| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Monday, June 10, 2002
9:00am ET | |
| • | Did Jam-Packed Weekend Of Sports Live Up To Expectations? |
| • | Belmont Stakes' Overnight Nielsen Rating Best In Over A Decade |
| • | Landmark Lawsuit On NFL Medical Policies Begins Today In FL |
| • | Beginning Of An Era: Minute Maid Park Signage To Go Up Today |
| • | World Cup Headquarters: Latest Headlines, Schedules & Sites Of Interest |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Box Office |
WORLDWIDE WEEKEND OF SPORT FAILS TO LIVE UP TO POTENTIAL
The WASHINGTON POST's Thomas Boswell writes, "In a weekend of intensely anticipated sporting events that proved to be frustrating anticlimaxes, the [Nets'] excruciating 106-103 loss to the [Lakers] on Sunday was the final coup de disgrace. … This final big event of a magnificently clogged sports weekend followed the script of almost all the others. Some were fairly exciting, some were awful. But none lived up to their highest potential" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/10). Following are a few highlights:
NBC Sports' coverage of Saturday's 134th Belmont Stakes generated a 9.2/21 overnight Nielsen rating, the highest for any horse race since the '92 KY Derby, which earned a 9.5/26. Saturday's telecast, which peaked from 6:00-6:30pm ET with a 12.5/28, bested last year's Belmont Stakes broadcast of a 4.9/13 by 88%, when no Triple Crown was on the line. (THE DAILY).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that Saturday's Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson heavyweight championship fight in Memphis "went off almost without a hitch. There were complaints about tickets in advance and at the door before the fight, with pickpockets and others able to elude security, but there were no major incidents at the fight or in the streets." Gale Jones Carter, spokesperson for the Mayor, said, "Everything went extremely well for the city of Memphis. We made sure our visitors were safe. We filled the Pyramid. We didn't have any traffic-flow problems. There were no disturbances" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/10).
FORMER JAGUARS LINEMAN NOVAK SUES TEAM PHYSICIAN
The FL TIMES-UNION reported that former Jaguars OL Jeff Novak's lawsuit against former team physician Stephen Lucie and his employer, Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute begins today in Jacksonville. The trial "is expected to provide rare insight into how medical decisions are made in the [NFL]; the pressures to play with pain; and the complex relationships among players, coaches and team doctors." While the team is not named in the suit, "several current and former players and team officials are expected to testify" about the shin injury that ended Novak's career (FL TIMES-UNION, 6/9).
IN A HOUSTON MINUTE: SIGNS GO UP IN MINUTE MAID PARK
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that beginning tonight, "fans attending the Astros' game against the Chicago Cubs will see the first steps in the changeover to newly christened Minute Maid Park." Astros VP/Engineering Bert Pope, on the new signage: "Fans will be able to tell this is Minute Maid Park" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/10).
ROCKETS TRAVEL TO CHINA TO BEGIN MING DYNASTY
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that the Rockets yesterday "began talks in Shanghai, China, with officials from the Shanghai Sharks that they hope will end with clearance for drafting Yao Ming." Additionally, the team "received the invitation it had been seeking to meet with China Basketball Association officials in Beijing this week" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/10).
WORLD CUP, DAY 11: ENGLAND TRAVEL AGENTS BRACE FOR PUSH
The London GUARDIAN reports that travel agents "are expecting to be inundated with inquiries this morning from football fans trying to get to the World Cup" after England's victory over Argentina last week. The National Federation of Football Supporters' Clubs estimated that 3,000 supporters "would fly to Japan to join the 10,000 already there if England progresses to the knockout stage by winning or drawing their match against Nigeria" on Wednesday (London GUARDIAN, 6/10).
Today's Headlines:
Soccer Sites of Interest:
A LIGHTER BUZZ
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The TAMPA TRIBUNE reported that the Bucs FanFest on Saturday "drew nearly 40,000 fans, which is twice what the team drew to the event in previous years" (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 6/9).
- Formula One's Air Canada Grand Prix drew a record 326,000 fans over three days of racing at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, including 117,000 for the finale on Sunday (AP, 6/10).
- The K.C. STAR reported that "almost 10,000 beer-guzzling fans jammed their way into Municipal Auditorium – another 3,000 or so spilled into Bartle Hall where a giant video board displayed the show," as syndicated sports radio host Jim Rome brought his program to K.C. on Saturday (K.C. STAR, 6/9).
The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports that the WNBA Mercury unveiled their new mascot, Scorch, in the first half of Sunday's game against the Sting. Scorch is "a purple-colored hybrid of a kangaroo and a wolf that received positive crowd reaction." Mercury GM Seth Sulka, on the new mascot: 
"We wanted something kids could touch and look forward to seeing and want to be hugged by" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/10).
The ECHL Everblades and Compuware on Friday unveiled the official logo for the '03 Compuware ECHL All-Star Game (THE DAILY).
TODAY'S EVENTS
Tickets for individual U.S. Open sessions, along with Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, go on sale today at 9:00am ET at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, N.Y. Tickets are also available at TicketMaster and at USOpen.org (N.Y. TIMES, 6/9).
Lions DE Robert Porcher and QB Mike McMahon are among the players expected to participate in the 12th annual Detroit Lions Invitational at Indianwood Golf and Country Club in Lake Orion, MI. Sponsored by Ford Motor Company and Epoch Restaurant Group, proceeds from the event go to Detroit Lions Charities (THE DAILY).
The Hawks host Street Jam in collaboration with World of Coca-Cola and Underground Atlanta, a weeklong festival featuring interactive games, player appearances and clinics (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The cover of this week's TIME analyzes President George Bush's plan to increase homeland security. This week's cover of NEWSWEEK profiles online auction sites under the headline "The United States Of eBay" (THE DAILY).
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that AOL Time Warner Chair & CEO Bob Pittman, "who lately has been dispatched to fix its troubled AOL Internet division, may not be able to hold on to his job for long" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/10).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that the NYPD and FDNY will be exhibitors at Licensing 2002 International, opening tomorrow at the Jacob K. Javits Center in N.Y., in an effort to "accelerate their moves into the commercial licensing business to benefit their charitable ventures" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/10)
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that PwC Consulting "became the latest consultancy to flee headlong from the tarnish on the once-sterling accounting profession," announcing that it will change its name to Monday when it completes its separation from accounting company PricewatehouseCoopers LLP (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/10).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that Yahoo Inc. is redesigning its home page, shopping features and e-mail package "to woo more advertisers and drive users to make transactions and adopt premium services" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/10).
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that "more than 200 Internet industry leaders and public officials" will assemble for a "Massachusetts broadband summit" to find ways to bring broadband services to "pockets of the state that still lack them" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/10).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Friday's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Actors & Role."
"In a 2001 film, Jon Voight played this man; in a 2002 TV movie, so did John Turturro."
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES: NBC's Jay Leno: " I understand (the Tyson-Lewis fight) is going to be on pay-per-chew. You don't want to miss that one. ... Mike Tyson met with a group of underprivileged children in a Memphis casino. What better way to get kids on the right track – take them to a casino, expose to them to liquor and gambling and have Mike Tyson be their role model. ... They keep saying that one day, soccer is going to become more and more popular in America ... and it's going to catch on here, just like the metric system. ... In the Congressional hearings on (U.S.) security (last Friday), one expert said we should have a sanity check for people who want to enter the (U.S.). So, if you're totally insane you can't come to this country. However, you can still fight for the heavyweight championship of the world. ... It looks like India and Pakistan may go to war over Kashmir, which has got (President George) Bush confused. He said, 'Why are we fighting over a sweater?'" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/7).
CBS' David Letterman: "Earlier (last Friday), I received quite an honor. I've been asked to give the commencement address at a (FL) flight school. ... Mets (C) Mike Piazza ... held a news conference (last Friday) to announce that he is not lactose intolerant. ... (N.Y.) wants to be the home of the Summer Olympics in 2012. ... Right now and for the last couple of weeks, Olympic officials are touring around (N.Y.), you know checking it out and seeing what they think, and it's going pretty well. So far, only three Olympic officials are missing. ... Mayor Bloomberg is trying to put the best foot forward and trying to fix everything up. … They're getting all the rats and they're brushing up their tails and they're trying to pass them off as squirrels. ... It's a pretty good evening of fighting. You get Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson for $55, and the under card is India and Pakistan." Letterman, on the NBA Finals: "I really think that it's a seven game series and the Lakers are so good, I'm afraid they will win in three games. They're just that good" ("The Late Show," CBS, 6/7).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS: Last Friday's edition of CBS' "The Late Show" aired an ad that spoofed the Tyson-Lewis fight. Ad announcer: "Hey fight fans, Mike Tyson is going to go nuts Saturday night and you're invited. For just $54.95, you can watch Iron Mike take on Lennox Lewis live from the only state willing to give Tyson a boxing license. You want fireworks? Ten minutes before the bout, Iron Mike finds out his girlfriend's been sleeping with Don King. Whoa, settle down Mike! We can't tell you what Mike's going to bite off in the sixth round, but it ain't going to be an ear. Tyson versus Lewis. Be there!" ("The Late Show," CBS, 6/7).
Last Friday's edition of NBC's "Tonight Show" compared NJ with L.A. in honor of the Nets-Lakers Finals. Leno said in NJ, "People speak with a New Jersey accent. In L.A., people speak with Spanish accents. ... In (NJ), players get cortisone injections. In L.A., fans get botox injections. In (NJ), actors kill people on 'The Sopranos.' In L.A., actors kill people in real life. (NJ) has saltwater taffy. L.A. has saltwater colonics. (NJ) has a lot of men named Tony. (In L.A.), there's a lot of men who want to sleep with a guy who's won a Tony. In (NJ), Jason Kidd is famous for triple-doubles. In L.A., Charlie Sheen is famous for triple-doubles. ... In (NJ), cops pull over black people for no apparent reason. In L.A. – ok, same thing. ... (NJ) is home of the Miss America pageant. L.A. is home of the best damn lap dancers in the country" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/7).
Last Friday night's Top Ten List was "Top Ten Answers To The Question, 'How Tough Are The Marines?'" The list was read by ten Marines from Brooklyn, NY, in-studio. ("Late Show," CBS, 6/7).
| 10. | "So tough, we jump from air transport planes without parachutes." |
| 9. | "So tough, none of us have slept or eaten in over two years." |
| 8. | "So tough, I hate not going to the dentist." |
| 7. | "So tough, I wear my 'Boston Sucks' hat at Fenway." |
| 6. | "You know how the army does more before 9:00 am than most people do all day? We get all that done by 7." |
| 5. | "So tough, we haven't taken a sick day since 1978." |
| 4. | "So tough, if our tank breaks down, we'll carry it to Jiffy Lube." |
| 3. | "We're really tough. Sorry, I'm not that creative." |
| 2. | "So tough, we didn't even cry while watching 'Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.'" |
| 1. | "So tough, if you want we can take care of your little Lakers problem." |
SUNDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Lakers-Nets.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
DAILY VARIETY reports that the weekend box office "managed a 9% uptick from the same frame last year" with $108M in total grosses. Year-to-date, '02 is 20% ahead of the same portion of last year, with $3.77B in total grosses (DAILY VARIETY, 6/10).
| Title | This Weekend | Cumulative |
| The Sum of All Fears | $18.7M | $61.7M |
| Divine Secrets Of TheYa-Ya Sisterhood | $16.3M | $16.3M |
| Star Wars: Episode II | $13.8M | $254.9M |
| Bad Company | $10.5M | $10.5M |
| Spider-Man | $10M | $370.1M |
| Spirit | $9.4M | $53.8M |
| Undercover Brother | $7.3M | $23.6M |
| Insomnia | $5.8M | $51.7M |
| Enough | $3.6M | $33.6M |
| About A Boy | $2.7M | $32.5M |
| |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"Who is Howard Cosell?"
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