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                                   __________         __________
You’re My Home                   |          TOP STORY             |
  24 Hour Fitness taps Yao as    |          Kobe, Ink             |
main spokesperson for new        |   Lakers G Kobe Bryant has     |
locations in China. (#2)         | joined Zambezi Ink, a new ad   |
                                 | agency formed by former Wieden |
Keeping The Faith                | & Kennedy employees, as an     |
  TNT Nielsen ratings flat,      | investor and key client, a     |
ESPN down for first-round of     | move similar to LeBron James   |
NBA playoff games. (#9)          | forming his own marketing      |
                                 | company last year.  Zambezi    |
Opt Out Clause                   | Ink, which has already created |
  Compromise with MLB gives      | a new Web site for Bryant,     |
players final say on whether to  | will work closely with his     |
cooperate with steroid           | sponsors and even produce      |
investigation. (#14)             | commercials featuring the      |
                                 | athlete.  Sports Business      |
Message In A Bottle (#18)        | Group’s David Carter says “the |
  Yankees, Cubs, Nationals       | immediacy of the media” in     |
among teams changing alcohol     | today’s world is allowing      |
policies after Hancock death.    | athletes to market themselves  |
                                 | directly, rather than rely on  |
Snow Patrol (#27)                | shoe companies, which have     |
  New VANOC business plan        | traditionally taken the lead   |
hinges on record revenue from    | on promoting their endorsers.  |
GM Place, 90% of tickets sold.   | See (#1) for more.             |
                                 |________________________________|
Channel Surfing                                   
  FSN in talks to sell Big 12          ==== QUOTE OF THE DAY ====
football package to ESPN. (#10)                   
Rocky Five                             “Actually the President
  Is McNabb scheduling his own      was going to invite Patriots
press conference sign of               quarterback Tom Brady,
trouble in Philly? (#19)             but he was afraid he might
                                      get the queen pregnant.”
Pony Express                                      
  Yum Brands again earns most            -- NBC’s Jay Leno,
exposure during NBC’s Kentucky         on Monday’s White House
Derby broadcast. (#31)            dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth,
                                    which was attended by Peyton
Think Pink (#28)                 Manning (“The Tonight Show,” 5/8).
  MLB, LPGA, U.S. women’s                         
soccer team raising breast                        
cancer awareness this weekend.

1.   KOBE BRYANT INVESTOR AND CLIENT IN NEW AD AGENCY ZAMBEZI INK
          Lakers G Kobe Bryant is an “investor and primary
     client” of Zambezi Ink, L.A., a new ad agency founded in
     September by two former Wieden & Kennedy employees and their
     associates, according to Helen Jung of the Portland
     OREGONIAN. The agency is “consulting with the companies that
     hire Bryant as an endorser and even producing commercials in
     some cases.”  Zambezi Ink Managing Dir and co-Founder Chris
     Raih: “We hope to have our fingerprints on as much marketing
     as possible where it pertains to Kobe.”  Jung notes one of
     the agency’s first projects was creating kb24.com, Bryant’s
     personal Web site. The company also wrote and shot a Living
     Spaces Furniture ad featuring Bryant and has produced video
     of Bryant at an online auction for Upper Deck.  Upper Deck
     Authenticated Group Product Manager Jamie Kiskis said that
     he “anticipates that Zambezi would shoot any commercials
     involving Bryant, despite Upper Deck’s own agency
     relationships.”  Nike Dir of Communications Rodney Knox said
     that company officials have met with Zambezi Ink for an
     “‘exchange of ideas and concepts,’... but little has
     progressed beyond that so far.”  Raih indicated the agency
     is “talking with other companies and pro athletes, including
     basketball, boxing and football players.”
          SELF PROMOTION: Jung notes last year, Cavaliers F
     LeBron James fired his agent and created his own LRMR
     Marketing agency.  Sports Business Group President David
     Carter said, “In years past, the major footwear and apparel
     manufacturers certainly have taken the lead in positioning
     these athletes.  But now ... because of the immediacy of the
     media, they can market and promote themselves more directly.
     They don’t need to rely on someone else to take the lead”
     (Portland OREGONIAN, 5/9).

2.   YAO MING BECOMES CENTER OF 24 HOUR FITNESS’ CHINA EFFORTS
          Tapping Rockets C Yao Ming as its “China pitchman and
     equity partner,” 24 Hour Fitness “plans to open 20 to 30
     workout facilities in the next five years throughout China,”
     according to David Armstrong of the S.F. CHRONICLE.  24 Hour
     Fitness will operate in China through its wholly-owned
     subsidiary California Fitness.  There are ten California
     Fitness clubs in Hong Kong and six in Taiwan, as well as
     about 370 24 Hour Fitness outlets in the U.S.  Yao will be
     an equity partner in the California Fitness China venture
     and is also “involved in designing the clubs.”  Yao: “In
     Beijing, I will open the first club this summer.  It will
     have half-court basketball, weightlifting, cardiovascular
     equipment.  I’m telling them what kind of music Chinese
     people like to listen to when they exercise.”  24 Hour
     Fitness Chair & Founder Mark Mastrov said Yao is “very
     engaged. He’s looking at the feel and texture of the club”
     (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/9).

3.   PUMA SIGNS DEAL TO EXPAND ITS ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING
          Puma has signed a deal with L.A.-based Meteor Worldwide
     in an effort to expand its entertainment marketing division.
     Meteor will help Puma with motion picture product placement,
     promotion and integration for select lines.  Meteor
     VP/Product & Brand Integration Seth Schur will head the
     account (Puma).  DAILY VARIETY’s Marc Graser reports Puma
     will “seek out as many as six movies for tie-ins next year,”
     and the company will use films “to launch two clothing
     lines” –- the Urban Mobility line will hit stores in
     February and the other will follow next summer.  Meteor
     Managing Partner Ben Blanco said, “Puma wants to use the
     release of the films as event marketing and rally around
     that moment in time when the movies are being released
     around the world with a big promotional push.”  Reps said
     that Puma could spend “several million dollars per movie” on
     promotions (DAILY VARIETY, 5/9).

4.   CHINESE-OWNED HAIER TO SPONSOR NEXTEL CUP RIDE THIS WEEKEND
          Chinese-owned Haier America will serve as the primary
     sponsor of Ginn Racing’s No. 13 Chevrolet driven by Joe
     Nemechek during Saturday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Dodge Avenger
     500 at Darlington Raceway, according to Gary Graves of USA
     TODAY.  The deal comes three weeks after NASCAR Chair & CEO
     Brian France led a delegation to China to “explore business
     and racing initiatives in the country” (USA TODAY, 5/9).
     Haier also has sports marketing deals with the NBA, BOCOG
     and the AVP (THE DAILY).

5.   LINUX PROGRAMMERS LOOKING TO SPONSOR INDY 500 RIDE
          Linux Administrator Bob Moore and colleague Ken Starks
     are “running an online fund-raising campaign” to sponsor
     Chastain Motorsports’ entry in the Indianapolis 500, and
     have raised about $11,000 in “a couple of weeks,” according
     to Erika Smith of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR.  That total would
     be enough to “secure a minor associate sponsorship” on the
     car, which would bear Linux’ penguin logo.  Moore said that
     35,000-40,000 people have visited tux500.com, where they are
     collecting donations until May 21.  A primary sponsorship on
     the car would cost $350,000-600,000 (INDY STAR, 5/9).
          ALONG FOR THE RIDE: Hitachi Koki USA will be the
     primary sponsor of Vision Racing’s No. 20 car driven by Ed
     Carpenter in the Indy 500.  The deal includes an associate
     sponsorship by Lowe’s; the Hitachi and Lowe’s associate
     sponsorships will continue through the IRL season (Hitachi).

6.   MAZDA TO TITLE SPONSOR CHAMP CAR RACE IN PORTLAND
     By Michael Smith, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

          Mazda will be the title sponsor of the Champ Car World
     Series’ Grand Prix of Portland on June 10, increasing
     Mazda’s already significant involvement in the series.
     Terms of the title sponsorship were not available.  Joe’s
     Sports & Outdoor is a presenting sponsor for the race.
     Mazda replaced Ford this season as Champ Car’s official
     vehicle, which means the series is using Mazdas for its pace
     cars and safety vehicles.  Mazda also is partially
     underwriting a new on-screen interactive feature on Champ
     Car broadcasts, which calls for viewers to answer questions
     or vote via text-messaging.

7.   VALSPAR SIGNS DEAL WITH U.S. OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
          The USTA’s U.S. Open has signed paint company Valspar
     to a multi-year, multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal that
     also covers the eight events in the U.S. Open Series (USOS),
     according to Daniel Kaplan of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL.
     Valspar is planning a summer marketing campaign, which will
     include “fan promotions on site at each event, and print and
     TV ads on CBS and ESPN.”  The deal also includes a
     “commitment to have advertising on all [USOS] broadcasts.”
     Valspar, whose business is “mainly selling to manufacturers,
     plans to use the sponsorship to introduce a new consumer
     paint brand.”  Euro RSCG Chicago VP/Sports & Entertainment
     Tom Jacobs, whose company repped Valspar in the deal, said,
     “We liked that the USOS provided a large period of time to
     activate around tennis; obviously, The U.S. Open is only two
     weeks” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/7).

8.   BRIERE, VITAMINWATER OFFER DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS OF DEAL
          Glaceau’s vitaminwater is featuring Sabres C Daniel
     Briere in marketing efforts in western New York, according
     to Tim O’Shei of BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST.  Ads depict Briere
     with a bottle of the beverage with the headline “power
     assist” and the tagline, “it works ... for daniel briere.”
     vitaminwater also runs spots on Briere’s WKSE-FM morning-
     show.  But while a vitaminwater press release said Briere
     approached Glaceau about the endorsement and that Briere is
     an investor in the company, Briere said the company
     approached him, and he was “stumped by the reference to him
     being an investor.” O’Shei notes Briere is “not an investor,
     but could choose to become one.”  Briere’s agent Pat Brisson
     received an offer for Briere to buy shares in Glaceau but
     “didn’t want to broach the subject with the player during
     the post-season.”  Glaceau Senior VP/Marketing Rohan Oza
     said, “It’s still an equity piece within the company, but
     yeah, it is options.”  O’Shei notes Briere’s other
     endorsements include Easton, a local Lexus dealership and
     men’s store Napoli’s (BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST, 5/4 issue).

 

9.   TNT RATINGS FLAT, ESPN DOWN FOR NBA PLAYOFFS FIRST-ROUND
          For 24 first-round NBA playoff games, TNT averaged a
     1.9 U.S. HH Nielsen rating (2.3 cable rating) and 2.093
     million HHs, even with the rating for 24 games last year but
     down 3.4% from 2.146 million HHs.  TNT won the week ending
     May 6 in primetime in total viewers, HHs and adults 18-34,
     18-49 and 25-54 among ad-supported cable networks. ESPN
     averaged a 1.9 cable rating, or 1,807,000 HHs, for eight NBA
     playoff games, down  17.4% and 14.4%, respectively from a
     2.3 and 2,112,000 HHs for nine games last year (THE DAILY).
          WARRIORS COME OUT TO PLAY: Game Six of Mavericks-
     Warriors last Thursday earned a 4.0 cable rating,
     translating to a 3.4 U.S. HH rating, marking the second-
     highest-rated NBA game on broadcast or cable during the ’06-
     07 season behind a 3.5 for ABC’s Christmas Day Lakers-Heat
     game.  Mavericks-Warriors Game Six set an all-time cable
     record for a first-round playoff game with 3.763 million
     HHs, topping the record of 3.713 million set last year for
     Suns-Lakers Game Six.  Mavericks-Warriors Game Six was ad-
     supported cable’s top program of the week in HHs and the
     adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 demos (THE DAILY).
          DETROIT: TNT’s coverage of Game Two of the Bulls-
     Pistons second-round series on Monday earned a 13.6 rating
     in Detroit, topping the 10.1 earned by FSN Detroit for the
     Red Wings’ series-clinching Game Six victory against the
     Sharks (DETROIT NEWS, 5/9).
          STEVE COORS: During Spurs-Suns Game Two last night, the
     “Steve Wonders” segment, in which analyst Steve Kerr poses
     and then answers a question about NBA stats and/or history,
     was officially replaced with “Steve’s Refreshing Thoughts
     Sponsored by Coors Light.”  Kerr: “For the right price, I’ll
     sell out.  They gave me a six-pack, and that’s all it took.”
     Coors Light’s slogan is “The World’s Most Refreshing Beer”
     (TNT, 5/8).

10.  ESPN NEARING DEAL WITH FSN TO AIR SOME BIG 12 FOOTBALL GAMES
          FSN is “close to selling some of its Big 12 Saturday
     night football games to rival ESPN in an unprecedented deal
     that would result in wider national exposure for the
     conference,” according to Tim Griffin of the SAN ANTONIO
     EXPRESS-NEWS.  Univ. of Texas AD DeLoss Dodds said that
     negotiations are “heating up” between the two nets for the
     package of six Big 12 games that previously aired on TBS.
     TBS, which aired the games under a sub-licensing agreement
     with FSN, will not be involved because of a new deal to air
     the MLB playoffs.  Other possible carriers include NFL
     Network and Versus.  FSN also “could opt to keep the Big 12
     games” on its RSNs, though that option “wouldn’t be as
     attractive for the conference because those games wouldn’t
     be carried in every major market.”  Also, the games “could
     be superceded” by an RSN’s contracts with local pro teams in
     some markets (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 5/9).
          INDY IN HD: In Indianapolis, Curt Cavin reports
     ESPN/ABC Sports will show the May 27 Indianapolis 500 in HD
     for the first time.  The technology makes its Indianapolis
     Motor Speedway debut Saturday for pole day.  IMS Productions
     Dir of Engineering Dave Gass said that the change “required
     a significant financial investment, perhaps as much as twice
     that of the standard equipment,” though he did not disclose
     figures.  Cavin notes no additional IRL races will be shown
     in HD this year “due to the expense that neither the IRL nor
     ESPN Sports is ready to bear” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/9).
          PAN AM GAMES: ESPN Deportes has acquired Spanish-
     language multimedia rights for the Pan American Games in the
     U.S. and Puerto Rico, and it will present over 160 hours of
     coverage from the July 13-29 event in Rio de Janeiro. ESPN
     last aired the Pan Am Games in ’99 (THE DAILY).
          RUN-OFF: In Chicago, Teddy Greenstein “trash[ed] ESPN’s
     decision to use a new ‘Rundown’ graphic that advances
     upcoming segments during its morning editions of
     ‘SportsCenter.’”  The screen is “cluttered with the
     ‘Rundown’ on the right, a useless gray bar at the top and a
     news scroll at the bottom” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/7).

11.  LIBERTY MEDIA’S MALONE HAS OPTIONS WITH THREE NEW RSNs
          Liberty Media Chair John Malone could use his recently-
     acquired FSN Pittsburgh, FSN Northwest and FSN Rocky
     Mountain “as a stepping stone to build a new sports-
     programming dynasty,” according to Moss & Umstead of
     MULTICHANNEL NEWS.  One sports-programming exec said that
     Malone “could look to purchase or actually create new,
     DirecTV-exclusive sports and programming services.”  The
     exec added that Malone could “team up with a college
     conference looking to create its own [RSN],” and that by
     offering the content exclusively on DirecTV, he “might
     create a cluster of [RSNs] that would appeal to a
     significant number of viewers.”  The exec said, “He will
     have to come up with some exclusive programming, because he
     doesn’t have the ability right now to compete with cable on
     the telecom and Internet side.” However, Moss & Umstead note
     Malone could also “choose to just leverage the RSNs as
     ‘great trade bait’ in exchange for something else he wants.”
     A former Fox Sports exec said, “Malone has never shown a big
     interest in sports-programming properties, so I would be
     surprised if sports are his ultimate play with DirecTV.”  A
     second RSN exec believes that Malone will “most likely
     divest the three [RSNs].” The exec: “It wouldn’t surprise me
     if he turned around and sold those services to Comcast in
     return for carriage of one of his other networks”
     (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 5/7 issue).

12.  BLOG HOUND: SHOULD ALCOHOL BE BANNED FROM MLB CLUBHOUSES?
          With several teams choosing to ban alcohol from their
     clubhouses after Josh Hancock’s death, some bloggers believe
     there should be a policy in place and that MLB needs to step
     in and force the rest of the clubs to impose a ban.

          BUILDING THE BUZZ: The Sports Blog Index analyzed the
     buzz surrounding the clubhouse ban on alcohol being
     implemented by several teams in response to Hancock's
     death.  The majority of bloggers see the decision as an
     overreaction to what many say is an isolated incident. Visit 
     www.SportsBusinessDaily.com for more analysis.

  ·    Bloggers point out that this does not solve the potentially
       greater problem of alcohol abuse.
  ·    Several bloggers see this as a politically correct public
       relations move.



          Do you have a blog post that our readers would find
     interesting? Please forward your submission to
     bloghound@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

      

13.  MEDIA NOTES
          Sources said that Maple Leafs regional TV rights will
     cost Rogers Sportsnet and TSN about C$700,000 per game, a
     57% increase over the C$450,000 fee in the last deal.  A
     report yesterday pegged the new deal at C$500,000 a game.
     The increase would boost the team’s local broadcast revenue
     by C$3.2M annually to C$19M, or about 20%, “even though it
     is selling fewer games” (TORONTO STAR, 5/9).
          HAWK EYES: The Seahawks and FSN Northwest have signed a
     long-term extension of their agreement, and the partnership
     will now include a co-branded logo with the tag line, “Your
     Insider Access to the Seahawks.”  In addition to
     programming, the year-round relationship also includes
     community relations initiatives, in-stadium event
     entertainment and marketing programs (FSN Northwest).
          PERSONALITIES: While interviewing Orioles LF Jay
     Gibbons’ wife, Laura Giuliani, on Saturday to promote a
     domestic violence fundraiser the next day, MASN analyst Rick
     Dempsey said, “If he doesn’t start getting a few more hits,
     you might grab him around the neck and rough him up a little
     bit.  (Is) this money going to go to help him a little bit
     with maybe some of the hospital bills or something like
     that?”  Dempsey apologized yesterday and an MASN
     spokesperson “didn’t think Dempsey would be punished”
     (Baltimore SUN, 5/9)....NFL Network’s Adam Schefter reported
     WR Keyshawn Johnson, who was recently released by the
     Panthers, right now is “passing up any offer he has to go
     into TV,” as he is still talking to teams about playing this
     season (“NFL Total Access,” 5/8)....In a profile of Mariners
     P Felix Hernandez, USA TODAY’s Jorge Ortiz reports Mariners
     CEO Howard Lincoln last year told broadcasters Dave Niehaus
     and Rick Rizzs to “stop the ‘King Felix’ references to avoid
     creating undue pressure” on Hernandez (USA TODAY, 5/9).

 

14.  COMPROMISE GIVES MLBers CHOICE TO COOPERATE WITH MITCHELL
          Under a compromise reached this week between MLB and
     the MLBPA, it will ultimately be each player’s decision
     whether or not to cooperate with steroid investigator George
     Mitchell’s requests for the player’s medical history,
     according to Madden, O’Keeffe & Quinn of the N.Y. DAILY
     NEWS. Teams will turn the records over to players. While MLB
     sources “do not expect any [players] to cooperate,” the
     players’ names “are likely to show up in Mitchell’s final
     report ... as players who were named in various
     investigations but who refused to cooperate.”  MLB and MLBPA
     officials declined to comment, but sources said that the
     names of players connected with BALCO -– including Giants LF
     Barry Bonds, Yankees DH Jason Giambi and Tigers DH Gary
     Sheffield, among others –- “are expected to be on Mitchell’s
     list.”  Sources added that Mitchell is “seeking information
     on a number of current and former Orioles who played during
     or around the time” P Jason Grimsley was with the club in
     ’04-05, including Rafael Palmeiro, David Segui, Jerry
     Hairston Jr. and Fernando Tatis (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/9).
     Segui said of the request for his medical records, “What’s
     in there that they’d want to see?  What purpose would that
     serve?” (Baltimore SUN, 5/9).
          FIRST NAMES LINKED TO INVESTIGATION: In N.Y., Duff
     Wilson notes the initial list, which also includes Rangers
     RF Sammy Sosa, represents the “first names to be
     definitively associated” with the Mitchell investigation.
     Sources said that the full list “included players expected
     and unexpected, and that it excluded some players who might
     have been expected to be on the list.”  The Orioles were not
     asked to release records of SS Miguel Tejada, who Palmeiro
     claimed gave him “an injection that might have contained
     steroids.”  Mitchell’s staff has interviewed “at least nine
     members of the Orioles’ front office and training staff, and
     has searched at least six of their personal computers for
     evidence.”  But Mitchell in a statement said, “Any
     suggestion that the investigation is focused on any single
     team is incorrect.”  Orioles Media Relations Dir Bill Stetka
     said that it “could appear from a report focused on
     Baltimore that the Orioles were being held up as ‘the poster
     team’ for steroids, but that they were being especially
     cooperative” (N.Y. TIMES, 5/9). Of the players on the list,
     Tatis is the “only name that has not been previously linked
     to steroids” (N.Y. POST, 5/9).

15.  NHLPA BEGINS PAYING BACK MONEY COLLECTED DURING LOCKOUT
          The NHLPA has begun “paying back some of the money it
     collected to survive the 2004-05 lockout,” according to
     Allan Maki of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL.  Through the work of
     NHLPA Associate Counsels Ian Penny and Stu Grimson, the
     union has been making payments to current and former players
     the past three weeks.  The money comes from an “accumulated
     fund the players paid into to establish a lockout war
     chest.”  Licensing revenues, player dues and interest are
     also part of the fund, which is “believed to be as much as”
     $100M.  The payments “should have been made more than a year
     ago.”  But attorney and former player agent Patrick Ducharme
     said, “I wrote to [NHLPA Exec Dir] Ted Saskin for a year and
     a half and rarely heard back from him.  They would not give
     me an answer directly.”  Maki notes “part of the problem was
     deciding on the right payback formula,” followed by the “in-
     house battle that saw Bob Goodenow ousted” and replaced by
     Saskin, “who could be fired by the players tomorrow”
     (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/9).

16.  NHL TEAM TO FACE EUROPEAN CHAMP IN VICTORIA CUP TOURNAMENT
          The Int’l Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) unveiled plans
     for the Victoria Cup, a tournament that will include the
     winner of the European Champions Cup, an NHL team and “at
     least one other European club,” according to Erica Bulman of
     the AP.  The IIHF eventually is aiming for “Stanley Cup
     champions facing their European counterparts each year.”
     The inaugural event is scheduled for September ’08, and the
     Sother European team could come from the tournament’s host
     city.”  The Victoria Cup champion “will receive $822,000,
     with a total of $14[M] in prize money to be distributed
     throughout the tournament.” IIHF President Rene Fasel said
     that the tournament is a “milestone in bridging relations
     between the world hockey federation and the NHL” (AP, 5/8).

17.  MACKENZIE KLINE TO BECOME FIRST TO USE CART IN LPGA EVENT
          Women’s golf –- “from tour officials to the top player
     –- has been more welcoming” to 15-year-old MacKenzie Kline,
     who was born with a heart defect and must use oxygen and a
     cart while competing, than the PGA Tour was to Casey Martin,
     who six years ago won a legal battle to use a cart because
     of a circulatory disorder in his right leg, according to a
     front-page Cover Story by USA TODAY’s Jill Lieber Steeg.
     The USGA last year initially declined Kline’s request to use
     a cart and oxygen during the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S.
     Girls’ Junior Championship “on a technicality, saying the
     Klines hadn’t included the request on their entry forms.
     After media criticism and more review by its medical board,
     the USGA approved.”  Annika Sorenstam “helped Kline get an
     exemption” into the LPGA Ginn Tribute later this month --
     where Kline will become the first player in tour history to
     use a cart -- after playing with her in a pro-am in Utah
     last year.  Kline, who had her third heart surgery about
     eight months ago, has been a national spokesperson for the
     Children’s Heart Foundation since the age of ten.  She set a
     personal fundraising goal of $1M, and “at last tally was at
     $750,000.”  The Ginn Tribute, which Sorenstam hosts, “plans
     to make a donation.”  Steeg notes Kline “does not plan to
     play collegiately and has accepted TaylorMade gear and
     Adidas apparel while remaining an amateur under USGA rules”
     (USA TODAY, 5/9).

 

18.  MLB CLUBS REVIEW ALCOHOL POLICIES IN WAKE OF HANCOCK’S DEATH
          The Yankees, Cubs and Nationals are among MLB teams who
     have changed clubhouse alcohol policies in response to the
     death last month of Cardinals P Josh Hancock. Yankees GM
     Brian Cashman said that the team has banned alcohol in the
     visiting clubhouse for all games. In DC, Barry Svrluga
     reports the Nationals have decided to ban alcohol from the
     home and visiting clubhouses at RFK Stadium, as well as from
     the team’s clubhouse on the road.  About a dozen teams have
     either “banned alcohol in their home clubhouse or are
     considering doing so” (WASHINGTON POST, 5/9). In N.Y., Tyler
     Kepner notes that several years ago, Cashman “decided to ban
     alcohol in the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, as well as
     in the visiting clubhouse during games against the Mets,
     when players might be driving home after games” (N.Y. TIMES,
     5/9). In Chicago, Toni Ginnetti reports the Cubs will ban
     alcohol in the home clubhouse at Wrigley Field and on
     Chicago-bound charter flights.  Cubs President & COO John
     McDonough said, “On charter flights from one city to the
     next, the concern is less because it’s not likely players
     would be getting into vehicles and driving” (CHICAGO SUN-
     TIMES, 5/9).  McDonough said banning alcohol in the visiting
     clubhouse at Wrigley will be “based upon the request of the
     visiting team” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/9).
          CLUBHOUSE REAX: The WASHINGTON POST’s Svrluga writes
     several Nationals players “rolled their eyes at the new
     policy.”  P Ray King “thought it was an overreaction,
     pointing out that Hancock was reportedly drinking in a bar
     for several hours after a game April 28.”  King: “It’s
     unfortunate that happened, but it wasn’t because he drunk in
     the clubhouse.”  Nationals President Stan Kasten said that
     he understood King’s point, but added, “We didn’t feel like
     waiting for an incident to happen” (WASHINGTON POST, 5/9).
     Cubs P and player rep Will Ohman said that he “did not
     believe [alcohol policies are] a union issue, adding the
     union ultimately might ‘help structure the decisions that
     are made, not fight against them.’”  Ohman: “It’s a good
     (decision).  It will help dispel some of the rumors or maybe
     what some people think is the culture of baseball players
     drinking or partying in clubhouses” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 5/9).
     Yankees manager Joe Torre said of the team’s ban, “You can’t
     go wrong by taking the safe route” (N.Y. TIMES, 5/9).
          NEED FOR CHANGE? Braves Exec VP & GM John Schuerholz
     said that the Braves “plan no changes to their policy.” He
     did not discuss policy specifics, but said alcohol “is
     permitted, with guidelines and restrictions.  The policy
     varies with respect to what our travel plans are and the
     expectations for what the travel plans of our players are.”
     In Atlanta, David O’Brien notes Braves players “are rarely
     seen drinking beer in open areas of the clubhouse with media
     present” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/9).  White Sox Senior VP &
     GM Ken Williams said that he will “review the [team’s]
     policy on alcohol in the clubhouse and on charter flights
     with manager Ozzie Guillen and his players.”  Williams:
     “We’ll see what their feelings are, and we’ll come out with
     something that makes some sense of it all” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE,
     5/9).  D’Backs President Derrick Hall said that the team
     “had been re-assessing its alcohol policy even before the
     start of this season.”  The team has already banned alcohol
     from flights into Phoenix, and Hall said, “The next step I
     think would be whether we ban it from the clubhouse as well.
     For a number of reasons it makes good sense” (EAST VALLEY
     TRIBUNE, 5/9).  In West Palm Beach, Tom D’Angelo notes the
     Marlins banned alcohol from the clubhouse two seasons ago
     and “during the ownership of Jeffrey Loria they have not
     allowed drinking on the team plane.”  Marlins President
     David Samson said, “We wanted to make sure we were running a
     responsible organization” (PALM BEACH POST, 5/9).
          COLUMN REAX: USA TODAY’s Jon Saraceno writes MLB
     Commissioner Bud Selig “won’t be proactive because of
     baseball’s deep corporate sponsorship ties with beer
     makers.”  But “drinking and driving is not exclusive to
     baseball.  It is society’s problem child” (USA TODAY, 5/9).
     In Chicago, Greg Couch writes, “Clubhouse beer didn’t kill
     him.  Josh Hancock killed himself. ... I’ve railed against
     the locker-room culture plenty of times. ... But culture
     holds hands with personal responsibility” (CHICAGO SUN-
     TIMES, 5/9).  But in Dayton, Hal McCoy writes under the
     header, “Baseball Should Turn Off The Taps.”  McCoy: “Why
     take the chance?  Why tempt?  Why possibly send an alcohol-
     impaired player to his vehicle? Makes zero sense.  How many
     businesses in America offer their employees free alcohol
     after their work shifts?” (DAYTON DAILY NEWS, 5/9). In L.A.,
     Steve Dilbeck writes, “Banning all alcohol in clubhouses may
     not be the answer to the problem, but at the least, it is a
     powerful symbolic signal” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 5/9).
          OTHER LEAGUES: In DC, Cohn & Zuckerman note the NBA and
     NHL also leave their alcohol policies to individual clubs.
     The NFL is the “only one of the four major professional
     sports leagues with a leaguewide policy that bans all
     alcoholic beverages from the locker room” (WASHINGTON TIMES,
     5/9).  In Philadelphia, David Aldridge notes the NBA told
     Warriors coach Don Nelson not to bring a beer into postgame
     press conferences and writes, “It doesn’t matter if the NBA
     was covering its corporate rear or merely trying to be
     responsible” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/9).

19.  MCNABB SCHEDULING OWN INTERVIEW COULD BE SIGN OF FRICTION
          Eagles QB Donovan McNabb had his publicist Rich Burg,
     the team’s former Assistant Dir of Football Media Services,
     set up interviews with several media outlets yesterday to
     discuss the team drafting QB Kevin Kolb, but the Eagles “did
     not know about McNabb’s scheduled interviews,” according to
     Ashley Fox of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER.  McNabb “clearly
     was upset” by the Eagles’ decision to fire Burg, as one of
     Burg’s jobs was to coordinate McNabb’s interviews. The
     Eagles said that they “offered to issue a statement on
     McNabb’s behalf last week and then offered to set up
     interviews” before this weekend’s minicamp.  But McNabb
     said, “Really?  Is that what they said?”  He indicated that
     he “was told that the Eagles said he was not interested in
     offering a statement.”  The team said that McNabb “rebuffed
     its offers with vague uh-huhs and maybes.”  Fox writes,
     “Whatever the truth, McNabb clearly had his own plans, and
     he didn’t feel the need to enlighten his employer about
     them.  That’s a problem for the Eagles.  A me-versus-them
     dynamic appears to have developed” (PHILA. INQUIRER, 5/9).
          THE STRANGEST OF PLACES: Also in Philadelphia, Rich
     Hofmann notes the official reason for the press conference
     was to publicize an upcoming golf tournament benefiting the
     American Diabetes Association, but it was “really a chance
     to ask McNabb some questions that have been hanging for 6
     months, and specifically since the draft.”  The conference
     took place in the Flyers’ practice facility, and Hofmann
     writes the distance between McNabb and the Eagles “was hard
     not to notice” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 5/9).

20.  FRANCHISE NOTES
          MLSE President & CEO Richard Peddie said that the Maple
     Leafs will spend “right up to the salary cap next season,”
     which is expected to be at least $47M.  Peddie: “We will
     spend to the max.  Whatever the NHL says we can spend,
     that’s what we’ll spend” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/9).
          CAMP COUNSELOR: Falcons DT Grady Jackson is planning to
     attend the team’s mandatory mini-camp this weekend despite
     suing the club for defamation and invasion of privacy.
     Jackson claims the team “wrongly released his medical
     records to several media outlets and hurt his market value
     while he was a free agent.”  The team petitioned on April 27
     to remove the case from the State Court of Fulton County to
     Georgia Northern Federal District Court.  The petition is
     currently under review (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 5/9).
          GOING PUBLIC? Spanish La Liga first division teams
     Sevilla and Espanyol, who are playing in the UEFA Cup
     Finals, have joined Valencia in saying that they “want to
     sell shares to the public.”  The teams would become the
     first Spanish clubs “to offer stock to investors, seeking to
     raise cash to buy players and compete with teams” in the
     English Premier League (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5/9).

 

21.  ESPN CONTRIBUTES TO DISNEY’S Q2 PROFIT, NET INCOME INCREASES
          Walt Disney Co. reported Q2 profit “well past Wall
     Street’s expectations,” with “gains across all business
     segments,” according to Richard Verrier of the L.A. TIMES.
     Disney reported a 27% jump in net income to $931M, or $0.44
     a share, from $733M, or $0.37, a year earlier.  Revenue rose
     to $8.07B, up from $8.03B.  Earnings per share “handily
     beat” analyst estimates of $0.38, although revenue “fell
     below analyst expectations” of $8.13B.  Income in Disney’s
     broadcast networks including ABC rose 33% to $212M, “because
     of fewer hours of sports programming and strong
     international and domestic syndication sales of ABC shows.”
     Cable networks income increased 19% to $963M, “driven by
     advertising sales and subscriber growth at ESPN” (L.A.
     TIMES, 5/9).  Disney CFO Tom Staggs noted that the company’s
     media networks were the “biggest profit driver” during Q2.
     Although revenue was flat, operating income jumped 21%.  The
     WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Merissa Marr reports ESPN benefited
     from a “decline in investment in ESPN mobile, which switched
     to a licensing model” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/9).  At
     presstime, shares of Disney were trading at $36.22, down
     0.90% from yesterday’s close of $36.55 (THE DAILY).

22.  ELECTRONIC ARTS SEES BIGGER LOSS IN Q4 THAN YEAR-AGO PERIOD
          Electronic Arts (EA) is “slowing down as the rest of
     the industry gains momentum,” as the company announced a
     loss of $25M, or $0.08 per share, during Q4 ’07, compared to
     a loss of $16M, or $0.05 per share, during the year-ago
     period, according to Alex Pham of the L.A. TIMES.  EA also
     saw revenues fall 4% to $613M.  The company blamed the loss
     and declining sales on a “bumpy transition to the next
     generation of consoles,” which includes the Microsoft Xbox
     360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii (L.A. TIMES, 5/9).
     At presstime, shares of EA were trading at $50.55, down
     4.51% from yesterday’s close of $52.94 (THE DAILY).
          WII BIT HARD: In Ft. Worth, Tobias Xavier Lopez reviews
     EA Sports’ “Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07” for the Wii, and writes
     the game is “fantastically designed and executed.”  However,
     the “point of playing Tiger Woods in a video game is that
     you can actually kick the guy’s butt,” which is “not so easy
     when playing golf on the Wii.”  The console’s motion
     controls are “superb but actually might be too realistic in
     that it can be unforgiving and it turns into a real workout”
     (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 5/9).

23.  RE-OPENING OF FAIR GROUNDS HELPS CUT CDI Q1 LOSSES BY 20%
          Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) lost $8.19M in Q1, a 20%
     reduction from its loss in the year-ago period, due in part
     to the re-opening of Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans
     and the growth of video-poker machines in Louisiana,
     according to Gregory Hall of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL.
     CDI also saw revenues increase to $47.8M, up from $36M last
     year.  Acting CDI CFO Mike Anderson said that the Louisiana
     business “even exceeded the pre-hurricane 2005 first
     quarter.”  Hall reports the Q1 numbers do not include the
     Kentucky Derby and Oaks, or “wagering from the TwinSpires
     account service that began Derby week.”  Anderson said
     TwinSpires’ startup costs were “immaterial.”  CDI announced
     during Q1 it was buying a 50% stake in Magna’s HRTV, but
     Anderson said that with the transaction being completed last
     month, its impact “will be reported in the second quarter”
     (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 5/9).  At presstime, shares of
     CDI were trading at $47.52, up 0.68% from yesterday’s close
     of $47.20 (THE DAILY).

 

24.  SANDY TAKES STEP CLOSER TO BUILDING 20,000-SEAT RSL STADIUM
          The Sandy (UT) City Council yesterday gave “unanimous
     support” for the city’s first formal agreement to build a
     publicly-funded soccer stadium for MLS Real Salt Lake (RSL),
     according to Rosemary Winters of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE.  The
     agreement is the “first step in carrying out a funding
     mechanism” created by the Utah state Legislature in February
     for the 20,000-seat stadium. The agreement “directs Sandy to
     enforce the state’s terms for the public investment when
     Sandy completes its development agreement with RSL.”  The
     state’s demands call for RSL to contribute $7.5M to Salt
     Lake City’s youth sports complex and a soccer academy to be
     established “in Utah.”  Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson
     said that the academy “was promised to” his city, but RSL
     CEO Dean Howes said that the team “hasn’t decided where to
     locate the academy” (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 5/9).  Meanwhile,
     Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said that he will not
     sign the agreement “without some changes.” Corroon said that
     the document is “too vague and leaves open the possibility
     that the county’s hotel-room tax (TRT) dollars could be used
     for a hotel, broadcast studio or other [RSL] projects on the
     stadium property.”  Corroon: “I won’t sign it unless there
     is some confirmation that the TRT monies will only go for
     land, parking and infrastructure” (DESERET NEWS, 5/9).

25.  MAGIC-COMMISSIONED POLL FINDS VOTERS WARMING UP TO ARENA
          A telephone poll of 1,800 Orange County (FL) voters on
     April 22 showed that 59% approve of building community
     venues, including an arena that would house the Magic, a
     performing arts center and a renovation of the Citrus Bowl.
     The current plan proposes using tourist tax dollars and
     private contributions to fund the $1B project.  The Magic-
     commissioned survey, conducted by Virginia-based OnMessage,
     also showed that 69% of respondents approved of the Magic’s
     $136M commitment to the $480M arena project and the $10M the
     team pledged toward the performing arts center.  The survey
     had a margin of error of +/- 2.3% (Magic).  In Orlando, Mark
     Schlueb noted the new results “clash with a poll
     commissioned and published two weeks ago” by the Orlando
     Sentinel in which only 47% of respondents were in favor of
     building the venues.  OnMessage’s Wes Anderson said that the
     team’s polling during the past year shows 21-25% of voters
     are “solidly against the arena plan.”  Schlueb notes the
     Magic’s portion in the projects includes $50M up front, $12M
     in advance lease payments and a bond insurance policy that
     would cost an estimated $5.5M (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 5/8).

26.  FACILITY NOTES
          After telling the N.Y. Times that Tropicana Field “will
     be obsolete in five years,” D’Rays Principal Owner Stuart
     Sternberg “clarified his comments” and said that there is
     “no deadline for a new ballpark and that he’ll keep his
     promise never to demand one.”  The team has 20 years
     remaining on its lease at Tropicana Field.  Sternberg said,
     “I know we have to be here at least five years, and I know
     we can’t be here for 20” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 5/9).
          COME TO ARLINGTON: Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones on Monday
     met with Texas Tech Univ. officials about holding some of
     the school’s football games at the Cowboys’ new stadium in
     Arlington.  But TTU AD Gerald Myers said that Jones “did not
     initiate specific negotiations to move any Tech home game.”
     Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, who is negotiating with TTU and
     Oklahoma State Univ. to play their ’08 game at the Cotton
     Bowl, “expressed disappointment” about the meeting, and said
     that she had “pleaded with the team to let Dallas work on
     bringing games to the Cotton Bowl without the team’s
     interference” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/9).
          ACC FOOTBALL: The ACC will ask Charlotte, Jacksonville,
     Tampa and Orlando to bid for the right to host the ACC
     football championship game after ’07.  ACC Commissioner John
     Swofford said that the ACC’s “original plan was to develop a
     permanent site,” but that the conference “might consider a
     multiyear site or a multi-city rotation.” Baltimore- and DC-
     area officials “have expressed interest, but Swofford said
     weather is a concern.”  Miami is out because it hosts the
     ACC champion in the Orange Bowl (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 5/9).

 

27.  VANOC RELEASES BUSINESS PLAN WITH REDUCED OPERATING BUDGET
          VANOC yesterday released a “detailed business plan”
     that includes a “balanced operating budget” of C$1.63B and a
     venue construction budget of C$580M, according to Mark Hume
     of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL.  The operating budget is around
     C$100M less than expected, and VANOC officials said that
     they “brought the numbers down in part by running through an
     exercise of ‘must have versus nice to have,’” as well as
     “squeezing ‘tens of millions more’ than expected” from a TV
     deal with the IOC.  VANOC will pay Orca Bay around C$18M to
     upgrade GM Place, plus another C$3M to lease the building,
     but the “projection is that the sale of tickets, corporate
     booths and merchandise will generate [C$70M] in revenue.”
     VANOC CEO John Furlong said, “The revenue produced by this
     building will be the largest in (Olympics) history.”  VANOC
     Exec VP/Revenue, Marketing & Communications Dave Cobb said
     that a “pivotal factor” in the deal was an arrangement by
     Orca Bay to let VANOC “have control of the corporate suites”
     (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/9).
          TICKETS: The GLOBE & MAIL’s Hume reports VANOC has
     projected ticket sales of 90% across all venues, which will
     generate C$231M, and Furlong said that organizers “are
     hoping for a complete sellout” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/9).
     But Univ. of Western Ontario Int'l Center for Olympic
     Studies Dir Kevin Wamsley said, “It would be an unusual
     Olympic experience to sell that many tickets” (Vancouver
     PROVINCE, 5/9).  Cobb said that VANOC is “committed to
     offering affordable ticket prices.”  Cobb added that on
     average 70% of tickets “will be available for the public.”
     VANOC has already received commitments for C$1.1B, which is
     69% of its operating budget (Vancouver PROVINCE, 5/9).
          IOC TV DEAL: In Vancouver, Clare Ogilvie reports VANOC
     has negotiated “the richest TV deal for a Winter Games,”
     getting C$436.7M from the IOC for the int’l rights.  VANOC
     originally thought it would get around C$345M in TV revenue,
     but the group decided “to ditch the formula used to
     calculate how much the IOC would pay.”  VANOC instead
     “decided to tell the IOC how much it needed for the 2010
     Games” (Vancouver PROVINCE, 5/9).
          EDITORIAL REAX: A VANCOUVER SUN editorial states the
     business plan “shows how much work has been done to ensure
     these Games are a financial success -– as well as the
     challenge that remains.”  The business plan is “the best
     illustration yet of the staggering size of the job of
     staging the Games” (VANCOUVER SUN, 5/9).
          STEEP GRADING SYSTEM: A separate VANCOUVER SUN
     editorial states it is “not at all clear” why the federal
     government gave C$109,620 to a group led by Univ. of British
     Columbia professor Rob Van Wynsberghe to release a report
     card grading VANOC’s performance on earlier promises.  The
     Impact of the Olympics on Community Coalition gave VANOC and
     the levels of government that founded and fund the group a
     “D-,” and it takes VANOC “to task on four major issues:
     Housing, the environment, civil liberties and transparency”
     (VANCOUVER SUN, 5/9).

 

28.  MLB PREPS WEEK-LONG PROGRAM TO RAISE BREAST CANCER AWARENESS
          MLB has joined with Susan G. Komen for the Cure on
     “Going to Bat Against Breast Cancer,” a program beginning
     Sunday, which is Mother’s Day, and running until May 19 to
     raise awareness about breast cancer and raise funds to help
     fight the disease.  Special programs around the initiative
     will be held Sunday at all ballparks hosting games.  Over
     200 MLBers will use pink bats during games Sunday, more than
     twice the number in ’06.  Select game-used bats and team-
     autographed bats from every team will be auctioned at
     MLB.com, with proceeds going to the foundation.  Fans can
     purchase personalized pink bats at MLB.com, and they can
     also make a monetary pledge at komen.org/mlb in the name of
     a specific team or to the general cause (MLB).  USA TODAY’s
     Michael McCarthy reports Reds RF Ken Griffey Jr. and Mets 3B
     David Wright are among the players who will use the pink
     bats.  Several players will use the bats during ESPN’s
     “Sunday Night Baseball” telecast of Twins-Tigers, and ESPN
     VP/PR Josh Krulewitz said, “We’ll explain and document the
     significance of the pink bats during our baseball coverage.”
     TBS Coordinating Producer Glenn Diamond said that the net
     “will also cover the pink bat initiative” during Pirates-
     Braves (USA TODAY, 5/9).
          PINK LADIES: The U.S. women’s national soccer team will
     wear pink jerseys Saturday against Canada in an effort to
     raise awareness of breast cancer.  The pink jerseys will be
     sold online and proceeds will benefit charity.  Partners
     being featured on pink field boards include Panasonic, Fox
     Soccer Channel, McDonald’s, Gatorade, Nike, Anheuser-Busch
     and Doubletree Hotels (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness
     Journal).
          ON THE LINKS: Many players at this weekend’s PGA Tour
     Players Championship and LPGA Michelob Ultra Open will wear
     pink spikes as part of a program to raise funds and
     awareness for breast cancer research.  Champ Spikes, the
     program’s sponsor, will make a donation on the players’
     behalf to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (USA TODAY,
     5/8).
          SUPPORTING TWO CAUSES: The Triple-A Int’l League
     Rochester Red Wings will wear pink jerseys Sunday, and the
     team also plans on wearing blue jerseys on Father’s Day for
     prostate cancer awareness.  The jerseys are “part of an
     awareness program with the Pluta Cancer Center” (ROCHESTER
     DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 5/9).

 

29.  EXECUTIVE TRANSACTIONS
          ESPN VP/Field Sales SEAN BREEN was promoted to Senior
     VP/Field Sales for Disney and ESPN Media Networks
     (ESPN)....Magna Entertainment Corp. (MEC) named STUART
     MORRIS VP/Marketing.  Previously, Morris led marketing
     efforts in Canada for Expedia (MEC)....GERALD MCGROARTY “is
     out” as Publisher of The Hockey News. In an e-mail to staff,
     McGroarty said he was caught in “the cross-fire of a
     corporate restructure” at Transcontinental Media, which owns
     the publication.  In addition, PERRY LEFKO has left the CFL
     less than a year after being named Dir of Communications.  A
     league spokesperson said that his departure was “tied to a
     restructuring of the department” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL,
     5/8)....Maryland-based PrestoSports, a provider of athletic
     content management software to colleges and conferences,
     promoted CHRIS GONZALES to VP/Sales & Marketing (BRANDWEEK,
     5/7 issue)....The USA Swimming Foundation named MARTHA
     JOHNSON Annual Fund Manager.  Most recently, Johnson was at
     the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia (USA
     Swimming)....The Yankees named BRETT MOLDOFF Assistant
     Manager of Scoreboard Operations & Broadcasting (Yankees).

          Do you have an executive announcement? If so, please
     send to editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

30.  NAMES IN THE NEWS
          USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Managing Dir
     JERRY COLANGELO said that Celtics G PAUL PIERCE will “not be
     part of the team” that will try to earn a berth in the ’08
     Olympics this summer.  Pierce did not participate last
     summer due to elbow surgery, and Colangelo said, “By not
     playing this summer, he is pretty much eliminated from
     playing in the Olympics.  It would be hard to make the case
     that you should play in the third year after missing the
     first two.  He understands that” (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/9).
          NAMES: Disney has obtained the rights to the life story
     of PENNY CHENERY, owner of ’73 Triple Crown winner
     SECRETARIAT.  The film will be scripted by MIKE RICH and
     produced by Mayhem Pictures’ MARK CIARDI and GORDON GRAY.
     The three previously collaborated on “THE ROOKIE,” “MIRACLE”
     and “RADIO” (DAILY VARIETY, 5/9)....The World Golf HOF will
     honor JACK NICKLAUS with an exhibit called “Jack Nicklaus:
     Golf’s Golden Champion” that will open on November 12, the
     date of this year’s induction ceremony.  Previous exhibits
     have featured BEN HOGAN, BOBBY JONES, BYRON NELSON and GARY
     PLAYER (PALM BEACH POST, 5/9)....Yankees P CHIEN-MING WANG
     will be a spokesperson for the ’09 World Games, which will
     be held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Wang has already shot a
     commercial for the event in which he “performs a tango
     dance, one of the events featured in the games” (MLB.com,
     5/7)....Knicks President of Basketball Operations and coach
     ISIAH THOMAS has replaced attorney PETER PARCHER with LAURIE
     BERKE-WEISS in his legal battle over the sexual-harassment
     suit filed by former Knicks Senior VP/Marketing & Business
     Operations ANUCHA BROWNE-SANDERS.  The change gives Thomas
     an “all-women legal team,” as he is also represented by SUE
     ELLEN EISENBERG (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/9).
          BOOK SHELF: SI’s RICK REILLY has released “HATE MAIL
     FROM CHEERLEADERS AND OTHER ADVENTURES FROM THE LIFE OF
     REILLY,” via SI Books.  The book includes 100 of Reilly’s
     favorite columns over the past six years and features an
     introduction by LANCE ARMSTRONG and a foreword by Reilly
     (SI)....Former Outside magazine Creative Dir SUSAN CASEY has
     signed a book deal for about $1M with Broadway Books to
     write about the “science of giant waves and the surfers who
     try to ride them.”  Casey is paying surfer LAIRD HAMILTON,
     who will be a “central character in her book, to put her at
     the center of the action.”  Casey decline to say how much
     she would pay Hamilton, but said that the split was not 50-
     50.  Hamilton will help promote the book (N.Y. TIMES,
     5/9)....Boston College sophomore JAY BAVISHI has written
     “IVIES IN ATHENS” via Markus Wiener about the history of the
     Ivy League in the Olympic Games (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/8).
          LET'S GO RACING: Tennessee Gov. PHIL BREDESEN has been
     named grand marshal for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Coca-Cola 600
     at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 27.  U.S. Sen. JOHN MCCAIN
     (R-AZ) will serve as the honorary starter for the race
     (Lowe’s Motor Speedway).  Actress JESSICA ALBA and actors
     MICHAEL CHIKLIS, CHRIS EVANS and IOAN GRUFFUDD, the stars
     of the upcoming sequel “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver
     Surfer,” will be honorary race officials at the Coca-Cola
     600 and will unveil a “top secret event” at the race
     (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 5/9).

 

31.  YUM BRANDS GARNERS TOP EXPOSURE DURING NBC’S DERBY BROADCAST
          In its second year as the presenting sponsor of the
     Kentucky Derby, Yum Brands again easily generated the most
     exposure among sponsors during NBC’s Derby broadcast, with 4
     minutes, 37 seconds (4:37) of legible exposure, according to
     a study by Connecticut-based SRi. Legible exposure is
     defined as 90% of brand’s name or logo being seen on screen;
     a verbal mention, of which Yum received 13, counts for five
     seconds of exposure. Yum’s primary source of exposure --
     2:55 in total -- was again through on-screen graphics
     accompanying betting odds, track statistics and billboards
     when the broadcast returned from commercials.  Similar to
     last year, Yum also received exposure from grandstand and
     tote board signage (0:20), saddle blankets (0:06), handlers’
     bibs (0:06), and starting gate signage (0:05 seconds). Yum’s
     total exposure, however, was down from last year by 5% (4:52
     last year).
          OTHER SPONSORS: Visa’s exposure declined significantly
     again in its second year removed from being the title
     sponsor of the Triple Crown, dropping 36% (0:56 in ’06
     versus 0:36 this year). The biggest reason for the decline
     was the lack of exposure generated from the starting crew’s
     jackets (0:41 in ’06 versus 0:11 this year). The majority of
     Olay’s exposure was generated during the Red Carpet Special,
     which was included in this analysis as part of the
     broadcast.  MetLife, Head and Shoulders and Comcast all had
     significant increases in their exposure levels from last
     year.

33.  JUNE 4 SBJ PRESENTS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
          The pressure continues to mount on athletic directors
     as universities try to balance the desire to have
     competitive teams and facilities with the reality of tight
     finances and increased scrutiny on spending. SportsBusiness
     Journal will honor the AD who has risen to those challenges
     and succeeded through presentation of the National Athletic
     Director of the Year award. We also will present regional
     Athletic Director of the Year winners selected by the
     National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
     Who is doing the best job at finding innovative ways to
     bolster their athletic programs? Publishing Date: June 4. Ad
     Close: May 21. Materials Close: May 23. For information on
     advertising contact National Advertising Director Julie
     Tuttle at 212-500-0711 or jtuttle@sportsbusinessjournal.com.


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