The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, September 25, 2001
9:00am ET
| • | Michael Jordan Makes Us All Wait Another Day |
| • | NFL To Cover NADA Losses If They Agree To Move Convention |
| • | FSN & Time Warner Cable Make Peace Over Baseball Games |
| • | What Will The Texans Look Like? Uniforms To Be Unveiled Today |
| • | Listen To The Radio! NASCAR Channel Set For Debut |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/Laugh Track/Final Jeopardy!/TV Monitor |
JORDAN KEEPS RETURN ON HOLD; ARE MARKETING ISSUES A SNAG?
Michael Jordan did not announce his return to the NBA yesterday as anticipated, and ESPN.com reports that Jordan and the NBA "have not yet agreed on whether to continue a licensing agreement that gives the league rights to Jordan’s image for marketing purposes." The NBA "maintains there cannot be a special financial agreement with Jordan for marketing purposes if he goes back to being an active player" (ESPN.com, 9/25).
But USA TODAY dismissed reports that the "delay was due to a licensing issue with one of Jordan's sponsors," as "all necessary steps with the league have been taken for him to return as a player" (USA TODAY, 9/25).
ESPN’s David Aldridge, on Jordan’s return: "I don't think he's under any illusion that he's going to win a championship with the Wizards. ... I think he will be disappointed once he realizes that this team is not going to be able to compete at an elite level that he is used to" ("SportsCenter," 9/24).
NFL LAYS OUT ITS OFFER TO AUTOMOBILE DEALERS
The WASHINGTON TIMES reports the NFL's "effort to keep this season's Super Bowl in New Orleans and move it back a week to Feb. 3 gained steam yesterday when the league agreed to cover all losses suffered by the National Automobile Dealers Association" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/25).
FOX SPORTS NET AND TIME WARNER CABLE ANNOUNCE DÉTENTE
The ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER reports that Fox Sports Net and Time Warner Cable "reached an agreement Monday that allows Time Warner subscribers in Orange and Los Angeles counties to see the remaining Dodgers and Angels games televised on Fox Sports Net and Fox Sports Net 2." The dispute "began when Time Warner declined to follow Adelphia and Cox cable systems in passing on to its subscribers a price increase for Dodgers and Angels games on the cable channels" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 9/25).
TEXANS TO DEBUT NEW UNIFORMS TODAY
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports "the long awaited unveiling of the Texans’ uniforms finally takes place today." The team, which begins play in ’02, "will be fitted in uniforms that took more than a year to conceptualize and design." The team’s home jersey "will be deep steel blue with liberty white numerals and lettering." Additionally, the squad will wear the same color blue helmet with the team’s logo (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/25).
ALL NASCAR ALL OF THE TIME – 24 HOUR RADIO CHANNEL TO DEBUT
NASCAR radio, which will feature around-the-clock programming dedicated to the sport, will debut today on XM Satellite Radio, the first commercial satellite radio service in the U.S. The show will be on Channel 144 and is the only channel on the XM lineup dedicated to one sport (THE DAILY).
TODAY’S EVENTS
The Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Hornets and Sting are joining forces to raise funds for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund from 11:00am-1:00pm ET at three locations throughout the city. In exchange for a monetary donation, players and coaches will sign autographs to shirts bearing an American flag and the logos of the participating teams (THE DAILY).
NHL Panthers C Kevyn Adams will help kick off Sandpiper Elementary School’s "Every One Counts" penny drive from 8:30-9:30am ET. At the rally, children will donate pennies, with proceeds going to police and firefighters in N.Y. (THE DAILY).
Dale and Kelly Jarrett will be at the grand opening of the SouthPark Mall Parking Deck in Charlotte to raise money for "Race Fans For A Cure," a national program sponsored by Ford Credit, designed to increase awareness of breast cancer (THE DAILY).
SPORTS STARS TRY THEIR BEST ON ‘MILLIONAIRE’
Last night's edition of ABC's "WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE" was the third installment of the "Sports Superstars" series.
Laila Ali, playing for a "Feed The Homeless" program in Las Vegas, won $32,000. Ali missed the question, "What franchise won the first modern baseball World Series in 1903?" A) Pittsburgh Pirates B) New York Yankees C) Detroit Tigers D) Boston Red Sox. The answer was Boston Red Sox.
Jeff Gordon, playing for the "Jeff Gordon Foundation," won $32,000. Gordon missed the question, "Which of these musicians was an amateur boxer before hitting it big as an entertainer?" A) Bob Seger B) Billy Joel C) Ice Cube D) Jon Bon Jovi. The answer was Billy Joel.
Tony Hawk, playing for the "Tony Hawk Foundation," won $125,000. Hawk missed the question, "In the popular 1970's TV series 'Wonder Woman,' what actress played Wonder Girl?" A) Debra Winger B) Kim Cattrall C) Carrie Fisher D) Jamie Lee Curtis. The answer was Debra Winger.
Jim Courier, playing for the "Tim & Tom Gullickson Foundation," answered the $16,000 question before the show ended (ABC, 9/24).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Global Sports Inc. and the LPGA will announce today an e-commerce agreement for Global Sports to develop and run the new e-commerce Pro Shop for LPGA.com, the league’s official Web site (THE DAILY)….The SLOC is looking to hire 5,000 people for short-term jobs for the ’02 Games (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 9/25)….The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has closed registration after reaching its entry limit of 37,500 runners for its October 7th race (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/25)….The Indians broke the three-million mark in attendance for the sixth consecutive season yesterday. Through 76 home dates, the club has drawn 3,013,735 fans to Jacobs Field (THE DAILY)….Red Sox OF Dante Bichette gave $50,000 to rebuild Belmont (MA) High School’s varsity baseball field, which will be renamed Brendan Grant Memorial Field in remembrance of the player who died during a Babe Ruth game this summer (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/25)….Mavericks G Michael Finley’s "Back 2 Hoops Bash" on Friday night raised more than $60,000 for charities for firefighters and their families involved in the September 11th terrorist attacks. Finley matched each $25 admission fee for the game (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/25).
IN OTHER NEWS….
Walt Disney World’s Al Weiss, on visitor attendance after the September 11 attacks: "We certainly have seen an impact in our attendance right after the attacks. The interesting thing about it is though, this past weekend we started to see a recovery of some of that attendance. People decided to come back and take some enjoyment and put it back in their lives" ("Today," NBC, 9/25).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that TV networks "are anxiously trying to determine if the prices they charge for commercial time – already softening before the events of Sept. 11 – will weaken further" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/25).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that AOL Time Warner expects to "fall short of its [revenue] goals because of the impact of this month’s terrorist attacks and the advertising slowdown" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/25).
The S.F. CHRONICLE reports that S.F.-based ad agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners is "laying off a number of workers, and asking employees to take salary cuts and trim expenses ‘to the bone,’ given significant losses in revenue" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 9/25).
LAUGH TRACK
NBC’s Jay Leno, on Anna Kournikova's new workout video: "You think anybody who buys this is going to work out to it? Come on. These are the same guys that buy Playboy for the articles" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 9/24).
N.Y. Mayor Rudy Giuliani, appearing last night on CBS' "Late Show," said attending the Mets game at Shea Stadium on Friday night "was very strange for me. I'm a Yankee fan. Did you know that?" Giuliani: "Usually when I go to Shea … I get booed and they yell at me [speaking in thick N.Y. accent], 'Go back to the Bronx you bum, go back to the Bronx you bum, get outta' here.'" Giuliani: "I'll know things get back to normal when they start booing me again" ("Late Show," CBS, 9/24)
Last night's "Top Ten" list was "Top Ten Signs Your Wife Is Having An Affair With The Jolly Green Giant" ("Late Show," CBS, 9/24).
| 10) | "You find a love letter addressed to 'My Ho Ho Ho...'" |
| 9) | "Bottle of shampoo in shower which reads 'For oily, green hair.'" |
| 8) | "Complains to marriage counselor you're not 'jolly,' 'green' or 'giant.'" |
| 7) | "Secret admirer keeps leaving crates of frozen peas on your lawn." |
| 6) | "Her lingerie reeks of creamed spinach." |
| 5) | "In newest commercials, the Jolly Green Giant is wearing your bathrobe." |
| 4) | "The way she gazes longingly at a spear of asparagus." |
| 3) | "Your last two kids have been green." |
| 2) | "You've never seen anyone eat corn on the cob that way." |
| 1) | "She makes disparaging remarks about your 'niblets.'" |
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's edition of "Jeopardy" was part of "Back To School Week." Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "U.S. Geography."
"It's the only U.S. State that touches two oceans."
MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
FSN’s 10:30pm ET "National Sports Report" led with Braves-Marlins.
ESPN’s 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Braves-Marlins.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What is Alaska?"
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