| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, January 24, 2003
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue To Deliver State Of The League Today |
| • | NFLPA Super Bowl Party At The Prado At Balboa Park Scores High Marks |
| • | Tampa And Oakland Mayor Make Friendly Super Bowl Wager Last Night |
| • | Toronto Lawyer Submits Bid For Senators As Creditors Decide On Bryden’s Bid |
| • | PGA Merchandise Show Continues Today, Attendance Off From ‘01 |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
EYE ON SAN DIEGO: TWO DAYS UNTIL SUPER SUNDAY
With the Super Bowl only two days away, the Morning Buzz and Closing Bell highlight events and news of the day in San Diego:
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will deliver his State of the League address at an 11:30am PT press conference at the San Diego Convention Center’s Super Bowl Media Center (THE DAILY).
Tagliabue, Chargers Chair Alex Spanos, Chargers President & CEO Dean Spanos, CA Gov. Gray Davis, Patriots S Lawyer Milloy, Giants LB Dhani Jones, Bears CB R.W. McQuarters and Miss America Erika Harold will participate in Rebuilding Together’s “Kickoff to Rebuild 2003” press conference at 2:00pm PT. The event, which rehabilitates the homes of several low-income homeowners, begins at 8:00am PT in the City Heights section of San Diego (THE DAILY).
Westwood One/CBS Sports will present its Super Bowl XXXVII broadcast team – Marv Albert, Boomer Esiason, John Dockery, Warren Moon and Bonnie Bernstein – during a 1:30pm PT press conference at the San Diego Convention Center (THE DAILY).
Reebok character “Terry Tate: Office Linebacker” will make seven appearances in N.Y. today to promote the company’s first Super Bowl ad since ’94 (THE DAILY).
Chargers LB Junior Seau and QBs Doug Flutie and Drew Brees will serve as volunteer marshals, and help unload bags on a Southwest Airlines 737 at 10:45am PT. Southwest is the official airline of the NFL (THE DAILY).
The Sixth Annual NFL Alumni Super Bowl of Golf Showcase begins at 8:00am PT at La Costa Resort (THE DAILY).
Tampa Mayor Dick Greco and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown appeared on CNN's "Wolf Blitzer Reports" last night to discuss the Super Bowl, and to make a friendly wager on the game. Brown said that “in the completely unlikely event” the Raiders lose the Super Bowl, he will send some local soul food, two cases of microbrew beer, a gondola ride and have Greco over for a home-cooked meal in his executive suite. Greco said if the Bucs lose, “we’ve got a weekend planned” in Tampa with local food, cigars and a Spanish cookbook among other items. Brown: “If we don’t win, I’m sending the Raider Nation to Tampa to kind of clean up things” ("Wolf Blitzer Reports," CNN, 1/23).
Last night’s edition of “ET” reported from Super Bowl XXXVII which, according to correspondent Mark Steines, “is shaping up to be the girl power bowl,” referring to Super Bowl performers Shania Twain and No Doubt ("ET," 1/23).
Newspapers in the participating teams’ markets and host city San Diego are offering in-depth coverage of the event:
NFLPA OPENS UP THE PRADO FOR SPECIAL SUPER BOWL GUESTS
From staff of The Daily on the ground in San Diego
An enjoyable and relaxing evening was had by all at last night’s NFLPA Super Bowl party at The Prado at Balboa Park, a spacious and opulent villa-style restaurant high on the hills of San Diego. The NFLPA receives high marks for refusing to over-extend its invite list, as the landmark facility easily held the hundreds attending, all dressed business casual while munching on Spanish paella, Greek and Mediterranean salads, Caesar salad, Prado hummus, rum-encrusted Mahi Mahi with mango salsa, slow roasted turkey, prime rib and Mexican-style spicy crab cakes. The party extended from the outdoor decks, where one could listen to a quartet, to inside among the ornate architecture and multi-themed rooms. Dessert of cinnamon churros and caramel flan ended the culinary experience. Some of the fun included Bucs WR Keyshawn Johnson talking to guests, and posing for photos in a red 49ers Joe Montana No. 16 jersey. Meanwhile, Jets RB Curtis Martin was as cool and polite as always, talking to people and sharing stories while listening to the Latin-infused band in the main dance room.
Other player sightings: Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith’s handlers at Advantage Marketing Group continued their busy week as Smith took in some conversations, food and drinks following an appearance-filled day. Jaguars QB Mark Brunell and Dolphins QB Jay Fiedler were also spotted.
Today, The Daily visits the Octagon party at the high profile W Hotel in San Diego. Also, the Commissioner's Soiree is tonight, but tickets have proven diffcult to obtain.
TODAY THE DAILY GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH…
Sunday’s Super Bowl will be beamed to 220 countries and territories in 28 different languages. To learn more about who the NFL has charged with capitalizing on the int’l interest in America’s new national pastime, as well as tips on some of the finest int’l destinations, see today’s Sports Industrialists section for "THE DAILY Goes One-On-One With..."
SENATORS WOULD BE MOVED TO HAMILTON UNDER NEW BID
The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that the Senators’ creditors face a deadline today to accept or reject a bid from Chair Rod Bryden for the team and the Corel Centre. Meanwhile, Toronto-based lawyer Richard Rodier yesterday submitted a bid on behalf of HHC Acquisition Corp. to move the team to Hamilton. While Rodier “declined to provide details of the offer or say who else is involved, … he said the bid has been fully financed.” Rodier’s bid does not include the Corel Centre. The Senators’ main creditors – Canadian Imperial Bank and FleetBoston Financial – are “still negotiating with Bryden and will likely seek an extension of the deadline.” Rodier said that he “didn’t know whether formal bids could be submitted before today’s deadline because the bidding process has not been made public.” Documents outlining the process have been sealed by an Ottawa judge (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 1/24).
YAO, STEVIE FRANCHISE ONLY ALL-STAR STARTER TEAMMATES
The starters for the NBA All-Star Game were announced on last night’s edition of “Listen Up!”. Lakers G Kobe Bryant led all players with 1,474,386 votes. Starters are as follows (THE DAILY):
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
| Raptors F Vince Carter | Spurs F Tim Duncan |
| Pacers F Jermaine O’Neal | T’Wolves F Kevin Garnett |
| Pistons C Ben Wallace | Rockets C Yao Ming |
| Sixers G Allen Iverson | Lakers G Kobe Bryant |
| Magic G Tracy McGrady | Rockets G Steve Francis |
NORTHEAST LEAGUE TEAM OWNER TO ANNOUNCE NAME TODAY
Business exec Charles Hutchins will hold a press conference today in Bangor, ME, to announce the name, logo, manager and expected players of a team – formerly the Adirondack Lumberjacks (Glens Falls, NY) – that he purchased last year to move to the city. The team will compete in the eight-team unaffiliated Northeast League, and will play at the 3,000-seat John Winkin Baseball Complex. The city has not had a professional baseball team since the independent Bangor Blue Ox ceased operations following the ’97 season (PORTLAND PRESS HERALD, 1/22).
MORNING BRIEFS
Final votes for Team Marketing Report's 2nd Annual Ad It Up Awards were tabulated during the National Sports Forum earlier this week in Pittsburgh. The chart below lists all the winners (THE DAILY):
| Best TV Spots | Athletics |
| Best Radio Commercials | NTRA |
| Best Print Campaign | Maple Leafs |
| Best Out-Of-Home Campaign | Predators |
| Best Environmental Campaign | A-League MN Thunder |
WJLA-ABC will air Wizards Magazine, the Wizards weekly TV show, each weekend through the remainder of the season. WJLA’s first broadcast is tomorrow at 12:30pm ET (THE DAILY).
ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale, on the Australian Open: “15,000 people in (Rod Laver Arena), and this tournament is now basically sold out for the Rod Laver Arena from day one. Hugely successful Slam” (“Australian Open,” ESPN, 1/23).
The Futures Golf Tour will hold the inaugural $65,000-Tampa Bay’s Next Generation Futures Golf Classic on April 4-6 at Rogers Park Golf Course. The tournament will benefit The Vincent Reid Foundation (THE DAILY).
Nike Golf and the American Junior Golf Association are teaming up to present the AJGA Nike Golf Junior All-Star Series. Seven events are planned for ’03, including the season-ending championship near Nike Golf’s HQ in Beaverton, OR, over Labor Day (THE DAILY).
The CINCINNATI ENQUIRER reports that Pete Rose “has been hit with federal and state tax liens totaling more than $154,000.” Records show that Rose now “owes the (IRS) $151,690 for problems with his 1998 income tax filing” (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 1/24).
IOC Honorary Member & Fiat Founder & Chair Giovanni Agnelli passed away yesterday at the age of 81 (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 |
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| Philadelphia Daily News | Boston Herald |
TODAY’S EVENTS
The PGA Merchandise Show continues today at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, with over 1,300 exhibitors utilizing 600,000 square feet of space. Today’s sessions include “How To Compete & Succeed Against The Retail Giants” and “Merchandising For The Women’s Market.” View the entire agenda (THE DAILY).
- The MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL reports that attendance figures for the first day of the PGA Merchandise Show “were not available, but most exhibitors agreed that the number of people walking the aisles was significantly smaller than it was last year” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 1/24).
- PGA Interactive and iCongo will announce the official launch of the PGA Exchange at a 9:30am ET press conference (THE DAILY).
The Baseball Tomorrow Fund, a joint initiative of MLB and the MLBPA, and Czech Republic-based SK KRC Altron Baseball Softball are hosting a ceremony at 9:00am ET to officially open the newly expanded National Baseball Center in Prague (THE DAILY).
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…..
Every Friday, the Morning Buzz highlights a video clip, chart or piece of information that might have fallen through the cracks. This week, just when you thought you had seen your last athlete-turned-politician, CNN’s Judy Woodruff reports that the Beehive State’s next governor may be a former two-time NL MVP (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
REUTERS reports that Krispy Kreme Doughnuts today said it “plans to buy Montana Mills Co. Inc., a small chain of neighborhood bakeries, for about $40[M] in stock in its first move to expand beyond its namesake doughnut chain” (REUTERS, 1/24).
The AP reports that search engine Ask Jeeves yesterday reported its first-ever quarterly profit from operations, “a breakthrough management heralded as the end of the Internet company’s money-losing ways” (AP, 1/24).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was “Historic Names.”
“In 2002, Christie's auctioned off his own account of his 48-day journey and his coconut cup with the date April 1789 on it.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS' David Letterman: “Before we begin tonight's show, it's my duty to inform you that both Germany and France are opposing tonight's program. ... I was talking to my friends at the weather bureau, and they said this cold front should lift right around Labor Day. ... Here's how cold it is. I'll give you an example. Everyday when I come to work, out in front of the Ed Sullivan Theater ... there's a guy out there under the marquee everyday who gives me the finger. Well, it's so cold today he gave me the temperature. ... It's so cold where I live, the squirrels were throwing themselves on my electric fence. ... It's so cold down the street, a stripper froze to her pole. ... It was so cold today Puff Daddy changed his name from P Diddy to Frozen P. ... Pete Rose is ready to admit that he bet on baseball and by doing so, he’s inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. He admits he bet on baseball, right to the Hall of Fame. Well, that certainly sets a clear, moral tone for our young people. ... According to published reports, President Bill Clinton has decided he is addicted to sex. So he’s gone into therapy for his addiction to sex, and so far they say it’s going very well. He’s already nailed two other addicts” ("Late Show," CBS, 1/23).
NBC's Jay Leno: “It was so cold in Washington today, Strom Thurmond's teeth were chattering in the glass. ... It was so cold in New York, Al Sharpton burned down the rest of his office building just to keep warm. ... It was so cold in Florida, R Kelly's tongue got stuck on a swing set. ... I guess you’ve seen it on the news. It's been on everyday. Planeload after planeload of young men, weighed down with weapons and ammunition, landing in a continuous stream, and those are just Raider fans coming in from Oakland. ... As you know the Super Bowl this year is in San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium. ... What is Qualcomm? Doesn't that sound like something Liza Minnelli would OD on? ... You know the Super Bowl is going to be broadcast in 28 different languages, and that's just so people in L.A. can watch. ... A new survey says that right after the Super Bowl, automobile accidents increase in the city that loses. Unlike the winning city, where most of the cars are wrecked by people turning them over during riots and setting them on fire. ... If Tampa Bay loses, the mayor of Oakland gets a year’s supply of oranges, and if Oakland loses, the mayor of Tampa Bay gets one hour with a crack ho. ... USC has announced that Carson Palmer's Heisman Trophy will go display in the USC Athletic Department. It will remain on display there until Palmer commits a double murder” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 1/23).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten Questions Received By The ChapStick Hotline" ("Late Show," CBS, 1/23).
| 10) "Hi, is this the Chopstick Hotline?" |
| 9) "Okay, I removed the cap – now what?" |
| 8) "Can I use it to highlight passages in books?" |
| 7) "Is it safe for my kitty's lips?" |
| 6) "Is it true that the Chinese use these instead of forks?" |
| 5) "I like to dress the tubes in tiny little clothes I make. Is this illegal?" |
| 4) "Is it available in a spray?" |
| 3) "I wrote a 22-page poem about ChapStick. Where do I send it?" |
| 2) "I lost my ChapStick. Did anyone turn it in?" |
| 1) "Is Wilford Brimley dead?" |
THURSDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 10:30pm ET “SportsCenter” led with a report that Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith will be allowed to negotiate with other teams for a starting position.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“Who was Captain Bligh?”
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