| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, September 5, 2002
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | MLB Owners Meet In Windy City Today To Ratify Labor Deal |
| • | Gale Force Meets With Centennial Authority On Naming-Rights Deal |
| • | U.S. Streak Ends; Organizers Slash Prices As 9,000 Tickets Remain For Final |
| • | Oakley Says Future Not That Bright; People Not Wearing Shades |
| • | “NFL Today” Crew, Jon Bon Jovi To Ring Opening Bell At NYSE |
| • | A Lighter Buzz/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
MLB OWNERS MEET IN CHICAGO TO RATIFY LABOR DEAL
The AP reports, "Six days after their negotiators agreed to a tentative labor contract, baseball owners gather to consider ratifying the deal that averted a player strike" today in Chicago. Representatives for both MLB and MLBPA "are drafting a memorandum of understanding, which they hope to complete by next week." The owners require a majority to approve the deal, except for revenue sharing, which requires a two-thirds majority. Meanwhile, the MLBPA exec board must also ratify the agreement (AP, 9/5).
GALE FORCE TO PRESENT NAMING-RIGHTS DEAL FOR APPROVAL
The Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER reports that the Centennial Authority will hold meetings today and tomorrow to discuss the naming-rights deal for the three-year-old Entertainment and Sports Arena. Recently, Gale Force Holdings signed a 20-year, $80M rights deal with RBC Centura. However, "attorneys for Gale Force and the authority were still working on the documents Wednesday, throwing some uncertainty into the process." Before a rights deal can be completed, "the authority has to settle a long-standing parking revenue dispute between NCSU and Gale Force" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 9/5).
FIELDHOUSE LESS THAN HALF FULL FOR HISTORIC GAME
Argentina upset the U.S., 87-80, at the World Basketball Championships last night in front of 5,623 fans at Conseco Fieldhouse, ending a 10-year, 58-game win streak for NBA-led teams in int'l play (Mult., 9/5).
Meanwhile, IN Sports Corp. President Dale Neuburger yesterday announced "a promotional campaign … offering upper level seats at Conseco Fieldhouse in the final two rounds Saturday and Sunday for $20 each" that begins today. The original price was $65 for the semifinal round and $95 for the gold and bronze medal games. Neuburger said that "about 9,000 tickets remain for Sunday and more than that for Saturday" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/5).
OAKLEY SHARE PRICE PLUMMETS AFTER REVISED FORECAST
The L.A. TIMES reports that Oakley Inc. yesterday cited "soft sales of its costly sunglasses" as the reason "that revenue and earnings for the second half of this year probably won't meet expectations." Some viewed the announcement, which triggered a 25% drop in its share price, "as another sign that shoppers are shying away from expensive discretionary items." Lehman Bros. analyst Eric Beder said of the revised forecast, "It knocked us off our feet. We talked to some of our largest holders and they couldn't believe it." The stock closed at $9.70, down $3.25 (L.A. TIMES, 9/5).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
SportsTicker announced yesterday that it has extended its distribution agreement with the NFL and will continue as the exclusive distributor of the league's real-time data feed (THE DAILY).
The AHL San Antonio Rampage unveiled its home and road jerseys yesterday. The home jerseys are white with gray, blue and navy trim, while the road uniforms are blue with gray and navy trim. Rampage Dir of Business Rick Carden said the uniforms represent the "rich, tough, South Texas image." Meanwhile, the team will hold an open house today from 5:00-7:30pm CT at the SBC Center Marketing Office (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 9/5).
The MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL reports that Univ. of WI officials yesterday "reversed an earlier decision and said they would allow the West Virginia mascot to bring its antique musket to Camp Randall Stadium and fire the gun during the game" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/5).
The Flyers Skate Zone community ice rinks Web site received a "Best of the Web" award for '02 from SouthJersey.com in its "Sports and Recreation" category. The site beat out five others nominated for the award (THE DAILY).
TODAY'S EVENTS
CBS' "NFL Today" announcers Jim Nantz, Boomer Esiason, Dan Marino and Deion Sanders join rock star Jon Bon Jovi at the NYSE to ring the Opening Bell at 9:30am ET (THE DAILY).
The Bills and Meadow Brook Dairy will kickoff the "School is Cool" essay contest from 11:30am-12:30pm ET at Ellicott Road Elementary School in Orchard Park. Former Bills WR Steve Tasker and team mascot Billy Buffalo will be in attendance (THE DAILY).
The AHL Grand Rapids Griffins will host a 10:00am ET news conference at Van Andel Arena to introduce the team's new home and road sweaters, the team's first-ever third sweater and a new billboard campaign (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that MA Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitt Romney, recalling the Olympic opening ceremony last winter, yesterday said, "'The television audience was estimated at 3.5 billion. … You know what, the president of the United States, as he goes out to an audience like that, with three and a half billion people looking at him, he turned to me and he said, 'Do I look fat?'" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/5).
AD AGE DAILY reported that Fox Broadcasting Senior VP/On-Air Promotions Rick Squire has left the company only months after he signed a new three-year deal. Squire was with Fox for three years and "had recently worked on the network's new fall-season on-air graphics, including a new Fox logo. Execs close to the company said that incoming Exec VP/Marketing Roberta Mell "has been looking to establish her own marketing team" (AD AGE DAILY, 9/4).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes America Online CEO Jon Miller "will lay out his vision for a restructured AOL in the coming days, likely calling for some senior managers to be eliminated and reporting lines to be clarified" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 9/5).
MULTICHANNEL NEWS reports that former CableVision Industries Vice Chair Rod Cornelius "is in talks to become scandal-plagued Adelphia's next CEO." Sources said that an announcement "could come in the next few weeks" (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 9/5).
The DOW JONES NEWSWIRE reported that Philip Morris USA will "increase promotional spending in the second half of the year in the face of overall retail share declines in the first six months of the year" (DOW JONES NEWSWIRE, 9/4).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "New York City Landmarks."
"Moving several times, the first was originally P.T. Barnum's monster classical and geological Hippodrome."
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS' David Letterman: "Earlier (last night) was the finals to Fox' 'American Idol' ... (where) two young, talented performers are competing to see which one will be screwed by a major record company. ... The Catholic Church has opened a $200(M) cathedral in (L.A.). ... That's just about as much money as they spent on hush money this year. ... They really spared no expense putting up this cathedral. Each one of the confessionals has a panic button in it." Letterman, on Bill Clinton announcing he will not have his own talk show on CBS: "How much fun would that be to bump into Bubba at the commissary? ... The problem was he found out (CBS) wanted him to interview 'Survivor' losers on his show. ... Sadly, it's official. Clinton decided to back out of the deal with CBS to host his very own talk show right here at CBS. Wait a minute. You can do that?" ("The Late Show," CBS, 9/4).
NBC's Jay Leno: "It was so hot (yesterday), Dr. Phil was only treating frigid women. ... I think President Bush is a little confused about the war on terrorism. Like (yesterday) he said, 'We're getting closer and closer to capturing Paula Abdul.' ... United Airlines has appointed a new CEO. He's the former Vice Chairman of Chevron/Texaco, Glen Tilton. That's what we need, an airline run like a gas station. How filthy are those bathrooms going to be now? ... The (IRS) is reporting that a number of their computers are missing. ... Let's hope they saved their receipts. … This week the Playboy Radio Channel makes its debut. It's a radio station sponsored by Playboy magazine. Apparently, this is for men who want to hear all the fascinating Playmate profiles without having to look at all those stupid pictures. ... (Lakers C) Shaquille O'Neal announced he's going to have surgery on his toe next week. It's his little toe. They're going to repair a fracture. To give you an idea how big his little toe is, it has to wear a neck brace for two weeks" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 9/4).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night's "Top Ten" list was "Top Ten Lance Bass Excuses For Not Going Into Space" ("The Late Show," CBS, 9/4).
| 10. | "Hair too spiky to fit in helmet." |
| 9. | "After seeing 'Signs' realized there are monsters in outer space!" |
| 8. | "Didn't want to miss 'American Idol' finale." |
| 7. | "Hard to find people who'll pay $20 million to indulge spoiled pop star and his childish fantasies." |
| 6. | "If something happens to him, who for the love of God will entertain America?!" |
| 5. | "Why observe Earth's splendor from space when you could go to McDonald's or something?" |
| 4. | "Who schedules training sessions at unreasonable hour of 10:00am?" |
| 3. | "Doesn't need excuses 'cause if you ask me, he's already out of this world!" |
| 2. | "Blew most of the necessary $20 million on hookers and gum." |
| 1. | "He's *N scared." |
WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with the U.S. losing to Argentina, 87-80, at the World Basketball Championships.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"What is Madison Square Garden?"
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