| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
9:00am ET | |
| • | Senators Extend Shutout Streak But Cannot Sell Out Arena |
| • | Is Former Sabres President Doug Moss Heading To Ducks' Pond? |
| • | Host With The Most: Snyder To Lobby For DC Super Bowl In '07 |
| • | YES Plugs Scheduling Holes With “Classic” ManU Telecasts |
| • | MLB Labor Talks Resume With Union Responding To Questions |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/In Other News/Laugh Track/Final Jeopardy!/TV Monitor |
DESPITE HOT STREAK, SENS STRUGGLE WITH PLAYOFF ATTENDANCE
After splitting the first two games with the Flyers in their opening-round playoff series, the Senators returned home Monday night and earned a 3-0 win. However, the CP reports the game was played in front of a "less-than-capacity crowd of 18,239" fans (CP, 4/23). The AP reports the crowd "was 261 short of capacity" (AP, 4/23).
Meanwhile, the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that Toronto-based Norfolk Capital Partners "is expected today to clarify the status of the sale" of the Senators to a limited partnership of investors (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 4/23).
MIGHTY DUCKS TO NAME DOUG MOSS TO RUN BUSINESS OPERATIONS
The ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER reports that the Mighty Ducks "are expected to announce as early as today that former Buffalo Sabres President Doug Moss will become the head of their business operations" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 4/23). Moss also was the IHL Commissioner before the league folded in '01 (L.A. TIMES, 4/23).
SNYDER TO BEGIN PITCH FOR '07 SUPER BOWL IN WASHINGTON
The WASHINGTON POST reports that Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder "will launch a formal effort today with area business, academic and political leaders" to try to secure the '07 Super Bowl at FedEx Field. Snyder will name a 28-member committee to support and finance production of the event, and NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is "scheduled to address them or their representatives" at a 12:35pm ET Federal City Council event today in downtown Washington (WASHINGTON POST, 4/23).
IT HAS TIME TO FILL: YES BEGINS BROADCAST OF UNITED GAMES
The N.Y. TIMES reports that the YES network last night began "its broadcast of four hours of programming from MUTV, Manchester United's television network." YES broadcast United's match against Chelsea from last weekend on tape delay, an interview with David Beckham and a "classic" match against Liverpool from the '88 season (N.Y. TIMES, 4/23).
MLBPA RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS AS LABOR TALKS RESUME
The AP reported that MLBPA lawyers "answered questions from the [MLB] owners' lawyers Monday on why they don't want a luxury tax or vastly increased revenue sharing." MLB's labor talks are scheduled to continue today before "recessing until May 2" (AP, 4/22).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Last night's edition of "Wheel of Fortune" was the first of a weeklong series of NASCAR-themed shows. Driver Jeff Gordon's No. 24 car was in the studio, and Vanna White was shown in the pace car at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gordon, in a taped promo for the show, said, "It's NASCAR week on 'Wheel of Fortune.' I feel the need for speed" ("Wheel of Fortune," 4/22).
ATTENDANCE WATCH: Last night's Marlins-Braves game drew 21,461 fans, the smallest ever crowd at Turner Field (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/23). Meanwhile, after failing to sell out Game One of their playoff series against the Pacers, the Nets drew a sellout crowd of 20,049 to Continental Airlines Arena last night for Game Two (N.Y. TIMES, 4/23).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that Univ. of MD men's football coach Ralph Friedgen "is embarking on a dieting program in hopes of raising at least $150,000 toward Maryland's $8 million renovation of its football complex." The 350-pound coach said that "two boosters have pledged $500 for every pound" he loses, and Friedgen also hopes that "another 100 boosters will donate $1,000 apiece if he loses 50 pounds" (WASHINGTON POST, 4/23).
TODAY'S EVENTS
Mets manager Bobby Valentine will ring the opening bell at the NYSE (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 4/22).
The National Sports Marketing Network will host "College Sports in the DC Area: How are the teams making money?" seminar. The event takes place at the ESPN Zone in DC from 8:00-10:15am ET (THE DAILY).
N.Y. Times columnist Murray Chass will discuss MLB in a Web forum on the paper's interactive site at 2:00pm ET (N.Y. TIMES, 4/23).
Olympic Gold Medalist Vonetta Flowers and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton will join members of the '02 Olympic and Paralympic teams in visiting nine Washington, DC, schools as part of the USOC's "Champions in Life" youth role model program (THE DAILY).
Bear Stearns' annual Gaming Lodging & Leisure Investment Forum will be held today and tomorrow at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in N.Y. (THE DAILY).
Players and coaches from the WUSA Freedom will conduct a Q&A session at Georgetown Day School as part of the "Soccer in the Schools" program. The event takes place from 1:30-3:00pm ET. Freedom players will also appear at the Georgetown Starbucks to listen to Benning Elementary School students read their poetry as part of the "DC SCORES Poetry Reading." The event takes place from 4:00-5:00pm ET (THE DAILY).
The USTA and the NC Tennis Association will host more than 200 third-sixth graders from Charlotte-Mecklenberg schools during the USA Tennis Street Clinic at noon ET. U.S. Fed Cup captain Billie Jean King is expected to attend the interactive event (THE DAILY).
MLS Commissioner Don Garber will review the first month of the '02 season and discuss MLS' role in the development of the U.S. Men's National Team program during the league's weekly conference call at 2:00pm ET (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that TNT has "made a pact with big advertiser Johnson & Johnson to put more family-friendly movies on TV." Johnson & Johnson "will be able to review and submit scripts for the movies that will air" under the name "Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentations" on AOL Time Warner's TNT network (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/23).
USA TODAY reports, "Two days before a government deadline, only 15% of the nation's commercial TV stations are transmitting a digital TV signal over the air." Reasons for the delays "vary, from a lack of finances to transmitters that were destroyed" in the attacks of 9/11 (USA TODAY, 4/23).
The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that leaders of Comcast Corp. and AT&T Corp. will appear before a U.S. Senate subcommittee today to "back up their claims that combining their cable empires would promote telephone competition and the growth of fast Internet service" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/23).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that AOL will replace its advertising sales division head, Robert Friedman, in "yet another sign that its online advertising strategy is in disarray" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/23).
The L.A. TIMES reports that yodeler Wylie Gustafson, a country and western singer from WA, said Monday "that he was dropping a lawsuit accusing Yahoo Inc. of poaching his three-note vocalization following what may have been the fastest settlement in the West." Gustafson filed a $5M suit on Friday, but settled over the weekend. Gustafson: "I am the happy yodeler. I said, 'Boy, that was fast'" (L.A. TIMES, 4/23).
The N.Y. TIMES' Stuart Elliott offers his "highlights, lowlights and sidelights" of the '02 Management Conference of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, held last week in Dana Point, CA (N.Y. TIMES, 4/23).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Oscar Hosts."
"The two 'Saturday Night Live' regular cast members who have hosted the Academy Award telecast."
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES: NBC's Jay Leno, on Robert Blake being charged with murdering his wife: "Today, I saw the premiere of that new reality show, 'The Blakes.' Have you seen it? This is going to bigger than 'The Osbournes.' ... In fact, this afternoon the Catholic Church sent Robert Blake a huge gift basket and a note that said, 'Hey, thanks for knocking us off the front page. We appreciate that.' ... The police said (yesterday) they have a very, very solid case. They have the murder weapon, they have the suspect, they have the motive, they have over 900 pieces of evidence, 35,000 documents, plus two witnesses who say Blake asked them to murder his wife. Hey, these are L.A. juries. You're going to have to do a lot better than that." Leno: "This is National Clergy Week. Good timing, guys! After all these scandals in the Catholic Church, many Roman Catholics are calling for an end to celibacy. An end to celibacy? How about starting celibacy. Let's at least try it to see if it works." Leno: "Border patrol agents in Douglas, (AZ), said they seized a FedEx truck that was being used to transport illegal aliens. See, that's when you know you have a real illegal alien problem, when they start FedEx-ing them overnight" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 4/22).
CBS' David Letterman: "I'll tell you how beautiful it was in (N.Y.) over the weekend: Mayor Bloomberg actually stayed here. [Yesterday was] Earth Day, or as the Bush Administration calls it, Monday. I thought this was a nice touch. To celebrate Earth Day here in (N.Y.), Mayor Bloomberg earlier went out and planted some weed" ("Late Show," CBS, 4/22).
Last night's "Top Ten" was "Top Ten Robert Blake Defenses." View a clip of Letterman reading the list ("Late Show," CBS, 4/22). In a skit last night, Letterman looked at ways N.Y. is affected by the current drought. View a clip of the responses ("Late Show," CBS, 4/22).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS: ESPN's Jay Mohr, on "Mohr Sports" last night: "The NFL draft was Saturday. With the 10th pick in the draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Arizona State Tackle Levi Jones. Then Levi Jones walked out of MSG and threw himself under a bus. Did you see that room when the Bengals walked to the podium? It cleared out like a bass solo at a Journey concert. … [Knicks G] Latrell Sprewell ... had his fine for sleeping late reduced to $2,500. Gee, thanks Knicks. That's still the most expensive nap ever. How much are you going to fine Allan Houston for sleeping the whole season? … Mike Fratello and Marv Albert were in a car accident when their limo crashed in New Jersey. They suffered minor injuries, but Fratello had bite marks on his back. … The poor Tigers were dropped by Kmart as their sponsor. How bad do you have to suck to get dropped by Kmart? Who picks you up after that? Marshalls? T.J. Maxx? Phone Cards?" ("Mohr Sports," ESPN, 4/22).
MONDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Sonics-Spurs.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"Who are Billy Crystal and Chevy Chase?"
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