| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, January 8, 2002
9:00am ET | |
| • | 11th Hour Pledge By Banking Community Could Keep Hornets In Charlotte |
| • | Ozzie Smith Leads Hall Of Fame Candidates, Results To Be Announced Today |
| • | Schottenheimer Reportedly Out In DC; Is Spurrier In? |
| • | Salt Lake Forecast Calls For Olympic Snow, But SLOC Takes No Chances |
| • | Gary Bettman Lauds Capitals, Admits No Progress On CBA Achieved |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/In Other News/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
BEE KEEPERS? CHARLOTTE BANKERS PLEDGE $100M FOR ARENA
In a front page story, the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER reports that three of the city's "most powerful business leaders pledged $100 million Monday to jumpstart efforts to build a new arena and keep the Hornets in Charlotte." The CEOs of Bank of America and Wachovia told the City Council that they and Duke Energy "will help make a new arena a reality" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/8).
Meanwhile, the Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PILOT reports that the Norfolk City Council "will hold a public hearing today on a plan to give tax breaks and other incentives to businesses that locate near a downtown arena the city wants to build" for the Hornets (Norfolk VIRGINIAN-PILOT, 1/8).
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED TODAY
USA TODAY reports that 15-time All Star SS Ozzie Smith "tops the 28-player Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot that includes 11 newcomers" for the Baseball Hall of Fame, which announces the results of its annual selection process at 2:00pm ET today. A candidate needs to be chosen on 75% of the votes cast to be elected. While the results are announced today, induction ceremonies will take place July 28 in Cooperstown, NY (USA TODAY, 1/8).
REDSKINS, SCHOTTENHEIMER DISCUSS BUYOUT OF CONTRACT
CBS SportsLine reports Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer "could be fired as early as Tuesday, as he and the team are close to a buyout of his contract that will pay him roughly $5 million." Schottenheimer has three years remaining on his deal, which calls for him to be paid $7.5M (CBS SportsLine, 1/8).
Meanwhile, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported last night, "I've had one source in the last hour tell me that I'm going to feel like an idiot in the morning if I don't say that Steve Spurrier is going to be the Redskins coach on Tuesday. Now I'm not reporting that, but I can tell you this guy is pretty credible" ("Monday Night Countdown," ESPN, 1/7).
THERE'S SNOW IN THE FORECAST, BUT SLOC ISN'T TAKING CHANCES
With a month remaining before the Opening Ceremony of the '02 Winter Olympics, the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that the "forecast for the 17 days of the Games is looking good: some snow for the first half, anyway" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 1/8).
Meanwhile, USA TODAY reports that "planners say the snow at skiing venues is deep enough that the Feb. 8-24 Games could proceed without further natural snowfall," but the SLOC is "stockpiling machine-made snow in case of a rare February thaw" (USA TODAY, 1/8).
BETTMAN, IN D.C. ON TOUR, ADMITS NO PROGRESS MADE ON CBA
The WASHINGTON POST reports that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "attended last night's [Panthers-Capitals] game as part of his annual tour of every NHL arena." Despite the Capitals' poor start, Bettman said that he "believes they are growing into a model franchise," saying, "All the vital signs are positive." Bettman also said that he "continues to speak regularly with Bob Goodenow, president of the NHL Players Association, but the sides have made no real progress regarding a collective bargaining agreement," which expires after the '03-04 season. Bettman: "They know we're ready to [negotiate] whenever they want. It's up to them" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/8).
INDY WINNERS CONDUCT RELAY RACE WITH OLYMPIC TORCH
The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that starting at 7:00am CT today, Sam Hornish Jr., the '01 IRL champion, and Helio Castroneves, the '01 Indy 500 winner, are scheduled to take the Olympic Torch around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track in their vehicles. IMS President Tony George is scheduled to carry the flame "from the start/finish line to turn one, where he'll hand it off" to '98 Indy 500 winner Eddie Cheever. Cheever is to carry the flame to the track's 16th Street exit, where he will give it to Indy 500 veteran John Andretti (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 1/8).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports Rev. Jesse Jackson has asked Walt Disney Chair & CEO Michael Eisner "to investigate a report of racist comments in reference to the firing of [Vikings coach Dennis] Green that were allegedly made Friday on ESPN Radio during the nationally syndicated 'Tony Kornheiser Show'" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/8).
The NFL announced this morning that Mary J. Blige and Marc Anthony will do a duet of "America The Beautiful" as part of the pre-game show prior to Super Bowl XXXVI at the Superdome on February 3 (THE DAILY).
The Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL reports Republic Bank & Trust Co. "is expected to announce today that it is the new sponsor of the annual Pegasus Parade." The parade, part of the Kentucky Derby Festival, was without a primary sponsor "after Bank One said it would not extend its three-year commitment," which ended last year (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 1/8).
Desert Stormer, "winner of the 1995 Breeders' Cup Sprint, sold for $3.6 million yesterday, topping the first day of Keeneland's January Horses of All Ages Sale." The sale was the second-highest for the January sale, trailing the $5M that "a pregnant broodmare named Mackie" fetched two years ago (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 1/8).
Last night's edition of ABC's "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" featured former U.S. Olympians in the "hot seat" and was filmed from Orlando as part of Walt Disney's "100 Years of Magic." Marion Jones, playing for the Pan-American Foundation, won $32,000, missing the $125,000 question. Dan Jansen, playing for the Dan Jansen Foundation, won $32,000, despite missing the $32,000 question. Mia Hamm, playing for the Mia Hamm Foundation, was still playing when the show ended (ABC, 1/7).
TODAY'S EVENTS
The unveiling of four new postage stamps commemorating winter sports and the '02 Winter Olympics will be held today at 10:30am MT inside the Legacy Lodge at the Park City Mountain Resort. The ceremony is free and open to the public (DESERET NEWS, 1/6).
The Oilers will conduct their annual Hospital Visit Day from 1:30-2:30pm MT. The players will visit eight health care facilities throughout the city (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
Viacom Chair & CEO Sumner Redstone, speaking to investors at Salomon Smith Barney's annual Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference: "Somewhere between the demise of the dot-coms and downfall of the twin towers, analysts and investors decided to play taps for the media industry. When the recession ends, it will be Viacom that has led the media industry out of the recession" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 1/8).
USA TODAY reports that AOL Time Warner "will take a massive write-off of $40 billion to $60 billion" in Q1 '02 to "reflect the declining value of its assets over the last two years and new accounting rules." Execs disclosed the charge Monday as they "projected flat ad sales in 2002, limiting revenue growth to 8% or less with cash flow up 12% or less" (USA TODAY, 1/8).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that XM Satellite Radio Inc. said on Monday that it "has more than 30,000 subscribers, 2,000 of whom signed up in the past seven days," which is an "early sign that satellite radio may catch on" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/8).
CNN execs today said they're "outraged" that their network "ran a promo that touted morning newscaster Paula Zahn as 'just a little sexy' to what sounds like a zipper being unzipped." CNN Chair & CEO Walter Isaacson called the ad "a major blunder" and insisted that the promo, which ran over the weekend, was "never seen or approved by anyone outside our promotions department" before it was telecast. One CNN source estimates that the ad was run "about 10 times before it was yanked" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/8).
Actress Whoopi Goldberg will host the Academy Awards for the fourth time at the ceremony's "new home at Hollywood & Highland's Kodak Theatre" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 1/8).
Rentals of home videos and DVDs "reached a record $8.42 billion in 2001, once again exceeding the total number of dollars people spent on movie tickets." According to Video Business, the most popular VHS rental titles of the year were "Meet the Parents," "What Women Want," "Cast Away," "Miss Congeniality" and "What Lies Beneath" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 1/8).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Organizations."
"In 2001, a fight over these initials pitted the Panda against The Rock."
MONDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
FSN's 10:30pm ET "National Sports Report" led with the Panthers firing coach George Seifert.
ESPN's 1:00am ET "SportsCenter" led with Vikings-Ravens.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What is WWF?"
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