
     April 3 opener against the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
     Loria has “not met with any of the politicians because
     [relocation] discussions with the city have been handled
     primarily” by Marlins President David Samson.  The Marlins
     told Wolff last week that the team and MLB are “taking a few
     weeks to study the viability of San Antonio as a major-
     league market before responding” to the city’s relocation
     proposal (MIAMI HERALD, 3/24).

20.  SUIT AGAINST CHICAGO NIKETOWN GAINS CLASS-ACTION STATUS
          A race discrimination lawsuit brought by 18 current and
     former African-American employees of Chicago’s Niketown
     store in ’03 has been granted class-action status, “creating
     a potentially damaging public relations problem” for Nike,
     according to Ameet Sachdev of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE.  The suit
     claims that Niketown “systematically discriminated against
     these workers in hiring, promotions, benefits and workplace
     discipline, thus subjecting them to a hostile environment.”
     The suit also alleges that African-American customers,
     including Bulls F Tyson Chandler and three Packers players,
     “were subject to greater scrutiny and monitoring at the
     Chicago store.”  In granting class-action status, U.S.
     District Judge Milton Shadur “rejected Nike’s arguments that
     the allegations of poor treatment were isolated and random.”
     A status hearing is planned for next week.  Nike Dir of
     Global Issues Management Vada Manager said in response to
     the suit, “We want to communicate to our customers that we
     don’t believe the allegations made in the case are
     consistent with our culture of inclusion and respect.  We
     don’t believe this reflects our corporate philosophy.”
     Marketing experts said that the suit “could cause distress
     at Nike.”  Univ. of Michigan associate professor of
     marketing Christie Nordhielm said, “Minority groups tend to
     pay more attention to this type of issue than others.  The
     fact that the Chicago Niketown is a flagship store, it will
     cause a bigger fuss than most” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/24).

21.  BONDS’ BOOK LAWSUIT BANKS ON ILLEGALLY-OBTAINED TESTIMONY
          Lawyers for Giants LF Barry Bonds are planning to file
     a lawsuit in S.F. Superior Court seeking “to confiscate all
     profits” from the book “Game of Shadows,” according to Bob
     Egelko of the S.F. CHRONICLE.  The lawyers will argue that
     the book, which alleges Bonds used steroids, was “based on
     illegally obtained grand jury transcripts.”  They also plan
     to ask a federal judge “to begin contempt-of-court
     proceedings” against the book’s authors, S.F. Chronicle
     reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, as well as
     the publisher, Gotham Books, and The Chronicle and Sports
     Illustrated.  The lawyers “will make no attempt to halt
     publication of the book or any future excerpts.”  S.F.
     Chronicle attorney Eve Burton said that the newspaper will
     ask the judge “to dismiss the suit and order Bonds to pay
     all legal fees and costs under a California law penalizing
     the filing of suits that seek to stifle free expression”
     (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/24).  The Giants refused to comment,
     saying, “This is Barry Bonds’ personal issue” (ESPN.com,
     3/23).
          GETTING CHATTY: The book’s authors participated in a
     chat on ESPN.com Thursday before news of the lawsuit broke.
     One person asked, “How did you get the Grand Jury Testimony
     from the BALCO investigation?  Isn’t it illegal to have
     those transcripts?”  Fainaru-Wada replied, “We’ve done
     nothing illegal as it relates to our reporting.  We’ve
     benefited from a number of sources who have interest in the
     truth being told.  And as such, we’ve been able to obtain
     many documents that weren’t necessarily made public”
     (ESPN.com, 3/23).

 

22.  CARL POSTON FILES SUIT AGAINST NFLPA OVER SUSPENSION
          Agent CARL POSTON has filed a suit in U.S. District
     Court in N.Y. claiming the two-year suspension the NFLPA
     recommended against him “should be overturned” and that he
     is entitled to a neutral arbitrator for his appeal,
     according to Howard Bryant of the WASHINGTON POST.  The
     NFLPA’s eight-member disciplinary board suggested the
     suspension after it found Poston “to have been negligent in
     negotiating a contract” for then-Redskins LB LAVAR ARRINGTON
     in ’03.  The union claimed Poston “signed the contract
     without ensuring it contained a $6.5[M] bonus clause that
     Arrington said he and the Redskins had agreed upon.”
     Arrington’s attorney, PAUL ALOE, said, “What we’d like is
     what little due process under these rules is due to our
     client. ... Poston faces a two-year suspension when his
     client is adamant that his agent did nothing wrong.”  Bryant
     notes if a judge rules in favor of Poston, the NFLPA “could
     be forced to reconsider its disciplinary model at a time
     when the union has made it clear it wants to be aggressive
     in regulating player agents.”  NFLPA General Counsel RICHARD
     BERTHELSEN said that the union’s agent-disciplining process
     has “been challenged in court twice before, once by Poston.”
     Berthelsen: “Our process has been upheld by courts on
     numerous times in the past and we expect it will be the same
     in this instance” (WASHINGTON POST, 3/24).

23.  NEWSMAKERS: TAGLIABUE LEAVES NFL IN TOP FORM
          THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the
     performances over the past week of some people and entities
     in sports business. Here are this week’s newsmakers

          WIN: PAUL TAGLIABUE -- One of the few to truly go
     out on top, NFL Commissioner is almost unanimously praised
     for guiding the league to the pinnacle of sports business.
     Perhaps the greatest compliment comes in this self-
     deprecating remark from fellow commish DAVID STERN: “Under
     his leadership ... there was the NFL and its enormous draw
     and its enormous network television contract and the
     enormous interest that they get, ... and then there were the
     other sports leagues.”

          LOSS: TRIPLE CROWN –- The treasure chest for horse
     racing’s crown jewel series is likely a little lighter this
     year after the group admits it is unlikely to replace title
     sponsor Visa and its $5M bonus before the Kentucky Derby.
     The reasons are predictable: split TV partners and
     sponsorship conflicts.

          DRAW: U.S. SOCCER –- USSF sells out allotment of ticket
     packages for an overseas World Cup for the first time,
     exemplifying heightened interest around the U.S. squad.  But
     the team, missing most of its key players, gets waxed by
     Germany in an oddly-timed tune-up match.  Coach BRUCE ARENA
     acknowledges the game was a scheduling mistake: “I’d never
     come again to Germany to play the host country in their last
     tune-up before the World Cup with a second team.”

24.  EXECUTIVE TRANSACTIONS
          Bobcats Sports & Entertainment (BS&E) promoted
     President & COO ED TAPSCOTT to CEO and CFO PETER SMUL to
     COO.  Tapscott, who will retain his title as President, will
     work with ownership to direct the strategic on-court and off-
     court development of the Bobcats, WNBA Sting and Charlotte
     Bobcats Arena.  Smul will report to Tapscott and direct the
     day-to-day operations of the Bobcats and Sting (BS&E)....
     Southern Methodist Univ. has hired Univ. of Central Florida
     AD STEVE ORSINI as AD, replacing JIM COPELAND, who will
     retire May 31 (Mult., 3/24)....The Packers named BILL HAWKER
     Corporate Sales Manager.  Hawker previously held the same
     title with the Bears (Packers).... The Independent Atlantic
     League Camden Riversharks named ANDY SHULTZ Senior Corporate
     Sales Manager, BRIAN RADLE Corporate Sales Manager, MATT
     HIGGINS Group Account Manager and MICHELLE METGER Group
     Account Manager (Riversharks).... Chicago-based ProActive
     Inc. named Intersport VP/Sales LANCE ALDRIDGE and Enable
     Healthcare/Veritas Institute for Medical Education
     VP/Business Development JEANINE JAKELICH as Market Dirs
     (ProActive).
          Do you have an executive announcement? If so, please
     send to editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

25.  OWNERS IN THE NEWS: KARMANOS STEPPING DOWN AT COMPUWARE
          Compuware Founder, Chair & CEO PETER KARMANOS “is
     beginning to plan for his retirement and the selection of
     the next CEO.”  Karmanos, who owns the Hurricanes, “didn’t
     elaborate on his plans for retirement, other than to say
     he’d like to spend more time involved with [the Hurricanes]
     on marketing and other matters.”  He has scheduled a special
     meeting of Compuware’s BOD on April 4 to discuss what he
     called “the first wave of succession planning” (DETROIT FREE
     PRESS, 3/24).
          FAMILY COMMITMENT: Jets Owner WOODY JOHNSON is planning
     to donate $4M to his Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR),
     which brings his family’s “total commitments to the group to
     $28M.  The ALR has committed about $35M to scientific work,
     and Johnson “has tapped the [Jets] to help raise money at
     charity luncheons” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/24).
          UNHAPPY WITH LARRY: Nearly 1,400 people have signed an
     online petition asking the Univ. of Utah to cancel a keynote
     address by Jazz Owner LARRY MILLER.  Katrina Farley, the
     student and employee at the school who started the petition,
     said that Miller, by pulling “Brokeback Mountain” from a
     theater he owns in Salt Lake City in January, “showed he is
     not open-minded and doesn’t value academic freedom” (SALT
     LAKE TRIBUNE, 3/24).

26.  NAMES IN THE NEWS
          Ravens RB JAMAL LEWIS appeared on FSN’s “BDSSP” last
     night wearing a CROOKS & CASTLE T-shirt.  FSN’s Chris Rose:
     “All the dorky white people at home are going to be like,
     ‘Why is he wearing a Crooks shirt on the air?’”  Lewis:
     “It’s just the name of the company, the guys that make the
     shirts” (“BDSSP,” FSN, 3/23).
          IN COURT: Univ. of Alabama football fan RON ST. JOHN is
     suing author WARREN ST. JOHN and two divisions of RANDOM
     HOUSE, claiming they “used a picture of his [RV] as a book
     cover” for the paperback edition of “RAMMER JAMMER YELLOW
     HAMMER” without paying him.  The suit claims Ron St. John
     was “verbally promised compensation by Warren St. John and
     the publishers” for using the image (BIRMINGHAM NEWS,
     3/23)....STRAIGHT-OUT PROMOTIONS, which staged the July ’04
     MIKE TYSON-DANNY WILLIAMS fight in Louisville, won a $2.7M
     million judgment against Gibraltar-based BREARLY LTD, which
     it alleges “failed to turn over international broadcast
     revenues from the bout.”  Brearly was also ordered to pay
     45% of all its receipts over $2.7M, plus interest, to
     Straight-Out (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 3/24).
          NAMES: Former KTRS-AM host DAVE LENIHAN on Thursday was
     suspended by the LOGAN COLLEGE OF CHIROPRACTIC, where he is
     an instructor, for using the word “coon” when describing why
     U.S. Secretary of State CONDOLEEZZA RICE would be a good
     choice to succeed NFL Commissioner PAUL TAGLIABUE.  Lenihan,
     who was fired from KTRS on Wednesday for his comments, has
     written an apology to Rice (STLTODAY.com, 3/23)....Former
     MLBer WARREN CROMARTIE is assisting in making a movie about
     his experience last year of managing the Japan Samurai Bears
     in the independent Golden Baseball League (MIAMI HERALD,
     3/24)....Heat G DWYANE WADE is on the April cover of Men’s
     Health and featured in a story about fitness training that
     also includes MLB Rangers 1B MARK TEIXEIRA, MLS Galaxy F
     LANDON DONOVAN, NFL Cardinals RB EDGERRIN JAMES and
     Lightning C VINCENT LECAVALIER (THE DAILY)....Suns F AMARE
     STOUDEMIRE has opened a restaurant called “STOUDEMIRE’S
     DOWNTOWN” in Phoenix (THE DAILY).

 

27.  ESPN SPORTS POLL: MLB TRADING CARDS MOST POPULAR AMONG KIDS
          The ESPN Sports Poll, a service of TNS Sport, asks all
     respondents ages 7-11 if they collect sports trading cards.
     Those who do are asked to name which leagues’ cards they
     collect. Following are the percentage of respondents who
     collect cards and the leagues they collect for ‘05 (ESPN
     Sports Poll).

29.  SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL EXAMINES SPORTS RADIO ON APRIL 24
          These are exciting times in sports radio as the medium
     is facing great challenges and opportunities.  The issues
     affect every form of the medium from traditional sports talk
     stations, to satellite radio, to sports rights holding and
     team-run stations.  SportsBusiness Journal will look at the
     forces now shaping sports radio, where the fiercest
     competition is being fought, and how the business may look
     in the future.  Publishing Date: April 24.  Closing Date:
     April 10.  To advertise, call your local SportsBusiness
     Journal sales representative or ad director Julie Tuttle at
     212-500-0711.



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