The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, August 30, 2001
9:00am ET
| • | Pro Bowl To Charge Premium Prices For Premium Seats |
| • | Will AOL Time Warner Show Goodwill To Ted Turner? |
| • | NTRA Exec In NJ Yesterday Looking At Possible Sites For Breeders’ Cup |
| • | Patriots Conduct Tour For Top Fans Of CMGI Field – A Work In Progress |
| • | Stu Grimson Leads The Predators In Battle Against Cancer |
| • | David Letterman’s “Top Ten Signs A Little League Player Is Too Old.” |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/Final Jeopardy!/TV Monitor |
NFL’S PRO BOWL REBRANDING BEGINS WITH TICKET PRICE CHANGES
The HONOLULU ADVERTISER reports that the NFL "announced yesterday it will introduce premium seating, and cut ticket prices for other seats, for next year's Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium." The premium seats "will be sold for $200 each" and the league will "block off about 2,500 of them in the stadium's loge level. The price of 21,000 other seats will be reduced (HONOLULU ADVERTISER, 8/30).
IS STEVE CASE WILLING TO GIVE UP GOODWILL GAMES FOR A ‘SONG’?
The N.Y. POST reports that industry sources say AOL Time Warner Chair Steve Case "isn't interested in keeping the Goodwill Games unit because its high expenses and low ratings continually drag down earnings of the broadcasting group." While Games Founder Ted Turner said he would buy the Games to keep them operating, it "wasn't clear what price could be set for the Games, but it could be gotten for a song, since few buyers would be willing to keep underwriting the venture." But the Games "would also lose the broadcasting access it enjoys under AOL Time Warner's ownership" (N.Y. POST, 8/30).
NTRA REPS VISIT NJ EYEING POSSIBLE SITES FOR BREEDERS’ CUP
The Newark STAR-LEDGER reports that NTRA reps "were in New Jersey yesterday, making the first of two visits to determine whether they can find a suitable site for the Breeders' Cup, horse racing's richest event." NTRA officials toured Monmouth Park Racetrack yesterday and are scheduled to tour the Meadowlands next month." One "stumbling block that would have to be surmounted is the fact that Monmouth and the Meadowlands are not currently a part of the NTRA. Membership in the organization is required for Breeders' Cup host tracks" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 8/30).
PATRIOTS HOLD ‘HARD-HAT’ TOUR OF CMGI FIELD
The BOSTON HERALD reports that Patriots Vice Chair Jonathan Kraft yesterday "hosted a hard-hat tour of CMGI Field for the Patriots' Fleet Fans of the Year, inviting them to test the 15 new seats installed in the south section of the complex." The seats, designed by the Hussey Company of North Berwick, Maine, are 15% "wider with six more inches of legroom than the all-weather metal benches in Foxboro Stadium" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/30).
PREDATORS AIM AT BIGGER FOE AND GIVE MONEY TO FIGHT CANCER
The Predators announced yesterday that the team will donate up to $100 for every ’01-02 season ticket sold in the month of September to the "Hockey Fights Cancer" charity that benefits the Baptist Cancer Center. The team said it marks the first time an NHL club has designated a portion of season-ticket sales to aid the program (THE DAILY). Meanwhile the Nashville TENNESSEAN reports that LW Stu Grimson, the focus of the Predators’ advertising campaign, "appeared in front of TV cameras from every station in town to talk about" the "Hockey Fights Cancer" effort (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 8/30).
THREAT OF A LOCKOUT AFFECTS MLB CLUBS' ROSTER DECISIONS
USA TODAY reports that "the specter of a labor conflict in Major League Baseball is about to play a prominent part in player personnel decisions." MLB rosters are allowed to expand on Saturday and many clubs use this time to evaluate top prospects. However, a potential work stoppage next year changes that, because of rules revolving around the 40-man roster. A player must be promoted to a club’s 40-man roster to play in the big leagues. But, any player on the 40-man roster will not be eligible to play in the minors next season in the event of a lockout, causing clubs to hesitate before promoting youngsters who would be better served playing everyday in ‘02 (USA TODAY, 8/30).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
While the Islanders agreed to a five-year contract with C Michael Peca, the deal was not longer because the NHL’s chief insurance provider "does not insure contracts that are longer than five years" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/30)….In his "Politics & People" column today, the WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Albert Hunt writes on MLB and states that "baseball never will dominate our culture the way it once did … [but] it is, more than any other sport, the standard for how we mark time, our experiences and perspectives on life" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/30)….Mets 1B Todd Zeile made a promotional appearance at the U.S. Open yesterday to see if he could hit a tennis ball out of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Zeile: "Can’t be done. I got eight rows from the top, but that was only once" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/30).
LAUGH TRACK
David Letterman, on N.Y. paying tribute to the Rolando Paulino Little League All-Star team and P Danny Almonte: "They gave him the key to the city. Right after the ceremony, he and his buddy Don Zimmer played golf. And when the Mayor gave Danny the key to the city, Danny said, 'Can I have a duplicate for my wife?'"
Last night's "Top Ten Signs A Little League Player Is Too Old." ("Late Show," 8/29).
| 10. | "His drug tests come up positive for Centrum Silver." |
| 9. | "After the game, team orders 18 slurpees and one margarita." |
| 8. | "Has to miss one weekend a month because of his National Guard duty." |
| 7. | "Possible cuts in Social Security have left him too depressed to pitch." |
| 6. | "Teammates put teeth under pillow -- he puts his in a glass of water." |
| 5. | "Artificial turf made by same company as his artificial hip." |
| 4. | "Positions: shortstop and team bus driver." |
| 3. | "Actually saw the Red Sox win a World Series." |
| 2. | "His first baseball memory: chasin' hookers with Babe Ruth." |
| 1. | "He's the only Little Leaguer going through a lengthy, bitter divorce." |
| |
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's episode of "Jeopardy" was part of "Teen Week" and the "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Animals."
"The German name for this animal is nilpferd or 'Nile horse.'"
WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
FSN’s 10:30pm ET "National Sports Report" led with Expos-Braves.
ESPN’s 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Phillies-Mets.
CNN/SI’s 11:00pm ET "Sports Tonight" led with Red Sox-Indians.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What is a hippopotamus?"
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