Morning Buzz, October 28, 2002

DISNEY BASKS IN THE GLOW OF ANGELS' FIRST WORLD SERIES EVER

The Angels defeated the Giants 4-1 last night in Game Seven of the World Series and the L.A. TIMES reports, "After four decades of seasons that ended in defeat, sometimes painfully and all too often routinely, the Angels proclaimed the first championship in franchise history loudly and proudly" (L.A. TIMES, 10/28).

After the game, Disney Chair Michael Eisner compared the win to some of the company's creative productions: "We thought 'Angels in the Outfield' was a stretch.  'The Rookie' — that was a stretch. But nothing was more of a stretch than the 2002 Angels. If you had brought me that script, I would have said, 'Get real'" (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/28).

In accepting the World Series trophy from MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, Eisner added, "We showed the entire world the spirit in Orange County. I've been all over the world to see events, the Olympics, and people are always bailing out as soon as they think they're going to lose. This Anaheim community stayed with them, and now they have their reward" (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/28). 

USA TODAY reports that when the Nielsen TV ratings "come out today, this likely will become official: Fox has earned an all-time low for the World Series."   Last night's Game Seven "needed to produce a 22 rating, translating to 22% of U.S. TV households, to avoid a low" (USA TODAY, 10/28).

Through the first six games of the World Series, Fox averaged a 10.9/19 rating, which was 24% below the 14.3/24 six-game average of last year's Yankees-D'Backs World Series (THE DAILY).

Meanwhile, the Angels will go to Disneyland for a "parade down Main Street starting" at 10:00am PT on Tuesday. The team will be honored at Arrowhead Pond with a parade and then hold a fan appreciation party at Edison Field.  The team will appear later Tuesday afternoon at Disney's California Adventure and meet with fans (Baltimore SUN, 10/28). 

After last night's game, Giants LF Barry Bonds was asked "how difficult it was to handle defeat."  Bonds replied,  "I've been playing the game 17 years, and you're gonna ask me something like that?''  That was followed by a question asking if Bonds believed this was his only chance to win a World Series.  Bonds, ''Next question. The NEXT QUESTION, because that was STUPID!'' (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 10/28).

FORMULA ONE HOLDS MEETINGS AIMED AT CUTTING COSTS

The AP reported that F1 President Bernie Ecclestone and FIA President Max Mosely will submit proposals today in an effort to "take drastic steps to restore competition to the series and cut soaring costs."  Today's suggestions at a meeting in London will go to the 26-member F1 Commission.  The series has suffered through "a drop in TV ratings and questions from sponsors" (AP, 10/27).

F1 team Owner Frank Williams has called today's conference "the most important meeting for Formula One in two decades" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/27).

FANS FLOCK TO OPEN PRACTICES IN NBA ARENAS

The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that "more than 11,500 people passed through the turnstiles, many for the first time, to attend the first open practice" of the Spurs in their new SBC Center.  The team held "Community Day" on Sunday, which allowed fans to tour the new arena, see a presentation of the high-tech scoreboard and light-display band, and to learn about the Spurs' minor league AHL team, the Rampage.  Additionally, fans learned "about efforts to gather about 300 more season-ticket deposits by Nov. 15 to secure a WNBA team" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 10/28).

The TORONTO SUN reports the Raptors' open practice on Sunday drew "more than 7,000" fans.  The event, the only open practice during the '02-03 season, was part of the team's season-long "One Team" theme (TORONTO SUN, 10/28).

LET'S GO SEE SERGIO! GARCIA TO BE IN ATLANTA TODAY

PGA Tour player Sergio Garcia will be in Atlanta today in advance of next weekend's Tour Championship and will serve as the official caddie for the Links Virtual Golf Association Tour final at Lenox Square Mall from 12:00-2:00pm ET.  Over 23,000 competitors from 20 countries participated in this year's VGA Tour, which will award $50,000 to the computer golf champion (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/27).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The crowd of 69,638 at yesterday's Steelers-Ravens game "was the largest for a regular-season game in Baltimore history"  (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 10/28).

• The Texans-Jaguars game drew 53,721 to Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, the "fifth-smallest home turnout in team history – a number that reflected more than 20,000 no-shows" (FL TIMES-UNION, 10/28).

• About 110,000 attended the rain-shortened NASCAR Winston Cup NAPA 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway yesterday.  The crowd was reportedly "considerably larger than some of recent years" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/28). Meanwhile, because yesterday's race "failed to go the full 325-lap distance, the track's guarantee of 30 lead changes was voided, costing fans a chance for a $1 discount on tickets purchased for next season's events" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 10/28).

• About 23,000 people saw Larry Dixon win the Top Fuel division at the NHRA season-ending championship yesterday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/28).

• The U.S. women's national soccer team defeated Mexico 3-0 yesterday in the opening match of the CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup in front of 5,568 at the Rose Bowl (WASHINGTON POST, 10/28).

• The Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on Saturday was run before a sellout crowd of 46,118 at Arlington Park (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/27).

TODAY'S EVENTS

The Mets have scheduled news conference at Shea Stadium for 2:00pm ET where they are expected to announce Art Howe as their new manager (THE DAILY).

Wizards C Brendan Haywood, C Jahidi White, G Jerry Stackhouse, WNBA Mystics G Stacey Dales-Schuman and the Wizards dance team will hold a "Read to Achieve" event at the Silver Spring (MD) YMCA from 4:00-5:30pm ET (THE DAILY).

The Nuggets will hold their annual tip-off luncheon at the Pepsi Center.  Team GM Kiki Vandeweghe and radio broadcaster Jerry Schemmel will serve as emcees (THE DAILY).

Preadators LW Scott Hartnell, D Bill Houlder, D Karlis Skrastins, D Kimmo Timonen and LW Vitali Yachmenev will visit with patients at Baptist Hospital from 1:30-3:00pm CT.  Also, C Greg Johnson will visit with a first grade class at Gateway Elementary School, winners of the team's "Stick to Reading=Success" program, at 2:00pm CT (THE DAILY).

Grizzlies F Shane Battier, F Pau Gasol, C Lorenzen Wright, G Brevin Knight, F Drew Gooden and GM Dick Versace will read to students at the Idlewild Elementary School beginning at noon, as part of the NBA's "Read To Achieve" program (THE DAILY).

EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are this week's confirmed earnings announcements for sports-business related companies (THE DAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS….

This week's issue of NEWSWEEK features an investigation on the capture of the DC-area killers entitled, "The Sick World of the Snipers."  Meanwhile TIME examines, "The New Politics of Pot" (THE DAILY).

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the debt of Interpublic Group on Friday, saying that the company "was not generating enough cash to pay for acquisitions and dividends and to reduce its debt."  The N.Y.-based company has $3B in debt affected by the move (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/26).

USA TODAY reports that EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen "will make the sales pitch of his career today," when he meets with lawyers from the Justice Department over the proposed merger with DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics.   Ergen will stress that the deal he "cut to boost Cablevision Systems' satellite aspirations will give consumers more competition, not less, if the department approves" his $21B merger with Hughes (USA TODAY, 10/28).

FINAL JEOPARDY

Friday's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Natural Wonders." 

"Given its current name by John Wesley Powell, it was called Kaibab, or 'Mountain Lying Down,' by the Paiutes." 

LAUGH TRACK

The reruns are over and the Laugh Track is ready to roll out the best from the late night shows beginning tomorrow.

SUNDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR

Last night's 11:00pm ET 90-minute edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter," late due to the NFL game, led with Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith breaking Walter Payton's career rushing record, followed by the Falcons-Saints, and the Broncos-Patriots.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that overall, "the boxoffice continued its hot streak as the weekend's top 12 films grossed an estimated $88[M]. That figure represents a 21.4% increase from the same frame last year and a 19.5% increase from last weekend's performance, meaning this is the seventh straight weekend in which the boxoffice has outperformed last year's numbers" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/28).

JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is the Grand Canyon?"

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