| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | Padres Owner Becomes Latest To Break Gag Order With Hawkish Labor Views |
| • | Grand Slam: Astros, Minute Maid To Unveil Scoreboard And Youth Program |
| • | Saturday Night's Alright For Racing At Lowe's Motor Speedway |
| • | Attendance Falls, But X Games Conclude in Philadelphia To Rave Reviews |
| • | Me Amo Esto Juego! NBA To Ink Three-Year Deal With Hispanic Net Telemundo |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/In Other News/Laugh Track/Final Jeopardy!/TV Monitor |
MLB LABOR TALKS CONTINUE BUT NO DEAL IN SIGHT
Talks are scheduled to resume today between MLB and MLBPA negotiators on a new collective bargaining agreement. The sides met yesterday, and while most reports cite that there were no discussions on the key issues of revenue sharing and a luxury tax, MLB Exec VP/Labor Relations Rob Manfred told ESPN's Jeremy Schaap late Monday that "negotiators discussed core economic issues" when they met on Monday afternoon (ESPN.com, 8/19).
Meanwhile, Padres Owner John Moores told the N.Y. TIMES yesterday that he is "prepared to shut down for an entire season to get the kind of deal he thinks the clubs need." Moores: "If they strike, I'll be prepared to sit out a season" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/20).
ASTROS, MINUTE MAID TO ANNOUNCE YOUTH BASEBALL PROGRAM
Astros Owner Drayton McLane and Minute Maid North America President & CEO Don Knauss will host a 10:00am CT press conference at Minute Maid Park today to unveil the ballpark's centerfield scoreboard sign and advance the company's naming rights sponsorship of the facility. In addition, the Astros and Minute Maid will announce a new youth program entitled "Grand Slam For Youth," which will focus on city league sponsorships, ball field refurbishment, educational outreach and fundraising. For tonight's Cubs-Astros game, fans will receive a commemorative Minute Maid Park scoreboard sign card pack, which includes facts and figures on the park and the new sign. The game will also feature $1 Minute Maid lemonade and frozen lemonade drink specials (THE DAILY).
NASCAR ANNOUNCES '03 WINSTON CUP SCHEDULE
NASCAR officials late yesterday released the '03 Winston Cup Series schedule. The season has 36 races, the same number as last year. However, the annual fall race at Lowe's Motor Speedway has been switched from a Sunday afternoon to a Saturday night (NASCAR.com, 8/19). The FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM reports that NASCAR did not honor TX Motor Speedway's (TMS) request to change the date of the Samsung/Radio Shack 500. TMS Exec VP & GM Eddie Gossage said NASCAR President Mike Helton "made it clear to me there wasn't much chance it was going to change. We are frustrated by that, but we were never lead to believe from NASCAR they would give it much consideration." TMS will host a news conference at 11:00am CT today to announce its '03 schedule (FT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/20).
View the complete '03 Winston Cup schedule here.
EXTREME HEAT, LONG LINES DON'T DEFLATE X GAMES
The X Games concluded yesterday in Philadelphia, and according to the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, "The weather was torturous, lines were long, and body piercings were plentiful and painful looking. Nevertheless, Philadelphia staged another wildly popular, fan-friendly X Games" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 8/20). The Camden COURIER POST reports, "According to ESPN, 221,352 fans attended the five-day event … down from last year's 235,000 spectators" (Camden COURIER POST, 8/20).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
DAILY VARIETY reported that the NBA "will announce a three-season accord with U.S. Hispanic net Telemundo today." The deal represents the first national Spanish-language TV deal for the NBA, "which stepped up its Hispanic marketing efforts earlier this year" (DAILY VARIETY, 8/19).
The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones will meet today with San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza "to discuss the possibility of his team holding its training camp in San Antonio on a 'permanent basis.'" Previously, Cowboys Dir of Sales & Marketing John Hickman held talks with Alamodome Dir Mike Abington about extending the team's one-year lease with the city (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 8/20).
TODAY'S EVENTS
ESPN will host a 1:00pm ET conference call to discuss the 25,000th edition of "SportsCenter." Among those expected to participate are Senior VP & Exec Editor John Walsh, Senior VP & Managing Editor Bob Eaton, and anchors Linda Cohn, Rich Eisen and Stuart Scott (THE DAILY).
The WNBA will award its "Most Valuable Player" trophy, presented by Buick. In addition, Mercury F Lisa Harrison will participate in the league's "Lunch Break Chats" on WNBA.com at noon ET (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that Clear Channel Communications is "expected to name veteran company executive John Hogan to head its radio unit" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/20).
REUTERS reports that AOL Time Warner "could announce as early as today a $9(B) dollar deal to buy AT&T's 27.6% stake in its Time Warner Entertainment unit" (REUTERS, 8/20).
The N.Y. TIMES reports, "The first wave of July results from the newspaper chains shows that national and help-wanted advertising is still sluggish, ensuring that the industry's 18-month decline is not over." At the nation's largest-circulation newspaper, USA Today, ad volume "was off 16 percent in July, compared with the same period in 2001; in June, the decline was 13 percent" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/20).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Life Science."
"As they become visible when stained, they were named this from the Greek for 'color' and 'body.'"
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS' David Letterman: "It was so hot, the mosquitoes have gone back to the West Nile. ... It's not really the heat. It's the humidity. ... It was so muggy (yesterday) they caught Al Sharpton on videotape buying talcum powder. ... Are you excited for this? August 30 is the deadline they've set for the strike in (MLB). ... The good news is, maybe this will put an end to the Mets' losing streak. ... It's hard to get a lot of public sympathy for a strike when the workers are averaging $2.5(M) a year, isn't it? It's hard to generate a lot of good feelings there. ... Robert Blake is in prison, and visiting him in prison (is) Anthony Hopkins,(who) dropped by to say hello. Diane Sawyer visited him in prison. Barbara Walters went to see Robert Blake. How is it that this guy is getting better guests than we do? ... Happy birthday to former President Bill Clinton. 56-years old (on Sunday). They had a big party for Bill Clinton up in Chappaqua, (NY), (Sunday) night. Not much really happened. Clinton was on the phone most of the evening giving directions to the stripper. ... Last week a couple was caught having sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral. ... The man and woman were arrested, booked and ordained" ("The Late Show," CBS, 8/19).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night's "Top Ten" was "Top Ten Surprising Facts About [PGA Championship Winner] Rich Beem" ("The Late Show," CBS, 8/19).
| 10) | "He's a compulsive tee-swallower." |
| 9) | "Once ran over a man with a golf cart just to watch him die." |
| 8) | "Bet ten grand on Tiger Woods." |
| 7) | "For a brief period in 1997, called himself 'Richie.'" |
| 6) | "Kicked out of PGA in 1999 for having an inappropriate relationship with the 9th hole." |
| 5) | "If his tee time is during 'Oprah,' he'll quit the tournament." |
| 4) | "Holding a five and seven iron at a certain angle, he can locate underground water." |
| 3) | "He has no endorsements, but has coupon for 10% off Nike shoes." |
| 2) | "Even he has never heard of him." |
| 1) | "He doglegs to the left, if you know what I mean." |
MONDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Mariners-Tigers.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What are chromosomes?"
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