| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, March 22, 2002
9:00am ET | |
| • | Donald Fehr To Discuss Labor Issues With Phillies In Clearwater |
| • | Vote On WTA Tour Championship Move From Munich Expected Today |
| • | Hornets To Target NBA's Ticket, Corporate Sponsorship Goals |
| • | Memphis Arena Authority To Back Two Construction Companies |
| • | DirecTV Latin America Inks World Cup Deal |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor |
FEHR TO VISIT PHILLIES CAMP TO UPDATE PLAYERS ON TALKS
The PHIILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr "will update Phillies players on ongoing negotiations with management when he makes his annual visit to Clearwater this morning." Yesterday, Fehr delivered a similar talk to players from the Pirates. Fehr refuses to divulge what he discusses with the players, but said, "The tone of the meetings was very serious" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/22).
GOIN' TO CALIFORNIA? WTA VOTE ON TOURNEY MOVE EXPECTED
The WTA Tour board will vote today on "whether to move its year-end championship from Munich to Los Angeles." The proposal to move the event "requires majority approval" and the vote is "expected to be close." Sports management company Octagon "is the rights holder to the event," and "has proposed the move to Los Angeles" (AP, 3/21).
However, the L.A. TIMES reports that L.A.-based IMG opposes the move, based on IMG President & COO Bob Kain's "belief there already are too many women's events in Southern California," including an IMG-promoted event in Manhattan Beach, CA. In response to IMG's concerns, AEG President Tim Leiweke "agreed to protect any downside risk on tickets [for related events] by providing a guarantee." Leiweke: "It's unfounded that the WTA Championships could have a negative impact on an event that just received an offer with a minimum guarantee that is equal to, or better than, any moneys they have made over the past three years on an average" (L.A. TIMES, 3/22).
NBA: NEW ORLEANS NEEDS MORE TICKETS, CORPORATE SPONSORS
The New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE reports that NBA Commissioner David Stern "is expected to give specific guidelines today" regarding New Orleans' need to "sell more club seats … and to increase corporate involvement," two moves that would demonstrate sustained support for an NBA franchise. The team's new advertising and marketing campaign "is expected to begin by the weekend" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 3/22).
MEMPHIS TO BACK TWO ARENA CONSTRUCTION FIRMS TODAY
The Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL reports that a review panel "is planning to recommend its top two choices to the New Memphis Arena Public Building Authority's construction committee during a meeting this morning." Two construction teams "emerged Thursday night as the top contenders to build a new downtown arena" for the Grizzlies, and the team now handling preliminary work for the project "isn't one of them" (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 3/22).
INTERNATIONAL SOCCER TV DEALS
DAILY VARIETY reports that after "weeks of tough negotiations, Televisa has finalized a deal with DirecTV Latin America to sublicense 18 World Cup soccer matches this summer" (DAILY VARIETY, 3/22).
Meanwhile, the U.K. Football League "has rejected calls to renegotiate its contract with ITV Digital" (DAILY VARIETY, 3/22).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The AP reported that Univ. of AR President Alan Sugg "upheld the dismissal of basketball coach Nolan Richardson, saying Thursday that he concurred in a campus chancellor's decision to fire the basketball coach." Sugg said that "he reviewed 80 pages of material submitted by Richardson" as part of his investigation before making the decision (AP, 3/21).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that Laurel Park "was forced to cancel Saturday's $50,000 Gala Lil Stakes after only three horses were entered." The race was to be the "featured live event" on a day which Laurel planned to open early to simulcast four races from the Dubai World Cup (WASHINGTON POST, 3/22).
The Baltimore SUN reports former Orioles manager Johnny Oates, suffering from a stage four brain tumor, "has accepted an invitation from majority owner Peter Angelos to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the April 1 game against the New York Yankees." The Orioles received confirmation from the White House that President Bush would not attend the game, clearing the way for Oates to kick off the team's 10th season in Camden Yards (Baltimore SUN, 3/22).
Champs Sports will open a store at Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street in N.Y., in the
Times Square home of Ernst & Young (N.Y. POST, 3/22).
The AP reported that Penn State Golf Course Golf Pro Christopher Cain "will try to break a Guinness World record next month by playing 500 holes in 12 hours" (AP, 3/20).
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…..
Every Friday, the Morning Buzz will highlight a video clip, chart or piece of information that might have fallen through the cracks. This week, we offer NFL mascots – in N.Y. for their annual convention – cutting a rug on the set of MTV's "TRL" (THE DAILY).
TODAY'S EVENTS
Skater Scott Hamilton will present a $225,000 donation on behalf of Target Stars on Ice to Target House, which provides free housing for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital patients and their families (MEMPHIS BUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/21).
Mystics G Markita Aldridge will talk to girls at Forestville High School, MD, to celebrate Women's History Month. The event runs from 10:00-11:00am ET (THE DAILY).
The LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL reports that Fantasy Sports Magazine "will stage the first National Fantasy Baseball Conference beginning today at the Boardwalk Casino." The opening session is at 5:00pm PT, with a second one scheduled for Saturday at 9:00am PT. Former MLB P Vida Blue will participate in today's session and draft a mock team (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 3/22).
NBA Kings Owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are hosting a volunteer workday and Reading TimeOut at the La Familia Counseling Center in Sacramento in celebration of Cesar Chavez Day of service and learning. The event begins at noon PT (THE DAILY).
The Astros are hosting Select-A-Seat Days from 10:00am-6:00pm CT today and 10:00am-3:00pm CT on Saturday (THE DAILY).
U.S. Soccer President Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia will deliver a speech entitled "Medical Issues in Soccer: The U.S. Soccer Perspective" at the first Int'l Football and Sports Medicine Conference in Beverly Hills at 2:00pm PT. The conference runs through Sunday (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that PepsiCo Chair and CEO Steven Reinemund "received a salary of $984,615 and $3.5 million bonus" in '01. His total compensation was $5.5M (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/22).
PBS and MD Public Television have decided to "gut" the show "Wall Street Week With Louis Rukeyser," and instead "produce 'Wall Street Week With Fortune' – as in Fortune magazine, the AOL Time Warner publication that … was 'looking for a show'" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/22).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that the film unit of Michael Ovitz's Hollywood management company "is facing a potential financial crisis amid growing concerns from a major investor, the Canal Plus Group of France." At issue is "at least $1 million to $2 million allocated for films that may have been used for other expenses" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/22).
Meanwhile, the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that American Express has committed to a "multi-year, multi-million dollar sponsorship" of the Tribeca Film Festival in N.Y., which is set to run May 8-12 "near the sight of the fallen Twin Towers" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/22).
CBS' David Letterman "made the drama of whether he would stay into a ratings winner last week," as CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" enjoyed a 20% bump in viewers and a 6% gain in adults 18-49 from the same week a year ago, according to Nielsen Media Research (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/22).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Asian Cities."
"The name of this Afghan city is a local variation of the name of the man who conquered the region in 329 B.C."
LAUGH TRACK
ESPN's Tony Kornheiser, on the PGA Tour asking the players to control their emotions on the course: "They don't want people to throw a bunch of f-bombs out there at the tee." ESPN's Michael Wilbon: "Well, take the boom mics out! There doesn't have to be a microphone under (Tiger Woods') nose every time he swings!" Kornheiser said "it's sort of cute in its own way when Tiger Woods explodes, but you don't want him doing it every five seconds" ("PTI," ESPN, 3/21). FSN's Jim Rome: "Nobody can drop an f-bomb like Tiger Woods. Loosen up, fellas. It's golf, not a funeral" ("The Last Word," FSN, 3/21).
THURSDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Duke-Indiana NCAA men's basketball.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What is Kandahar?"
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