| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, March 28, 2002
9:00am ET | |
| • | NFL's Flexible Schedule Delayed For At Least One Year |
| • | Hornets To Release Ticket Numbers; Owners Fight To Maintain Buzz |
| • | CART Lawsuit Accuses Ex-President Of Fraud |
| • | Spring Training A Big Hit As Cactus League Sets Attendance Record |
| • | Olympians Hughes, Kwan Show Support For “The Rookie” |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/In Other News/TV Monitor/Laugh Track/Final Jeopardy! |
The Morning Buzz will not publish on Friday, March 29 or Monday, April 1 in observance of Easter. The Buzz will be back on Tuesday, April 2. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.
NFL DROPS PLAN FOR END OF SEASON FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
The WASHINGTON POST reports that "there will be no provisions for any of the networks to upgrade their national schedules" when the NFL releases its regular season schedule today. The league had been contemplating switching games during the final weeks of the season to optimize coverage of games with playoff implications but the schedule "will carry the finalized lineup of 'Monday Night Football' games" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/28).
Meanwhile, the BOSTON GLOBE reports the Patriots "could have as many as three Monday night games, and perhaps a Sunday nighter" in '02 (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/28). However, the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports the Vikings "streak of appearing on ABC's 'Monday Night Football' will end at 15 years," as the club's three national appearances do not include a Monday night game (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/28).
HORNETS TICKET UPDATE EXPECTED AS DEADLINE LOOMS
The New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE reports that the Hornets "are expected today to release their first ticket update since last week, when team officials said they had 1,168 club seats left to be sold" in order to meet a league-imposed goal. Hornets co-Owner George Shinn, on working the phones this week: "I'm not kidding anybody, it burns you out. And nobody has to rock me to sleep when I get to my room at night" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 3/28).
CART ACCUSES FORMER PRESIDENT HEITZLER OF FRAUD
The DETROIT NEWS reported that CART "has accused its former president, Joseph F. Heitzler, of fraud by committing the open-wheel racing league to a series of pricey contracts without approval from its board of directors." The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, "claims the contracts and other unauthorized expenses total more than $500,000" (DETROIT NEWS, 3/27).
BUCS FILE PLANS FOR NEW PRACTICE FACILITY IN TAMPA
The TAMPA TRIBUNE reports that the Bucs filed a rezoning application late yesterday "to build a state-of-the-art practice facility on 70 rural acres in eastern Hillsborough County." The facility, on a 70-acre parcel of land, will feature "a 180,000-square-foot main building, adjacent to three practice fields" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 3/28).
HOPE AND FAITH ALIVE AND WELL IN CACTUS LEAGUE ACTION
The SEATTLE TIMES reports that Peoria Stadium, spring training home for the Mariners and Padres, "set a season record for spring-training attendance" with yesterday's crowd of 9,313 for the Mariners-Padres game. The two teams "have drawn a combined 219,361 fans this year with one game left to play." Another record was set yesterday, as the "combined attendance among all 10 Cactus League teams surpassed the 1 million mark" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/28). For more on the Mariners, see Today's Events.
NASCAR A HIT WITH THIS AFGHANI WARLOAD
USA TODAY cites a commentary by Financial Times reporter Charles Clover, who writes of the time he spent in Afghanistan in the compound of General Abdul Mateen Hassankheil, a military commander of Gardez, who says that "in between reminiscing about his days as a radical Islamic jihadi fighting the Soviets, General Hassankheil said Nascar was his favourite viewing after [a] Chinese soap opera" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 3/28).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Walt Disney Pictures last night held the premiere for "The Rookie" at the Astor Plaza in N.Y. Several Olympic athletes attended the film's debut, including skaters Sarah Hughes and Michelle Kwan, skeleton racer Jim Shea and his father, skier Jim Shea, Sr., along with members of the luge, bobsled and hockey teams (THE DAILY).
Chevrolet congratulates Kwan on winning her record seventh medal in the World Figure Skating Championships with a full-page color ad in USA Today (THE DAILY).
USA TODAY reports that NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was "overseas on NFL Europe business [and] spoke to about 200 troops Wednesday at Rheinmain Air Force Base in Germany just before they were shipped to Afghanistan" (USA TODAY, 3/28).
The FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM reports that "a one-year deal that would allow the Cowboys to use the climate-controlled Alamodome for training camp in San Antonio has reached the 'formality stage,'" and a deal "could be announced today" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 3/28).
The OH Supreme Court ordered the Ravens "to pay a $50,000 fine on behalf of five players who said the team failed to pay them workers' comp benefits when [the team] was still in Cleveland" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 3/28).
Wizards coach Doug Collins appeared on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" yesterday and discussed the possibility of Michael Jordan continuing his comeback next season. Collins: "I'd be surprised if he did play." The WASHINGTON TIMES reports Wizards GM Wes Unseld "was caught off guard by Collins' statement." Unseld: "I don't know where Doug is getting that information" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/28).
The ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER reports that a Huntington Beach man "struck by a puck while in the stands at Staples Center during a Kings game Sept. 18, filed a $25,000 lawsuit Monday that names the team, the arena and the NHL as defendants" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 3/28).
A "new stamp in honour of the Norwegian Soccer Federation's 100th anniversary forced the postal service to launch an international manhunt yesterday." The 1.3 million stamps have a picture of a soccer referee in action, but "it's the wrong referee and the Norwegian postal service has no idea whose likeness it is" (WINNIPEG SUN, 3/28).
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…..
The Morning Buzz highlights a video clip, chart or piece of information that might have fallen through the cracks. This week, we offer ESPN's Dan Patrick kicking up his heels for a Brad Paisley country music video (THE DAILY).
TODAY'S EVENTS
San Bernardino, CA, "will be transformed into a major league city today" with the arrival of the Mariners to play an exhibition game at Arrowhead Credit Union Park at 2:00pm PT. It will be the "first time in almost 40 years that a major league team has played in San Bernardino." In addition, Kevin Costner "is expected to play shortstop" for the Mariners' Class A opponent and affiliate, the Stampede (RIVERSIDE PRESS-ENTERPRISE, 3/28).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The Ad Age Group – part of Crain Communications – announced "the purchase of AdCritic.com, the Internet's leading provider of access to TV commercials online. Terms were not disclosed" (ADAGE.com, 3/27).
Milton Berle died in his sleep at his L.A. home on Wednesday at the age of 93 (REUTERS, 3/28).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "In The Bookstore."
"Editor Otto Penzler dubbed his 2001 lineup of baseball mysteries this after a nickname given a 1927 line-up."
LAUGH TRACK
NBC's Jay Leno, on Playboy possibly doing a "Women of Enron" pictorial issue: "Apparently, the only thing these women have left to shred is their dignity." Leno, on Britney Spears being single: "She's looking for a new guy who likes to sing, likes to dance and enjoys being extremely sexually frustrated."
Actor Dennis Quaid, who plays P Jim Morris in "The Rookie," appeared on "The Tonight Show" as a guest and said, "I wanted to get my mechanics right because I didn't want to look like I threw like an actor" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 3/27).
Last night's "Top Ten" list was "Top Ten Signs Your Baseball Team Isn't Ready For The Regular Season" ("Late Show," CBS, 3/27). View a clip of last night's "Top Ten" list.
| 10. | "Your lead-off hitter is 8 months pregnant." |
| 9. | "Every time pitcher throws ball, catcher screams, 'Ow!'" |
| 8. | "Outfielders distracted by big fluffy clouds that sometimes look like bunnies." |
| 7. | "Best hitter refuses to work weekends." |
| 6. | "Only time players demonstrate hustle is when they're being chased by undercover vice cops." |
| 5. | "Spirited locker room debates about how many strikes to an out." |
| 4. | "Starters ask to be excused from fielding drills to watch 'The View.'" |
| 3. | "Most promising rookie recently swallowed a rosin bag." |
| 2. | "Team name contains words 'Devil' and 'Rays.'" |
| 1. | "Nobody can keep his mind on the game with that sexy Derek Jeter running around." |
WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Spurs-Trail Blazers.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What was Murderer's Row?"
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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