Morning Buzz, January 4, 2002

BCS LIKELY TO BE TWEAKED IN WAKE OF LOPSIDED ROSE BOWL

Following last night's Rose Bowl game, where the Univ. of Miami secured the national championship by defeating the Univ. of NE by the score of 37-14, the Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW reports that the selection process for the BCS "likely will be tweaked again before the start of next season," and a team that does not win its conference title "could be barred from the BCS championship game." BCS Exec John Swofford: "I'd like to see us improve it and simplify it at the same time. It's an imperfect system, but we're trying to get as close to perfect as possible. That's why we're plugging away at it" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 1/4).

Meanwhile, media outcry of the BCS selection process continues this morning. USA TODAY's Jon Saraceno writes, "BCS bosses surely will tweak their formula again. After all, along with de facto partners in television and corporate America, they're in the illusion business. They must try to make everything look fair and equitable, even as they quietly add to the insanity of it all" (USA TODAY, 1/4).

In L.A., Bob Keisser suggests that "a class action suit may be filed" against the BCS for "sending a fraudulent opponent to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for what was billed as a national championship game." Keisser writes that was "false advertising," as the game should have been called "the National Half-Championship" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 1/4).

The L.A. TIMES' Bill Plaschke adds, "In looking back on what might have been the biggest mismatch in Rose Bowl history, there was really one terribly wrong decision. It was the decision of this game's organizers to buy into the promises [from the BCS selection committee] that things would be different. All hail Miami. And to hail with the BCS" (L.A. TIMES, 1/4).

A HIRE & A FIRE AS WINDS OF CHANGE BLOW THROUGH MN

The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS reports that the Twins will "have a manager today when longtime Twins coach Ron Gardenhire is introduced as Tom Kelly's successor," despite the fact that the team still isn't sure "whether they'll have a season to play in 2002." The team has called a news conference for this morning at the Metrodome to announce Gardenhire's promotion (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 1/4).

Meanwhile, the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that Vikings coach Dennis Green's 10-year tenure "could come to an end as early as today, following a tumultuous day [yesterday] in which ESPN reported that Green probably would be fired next week" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/4).

NFL TO LAUNCH AD CAMPAIGN THIS WEEKEND TOUTING PLAYOFFS

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE reports, "In what may be the most engaging pro-football advertising this year, the NFL [this weekend] breaks several new spots with current and former players, including current and former Bears linebackers Brian Urlacher and Mike Singletary talking about what the playoffs mean to them." Shot in "black and white and in letterbox format, the stark ads end" with the tagline, "This is what it's all about" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/4).

KNICKS GET IN “THE ZONE” WITH LOCAL ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

The Knicks and Barnes & Noble announced that Knicks G Mark Jackson, former NBA HOFer Bob Lanier, actor John Leguizamo and other celebrities will join more then 100 fifth and sixth grade elementary students today to launch the first "Knicks Reading Zone" at the Barnes & Noble Union Square store from 3:00-5:00pm ET. As part of the NBA's "Read to Achieve" program, the Knicks also have created Reading Zones at five elementary schools in the five boroughs around N.Y. (THE DAILY).

ACTIVISTS CAN'T BUCK MITT ROMNEY'S SUPPORT OF RODEO

SLOC President Mitt Romney said Thursday that he "intends to honor a contract to stage a championship rodeo as part of the cultural events" of the '02 Winter Games. In response, animal-rights activists say that they are "stepping up plans to protest the event at all Olympic competition sites as well as the Legacy Center in Farmington," where the rodeo will be held February 9-11. Romney said, "We are committed to have as safe a rodeo as possible" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 1/4).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

After a storm dropped 10 inches of snow on the Southeast, the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER reports that the paid attendance for last night's Warriors-Hornets game, "which included season tickets sold but not used, was 7,770, breaking the previous all-time low of 8,727 set this season for a game against Detroit." Two unofficial media counts of people in the stands "placed the turnstile at less than 1,000" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/4).

NJ Assembly Speaker Jack Collins "introduced legislation to finance a Newark sports arena yesterday," but key lawmakers said that it "is unlikely the measure will win passage with just one voting session left before the 209th Legislature expires" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 1/4).

The N.Y. TIMES reports that Jets RB Curtis Martin "was named by his teammates" as the Jets' most valuable player for the third year in a row. Martin "was also given the Dennis Byrd award as the team's most inspirational player, and the administrative staff gave him the Kyle Clifton Good Guy award, making Martin the first Jet to win all three awards in the same season" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/4).

IN OTHER NEWS…..

N.Y.-based SoundScan reports that total U.S. album sales for the year fell 2.8% to 762.8 million albums, from 785.1 million in '00. Much of the difference "can be blamed on relatively weak sales of the top 10 albums of the year, as compared with last year." The biggest-selling album in '00, "No Strings Attached," by 'N Sync, sold 9.9 million copies. The top seller for '01, "Hybrid Theory," a rock album by Linkin Park, sold 4.8 million copies (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/4).

Disney CEO Michael Eisner released his annual letter to shareholders on Thursday and wrote, "We believe we are on the right track. Frankly, with the Disney brand and the great assets of our company, it isn't easy to fail. It's much easier to succeed. And we will" (USA TODAY, 1/4).

Eisner wrote, "I want to make clear my disappointment with the fact that the overall equity value of the company as I am writing this has not risen as it has in the past" (N.Y. POST, 1/4).

Eisner "vowed to shave costs" and also forecasted that when Disney's FY ends in September, "its money-losing Internet operations will show a profit." Meanwhile, Disney will "close 50 more Disney Stores as it continues to revamp its retail unit" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/4).

Shares of Disney gained more than 3% yesterday on Wall Street, up $0.74 to close to $22.19 (THE DAILY).

The N.Y. POST reports that Bud Paxon's PAX TV Network, "spurned by NBC in a rocky buyout deal," is said to "be eyed by MGM and ABC for an alternative merger package" (N.Y. POST, 1/4).

FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Familiar Phrases."

"This 2-word term entered the English language after a pilot reported seeing nine of them near Mt. Ranier in June 1947."

TODAY'S EVENTS

The Flames will honor their best players for the months of November and December at the Molson Cup Luncheon at the Westin Hotel in Calgary at 12:00pm MT. RW Jarome Iginla and GT Roman Turek will receive awards for their achievements (THE DAILY).

THURSDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR

FSN's 10:30pm ET "National Sports Report" led with a Mavericks-Knicks.

ESPN's 11:30pm ET "SportsCenter" led with the Rose Bowl.

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What are flying saucers?"

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