The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, September 14, 2001
9:00am ET
NFL LIKELY TO MAKE DECISION ON WEEK TWO GAMES TODAY
The NFL “likely will decide today” if Week Two’s games will be made up or if the regular season will be shortened to 15 games. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, on the decision not to play this weekend, “We tried to be sensible, sensitive and right, and certainly not quick or superficial.” (WASHINGTON POST, 9/14). ESPN.com reports that the decision to cancel games “will cost the league more than $57 million in gross ticket revenues alone, if the games aren’t rescheduled” (ESPN.com, 9/14).
SUPPORT FOR THE NFL: Giants OT Lomas Brown: "It would have been insensitive [to play Sunday].” Brown: "Before you can heal, you have to grieve.” 49ers coach Steve Mariucci: "In general, you're going to find that the players in this league and coaches are relieved that we're not playing this week.” Bucs S John Lynch: "We all support the decision and it's going to be different this weekend, but I think they made a good decision" ("Last Word," FSN, 9/13). ESPN's Mark May said "the right thing was done in the end [by the NFL] …I just question why it took so long" (ESPN, 9/13).
BUT NOT ALL SUPPORT THE NFL: ESPN's Tony Kornheiser: "To me, sports serves the function of diversion and entertainment and in a full life, you have to come back to that at some point" (ESPN, 9/13). SI.'s Frank Deford: “It's difficult to dispute [Tagliabue] because I know he came to the decision in the most sincere way, but I still maintain that it would have been better for this country for people to go to games and get a brief respite from grief than to not have the games" (CNBC, 9/13).
MLB FOLLOWS SUIT AND POSTPONES WEEKEND GAMES
Just three hours after the NFL’s announcement, MLB announced that it would not resume play until Monday, bringing the league’s total number of games postponed this week to 91 (WASHINGTON POST, 9/14). MLB Commissioner Bud Selig: "I couldn't rationalize starting any earlier than Monday" (ESPN, 9/13).
REAX: ESPN's Chris Berman, on MLB not playing until Monday: "Nobody can criticize them. I think what they have done they have been a leader" (ESPN, 9/13). Phillies manager Larry Bowa: "I don't think guys are ready to play yet and I don't know when the right time is to play. ... I don't know when the right time is or if there's a right time” (ESPN, 9/13).
SUNDAY’S NASCAR RACE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ALSO POSTPONED
NASCAR’s New Hampshire 300 was postponed yesterday and rescheduled for Friday, November 23. The WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL writes that factoring into the decision “was the extremely difficult logistical effort needed to get drivers and teams to New Hampshire International Speedway after the shutdown of all U.S. airports” (WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 9/14).
REAX: NASCAR VP/Corporate Communications Jim Hunter: "We talked to just about anybody we could talk to, including political leaders, ... the other major professional sports leagues, we've talked to our drivers, our owners ... and in the end I think the general consensus was that we do not need to run this weekend. We need to reschedule this event, it's just the right thing to do" " ("Totally NASCAR," FSN, 9/13).
REMAINING NCAA GAMES ARE POSTPONED AS WELL
The N.Y. TIMES notes after the NFL and MLB released their decisions not to play this weekend, several college football conferences “reversed themselves in a matter of minutes yesterday and postponed the games they had scheduled for tomorrow. As a result, there will be no Division I-A games anywhere in the nation this weekend” (N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).
ADDITIONAL SPORTING EVENTS POSTPONED, CANCELED
MLS is canceling all of the league’s ten remaining regular season matches, with play resuming with the MLS Cup Playoffs, which will begin on Thursday, September 20. MLS Commissioner Don Garber: “Major League Soccer shares the grief of the nation at Tuesday’s appalling tragedy. As we all mourn, MLS believes it appropriate to take some time to acknowledge the nation’s loss and honor the victims and heroes. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been affected” (THE DAILY).
LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw announced the cancellation of this weekend’s Safeway Classic in Portland, OR. Votaw: “We delayed making this final decision until we had thoroughly evaluated this issue from all sides. … However, in the end, we have to follow our hearts and minds, and we believe not playing this weekend is the right decision for the LPGA” (THE DAILY).
The CFL postponed Friday’s Roughriders-Stampeders game and rescheduled it for Saturday after Prime Minister Jean Chretien declared Friday a day of mourning for the victims of the terrorist acts against the U.S. (AP, 9/14).
The NHL canceled all preseason games scheduled for Sunday, September 16th and will open its exhibition season on Monday (THE DAILY).
COULD TUESDAY’S ATTACKS AFFECT N.Y. OLYMPIC BID?
U.S. Olympic Committee Bid Evaluation Chair Charles Moore “said yesterday the possible susceptibility to terrorist attack of Washington and New York might figure into the analysis of both cities’ bids” in their attempts to host the 2012 Olympics (WASHINGTON POST, 9/14).
Meanwhile, SLOC President Mitt Romney, on how Tuesday’s tragedy impacts the upcoming Olympics, “The goal is to provide a safe environment for the athletes, officials and spectators. Our plan is very solid and complete. We can make adjustments quickly and in time.” Romney, on beefing up security: “Whether it’s more visible or less visible, I can’t predict at this point. It would not be appropriate to discuss any of the actual security plans” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/14).
IN OTHER NEWS
President Bush has targeted Monday for the re-opening of the U.S. stock markets. A senior administration official called it “a top priority.” Plans being considered are “police escorts for traders, [and] getting tugboats to bring in supplies through New York harbor” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/14).
With few sporting events this weekend, the industry “will be a nearly forgotten species for two days.” CBS Sports President Sean McManus, on the dearth of events, “I can’t remember a weekend like this. Like everything else that has happened, this is unique in the worst sense of the word” (N.Y. TIMES, 9/14).…Due to the terrorist acts, Michael Jordan “will not hold a news conference next week” to announce his comeback intentions (WASHINGTON POST, 9/14).
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