| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, December 28, 2001
9:00am ET | |
| • | Attorney General Tom Reilly Wants Red Sox To Produce Key Bid Documents |
| • | Superdome Fans Must Walk That Extra Mile For Beer Sales |
| • | Roush Racing Plans To Expand With Office Space And A Museum |
| • | Vikings May Look To Replace Play-By-Play Man Terry Stembridge Jr. |
| • | Capriati Nets AP's Female Athlete Of The Year Award |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
Editor's Note: The Morning Buzz will be off once again to ring in the New Year. We will not publish from Monday, December 31 through Tuesday, January 1. We will return on Wednesday, January 2. Happy New Year!
HOLES IN THE SOX BID PROCESS? REILLY WANTS KEY DOCUMENTS
The BOSTON HERALD reports that MA Attorney General Tom Reilly yesterday "blasted the Red Sox for refusing to turn over key documents related to the team's record $700 million sale," suggesting the Sox could be "shortchanging public charities by rejecting the highest bid for the team." Reilly: "Our job is to find out why that happened. On several occasions we have asked … for the information we need to do our job. Specifically, we have asked for the bid documents. So far they have refused" (BOSTON HERALD, 12/28).
FANS LOOKING FOR BEER WITH THEIR PEANUTS WILL HAVE TO WALK
The AP reports that fans attending games in the Superdome "will be able to buy bottled beer, provided they leave their seats to get it." Superdome officials "announced the policy change Thursday" for Sunday night's game between the Saints and the Redskins. Those wishing to buy beer in plastic bottles "will have to get it at concession stands instead of from vendors walking among the crowd during the game" (AP, 12/28).
ROUSH'S PLANNED EXPANSION INCLUDES OFFICE SPACE, MUSEUM
The BUSINESS JOURNAL OF CHARLOTTE reports that Roush Racing Inc. "will expand its Concord hub late next year." Roush Racing President Geoff Smith says the company "plans a 35,000-square-foot oval building with offices and a museum, as well as adjoining center for warehouse space. The project will cover 82,000 square feet on a 5.5-acre tract" (BUSINESS JOURNAL OF CHARLOTTE, 12/28 issue).
OFF THE AIR? VIKINGS EXECS MAY REPLACE STEMBRIDGE JR.
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that some Vikings execs "privately have expressed an interest in replacing Terry Stembridge Jr. as the team's play-by-play voice after this season, although no decision has been made." Stembridge was a late hire by the Vikings and KFAN Radio (1130 AM) after Lee Hamilton "resigned the position during the preseason" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/28).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The AP reports that tickets for Univ. of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino's "impending return to Rupp Arena" in Lexington tomorrow night "are going for as much as $1,500 a pair" (AP, 12/28).
Jennifer Capriati won the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award on Thursday, receiving "37 first-place votes and 157 points from sports writers and broadcasters to top Venus Williams, also the runner-up in 2000" (AP, 12/27).
The N.Y. TIMES' Richard Sandomir reports on a number of stories from the past year that he "can't erase" from his "memory banks," including the XFL, the ongoing MLB contraction story, Isiah Thomas' book about business success, and Walt Frazier's misuse of the English language during Knicks broadcasts on MSG (N.Y. TIMES, 12/28).
USA TODAY's Robert Bianco lists the best and worst of TV this year, putting NBC's "Inside Schwartz" at No. 4 and the XFL at No. 8 on the "Worst" list (USA TODAY, 12/28).
IN OTHER NEWS…..
MULTICHANNEL NEWS reported that Cablevision Systems Corp. said Thursday it "will lay off about 600 workers – around 4 percent of its total work force – as part of a plan to improve operational efficiencies." The company said in a prepared statement that it "will take a $55 million fourth-quarter restructuring charge for the layoffs – mainly in corporate, administrative and infrastructure functions across its business units" (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 12/27).
REUTERS reported that two USA Networks shareholders "have sued to block what they allege is an 'unfair' deal to sell USA's entertainment assets to French media giant Vivendi Universal for about $10.3 billion" (REUTERS, 12/27).
The ORLANDO SENTINEL reports that EchoStar Communications Corp. "returned fire Thursday in a nasty contract dispute with Walt Disney Co. that could have ramifications for EchoStar's proposed merger with DirecTV" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 12/28).
DAILY VARIETY reports that veteran rockers U2 "grossed $109.7 million in ticket sales from 80 shows on their 'Elevation' tour – No. 2 on the all-time list of tours surveyed by trade publication Pollstar." The Rolling Stones hold the record "with $121.2 million for their 1994 'Voodoo Lounge' tour" (DAILY VARIETY, 12/28).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "State Symbols."
"Appropriately, the Mayflower is the official flower of this state."
LAUGH TRACK
CBS' David Letterman, on an airplane passenger recently having explosives in his shoes: "Turns out he was wearing exploding sneakers. They're Nike's new Air Jihads." Letterman added, "It's true Osama bin Laden, in each one of his videos, looks older and older and older. You know, like Madonna."
N.Y. Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared on "The Late Show" last night. Letterman asked if the mayor actually called 1B Jason Giambi when the Yankees were courting the free agent. Giuliani: "I have a right to remain silent. Anything can be used against me. Yeah, I did. I said to him that I think he would really find it terrific playing in New York. That he is a natural kind of ballplayer for New York. … And then I told him that I could probably work it out – No tickets." When asked if he would do the same for the Mets, Giuliani said, "If they asked, yeah" ("Late Show," CBS, 12/27).
THURSDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
FSN's 10:30pm ET "National Sports Report" led with Wizards-Pacers.
ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Angels 1B Mo Vaughn being traded to the Mets for P Kevin Appier.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What is Massachusetts?"
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