NJ SENATE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER CABLEVISION-YES BILL TODAY

The N.Y. TIMES reports that the NJ Senate Judiciary Committee today will hold a hearing on a bill that could force Cablevision to carry YES. Supporters hope to pass the bill, which "would prevent a company that owns cable systems and networks from discriminating against an independent channel like YES," by March 20. YES lobbyist/MWW Group VP Michael Turner: "Our message resonates with legislators. They're tired of hearing that there's one million households in [NJ] without the ability to watch the Yankees and the Nets" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/10).

FANS BOO LOUDLY AS HOCH POSTPONES FORD CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH

PGA Tour player Scott Hoch defeated Jim Furyk in a sudden death playoff at the Ford Championship this morning at 8:00am ET on ESPN, which featured NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller and most of the NBC broadcasting crew. The move from NBC to ESPN came after Hoch "announced it was too dark to putt" last night. The playoff ended within 20 minutes, at which time ESPN returned to the daily "SportsCenter" rotation. Fans "booed loudly" following Hoch's announcement, prompting Miller to say, "I've never seen anything quite like this. … I would have never done that in a million years" (USA TODAY, 3/10). Commenting on the fan reaction, Hoch said, "They made me feel like I was at the All-Star game" (FLORIDA TIMES UNION, 3/10).

Miller, after someone shouted "In the hole," after Furyk teed off on the 18^th hole: "I wonder how many drinks it takes to say that on a par-four that's 443 (yards)" (TORONTO STAR, 3/10).

SUITE SALES PROJECTED TO PROVIDE 12% OF COYOTE'S REVENUE

The Coyotes today will begin selling suites at the team's new Glendale arena, and the ARIZONA REPUBLIC reported that the suites are "projected to provide up to 12[%] of their total hockey revenue." In addition to providing traditional perks, the Coyotes "will throw in country club memberships, resort vacations and monthly dinners with their suites, which will lease for $60,000 to $120,000 per year" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/9). For more on this issue, refer to Friday's Top Story in The Daily.

CHRIS ZIMMERMAN TO BECOME CEO OF BAUER NIKE HOCKEY

Nike will announce today that Chris Zimmerman will become CEO of Bauer Nike Hockey.  Zimmerman joins Bauer Nike Hockey after eight years with Nike, most recently serving as GM of Nike Golf, where he led the brand's relaunch. Prior to joining Nike Golf in '98 as its Global Marketing Dir, Zimmerman served as U.S. Ad Dir for the Nike Brand, helping push Nike's U.S. sales from $3-5B from '95-98 (THE DAILY).

BURK TO USE FCC LICENSE AGAINST CBS IN FLAP OVER THE MASTERS

Cartoon From Sunday's Augusta Chronicle (Click Image To Enlarge)

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reported that NCWO Chair Martha Burk said she is sending a letter to CBS President Les Moonves "asking that CBS review its decision" to air The Masters. Burk: "We want to make the case that broadcasting the tournament is not in the public's interest, and they're obligated to act in the public interest according to their FCC license." When asked if she will challenge CBS through the FCC, Burk said, "It's been talked about, but to say there's a plan at this point would be overstating it" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/8).

Meanwhile, Burk has set a Tuesday deadline for the Augusta Richmond County Sheriff's office to review her request to protest during The Masters (AP, 3/9).

Peter Jacobsen, on the planned protests during The Masters: "It's going to be freaks on parade" (NAPLES DAILY NEWS, 3/9).

MORNING BRIEFS

The N.Y. POST reports that Adweek will release its "Hot List" today, and ESPN Magazine "slots in at No. 2," behind Oprah Winfrey's O (N.Y. POST, 3/10).

The BUFFALO NEWS reported that it "is not clear whether the agreement" between B. Thomas Golisano, the Sabres, the NHL and Adelphia Communications for Golisano to buy the Sabres "will be signed this week, and it remains doubtful that the deal will be finalized before Tuesday's NHL trading deadline" (BUFFALO NEWS, 3/9).

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig reiterated yesterday he has no timetable on possibly reinstating Pete Rose. Selig: "People say, 'Bud wants to do this because of his popularity.' And everybody knows what a history buff I am, my legacy. But I don't feel pressure from anybody" (MLB.com, 3/9). MLB President & COO Bob DuPuy is "expected to meet" with Rose's business agent, Warren Greene as early as this week (N.Y. TIMES, 3/9).

ABC NBA analyst David Aldridge, on the net using 24 cameras during Sunday's Wizards-Knicks telecast from MSG: "We specialize in excess" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 3/10).

The N.Y. TIMES reports that the Yankees as early as today are expected to fine P David Wells $100,000 for the "controversial remarks he made in his new book." The money will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club (N.Y. TIMES, 3/10).

Jason Sehorn put out an open letter on sehornscorner.com commenting on his release from the Giants: "Quite frankly, some may not have appreciated my voice and opinion, or I'd still be wearing Giant blue" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/10).

The AKRON BEACON JOURNAL reports that the Dapper Dan Club of Akron honored LeBron James as the Sports Person of the Year at the organization's annual banquet last night. The event has "drawn a crowd of about 200 people" in recent years, but the "presence of James helped swell that figure to 375" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 3/10).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL reported that a crowd of 8,429 attended Sunday's MISL All-Star Game at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, "far from matching the 13,216 who turned out" last season in Cleveland (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 3/10).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

During Saturday's traditional Gridiron Club dinner on Capitol Hill, U.S. Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), who has announced plans to seek the Democratic nomination for President in '04, said his "dream Cabinet" would include Johnnie Cochran as Secretary of Defense, Matlock as Attorney General and Jeff Gordon as Secretary of Transportation (WASHINGTON POST, 3/10).

Clippers F Elton Brand, on the star treatment in Chicago and L.A.: "They loved you in Chicago. It was, 'Come right in, Mr. Brand.' In L.A., you pull to a nice restaurant and it's 'Are you a Laker?' You say, 'No, a Clipper' and it's, 'Move that car. There's no valet here. Take it around back.' It's not the same" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/8).

The CHICAGO SUN-TIMES reports that only two women showed up for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders' search in Chicago yesterday. Cowboys Cheerleaders Dir Kelli Finglass: "They said that people don't get out when it's cold in Chicago. But come on, I thought they'd be used to it" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/10).

WEEKEND RAP…

The following are excerpts from the panelists' "parting shots" on Sunday's edition of ESPN's "The Sports Reporters":

• N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica, on Spurs F Tim Duncan: "I believe Duncan is the MVP this season. He has no act, he has no hype or hip-hop to him, just the most classic game of basketball you'll ever see, and the lowest profile of any superstar we have now in sports. ... Duncan is the whole old-school package: talent plus grace."

• N.Y. Times columnist William Rhoden, on Jazz F Karl Malone questioning Lakers C Shaquille O'Neal and T'Wolves F Kevin Garnett for not wanting to play in the Olympics: "Please don't turn this into yet another referendum on patriotism. ... This is just a basketball game, Karl. Don't make it into a civil war."

• Washington Post columnist Tony Kornheiser: "It's great to celebrate (Lakers G Kobe Bryant) for being the youngest ever to 10,000 points, but (Wilt Chamberlain) was the quickest to 10,000 and as we know from the legend, scoring was always Wilt's deal."

• ESPN's John Saunders, on gambling allegations against former FL St. Univ. (FSU) QB Adrian MacPherson: "That was dumb for Pete Rose and he's going to end up in the (HOF). For MacPherson, dumb doesn't begin to cover it. He's ended his athletic life. ... Many a crime has been forgiven in sports, but at least in college, gambling will never be one of them" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 3/9).

Heard elsewhere over the weekend:

• ESPN's Max Kellerman, on the Red Sox off-season acquisitions: "Bill James is behind the scenes now in Boston. They're going to have a dynasty. They are significantly improved" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 3/7).

• Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, on Duke's fans, the Cameron Crazies: "They're full of themselves. They're over. They're over. The greatest fans in college basketball for the last 45 years are the St. Joe's Hawk fans, far and away" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 3/7).

• Ryan, on the NHL's trading deadline coming three weeks before the playoffs start: "What kind of league is this? Why don't they just have an auction of all the players who aren't in the playoffs when the playoffs start? It's a farce. It's always been a farce" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 3/7).

• ESPN's Michael Wilbon, on whether protesters at The Masters will disrupt the tournament: "The protesters are going to be so far from Augusta National, they may as well be in Atlanta" ("PTI," ESPN, 3/7).

• ESPN's John Kernan, on driver Michael Schumacher's domination of the F1 series: "(Schumacher) has just kind of made it a boring series the last couple of years. I hate to be that blunt, but that's the only way to put it" (ESPNews, 3/7).

• MGM Mirage Race & Sports Book Dir Robert Walker, on the NASCAR UAW DaimlerChrysler 400, which was held in Las Vegas: "We wrote about 15,000 tickets on this event. That's more tickets than we write on the NHL season for the entire year" (ESPNews, 3/7).

• Lupica, on the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team voting to forfeit their final two regular season games: "They should be drummed out of their league for this. ... This is a scandal that is going to taint this university" ("Sports Reporters," ESPN, 3/9).

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 20^th annual IEG Sponsorship Conference opened yesterday and continues today at the Chicago Hilton. View today's agenda (THE DAILY).

EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are this week's confirmed earnings announcements for sports-business related companies (THE DAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS….

This week's cover of TIME offers Head of U.S. Central Command General Tommy Franks, under the header, "Bound For Baghdad." Meanwhile, NEWSWEEK examines Saddam Hussein's "Counter Attack" (THE DAILY).

The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that network programmers "haven't yet figured out their crucial fall prime-time lineups, but media buyers say interest already is so strong that some marketers are talking about paying record prices" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/10).

MediaVest Worldwide President for U.S. Broadcast Mel Berning, on the impact of war on marketing and advertising: "The one question everyone in our jobs has to answer is, what would this do to advertising budgets over the next 18 months." CIBC World Markets analyst David Doft, on the same issue: "Why make a decision to go ahead with launching a new campaign or a new product when you can wait a couple of months and play it safe" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/10).

The L.A. TIMES reports that ABC Exec VP/Marketing, Advertising & Promotion Steve Sohmer resigned Sunday, a "mere seven months after assuming the position" (L.A. TIMES, 3/10).

The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that DirecTV said it "would drop ABC Family because Disney is seeking a 35% increase in the monthly license fee it charges DirecTV." Last week, DirecTV began running a notice at the bottom of the screen on ABC Family "informing subscribers it would remove the channel if a deal weren't struck" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/10). DirecTV VP/Corporate Communications Robert Marsocci, on ABC Family: "This is no ESPN" (L.A. TIMES, 3/8).

The N.Y. POST reports that B. Thomas Golisano will soon begin weekly statewide radio commentaries, titled "Straight Talk with Tom Golisano," in order to "take on" NY Gov. George Pataki and other NY political leaders (N.Y. POST, 3/10).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Friday's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Summer Olympic Venues."

"The only time the host country failed to win a gold medal was at the Olympics held in this Western Hemisphere city."

LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

NBC's Jay Leno: "President Bush today agreed to allow more weapons inspectors into Iraq. In fact, I understand he's got 250,000 of them ready to go. ... Turkey has voted not to allow U.S. troops into their country, and today Saddam Hussein said, 'You can do that?' ... Saddam Hussein has written his autobiography. It's called 'Men and a City,' and here's a shocker. The reviewers in Baghdad loved it. The only place they loved it more: France. ... Pakistan claimed today they have arrested two of Osama bin Laden's sons. I believe it was Zach and Dillon bin Laden. ... In a situation like this, where the kids have been arrested, you have to ask yourself, 'Where were the parents?' ... This Sunday in Dublin, Ireland, 50,000 people are attempting to set a world record for the largest karaoke session. 50,000 people singing karaoke at once. Forget Baghdad. This is where we drop the bombs. ... If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of constant reproduction, and I'm thinking, 'How close are these people walking to the people in front of them?' ... Do you know what you call a bankrupt Michael Jackson? Tito" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 3/7).

SUNDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR

ESPN's 11:00pm ET "SportsCenter" led with NCAA men's basketball, Duke-North
Carolina, followed by Kansas-Missouri.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that it was a solid weekend at the box office as the "estimated total for the top 12 films was up a sterling 16% from the comparable frame last year" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/10).

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What was Montreal?"

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

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