| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, January 31, 2003
9:00am ET | |
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| • | Time Warner Cable And FSN Execs Meet To Discuss Carriage Disputes |
| • | To Walk Or To Ride? That Is The Question For Champions Tour Players |
| • | USOC CEO Lloyd Ward Expected To Receive “Hefty Financial Penalty” |
| • | MLB To Suspend Senior Umpire Bruce Froemming For Using Ethnic Slur |
| • | “2003 Industry Forecast” Panel Discussion This Morning In N.Y. |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
WILL FIRST FORMAL SESSION IN WEEKS SETTLE CARRIAGE DISPUTE?
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that Time Warner Cable (TWC) and FSN execs yesterday “had what is believed to be their first formal negotiating session in several weeks” in an attempt to resolve TWC carriage disputes with FSN and Sunshine Network. Both nets have been off TWC cable systems since January 1 (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/31).
The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES notes that the Lightning have “posted a message on its Web site urging team supporters to contact Time Warner, the Sunshine Network that carries the games and their local elected officials to help get the Lightning back on Time Warner” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 1/31).
CHAMPIONS TOUR SEASON OPENS TODAY WITH NEW CART POLICY
The FLORIDA TIMES-UNION reports that Champions Tour players “will have a decision to make beginning today” as the MasterCard Championship opens in HI. The tournament “will mark the beginning of a new Champions Tour policy on golf carts, which have been offered to players for use either by themselves or by their caddies since the tour began” in ‘80. Under the policy, players must decide to walk or ride for all 18 holes before the start of the round, and caddies must walk and carry bags at all times (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 1/31).
The AKRON BEACON JOURNAL notes the recent “facelift” to what was the Senior PGA Tour, but states, “It appears the seniors are in the middle of a major market correction that all the name-changing in the world won’t stop” (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 1/31).
LLOYD WARD TO RECEIVE HEFTY FINE FOR ETHICS VIOLATIONS
The ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS reports that USOC CEO Lloyd Ward “is scheduled to receive a hefty financial penalty Saturday when the USOC compensation committee meets to deliberate on annual staff performance evaluations.” Ward, who makes more than $500,000 per year, will be penalized for his recent ethics violations (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 1/31).
NHL PLEASED WITH FIRST NIGHT DRAW AT ALL-STAR BLOCK PARTY
The NHL All-Star Block Party continues today in Sunrise, FL, and the MIAMI HERALD reports that about 8,000 people attended last night's event. NHL Senior Manager of Events & Entertainment Greta Palmer: “This is one of the biggest weeknight openings we’ve ever had.” An estimated crowd of 25,000 watched last night’s fireworks display (MIAMI HERALD, 1/31). View a complete schedule of events for the weekend.
MORNING BRIEFS
The L.A. TIMES reports that Raiders officials “returned at least 100 (Super Bowl XXXVII) tickets to the NFL.” Raiders season-ticket holder Gil Gutierrez: “That’s pretty bad, especially when I saw hundreds of Raider fans, if not more than that, sitting around Qualcomm Stadium, ready to sell their souls to get in” (L.A. TIMES, 1/31).
USA TODAY reports that MLB is expected to suspend umpire Bruce Froemming and “already has pulled him from an assignment to work” the Mariners-A’s season opening series in Japan for calling MLB Umpiring Senior Coordinator Cathy Davis a “stupid Jew bitch” after a dispute over his travel arrangements to Japan (USA TODAY, 1/31).
Cyclist Lance Armstrong is fearful of his safety in the upcoming Tour de France if the U.S. is at war with Iraq. Armstrong: “We Americans do not enjoy much sympathy abroad at the moment. … If I have to do the Tour with a war under way it would be very difficult for me” (REUTERS, 1/30).
The L.A. TIMES reports that Mighty Ducks GM Bryan Murray “received permission from Disney officials to increase the team’s payroll, already at a franchise-high $40[M], by $3.25[M]” (L.A. TIMES, 1/31).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Following the team’s preseason playoff guarantee and subsequent 17-29 record, Hawks GM Pete Babcock is honest in his personal evaluation, telling the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, “We stuck with our plan, and I was wrong – across the board” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 1/31).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL notes that Jeffrey Jordan, the oldest son of Michael and Juanita, begins his freshman year of high school (in IL) this fall and “is starting to play the game with flashes of his father’s seismic talent” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/31).
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 N.Y. chapter of the National Sports Marketing Network will hold a breakfast discussion, “2003 Industry Forecast: Is The Stormy Weather Over Yet?,” from 8:00-10:30am ET at The Whiskey in the W Hotel Times Square. The Daily’s Editor-at-Large Terry Lefton will moderate a panel that includes SportsLine.com President/Sales & Marketing Mark Mariani, Steiner Sports Marketing President & CEO Brandon Steiner and Strategic Sports Group Founder & President Peter Stern (THE DAILY).
The Red Sox have invited 1B coach Dallas Williams, authors George Plimpton and Roger Kahn and Boston Herald reporter Howard Bryant to speak to about 150 students on the life of Jackie Robinson. The event, in anticipation of Black History Month, will be held in the .406 Club at Fenway Park (THE DAILY).
The four-day Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2003 begins at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City (THE DAILY).
The Astros will conduct “Select-A-Seat Day” at Minute Maid Park from 10:00am-5:00pm CT, during which fans will be able to try out seat locations for full-season and mini-season ticket packages. The event continues tomorrow from 10:00am-3:00pm (THE DAILY).
MLS Crew President & GM Jim Smith, investor Joe Milano, Jr. and coach Greg Andrulis will hold a media luncheon to preview the upcoming season and make an announcement regarding new soccer ventures in Columbus at 1:00pm ET (THE DAILY).
The Pirates will hold their “PirateFest 2003” from 4:00-10:00pm ET at the Carnegie Science Center. OF Brian Giles, C Jason Kendall, 1B Randall Simon, 2B Pokey Reese, and manager Lloyd McClendon will be present for autographs and a Q&A session. The event will continue on Saturday from 10:00am-9:00pm, and on Sunday from 10:00am-5:00pm (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, “I am Carson Daly and I am a massive tool.” Well, not quite. But Daly is, in fact, a big-time Raiders fan, and here gets called out on his own show by Bucs DE Simeon Rice for abandoning the Silver and Black at halftime of Super Bowl XXXVII (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The L.A. TIMES reports that Disney’s net income decreased 41% in its fiscal Q1 as the “entertainment giant took a hit from a bad airline-lease investment and a write-down from its animated box-office flop ‘Treasure Planet’” (L.A. TIMES, 1/31).
AD AGE reported that Coca-Cola will cut 1,000 jobs, or 8% of its workforce, as it “seeks to streamline operations in its North American units.” About half of the layoffs will come in the company’s Atlanta HQ (ADAGE.com, 1/30).
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that bids “for the collective services of a dozen former CNET Networks (Web site) producers reached $610 yesterday before eBay pulled the plug on the auction” (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/31).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was “Fictional Characters.”
“A Nagasaki geisha who had a child with a man named Glover was the model for this title character.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
NBC's Jay Leno: “A record number of Americans watched President Bush’s speech the other night. Well, sure they watched. It's not like they had jobs to get up to go to the next day. ... Did you see the part of the speech where President Bush was talking about Iraq, and he said it's the size of (CA), and it is. Of course the big difference is, in Iraq they have more people that speak English. ... Former President Bill Clinton said today he enjoyed the speech. Not the context of it, just the fact that he knew where Hillary was going to be for exactly one hour. ... Happy birthday to Dick Cheney, the Fresh Prince of Intensive Care. ... He turned 62. 62! You thought Tampa Bay beat the odds. What a party they had last night. They were passing around that defibrillator … everybody took a hit. ... The navy has now trained sea lions in the Persian Gulf to work as lookouts and detect terrorists that may be trying to blow up our ships. Isn't that amazing? Sea lions will help us … the French still won't. ... It seems a lot of U.S. servicemen are now having their sperm frozen before they go off to a possible war with Iraq. Kind of kills the romance, doesn't it? Remember the old days when a guy would say, 'Look honey, I don't know when I'm coming back. This may be our last moment together. Let's make it count. I love you.' Now it’s, ‘Here’s your cup. Here’s a magazine. There’s a room.’ ... How many are ready for the big kickoff of arena football this Sunday on NBC? See, NBC latched onto arena football because we couldn't afford donkey basketball." Leno, on Reebok’s ‘Terry Tate’ ad: “That was a great commercial. It turned out Terry Tate is made up. Not a real football player. Which means he's either an actor or a member of the Cincinnati Bengals” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 1/30).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Dana Carvey appeared on last night's edition of NBC's "Tonight Show" where he talked about his friend Dennis Miller's tenure on "MNF." Carvey: "I thought he was great on ["MNF"]. I really miss him on there because he brought a lot of fun, kind of a different point of view to it." Carvey, imitating Miller's voice said, "Christ's sake, I haven't seen moves that fast since they switched Darrens on 'Bewitched.'" Carvey said "no comedian could have stepped in there and done that." Carvey, in each comedian's voice, on Gary Shandling: "You couldn't get Gary Shandling in there. 'Hey, he scored a touchdown. I'm touching my ass.'" Carvey, on Robin Williams: "'Oh look, oh, oh, the football hangs low in the sky like a testicle.'" Carvey, on Jay Leno: "Jay, you wouldn't have been good. 'Hey look, he scored ... he made a home run'" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 1/30).
THURSDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 10:30pm ET 90-minute edition of “SportsCenter” led with Sonics-Kings.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“Who is 'Madame Butterfly?’”
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