| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, February 22, 2002
9:00am ET | |
| • | Comprehensive Olympic Coverage: Today's Headlines, Schedules, Forecasts |
| • | Sarah Hughes Pulls Stunning Upset To Grab Figure Skating Gold |
| • | KISS Off? UT Mad At Closing Act, While SLOC Concerned With Weekend Traffic |
| • | MLB Owners Come Out Ahead In Player Arbitration Hearings |
| • | Daytona 500 Trophy Delivered To Dodge For First Time In 28 Years |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor |
THE SALT LAKE CITY WINTER GAMES, DAY 15: TODAY'S HEADLINES
Salt Lake Tribune:
Deseret News:
Salt Lake TV
KSL Radio
National News:
QUOTE FROM THE GAMES…
“The plan has come to fruition in the finest way possible. The United States is poised to become a consistent power in the Winter Olympics, and Salt Lake is poised to become a mecca for winter sports. I couldn't be more proud.”
– USOC President Sandy Baldwin on the success of the Salt Lake Games
(SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/22).
TODAY'S UT WEATHER
The forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies today, with a high of 54°F.
TODAY'S SCHEDULE
NBC's TV COVERAGE
TODAY'S VISITOR INFORMATION
SALT LAKE CITY MEDIA GUIDE (requires Adobe Acrobat)
Click on the buttons below for additional Olympic links:
ROMNEY LAUDS HIS GROUP FOR NOT BEING STORY DURING GAMES
SLOC President & CEO Mitt Romney was a guest on NBC's "Today" show and was asked by Matt Lauer, "Is there anything over these past two weeks that you would have done differently?" Romney: "Actually, it has worked so well. … I can't think of any major thing that has occurred over these last days that I wasn't happy with. The decorations were beautiful, the computers worked flawlessly, the transportation was great. We were out of the story. The organizers have not been the story It's all been about athletes. That's the way it should be" ("Today," NBC, 2/22).
HUGHES UPSETS KWAN, SLUTSKAYA ON PATH TO GOLD
The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that Sarah Hughes "triple jumped her way to the top of the medals podium in a historic upset in women's figure skating at the Winter Games, capturing the gold and relegating teammate Michelle Kwan to bronze" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/22).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that, "displaying the nerves usually reserved for matadors, Hughes flirted with danger to become the latest teenager to upend Michelle Kwan's Olympic moment" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/22).
Meanwhile, the BOSTON GLOBE calls Hughes' victory "the greatest upset in figure skating history" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/22).
CITING UNFAIR TREATMENT, RUSSIA THREATENS TO LEAVE GAMES
The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that the Russian Federation "threatened Thursday to pull out of the Olympics, claiming unfair treatment by officials in skiing, hockey and figure skating competitions." Russian Olympic Committee President Leonid Tyagachev said that his team "could skip today's men's semifinal hockey game against the United States, leave the Olympic Village and not participate in Sunday's Closing Ceremony, and even could boycott the 2004 Summer Games in Athens" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/22).
Regarding the U.S.-Russia semifinal hockey game, Russia coach Slave Fetisov said, "We will play and prepare for the game as if nothing happened." IHF President Rene Fasel: "The game is on" (DESERET NEWS, 2/22).
Meanwhile, the DESERET NEWS reports that "moments after the Russian Olympic Committee threatened to withdraw from the 2002 Winter Games, claiming officiating bias, Korean Olympic officials took their turn." South Korea filed protests in regards to Apolo Anton Ohno's controversial win in speed skating (DESERET NEWS, 2/22).
INSIDE AND OUT, WOMEN'S HOCKEY FINAL WAS EXCITING
While the Canadian Women's Hockey team won the Gold Medal last night with a 3-2 win over the favored U.S., the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports, "If you watched Thursday night's game, you saw a game with drama and tension and all types of story lines. Inside and outside, the E Center was crackling with emotion. Outside, scalpers were asking for as much as $600 (U.S.) for a single ticket and getting it. Inside, there were signs and banners and flags everywhere, including one for each country on the two Zambonis, which were driven by women, a nice touch for the evening's event" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/22).
OLYMPIC NOTES: NBC'S ADS, WEEKEND TRAFFIC & A KISS OFF
Last night's NBC 8:00-11:30pm ET primetime Olympic broadcast aired three promos for NBCOlympics.com; three for "Friends;" one for "Will & Grace;" three for "Leap of Faith;" one for NBC Sports; one for "Ed;" one for "Crossing Jordan;" one for "Tonight Show;" one for "Frasier;" two for "Dateline;" two for "Watching Ellie" and one for "Scrubs" (THE DAILY).
The DESERET NEWS reports that Olympic transportation planners are "holding their breath as Utah gears up for the final big weekend of the 2002 Winter Games." SLOC Dir of Transportation Andrew Gemperline: "We expect Saturday to be huge. That concerns us hugely" (DESERET NEWS, 2/22).
Meanwhile, Salt Lake resident Karen Lougy on KISS playing during the Closing Ceremonies on Sunday: "I think a group that has been known as being satanic doesn't represent the values of Utah. They [the SLOC] really weren't looking to represent most of the people of this state when they got them to play, that's for sure" (DESERET NEWS, 2/22).
NBC spokesperson Allison Gollust, on the popularity of the "Today" show during the Games: "We're always amazed when people in New York City get up so early [to stand outside the show], but we're even more amazed here -- they're getting up two hours earlier. … We thought, 'It's 5 in the morning. It's cold. Who can come?'" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 2/22).
OLYMPIC AD MONITOR
OPUS sponsor Kleenex continues its Olympic ad campaign with a full-page ad in USA Today featuring Canadian Gold Medal figure skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier under the headline, "Congratulations To Sale and Pelletier On Their Spectacular Success" (THE DAILY).
Official Olympic outfitter Roots takes out a 3/4-page ad in USA Today advertising some of its official Olympic gear (THE DAILY).
MLB OWNERS COME OUT AHEAD, AGAIN, IN ARBITRATION CASES
USA TODAY reports that of the 93 MLB players "who filed to have their 2002 salaries determined by either a single arbitrator or a three-person panel, only five went to hearings." Owners won four, "matching the fewest in the 27 years the process has been in use." Management holds a 254-192 lead over players since '74 (USA TODAY, 2/22).
WARD BURTON DELIVERS DAYTONA 500 TROPHY TO DODGE HQS
The DETROIT NEWS reports Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton, the first winner to drive a Dodge at Daytona since '74, "delivered the winner's trophy to the company's U.S. headquarters Thursday." Burton, joined by crew chief Tommy Baldwin and car Owner Bill Davis, "handed over the trophy to Chrysler Group chief operating officer Wolfgang Bernhard." Burton won the race in a Dodge Intrepid, becoming the first Dodge driver to win at Daytona since Richard Petty (DETROIT NEWS, 2/22).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports the city of Phoenix and the NFL Cardinals "returned to the negotiating table Thursday in a surprise bid to revive a downtown football stadium only a day after the Phoenix City Council voted not to put the proposal before city voters" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/22).
Despite the "severe downturn in tourism, Arizona's Cactus League baseball season could set new records for attendance this year, cracking the 1 million mark for the first time" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/22).
The AHL announced that it has surpassed its own record for regular-season attendance for the 14th consecutive season. On Wednesday night, 57,062 fans attended league games, bringing the yearly total attendance to 4,423,640 through 785 games. The new figure breaks last year's record number of 4,378,109, which was established in an 800-game season (THE DAILY).
REUTERS reported that Racing Champions Corp. shares "fell more than 11 percent on Thursday after some major investors and executives of the toy maker announced plans to cut their stakes in the company" (REUTERS, 2/21). Shares closed yesterday at $14.40, down $2.18 on the NYSE (THE DAILY).
TODAY'S EVENTS
The Mighty Ducks will host 16,000 local elementary school students in the 2nd annual First Flight Field Trip, an interactive educational experience that combines hockey and learning, at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. Pre-event festivities for First Flight will begin at 10:00am PT, with the on-ice drill scheduled for 10:30am PT (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
USA TODAY reports Kmart "will launch a most unlikely, $40 million ad campaign," directed by Spike Lee, "during Sunday's Olympic closing ceremonies on NBC" (USA TODAY, 2/22).
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports MGM is "getting a big thumbs-down from potential buyers," as the "studio's sky-high $7 billion asking price has turned off suitors like media giants Disney and Viacom" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/22).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Famous Names."
"The son of an art teacher, he became Vice President of the Swiss Psychoanalytic Society in 1919."
LAUGH TRACK
NBC's Jay Leno, on the South Korean speed skater who was disqualified for blocking: "He was so mad [that] he went home, kicked the dog and then ate him." Leno, on Gold Medalist Jim Shea: "He says the key to his success [is] visualization. Like to go downhill quickly, he visualizes himself as a share of Enron stock." Leno: "Bob Costas [is] doing a hell of a job. We love Bob Costas, and he loves the Olympics. This guy knows more about sports than anything, and he's very emotional. Like tonight, when he saw the Americans with all [those medals], it made him feel five feet tall." Talk show host Bill Maher appeared as a guest, and discussed the Winter Olympics: "These things are not sports. ... They're more like dares." Maher, on the biathlon: "Or as they call it in the 'hood, the 'Ski-by'" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 2/21).
CBS' David Letterman: "I've been watching a lot of figure skating, and maybe like the second night, I realize well, geez, I'm really actually enjoying the figure skating and frankly, that makes me nervous." Letterman, on the luge, skeleton and the bobsleigh: "One, you go down on your back, the other one you go down on your stomach, and then I think the third one, you go down sitting up. Now I don't have a punch line for this, but if I did, it would include the name Clinton" ("The Late Show," CBS, 2/21).
Last night's "Top Ten" list was "Top Ten Good Things About Being Stationed In Kandahar." The list was read live by soldiers in Kandahar, Afghanistan. ("Late Show," CBS, 2/21).
| 10. | "When I go for a ride in my armored humvee, everyone is really friendly to me." |
| 9. | "All the fabulous new goat recipes." |
| 8. | "I've gotten the autographs of over a dozen mullahs." |
| 7. | "You don't really have time to dwell on that figure skating controversy." |
| 6. | "All-you-can-eat sand." |
| 5. | "Did you say 'Kandahar?' They told me this was Canada." |
| 4. | "Aren't many better ways of getting out of jury duty." |
| 3. | "There's a great duty-free shop in what's left of the Kandahar airport." |
| 2. | "I haven't seen 'The Late Show' in six months." |
| 1. | "Of all the 'Stan' countries, this is the place to be." |
THURSDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Nets-Wizards.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"Who is Hermann Rorschach?"
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