Morning Buzz, January 29, 2003

COMMISSION TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL CHANGES TO TITLE IX

The Commission on Opportunity in Athletics will meet today in DC, and USA TODAY reports that it will consider “two dozen recommendations on how, or if, to change the underlying regulations of Title IX.”  While several commission members “had said this week that they did not yet know the procedure on voting,” Department of Education spokesperson Susan Aspey said yesterday that “votes will work on a simple majority basis.” The Commission will issue a final report on February 28 (USA TODAY, 1/29).

Commission and U.S. national women’s soccer team member Julie Foudy said that she “feels the majority of her fellow commissioners want to tinker with the Title IX rule.”  Foudy, however, is concerned with Univ. of MD AD Deborah Yow’s proposal that would allow “schools to have a 50-50 split of male and female athletes, regardless of the makeup of the student body” (AP, 1/29).

TAGLIABUE HAS UNTIL TODAY TO RESPOND TO PORTUNE’S LETTER

The CINCINNATI POST reported that NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has until today to respond to a letter from Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune to avoid “a taxpayer’s lawsuit against the Bengals and the NFL.”  Portune wrote Monday to Tagliabue that the NFL should offer the county an $80M loan so Paul Brown Stadium “can be paid off in 20 years, as originally estimated.”  Additionally, Portune is “seeking $124[M] in stadium lease concessions from the Bengals.”  The potential lawsuit “will be based on a lease provision requiring Bengals’ owners to field a competitive team” (CINCINNATI POST, 1/28).

Meanwhile, Portune has also contacted MLB about Pete Rose being involved in the opening ceremony of the Reds’ new stadium, Great American Ball Park.  Portune: “The people's investment, through their taxes, has made this new palace possible for the Reds and [MLB].  Keeping Pete Rose out of the park when it opens is not in the people's best interests. That's not what they want” (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 1/29).

MLBPA SEEKS DOCUMENTS REGARDING FREE-AGENT NEGOTIATIONS

The AP reported that the MLBPA has “taken the first step toward a possible collusion grievance against owners, requesting management documents about negotiations with free agents during this offseason.”  The request sought “documents that would reflect interclub communications and communications between the commissioner's office and clubs about free-agent negotiations” (AP, 1/28).

FAA INVESTIGATING TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR BUCS STUNT

The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reports that the FAA yesterday “notified the Tampa Police Department … that it is under investigation because it failed to obtain clearance for a stunt” at Monday night’s rally for the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium.  Prior to the team’s arrival, a police department helicopter “hovered over the turf while two officers rappelled to the ground” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 1/29).

As for the Bucs victory parade yesterday through downtown Tampa, “more than 100,000 screamed themselves hoarse” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 1/29).

CDI AND BREEDERS’ CUP LTD. PETITION FOR PICK SIX WINNINGS

Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) and Breeders’ Cup Ltd. yesterday filed a petition in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of NY to “release $3[M] in winnings from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ultra Pick Six.”  The petition said that CDI-owned Arlington Park and the IL Racing Board “would distribute the money to the rightful winners of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Ultra Pick Six wager.”  Winnings have been held “in an interest-bearing escrow account” since the betting scandal was uncovered (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 1/29).

MORNING BRIEFS

The PGA of America announced that it is “changing the rule at its sectional tournaments to make women play from the same tees as men if they want to qualify for PGA Tour events” (AP, 1/28).

The WASHINGTON POST reports the IAAF is “demanding that … Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery explain their mysterious and secretive relationship with coach Charlie Francis” of Ben Johnson infamy.  Also, USA Track & Field CEO Craig Masback said that “his organization had been talking with Jones, Montgomery and (their agent Charles) Wells since rumors of the relationship surfaced in December” (WASHINGTON POST, 1/29).

USA TODAY reports that ESPN2 renewed “Tuesday Night Fights” for a third season.  The show will “return June 3 for an approximate 12-week run” (USA TODAY, 1/29).

The AP reported that the $71.6M wagered on Super Bowl XXXVII in NV was less than the $77.2M that NV officials had hoped for (AP, 1/28).

Boris Becker, Nancy Richey, Francoise Durr and Australian official Brian Tobin were elected to the Int’l Tennis HOF (N.Y. TIMES, 1/29).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

NEWSDAY reports that most of the 14,246 people in attendance for last night’s Penguins-Islanders game at Nassau Coliseum, featuring Islanders C Michael Peca Celebriducks, “opted to litter the Coliseum’s frozen pond with his ducks in celebration of the Islanders’ final goal of the game instead of taking them home” (NEWSDAY, 1/29).

Mets C Mike Piazza, on the Mets’ new bright-orange batting-practice jerseys: “Yeah, on your days off, if anyone goes hunting and wears these, you probably won’t get shot” (NEWSDAY, 1/29).

USA TODAY reports that ABC “killed the two-drink maximum service” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after Sunday’s premiere during which an audience member vomited.  “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Exec Producer Daniel Kellison said that “things weren’t as out of control as they appeared, and he hopes that beer and wine eventually return” (USA TODAY, 1/29).

THE BACK PAGES

The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sports covers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:

N.Y. Post	N.Y. Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News	Boston Herald

TODAY’S EVENTS

Wheaties will unveil their newest “Special Edition” box and featured athlete at a 10:00am MT press conference at the Brittlebush Bar & Grill in Scottsdale, AZ (THE DAILY).

Charlotte Regional Sports Commission officials will make a presentation today to the Southern Conference to bring the leagues’ men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to the city in ’05 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER).

The Mavericks will put concert-only tickets on sale at 10:00am CT for a post-game concert by the R&B group Cameo, scheduled to follow the Nuggets-Mavericks game February 1 at American Airlines Center (THE DAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS….

USA TODAY reports that Disney paid Chair & CEO Michael Eisner $6M “in salary and bonus last year and gave (COO) Bob Iger a promotion related package worth almost $18[M].”  Disney’s BOD said that “it rewarded Eisner for steering the entertainment company through tough times and putting in on the right path, despite Disney shares falling 21% last year” (USA TODAY, 1/29).

The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that AOL Time Warner sold its 8.4% stake in Hughes Electronics for about $800M (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/29).

The WASHINGTON POST reports that Sam Donaldson is “talking to (MSNBC) about a possible regular prime-time gig,” but no deal is done (WASHINGTON POST, 1/29).

The N.Y. POST reports that Paul Allen, whose $7.6B investment in Charter Communications “has dwindled to just $400[M],” has hired restructuring firm Miller Buckfire Lewis & Co. to “protect his personal interests in the struggling cable company” (N.Y. POST, 1/29).

The ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS reports that Adelphia Communications announced plans to move its corporate HQ to the Denver area from Coudersport, PA (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 1/29).

FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was “Americana.”

“In June 1885 it made a historic transatlantic voyage in 214 crates on the Frigate Isere.”

LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

NBC's Jay Leno: “Earlier this evening, President Bush gave his State of Delusion address. ... Very upbeat.  He said other than the economy, health care, crime, education and the war, we're in great shape.  We got nothing to worry about. ... They said he worked harder on this one than anything he's ever done before.  In fact, they said he worked part of the afternoon, and then he cleared some brush. ... I kind of miss Bill Clinton on nights like this.  When Clinton would give a big speech, if it was boring, there was other stuff you could do.  You could check his neck for hickeys ... (or say), 'Hey, where'd he get that tie?  Hey, what's that stain on his jacket?' … Almost a billion people around the world watched the Super Bowl. Apparently, the only ones who weren't into the game were the Raiders. ... I felt sorry for Jerry Rice to get beat like that in front of your great-grandchildren.  That's rough. ... Because the game was here in (CA), Gov. Gray Davis called the winning locker room.  That was embarrassing.  Because the state is so broke, he had to call collect. ... The Detroit Lions fired their coach.  They have a coach?  Their coach was Marty Mornhinweg.  Wasn't he one of those professors in the 'Harry Potter' film? ... First, it was reported the Jackson Five was going to reunite for a world tour. ... Now Michael says no, he will not reunite.  That's typical, keeping his loved ones dangling. ... (Scott Peterson) said his missing wife knew he was having an affair, but they never even had a fight about it.  He called it an 'inappropriate romantic relationship while married.'  Stop the presses.  I think the Democrats have found their 2004 Presidential nominee” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 1/28).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:

NBC’s Conan O’Brien: “President Bush had his State of the Union address tonight.  He accused Saddam Hussein of being evil and posing a serious threat to the American people.  Then he said the same thing about the movie ‘Kangaroo Jack.’ … Big news in the world of television, Don Hewitt, the 80-year-old creator and executive producer of ‘60 Minutes’ announced he’s retiring.  Hewitt said ‘I’m 80 years old.  It’s time to stop producing ’60 Minutes’ and become a correspondent’”  (“Late Night,” NBC, 1/28).

CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “I actually saw ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’ tonight.    That’s right, President Bush’s State of the Union address. … Big news, the Oakland Raiders have gone 48 hours without giving up a touchdown.  Did you hear?  Today Raider (QB) Rich Gannon got mad at a reporter and threw his pen at him, and another reporter caught it. ... The environmental group Greenpeace issued its annual report this week.  Did you know this?  One third of the earth’s rain forests have been cut down by drunken celebrities” (“Late Late Show,” CBS, 1/28).

Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart: “The State of the Union address just ended, and, wow!  I can’t believe it, tonight the President told the nation he’s not really a millionaire.  He’s just a regular Joe construction worker.  Wait, that’s a different show.  I did watch the President shake hands as he walked down the aisle of Congress, and I miss the days when our President used to walk down the aisle and shake hands and say ‘Did her.  Did her’” (“The Daily Show,” Comedy Central, 1/28).

TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

ESPN’s 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” led with Jazz-Kings.

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“What is the Statue of Liberty?”

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

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