Morning Buzz, January 28, 2002

SIX DAYS 'TIL SUPER BOWL: RAMS TO MEET PATRIOTS IN BIG EASY

The BOSTON GLOBE reports that the Patriots yesterday "earned their third trip to the Super Bowl with a 24-17 victory over the cocky Pittsburgh Steelers in front of 64,450 stunned fans." The Patriots will face the "heavily favored" Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI Sunday night at the Superdome in New Orleans (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/28).

Meanwhile, the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH reports that the Rams reached the Super Bowl for the second time in three years through "a harmonious mix of those who've never reached the pinnacle before and those who knew precisely what it was like. … And, mostly, they did it with grit - a commodity that has sustained the team all season," even as critics have insisted on referring to them with words such as "finesse" and "softness" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 1/28).

The New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE reports, "If hotels aren't sold out already, most are sure that they will be by the time the four-day room blocks begin Thursday for Sunday's game." Greater New Orleans Hotel-Motel Association President Mark Sanders: "There's been a little softening in the outlying areas, but in terms of downtown, we're going to have a very successful event" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/28).

However, many New Orleans party planners say that companies "are still waffling on whether they will hold private parties during what is traditionally one of the year's biggest corporate schmooze-fests." Crescent City Consultants President Pat Denechaud said, "We still are waiting on several groups who still have not let us know whether they are going to be entertaining. It's a cliffhanger" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/28).

TWIN CITIES TASK FORCE PROPOSES (WHAT ELSE?) TWIN STADIUMS

The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS reported that MN's stadium task force "voted last week to propose two new stadiums in the Twin Cities area," and has made a draft of all of its recommendations available to the public. View the draft online. The draft will be subject to a final vote at the task force's meeting tonight. The major recommendation is the construction of a stadium for the Twins, and another to be shared by the Vikings and the Univ. of MN football team (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 1/26).

DESPITE WOODS' ABSENCE PHOENIX OPEN DRAWS RECORD CROWDS

The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports "more than 529,000 people showed up" at this year's PGA Tour Phoenix Open, up from 429,000 last year. This year's mark topped the previous best of 467,600 the tourney drew back in '98. The event set attendance records on Saturday, with 164,900, and Sunday, which drew 119,600. Additionally, the tournament, "long known for its party atmosphere, had no major security problems" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/28).

SCHOTTENHEIMER SET TO TAKE OVER CHARGERS

The SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE reports that Marty Schottenheimer "flew to San Diego yesterday and is expected to be introduced as the Chargers' new head coach today or tomorrow." Schottenheimer's agent, Tom Condon, "reached an agreement in principle with the Chargers on a four-year deal [valued] between $4.5 million and $5 million over the first three years." Currently, the Redskins owe Schottenheimer $7.5M over the next three years after firing him earlier this month. However, the Redskins "can deduct from that total any salary he earns from another team the next three seasons" (SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE, 1/28).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

ABC Radio Sports' Keith Olbermann reports Bill Parcells "is reconsidering his reconsideration, and the Glazer family is considering offering him the [Bucs head coaching position] again" ("ABC Radio Sports," 1/28).

The NBA announce its All Star rosters this weekend, and Raptors F Vince Carter received the most votes for the third consecutive season, joining Michael Jordan (nine times) and Julius Erving (four times) as the only players to lead the league in voting on three or more occasions. View the final returns of the All-Star voting here (THE DAILY).

Yankees P Mariano Rivera "accepted baseball's Fireman of the Year award from the former New York City fire commissioner, Thomas Von Essen, then promptly handed it back" during last night's N.Y. Chapter of the Baseballs' Writers' Association of America awards dinner. Rivera: "I want to present this trophy to the true saviors, the true closers. I think the rescue department of New York City deserves this honor." The award is modeled after a fireman's helmet (N.Y. TIMES, 1/28).

Anna Kournikova, on being one of ESPN's "The World's Sexiest Athletes": "As long as people like what they're seeing, they're going to keep coming back, so I think that's good" (ESPN, 1/27).

The BUFFALO NEWS reported that negotiators for New Era Cap Co. and its union will meet this week, "the first face-to-face talks since the Communications Workers of America struck the company's plant in Derby six months ago" (BUFFALO NEWS, 1/26).

The wives of the Bruins presented a check for $140,000 to the United Way of MA Bay Unity Fund before Saturday night's Panthers-Bruins game. The money was the total raised from the 13^th annual Wives Charity Carnival and the money raised from the Boston Harley-Davidson Buell raffle held at games this season (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 1/27).

The DENVER POST reported that "old Mile High Stadium gave Denver fans one last show Saturday afternoon when a section of plastic seats in the partially demolished structure caught fire, sending up a black plume of smoke that was visible for miles." The fire is not expected to delay demolition efforts (DENVER POST, 1/27).

The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS reports the nationally-ranked Univ. of MN women's basketball team set an attendance record with 11,389 fans for its game versus the IN Univ. (UI) on Sunday. The previous record was 6,746. The team normally plays its games in the 5,526-seat Sports Pavilion, but played both games against UI at the 14,625-seat Williams Arena (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 1/28).

With 11 days remaining until the Winter Games, the Olympic torch is now in ID. Last night, NBC aired a promo featuring Lauren Koss, an air evacuation nurse in Yellowstone National Park, carrying the torch through Idaho Falls, ID. See last night's TV spot, as the Coca-Cola/Chevrolet Torch Relay makes its way to UT (THE DAILY).

The Colorado Springs GAZETTE reports "Pavle Jovanovic, a bobsled pusher on medal-favorite Todd Hays' four-man team, was disqualified from the U.S. Olympic team after testing positive for an anabolic substance" (Colorado Springs GAZETTE, 1/28).

N.Y.'s WNBC will head to Salt Lake and broadcast its 11:00pm ET newscast from the roof of NBC's Salt Lake affiliate for the duration of the Winter Olympics (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/28).

Bobsledder Jen Davidson withdrew her complaint against the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation after the two-day arbitration hearing, and on Friday night Arbitrator James Kenny dismissed the case (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/26).

TODAY'S EVENTS

NHL Panthers G Roberto Luongo will teach a "World of Hockey" class at Pioneer Middle School in Sunrise, FL, at 2:30pm ET. He will help students write and publish a classroom book on Panthers players, managers and owners (THE DAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS….

This week's TIME profiles the Enron controversy under the headline, "How Sticky Will It Get?" The cover of NEWSWEEK reports on Bill and Melinda Gates' $24B in contributions to poverty-stricken countries.

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that Crown Business, an imprint of Random House, confirmed it will publish Neil Chenoweth's "Rupert Murdoch: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Media Wizard" — the first "exhaustive biography of the Fox News and New York Post owner" since William Shawcross' "Murdoch" in '93 (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/28).

DAILY VARIETY reported that Anschutz Entertainment "met with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' board of governors and executive committee Saturday to pitch the [organization] on moving its awards show to a new, yet-to-be-built theater" (DAILY VARIETY, 1/28).

EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are this week's confirmed earnings announcements for sports-business related companies (THE DAILY).

LAUGH TRACK

NBC's Jay Leno: "President Bush said (on Friday) that he will ask Congress for an extra $50(B) for defense. And that's just to protect us from Mike Tyson." Leno, on NBC airing a special edition of "Fear Factor" with Playboy Playmates during the Super Bowl: "What do you want to bet every one of these Playmates will have a fear that can only be conquered by jumping up and down on a trampoline in wet clothes" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 1/26).

FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION

Friday's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "World Leaders."

"Born into a royal family of the Thembu people and expected to become a chief, he became a president in 1994."

SUNDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR

FSN's 10:30pm ET "National Sports Report" led with Patriots-Steelers.

ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" also led with Patriots-Steelers.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"Who is Nelson Mandela?" (THE DAILY).

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

The Morning Buzz provides an early update of the news and headlines each Monday through Friday at approximately 9:00am ET. If you would like to sign up for an e-mail alert to the Morning Buzz, go to My Account and personalize your e-mail alert options.