| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, January 16, 2003
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | MLB Owners Expected To Approve All-Star Game Motion Today In AZ |
| • | Mohegan Sun Close To Landing WNBA Team For Upcoming Season |
| • | BOCOG Dir of Marketing Xu Zengwu Opens Sport Summit 2003 |
| • | Bucs Tour Groups Not Heading To Philly This Weekend For Fear Of Injury |
| • | Hornets Play To Largest Crowd Of Season Last Night In New Orleans |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
ARE PLAYERS OPPOSED TO LINKING ALL-STAR GAME TO WORLD SERIES?
MLB owners today conclude a two-day meeting in Scottsdale, AZ, and the N.Y. TIMES reports that despite some players' opposition to the idea of tying home-field advantage in the World Series to the outcome of the All-Star Game, Commissioner Bud Selig said that he "planned to discuss the issue with the owners" today (N.Y. TIMES, 1/16). USA TODAY reports that owners are expected "to approve [the] plan" (USA TODAY, 1/16).
Mets P & longtime NL union rep Tom Glavine: "It's not something I'm in favor of. I would find it hard to believe that most players would want the outcome of the All-Star Game to determine home-field advantage for the World Series" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/16).
Red Sox President Larry Lucchino: "I'm not saying it's without issues. A player can get hurt. But in the past, players played hard and played the entire game. It gave the game a certain cache that was different than other All-Star Games" (MLB.com, 1/16).
MOHEGAN SUN AGREEMENT WITH WNBA TO BE "FINALIZED SOON"
The HARTFORD COURANT reports that a WNBA team "owned by the Mohegan tribe will play at the Mohegan Sun Arena" for the upcoming '03 season. Sources said the tribe is "working on an agreement, which – barring last-minute complications – should be finalized soon." The team would be called the Mohegan Suns (HARTFORD COURANT, 1/16).
CHINA TO MAKE $32B INVESTMENT IN 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES
Sport Summit 2003 continues today in N.Y., after yesterday's opening session "Doing Business in China" focused on Beijing's hosting of the Summer Olympic Games in '08. Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) Dir of Marketing Xu Zengwu noted that China will make a $32B investment in the Games, using 37 different venues. Xu added that the details of BOCOG's marketing plan for the Games will be released in May. See today's issue of The Daily for more from Sport Summit 2003.
Featured speakers for today's session include Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis, IOC President Jacques Rogge, Torino '06 Organizing Committee President Valentino Castellani, USOC President Marty Mankamyer, IOC Dir of Marketing Michael Payne and Manchester United Marketing Dir Peter Draper. View today's agenda (THE DAILY).
UNIV. OF MI ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TO JOIN NIKE REPS ON FACTORY VISIT
Univ. of MI AD Bill Martin today begins a ten-day trip with Nike reps to inspect the companies' factories in Vietnam and China. Martin met last week with Univ. of MI faculty to "get their perspectives on what [he] should look for in factories, what questions [he] should ask about human rights issues" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/13).
MORNING BRIEFS
The NFL announced that Ja Rule and Ashanti will perform live at halftime of the NFC Championship game. Jessica Simpson will sing the national anthem (THE DAILY).
The N.Y. POST reports that Paragon Marketing Group, the company that promoted the first LeBron James' game to air on ESPN, has talked with Lincoln (N.Y.) High School basketball player Sebastian Telfair and his coach Dwayne Morton "about setting up a nationally-televised Lincoln game next year" (N.Y. POST, 1/16).
The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that many people who pre-purchased the commemorative book of the '02 Winter Olympics "still have not received their copies." SLOC CCO Caroline Shaw: "Almost all orders will be filled by February 1." Before the Games, "nearly 2,300 people ordered books" for $40 each, and SLOC printed 20,500 books after the Games to be sold for $50 (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 1/16).
Titleist runs a full-page ad in USA Today congratulating Ernie Els on his Mercedes Championship victory, with the text, "The Start of Something Big" (THE DAILY).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE reports that 18,509 attended last night's Lakers-Hornets game, the largest crowd this season at New Orleans Arena. Singer Lenny Kravitz "sat courtside next to Hornets co-Owner Ray Woolridge" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 1/16).
- Dallas Nationals '03 Exec Dir Doug Zeghibe said that "few seats remain" for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships women's short program tonight, and that the "pace of ticket sales has increased in the last week." Olympic Gold Medalist Sarah Hughes will skate in the event (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/16).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that Tampa-based tour operator BucFanTours "will not offer game packages to its clients" for this weekend's NFC Championship game in Philadelphia. A statement on the firm's Web site read: "BucFanTours WILL NOT be doing a game package to Philadelphia. This is sad, but the potential for problems and client injury has our insurance agent lying awake at night! As much as we want to support our team, the Philadelphia fans just don't get it. It's just a game!" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 1/16).
Meanwhile, merchandise featuring Bucs coach Jon Gruden is all the rage in the Tampa area. Sports Fan Attic Assistant Manager Justin Lewis: "Jon Gruden, he's the man. He's the savior, or whatever" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 1/16).
ABC Radio's Keith Olbermann, on a proposed reality show that offers a regular Joe the opportunity to fight Mike Tyson: "I'd like to suggest a working title: 'Ear Factor'" (ABC RADIO, 1/15).
The TORONTO STAR's Garth Woolsey, on the proposed show: "This is sort of 'Fear Factor' meets 'Gladiator' meets 'Oz' meets Ben Johnson racing a horse" (TORONTO STAR, 1/16).
The retro jersey craze continues as Bucs DT Warren Sapp wore an ABA VA Squires Julius Erving replica jersey to Monday night's Pistons-Magic game at TD Waterhouse Centre (DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL, 1/15).
TODAY'S EVENTS
Clear Channel Entertainment VP/Marketing Craig Hoover and Super Bowl Host Committee VP Lance Aldridge will hold a 2:00pm ET telemarketing conference to discuss marketing strategies for Super Bowl XXXVII (THE DAILY).
Phillies Ps Kevin Millwood, Brett Myers and Randy Wolf, SS Jimmy Rollins and manager Larry Bowa will attend a noon ET luncheon in the Phillies' clubhouse at Veterans Stadium to kick off the team's 35th annual Winter Tour (THE DAILY).
The Reds will hold the first of two job fairs at their downtown offices, in an attempt to fill 400 game day positions, including ushers, ticket takers, concierges and tour guides (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 1/15).
Recent baseball HOF inductee Gary Carter is expected to announce at a news conference in N.Y. today that he will "don an Expos cap on his Hall of Fame plaque" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/16).
Comedian Joe Piscopo, spokesperson for the Nets' "New Jersey Idol" talent contest, will hold a 12:30pm ET press conference at the team's practice facility in East Rutherford to discuss the event (THE DAILY).
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft will host the teams' Community Quarterback Awards luncheon at Gillette Stadium. Thirteen area volunteers will have a total of $25,000 donated to local non-profit organizations in their names (THE DAILY).
THE BACK PAGES
The Morning Buzz offers today's back page sports covers from some of the nation's major metropolitan tabloids:
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| N.Y. Post | N.Y. Daily News |
| | |
| Philadelphia Daily News | Boston Herald |
IN OTHER NEWS….
The L.A. TIMES reports that the AOL Time Warner BOD "may act as soon as today to pick" a new Chair, believed to be CEO Richard Parsons (L.A. TIMES, 1/16).
However, USA TODAY reports that there is "no consensus on what action – if any – the board might take" at today's meeting (USA TODAY, 1/16).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that Yahoo is "planning to take its high-speed Internet access service nationwide." Yahoo CEO Terry Semel: "Sometime this year, if you are a Yahoo user, you will have the ability to be part of Yahoo broadband all over the country" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/16).
The L.A. TIMES reports that a deal to sell DirecTV to News Corp. "may not happen so fast after all." GM, which owns DirecTV through its control of Hughes Electronics, "plans to take its time and review options besides a sale to News Corp., which lost a bidding war to EchoStar more than a year ago" (L.A. TIMES, 1/16).
New CNN Chair Jim Walton "stressed a commitment to traditional values" at the news org that "has been surpassed in the ratings wars by the feisty Fox News Channel." Responding to a report that he once lobbied for a ban on CNN's live coverage of long car chases, Walton said: "Car chases are kind of an illustration or icon. That's a simple thing to get higher ratings. That's the quick fix, that's the free heroin" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/16).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "18th Century Names."
"He's the Frenchman seen here in detail from a portrait by Jacques-Louis David."
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS' David Letterman: "Here in New York, it's cold ... and it's one of those things where I think it may be cold now forever. ... The temperature today was actually lower than President Bush's approval rating. ... Bush's approval rating is down to 58% ... and you know what I'm thinking, when I see that old approval rating start to slip – time for a sex scandal. ... New York is closing all 200 of its subway booths. Gone. They're going to be out of business. But, the good news is they're going to be turned into Starbucks. ... The Yankees have signed Hideki Matsui, the Japanese baseball star. ... They're paying him $21(M) to play for the Yankees. It's amazing, isn't it? But you know, George Steinbrenner likes to begin every season with an expensive blunder. ... Kmart is closing down 326 stores. Thanks a lot, Winona" ("Late Show," CBS, 1/15).
NBC's Jay Leno: "President Bush's approval rating has fallen another 5% in just the last week. It's now down to 58%. I'm not sure who should be more worried: Bush or Saddam Hussein. ... Today, the U.S. formally asked our NATO allies for help in any future war with Iraq. Great Britain said fine, we'll do it. Germany said okay. France said, 'We can't come to the phone right now. Please leave a message. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.' ... It seems our nation is facing a shortage of nurses. Hospitals say it's getting worse. ... I was trying to figure out why, and then the other night I'm watching this late night cable movie and I realized all the nurses are in porno films. ... Tonight, they had another episode of 'The Bachelorette.' Why do they call it 'The Bachelorette?' It's one woman and 25 guys. Isn't that called a bachelor party? ... A TV producer is now putting together a new reality show – this is real – in which an average guy will train for like six months and then step into the boxing ring with Mike Tyson. I think the name of the show is 'Joe Moron'" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 1/15).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten Ways Bush Can Raise His Approval Rating" ("Late Show," CBS, 1/15).
| 10) "End controversial 'tax cuts for jerks' program." |
| 9) "Build a giant Saddam Hussein doll, take it out to the White House lawn and beat it up." |
| 8) "Make film about his wild days hosting 'The Gong Show.'" |
| 7) "Presidential pardon for Diana Ross." |
| 6) "Use more adorable mispronunciations like 'aminal' and 'pasghetti.'" |
| 5) "Pressure the FDA to make salty snack chips the main food group." |
| 4) "Develop a catch phrase, like, 'What you talkin' about, Kim Jong Il?'" |
| 3) "Find Osama bin Laden." |
| 2) "Let America know White House has the loosest slots in town." |
| 1) "Find Dick Cheney." |
Broadcaster Marv Albert appeared on last night's edition of CBS' "Late Show" where he showed his "wacky and wild" sports bloopers from '02. Albert, on visiting Letterman's mother on Thanksgiving: "She insisted on taking me out to the driveway and showing me her jump shot." Letterman: "Thank you very much for spending your holiday with the family. I know it meant a lot to them" ("Late Show," CBS, 1/15).
WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR
ESPN's 11:30pm ET "SportsCenter" led with Lakers-Hornets.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"Who is Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry?"
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