The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, September 26, 2001
9:00am ET
| • | The Early Line On Michael Jordan’s Return |
| • | Will Downtown Be The Place To Be For Heisman Club? |
| • | Giants Take Out Ad To Thank K.C. And Chiefs Fans For Support |
| • | Today’s Events |
| • | In Other News |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
JORDAN MAKES IT OFFICIAL BY ANNOUNCING COMEBACK
Wizards G Michael Jordan officially announced his return to the NBA yesterday in a press release. Jordan: "I am returning as a player to the game I love because during the last year and a half, as a member of the Washington Wizards’ management, I enjoyed working with our players and sharing my own experiences as a player. I feel there is no better way of teaching young players than to be on the court with them as a fellow player, not just in practice but in actual NBA games." For the full text of his statement, click here.
Click here for the Wizards ’01-02 schedule.
For Jordan’s career statistics, click here.
NBA Commissioner David Stern: "Michael has always brought joy to basketball fans around the world and in these difficult times, we can all use a little more joy in our lives" (NBA).
NBC Sports Chair Dick Ebersol: "We’re excited that Michael is returning. It will be fun to watch the greatest player ever match up against the NBA’s new generation of stars, such as Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Ray Allen and others. Any possible scheduling changes will be considered and discussed with the NBA in the next week to 10 days" (THE DAILY).
Nike Chair Phil Knight: "This is a great day for basketball fans around the world. Michael has been very candid on what his thought process has been, and he’s obviously excited about the challenge of playing professionally once again. We wish him well and look forward to a tremendously entertaining season" (THE DAILY).
Turner Sports President Mark Lazarus: "We’re in discussions with the league on revising our schedule. We’ll work with the league to expose Michael Jordan to the world" (CBS SportsLine, 9/26).
Wizards Owner Abe Pollin: "He wants to be a teacher. He wants to teach these young guys" (ESPN, 9/25).
Wizards VP/Communications Matt Williams, on the team’s ticket sales after yesterday’s announcement: "It’s just so hard to put a number on it, the calls are coming in so fast. It’s been absolutely crazy" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/26).
THE TALKING HEADS…….
NBC Sports' Bob Costas: "He's done a half dozen encores, brought the house down and now after the curtain apparently fell for the final time, he's rushing back into the lobby pulling the patrons back into the theater, going, 'Wait, wait, wait, one more thing.' It just doesn't feel right" (CNN/SI, 9/25).
FSN's Jim Rome: "Reasons for MJ's comeback: an addiction to pub, an addiction to cash, a lifelong dream to run with Tyronn Lue and a strong need to be abused by all of today's stars looking for payback" ("Last Word," FSN, 9/25).
Philadelphia Daily News' Bill Conlin: "Jordan coming back is the ultimate certification that the game has survived without him, because he will not even be close to what he was in the game when he took that last magical shot" (ESPN, 9/25).
Bulls Chair Jerry Reinsdorf: "I don't understand all the commotion, why people have a position, 'I'm for it, I'm against it.' If he wants to do it, why shouldn't he be able to do it?" (ESPN, 9/25).
ESPN's David Aldridge said the value of the Wizards "is certainly going to go up (and) it's a team that's going to have a lot more cache, not only in the Washington area but around the league" (ESPN, 9/25).
The WASHINGTON POST’s Michael Wilbon: "One thing we know is that no team with Michael Jordan will be ignored. The Wizards now will be talked about, argued over and – most importantly – watched" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/26).
The N.Y. POST’s Peter Vecsey: "The NBA does not need Michael Jordan nearly as badly as Michael Jordan needs the NBA" (N.Y. POST, 9/26).
Pilson Communications President Neal Pilson: "We could use some 'normal' stories right now. At a time of national anxiety, the enjoyment of watching Michael Jordan might bring welcome relief" (USA TODAY, 9/26).
CNN/SI’s Marty Burns: "He has, in a small way, helped a grieving nation take its mind off the past two weeks. If ever we needed a good sports story, it is now" (CNN/SI.com, 9/26).
Magic Johnson: "Will [other NBA players] be jealous? Because a lot of those players now think it’s their team (or league). That’s what surprised me. I thought players would want me back. But a lot of them were jealous that I was back because they thought I was taking their moment" (USA TODAY, 9/26).
Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban: "The guys are so juiced about this I can’t even tell you. The big dog is coming back, and the big dog still thinks it’s his porch, and they think it’s theirs. This is going to be good" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/26).
RDV Sports VP Julius Erving: "I just told him be careful, have fun. I don’t question the sanity of it. There are those who think he should leave it alone, let it rest. I’m straddling the fence. The way he went out, he can do whatever he wants" (FLORIDA TODAY, 9/26).
AND THE LINE….
The LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL’s Kevin Iole reports, "If you want to bet on the Wizards to end the Lakers' reign as NBA champions, you'll get odds ranging from 20-1 to 50-1 at sports books around town. …The Wizards are 25-1 at the Imperial Palace. The MGM/Mirage sports books have Jordan's team at 20-1, up from a low of 15-1. The sports books at the Station Casinos on Tuesday listed 50-1 odds" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/26).
DOWNTOWN ATHLETIC CLUB EXPLORES ALTERNATE SITES
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that Heisman Memorial Trophy Trust Exec Dir Rudy Riska and other Downtown Athletic Club officials will meet today with officials at N.Y.’s Marriott Marquis to "see if there is space available" for the ‘01 Heisman Trophy award presentation, should the move "become necessary." The Downtown Athletic Club, where the ceremony is currently scheduled to be held, is located three blocks south of the World Trade Center. And while inspections indicate the building suffered "no structural damage" in the WTC terrorist attacks, "there are other problems that might keep the building closed" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/26).
I LOVE KC? GIANTS EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO CHIEFS’ FANS
The NFL Giants have taken out a half-page ad in today’s issues of the K.C. Star, thanking the Chiefs and the city for the compassion shown to the Giants in the wake of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks (N.Y. POST, 9/26).
TODAY’S EVENTS
MISL has a 12:00pm ET press conference in Cleveland, OH, and will unveil plans for a three-day, mid-season event that will be hosted by the MISL, the Cleveland Crunch and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (THE DAILY).
Microsoft’s MSN Service will announce today that it has added about 1 million subscribers, as it has "lured about 400,000 online subscribers" away from rival AOL Time Warner since launching a $50M marketing campaign in June (WASHINGTON POST, 9/26).
NASCAR.com debuts its new animated series "The Kellys" today, starting at 12:30pm ET. The series, about a family of professional stock car racers, is from Turner Sports Interactive and SportsBlast, the animation development company founded by "The Simpsons" voice-actor Nancy Cartwright (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS…
The BOSTON GLOBE cites a survey indicating that U.S. consumers "are more worried about the economy than they have been at any time" since January ‘96. The Conference Board, a N.Y. business research group, said "its monthly mail-in poll of consumer confidence plunged from 114 in August to 97.6 this month" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/26).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that the WWF "insists it will not capitalize" on the September 11 terrorist attacks by "creating a terrorist character as a surrogate for fan anger. Not known for Iron John sensitivity, the W.W.F. wants to be seen as patriotic without being politically bellicose" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/26).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Former GE CEO Jack Welch’s autobiography "Jack: Straight from the Gut" will debut at No. 1 on the N.Y. TIMES bestseller list that appears on Sunday. Time Warner Trade Books Chair Lawrence Kirshbaum, on the book’s successful release, despite the company’s nixing of a $1M promotional campaign due to the WTC terrorist attack: "It’s definitely doing very well without support. The question is: Can we keep it there for a while?" (N.Y. POST, 9/26). …In N.Y., Selena Roberts notes the publicity surrounding Giants LF Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the HR record this year: "Somehow, Bonds’s chase for the same record has not generated the same feel-good energy or cliffhanger intensity as the scene created by [Mark] McGwire and co-starring Sammy Sosa" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/26). …The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes a "spirited debate" about the future of reality television following the WTC terrorist attacks took place yesterday at the Hollywood Radio & Television Society’s annual luncheon. NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker: "The good unscripted shows will endure. I think last week alone there was evidence that people still want to watch these programs. I think it would be an overreaction to say that this is the end of reality." But ABC Entertainment Television Group co-Chair Lloyd Braun said, "I’m not so sure the audience is going to be as accepting of these shows as they were in the past" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 9/26).
LAUGH TRACK
NBC’s Jay Leno, on Michael Jordan's comeback: "Let's just hope it's not baseball." Leno, on Jordan's critics: "They point out that Jordan has not played professional basketball since 1998. But then again, neither have the Washington Wizards. In fact, you realize the Wizards are now only four players away from being a contender." Leno, on the Redskins losing 37-0 to the Packers: "I'm not even Native-American and I was offended by the Redskins. ... People are saying they could be the worst team in the NFL. The NFL? They could be the worst team in the XFL" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 9/25).
Last night's "Top Ten" list was "Top Ten Things People Say To Me, Dave, When They See Me On The Street" ("Late Show," CBS, 9/25).
| 10. | "You suck!" |
| 9. | "Didn't you used to have a show?" |
| 8. | "Hey Letterman, you suck!" |
| 7. | "Are you gonna read that Penthouse all day or are you gonna buy something?" |
| 6. | "Nice wig, pinhead." |
| 5. | "Hey Maury, you suck!" |
| 4. | "Cute, you've got matching sweaters for your poodles." |
| 3. | "May I see your license and registration?" |
| 2. | "Hey grandpa, you suck!" |
| 1. | "There he is ... let's get him!" |
| |
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's edition of "Jeopardy" was part of "Back to School Week." The "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Pop Music."
"Selling over 12 million copies, this singer's 1999 album is the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist."
TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
FSN’s 10:30pm ET "National Sports Report" led with Michael Jordan’s comeback.
ESPN’s 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" also led with Jordan’s return.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"Who is Britney Spears?"
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