IOC TV And Internet Rights Commission To Meet Today In Lausanne
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D’Alessandro Critical Of USOC’s Detailed Financials
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Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission To Discuss Twins Ballpark Analysis
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Snowfall Continues To Effect East Coast Teams And Costs Begin To Mount
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Augusta Richmond County Commission Yesterday Amends Public Protest Laws
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Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy!
IOC COMMISSION TO DISCUSS U.S. TV RIGHTS FOR 2010 AND BEYOND
The IOC TV and Internet Rights Commission will conduct an all-day meeting today in Lausanne, at which it will decide if it will “move ahead with negotiations for a TV rights contract in the U.S. for the Games of 2010 and beyond.” The meeting will include a report from commission member Richard Carrion on meetings last month in N.Y. with network suitors. NBC holds the U.S. rights through the ’08 Games in Beijing (AROUND THE RINGS, 2/14 issue). The IOC Exec Board is scheduled to meet Thursday and Friday in Lausanne, and on the agenda is a discussion of future TV rights, the status of certain sports and other int’l issues (THE DAILY).
Meanwhile, after reviewing the USOC’s detailed financial records, TOP sponsor John Hancock Chair & CEO David D’Alessandro yesterday implied that the organization’s “fund-raising is floundering, its revenues are stagnant, its licensing royalties are paltry and its salaries have grown too quickly.” D’Alessandro noted that revenues last year of $146.2M were the same as in ’92, but expenses increased from $80.5M to $139.9M over the same period (N.Y. TIMES, 2/19).
The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS reports the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission today will discuss the recommendation by its Finance and Personnel Committee that it hire design firm HOK “to perform a design analysis for a stadium on the so-called Rapid Park site in Minneapolis.” The site, a surface parking area two blocks northwest of the Target Center, is the “leading choice of downtown business leaders, and probably the Twins” (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/19).
NJSEA, UNITED AMONG FIRST TO REPORT SNOW-RELATED EXPENSES
The record snowfall that blanketed the East coast is costing area sports teams and organizations additional money to continue operations. The Newark STAR-LEDGER reports that the roofs on practice bubbles at the Meadowlands and Rutgers Univ. “collapsed Monday under the weight of snow.” NJSEA President George Zoffinger said that the cost of “repairing and reinflating” the Meadowlands bubble will be $200,000. Additionally, plowing the Continental Airlines Arena parking lot for last night’s Heat-Nets game cost $400,000 (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 2/19).
Meanwhile, the WASHINGTON POST reports that DC United “has had to scramble to extend” its training camp in south FL because its practice sites in the DC area are covered in snow. The cost of changing plane tickets and lengthening hotel reservations is expected to be $15,000-20,000 (WASHINGTON POST, 2/19).
PUBLIC PROTEST IN AUGUSTA TO REQUIRE 20 DAYS ADVANCE NOTICE
The AUGUSTA CHRONICLE reports that the Augusta Richmond County Commission yesterday “broke a monthlong gridlock … voting narrowly to amend city laws governing public protest and demonstration.” The updated law, which requires that an application be filed 20 days in advance of any protest, is “effective immediately and – more important to local officials – ready in plenty of time” for The Masters. The 5-5 vote was cast with no discussion, leaving Mayor Bob Young to cast “the needed sixth vote for the changes” (AUGUSTA CHRONICLE, 2/19).
PRINCETON VIDEO IMAGE RECEIVES $1.5M IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING
Princeton Video Image (PVI) today announced that one of its largest shareholders, Presencia en Medios SA de CV, has invested an additional $1.5M in secured convertible debt in PVI, and has been granted an option for the next 30 days to invest an additional $1.5M on the same terms (THE DAILY).
Meanwhile, online live event and wagering company Youbet.com today announced that it has closed on a $2M private placement financing led by New Orleans-based Rice-Voelker LLP (THE DAILY).
MORNING BRIEFS
Following Mike Tyson’s decision to fight Clifford Etienne in Memphis Saturday night after previously withdrawing, Showtime PPV Exec Producer Jay Larkin said, “I’ve been in a lot of roller-coaster rides with Tyson, but this is the craziest” (N.Y. TIMES, 2/19). PPV marketing agency Team Services Senior VP Jay Hassman: “It doesn’t look as if Tyson can be counted on. Without him, the whole [PPV] industry can really get thrown for a loop” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/19).
In reporting the company’s quarterly earnings yesterday, K2 Chair & CEO Richard Heckmann said that he “has had several ‘positive’ meetings” with dissident Rawlings shareholder Daniel Gilbert, and is hopeful that Gilbert will agree to support K2's $84M bid for MO-based Rawlings “when it comes to a vote March 26” (L.A. TIMES, 2/19).
FIFA President Joseph Blatter said that “a military action against Iraq could force him to postpone the under-20 World Cup, which is scheduled in the United Arab Emirates from March 25 to April 26” (N.Y. TIMES, 2/19).
USA TODAY reports that Phoenix touring pro Brian Kontak said that “he will pursue playing” in the U.S. Women’s Open, scheduled for July 3-6 at North Plains, OR. Kontak: “If it’s acceptable for a woman to play in a men’s event, I don’t know why it’s not acceptable for a man to play a USGA women’s event” (USA TODAY, 2/19).
HOW’S THAT FOR AN EARLY WEDDING GIFT:
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that WWXN-AM sports morning drive host Mike Adams, who had intended to get married April 17 on air, was “taken off the air in mid-show yesterday morning after three months on the job.” WWXN GM Mike Kellogg said he made the move abruptly because “it wasn’t fair to let Mike dangle” after the Boston Herald reported that the show was being pulled in yesterday’s edition. Adams: “I’ve been in the business for 30 years and never made an exit like that” (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/19).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Las Vegas waitress Lisa Hammond, on Tiger Woods’ tipping: “He ordered a cocktail and he gave me a dollar. [He] wasn’t very friendly. Very snobby. For Vegas, if you’re getting a single drink [you should tip] at least $3” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/19).
The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that the SBC Center’s central lighting system “went out just before the tip-off” of last night’s Nuggets-Spurs game. The teams “elected to start the game somewhat in the dark,” and the lights did not “fully come on until after the start of the second quarter” (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 2/19).
ESPN.com reported that Bucs coach Jon Gruden is auctioning the ’02 Mercedes S500 that was donated to him by a Tampa-area dealership on eBay. Gruden will “hand the keys to the winning bidder, take pictures and even autograph the car, which Gruden supposedly drove to Super Bowl XXXVII” (ESPN.com, 2/18).
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
The Philadelphia Chapter of the National Sports Marketing Network will host a discussion entitled “Who’s Moving the $$$ in 2003?: A Look at Philadelphia Agency Spending” from 8:00-10:30am ET at Victor’s in the First Union Center. Guest speakers include MayoSeitz Partner Jon Seitz, and Harmelin Media Senior Buyer Joe Waugh (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The L.A. TIMES reports that Real Networks will announce today that the company is incorporating mobile-phone network equipment producer Ericsson’s technology for transmitting audio and video into its products (L.A. TIMES, 2/19).
JOE’S WORLD:
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that 40 million viewers watched Fox’ “Joe Millionaire” finale, including a 40 share in adults 18-49. Half the “women in the Generation X and Y range” who were watching television in the 9:00-10:00pm hour Monday night “were glued to the ‘Millionaire’ finale, which posted a 24.8 rating/50 share in women 18-34, or 8.1 million women.” Among men 18-34, the show posted a 19.1/45. Monday night was the “highest-rated night in the history of Fox Broadcasting” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/19).
The N.Y. TIMES notes that the figures for viewers 18-49 “surpassed the comparable number for any episode of ‘Friends,’ for the last two Academy Awards telecasts and even for any of the shows focusing on Michael Jackson in the last two years.” Fox is not planning on a sequel, but the net is “starting a new reality on March 3 ... called ‘Married by America’” (N.Y. TIMES, 2/19).
But “what has Fox suits most jazzed about ‘Joe’ is that its fans were upscale and educated – definitely not your ‘When Animals Attack’ crowd” (WASHINGTON POST, 2/19).
News Corp. President & COO Peter Chernin, on Fox’ weekend, which included the nationwide debut of the #1 movie “Daredevil,” solid ratings for the Daytona 500, the 300th episode of “The Simpsons” and the “Joe Millionaire” finale: “I’m a pretty happy guy right now” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/19).
FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was “Numerical Phrases.”
“Number and type of musical instruments hanging from a Mason City, (IA), ceiling, a tribute to a native son.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS' David Letterman: “24 hours ago, it was fun. We got, like, three feet of snow here in New York, and it was a lot of fun, like the first half-hour of realizing we had a blizzard, but today it’s crazy. I'll tell today you how bad the snow was. I had to hire Hans Blix to find my car. ... There is so much snow here, terrorists are being told to stay home unless it’s urgent. ... Bad snow down in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. Earlier today, Dick Cheney was watching a guy shovel his sidewalk, and he had a heart attack. ... There is so much snow in Central Park today, I saw a squirrel salting his nuts. ... Dr. Phil was on the show last night, and thanks to Dr. Phil, I've come to terms with being trapped in a man’s body. ... With the big blizzard, everybody forgot that yesterday was Presidents’ Day, and next Monday ... it’s a special holiday devoted to the Bush’s, one-term Presidents’ Day” ("Late Show," CBS, 2/18).
NBC's Jay Leno: “They showed kids in New York building snowmen in the street, like on Park Avenue, and when you see these snowmen, you realize they’re a lot like Michael Jackson. They’re white, they attract kids and after a couple of days, the nose falls off. ... Worst storm of the century. Of course, the century’s only two years old. Two feet of snow in Washington, which is unheard of. The good news is between the Federal holiday yesterday and the Bush economic plan nobody missed any work. ... The ratings are in from last night, and it looks like ‘Joe Millionaire’ beat ‘Joe Pedophile.’ ... Michael Jackson was on every other channel last night. Well, thank God there’s nothing else going on in the world. ... Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge is now downgrading the alert. Remember last week, it was duct tape and plastic sheeting. He’s lowered it to scotch tape and two Ziplock bags. ... Over the weekend, they had the annual (S.F.) Zoo Sex Tour. They do this every Valentine’s Day. They take people through the zoo, and they tell them about mating habits of the animals, and this year’s big fun fact is that bears prefer masturbation over sex. Well no wonder they get so angry when hikers surprise them in the woods" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 2/18).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was "Top Ten Good Things About Having 19.8 Inches Of Snow In New York City," read by N.Y. Mayor Michael Bloomberg in-studio ("Late Show," CBS, 2/18).
10) "Footprints in snow make finding fleeing criminals a snap."
9) "As if by magic, all potholes are filled."
8) "Makes Hartford's 17.5 inches look pathetic."
7) "Dude, the snowboarding has been righteous."
6) "The city's never been so salty."
5) "I made a hundred bucks in overtime shoveling at Gracie Mansion."
4) "Shot in the arm for city's struggling toboggan industry."
3) "Instead of 90 miles per hour, cabs traveling a more reasonable 60 miles per hour."
2) "Any Broadway show can legitimately add the phrase 'On Ice.'"
1) "Yesterday I got to run New York City from home in my robe."
CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “According to a new study, lack of sex can actually impair your version. I mean vision. … The price of gas is almost up to $2.00 a gallon now; its getting so bad that Billy Joel took a bus to the tree he was going to hit. … The Rolling Stones’ plans to have a concert in China have hit a snag. The Chinese do not have a word yet for ‘paternity suit.’ … How cold is it back East? So cold, guys are dating Christina Aguilera just for the burning sensation” (“Late Late Show,” CBS, 2/18).
TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” led with Rockets-Lakers followed by Bucks-Kings and Pacers-Grizzlies.
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