The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, August 16, 2001
9:00am ET
| • | On The Edge: Predators Unveil New Billboard Advertising Campaign Today |
| • | Sources Say Red Sox Received Six Bids Of $300M+ |
| • | Oh Henry! Cisneros Plugs San Antonio For Pan Am Games In ‘07 |
| • | Get The Red Out: Colgate Univ Becomes The Raiders |
| • | NFL & NHL Face War With Their Officials |
| • | Ready Made Controversy: NBDL Says Hiring Not A PR Gimmick |
PREDATORS AD CAMPAIGN FEATURES GRIMSON
The Predators' new billboard advertising campaign will be unveiled today in downtown Nashville, featuring LW Stu Grimson. The billboard highlights the "Preds on the Edge" ad campaign, which will be featured on Predators tickets, pocket schedules and team merchandise (THE DAILY).
RED SOX RECEIVE SIX BIDS IN EXCESS OF $300M
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that "in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive sales in baseball history," MLB sources say that the Red Sox "received at least six initial bids from would-be owners, all of which were $300 million or more." Additionally, "several new bidders…are still going through the required review process." Once approved by MLB, these bidders "are expected to offer competing bids within the next week" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/16).
CISNEROS TO TOUT SAN ANTONIO’S PAN AM GAMES BID TODAY
The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that former City Mayor and Presidential Cabinet member Henry Cisneros "will trumpet San Antonio's bid for the 2007 Pan American Games today in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic." Cisneros is expected "to give a 15-minute presentation to the Pan American Sports Organization's general assembly." The host city for the Games is scheduled to be announced next summer (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 8/16).
COLGATE UNIV ANNOUNCES ATHLETIC NICKNAME CHANGE
The Binghamton PRESS & SUN-BULLETIN reports, "Influenced by controversy over ethnic and racial stereotypes in sports, Colgate University has decided to drop the word Red from its school athletic nickname." School officials announced Wednesday that the team will no longer be known as the "Red Raiders," but will simply be the "Raiders" (Binghamton PRESS & SUN-BULLETIN, 8/16).
NFL SEEKS POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT REFEREES
BLOOMBERG NEWS reports that the NFL "mailed questionnaires to officials…seeking candidates to replace NFL officials if a labor agreement isn’t reached by the start of the season." The mailings were sent to officials from the AFL, NFL Europe and to college football conferences. The NFL and the Referees Association are scheduled to resume talks on Monday (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 8/16).
NHL BRACES ITSELF FOR WAR WITH OFFICIALS
The DETROIT NEWS reports, "The NHL, preparing for the possibility of a labor dispute with its officials, will hold a training camp for replacements" at Troy Sports Center in Detroit next week. The officials "are under contract until Aug. 31, but there are signs that negotiations aren't going well" ( DETROIT NEWS, 8/16). The L.A. TIMES reports, "There are two key problems in negotiations. The NHL wants the new deal to be three years instead of four and the officials want to be paid if the NHL has a work stoppage during the length of the contract" (L.A. TIMES, 8/16).
NBDL SAYS HIRING OF READY NOT A PR STUNT FOR START-UP
While 25-year-old Stephanie Ready was named Assistant Coach of the NBDL’s Greenville Grooves yesterday, becoming the first woman to coach a men’s pro team, the AP reports that Ready and NBDL leaders "don't worry about those who'll see the hire as a public relations move for a start-up league for 20-and-older players." NBDL Senior Dir of Basketball Operations Karl Hicks: "I don't think the NBDL is constrained by folks who are going to be skeptics. We want to be a league that breaks old paradigms and provides opportunities" (AP, 8/16).
ATHLETE APPEARANCES & CHARITABLE ENDEAVORS
Wizards C Kwame Brown, the top overall pick in the NBA Draft and an SFX client, was at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, signing autographs and posing for pictures at the SFX-managed tournament (WASHINGTON POST, 8/16).
Former Packer stars Willie Davis, Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston yesterday announced the formation of the Vince Lombardi Titletown Legends Charity, a non-profit group that will raise money for youth education and public-service programs based in WI. The group "hopes to raise between $500,000 and $800,000 with a series of public and private events in the days before the Packers’ home opener on Sept. 9" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/16).
Titans OT Fred Miller and his wife Kim will donate $800,000 to start a Nurses for Newborns Foundation program in Davidson County, TN (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 8/16).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
ON THE CALENDAR: CART Chair & CEO Joe Heitzler will hold a media teleconference today at 1:00pm ET regarding the racing series’ new domestic TV package (THE DAILY).
OTHER NOTES: Serena Williams, commenting on her career: "We’re all entertainers. Whether we’re sports heroes or music stars, we’re all entertainers. And it boils down to … if people are going to watch you" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 8/16)….The Tigers cancelled their team photo shoot on Wednesday so that the players could hold a team meeting, reportedly over P Jeff Weaver’s statements "in which he portrayed the Tigers as a divided team" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 8/16)….The YankeeNets RSN is expected to be unveiled "within a week, according to two members of the company" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 8/16).
IN OTHER NEWS: AOL TIME WARNER FACES MORE CUTS
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that AOL Time Warner "paved the way for additional layoffs Wednesday," advising the SEC that "further restructuring is likely in the third and fourth quarters." The quarterly SEC filing "did not specify where cuts would be made, but analysts expect more than 1,000 additional job losses, mainly in the America Online Internet division, and worry that the company's ambitious 2001 revenue and earnings targets will not be met" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 8/16).
LAUGH TRACK
NBC’s Jay Leno, on President George W. Bush attending a Braves-Rockies game: "He even sat in his favorite seats in the far, far, far right-field" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 8/15).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's edition of "Jeopardy" was part of "College Week" and the "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Political Names."
"As House Majority Whip, he works to get laws passed, though his name sounds like he puts them off."
WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
FSN’s 10:30pm ET "National Sports Report" led with Devil Rays-Yankees.
ESPN’s 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Cubs-Astros.
CNN/SI’s 11:00pm ET "Sports Tonight" led with Cubs-Astros.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"Who is Tom DeLay?"
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