| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, April 10, 2003
9:00am ET | |
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| • | F1 Automakers To Ask Teams Today To Publicly Support Rival Series |
| • | NCWO Chair Martha Burk’s Appeal Denied As The Masters Begins Today |
| • | San Antonio City Council Likely To Delay Vote On Cowboys’ Training Camp |
| • | Magna Entertainment CEO Jim McAlpine Discusses Track With PA Residents |
| • | FIFA Postpones Draw For Women’s World Cup Because Of SARS |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
F1 AUTOMAKERS PRESSING TO INCREASE SHARE OF TV REVENUE
BLOOMBERG NEWS reported that F1 automakers today will “ask the motor sport’s teams to publicly support a rival series starting in 2008, a move that will put pressure on the current competition to pay the teams more.” Officials of the ten F1 teams “will be invited to sign a non-binding agreement at a meeting in Munich.” The automakers – Ford, Ferrari-Maserati, Renault, BMW and DaimlerChrysler – are “pressing to increase their 47[%] share of television revenue” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/9).
BURK MIGHT ANNOUNCE FINAL PROTEST PLANS IN ATLANTA TODAY
The first round of The Masters begins today at Augusta National Golf Club, and the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that NCWO Chair Martha Burk might announce final protest plans at a news conference in Atlanta. Burk’s “emergency appeal of a federal court decision denying her two preferred demonstration sites was rejected Wednesday.” Due to the ruling, Burk’s supporters “may now demonstrate in groups of four or fewer people,” technically avoiding the county ordinance. Atlanta-based protest organizer Tonja Holder: “We have not determined a final strategy with the groups of four” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/10).
The AUGUSTA CHRONICLE reports ACLU attorneys representing the NCWO and the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition said that they are “considering an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court” (AUGUSTA CHRONICLE, 4/10).
CITY COUNCIL LIKELY TO DELAY VOTE ON COWBOYS’ PROPOSAL
The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that today’s scheduled San Antonio City Council vote on hosting the Cowboys’ training camp “is likely to be delayed another week.” Assistant to the City Manager Roland Lozano said that staff was still gathering information on the proposal for the city to host training camp this year and then in ’05 and ’06, but was “hopeful the proposal could be finalized by staff before the day’s end.” City Council member Enrique Barrera: “I don’t think I’ll be ready to vote.” Today’s vote was to be on a one-year deal, but the Cowboy’s proposed a three-year deal because the Alamodome, site of the training camp, scheduled a religious conference during summer ‘04 (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 4/10).
MAGNA HOPING TO SECURE PA’S SOLE REMAINING TRACK LICENSE
The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE reports that Magna Entertainment CEO Jim McAlpine last night “spoke to about 100 Findlay residents at the township’s activity center about what will happen if racing giant Magna is successful in winning the state’s sole remaining thoroughbred track license.” McAlpine: “We believe we’re the most capable and experienced track operator in the country” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/10). As noted in yesterday’s Morning Buzz, Churchill Downs Inc. is partnering with local developer Charles Betters on a rival bid.
MORNING BRIEFS
FIFA has postponed the draw for the ’03 Women’s World Cup China, scheduled for May 24 in China because of SARS (THE DAILY).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that while competing yesterday in the four-day Circuit de la Sarthe in France, Lance Armstrong “stopped riding and dropped out” of the race for unknown reasons (WASHINGTON POST, 4/10).
The AP noted that a report to be delivered to the USOC at a meeting this weekend in Ft. Worth, TX, will reveal “a revenue shortfall of nearly $8[M] through 2004” (AP, 4/9).
USA TODAY reports that the Tennessee-UConn NCAA Women’s National Championship Game Tuesday on ESPN drew 3.5% of the U.S. TV cable households, down 14% from ’02. ESPN’s tournament “per-game average was 1% of cable TV households, down 9%” from ’02. Meanwhile, “CBS’ men’s tournament coverage, averaging 5% of U.S. TV households, was off 23%” from ’02 (USA TODAY, 4/10).
The Baltimore SUN reports that sporting goods manufacturer Head USA plans to “open a distribution center in Pasadena (MD) in a move that will create nearly 60 jobs” (Baltimore SUN, 4/10).
The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reports that the Lightning are “confident tonight’s opening playoff game against the Capitals will sell out,” even though about 1,500 tickets remained as of 5:00pm ET last night. Additionally, 3,300 tickets still remain for Saturday’s Game Two. Lightning Owner Bill Davidson: “It’s not disturbing, but it’s not a great sign” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 4/10).
MLB.com reports that members from the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet, Alley Theatre, Orange Show and Community Artists’ Collective “posed with (Astros C) Brad Ausmus and (P) Octavio Dotel for an ‘Athletes for Art’ photo shoot.” The scenes from the photos will be displayed at Houston Parks & Recreation sites in poster format (MLB.com, 4/10).
Last night’s Celtics-Wizards game concluded Hardwood Classics Nights as the Wizards wore the home uniforms of the ‘77-78 Bullets, and the WASHINGTON POST reports that Wizards F Michael Jordan “left open the possibility for the first time that he could leave the … Wizards for a management position with the Chicago Bulls or elsewhere” (WASHINGTON POST, 4/10).
The CHICAGO SUN-TIMES reports that the IL “Racino Express” will try to “pick up momentum today in Springfield when turf slot-machine salesmen Scott Mordell and Edward T. Duffy are scheduled to testify before the Revenue Gaming/Revenue Committee in the state Senate. The hearing would be the first formal step on the long road to putting the overpowering three-button bandits at [IL’s] five operating racetracks” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/10).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The SEATTLE TIMES reports that last night’s attendance of 35,492 for Angels-Mariners was “the lowest at Safeco Field since last May 8.” The Mariners drew “only five smaller crowds last year, but all came in the first month of the season” (SEATTLE TIMES, 4/10).
- The CHICAGO SUN-TIMES reports that only 14,841 fans “were on hand on a cold, windy night” in Cleveland for White Sox-Indians last night, resulting in “the Indians’ smallest crowd at Jacobs Field” since it opened in ’94 (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/10).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
ESPN.com reports that Jason Gabbert of MN, the man who sold D’Backs LF Luis Gonzalez’ chewed gum at an auction for $10,000 last year, is suing Vigilante Security Services Owner Tom Vigilante and a security guard for allegedly slandering him, “significantly hindering the final price.” Gabbert said that the “potential value of the gum dropped and he claims that potential bidders told him they were concerned about the gum’s legitimacy” (ESPN.com, 4/9).
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 |
TODAY’S EVENTS
NBA Commissioner David Stern, Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik and Senior VP/Basketball Operations Stu Jackson will participate in a pre-playoff conference call at 2:00pm ET (THE DAILY).
NFL HOFer Tony Dorsett and Raiders DB Anthony Dorsett, Jr. will unveil a new campaign for D.A.R.E. titled “No Time For Drugs” during a 10:00am PT news conference in L.A. The program encourages athletes to give back to their local communities (THE DAILY)
IN OTHER NEWS….
The N.Y. TIMES reports that News Corp. “agreed yesterday to buy control of Hughes Electronics and its DirecTV satellite operation from General Motors in a deal valued at $6.6[B]” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/10).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that Yahoo “swung to an unexpectedly large first-quarter profit on a 47% leap in revenue.” Yahoo “raised its revenue forecast for the year to between [$1.22B and 1.28B], indicating growth over 2002 of as much as 34%. Yahoo’s previous revenue forecast was $1.145-1.215B (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/10).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Liberty Media has “invested another $220[M] in USA Interactive by purchasing about 11 million shares,” increasing Liberty Media’s stake to 49.8 million shares. Liberty Media purchased the shares for $19.64 each, below Monday’s close of $26.10 (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 4/10).
The N.Y. POST reports that Cablevision and AOL Time Warner “are in discussions about merging their cable systems ahead” of Time Warner Cable’s IPO, which is scheduled for July. Sources close to the situation said that the two companies “have agreed in principle to the deal” (N.Y. POST, 4/10).
THE DAILY QUESTION
Which is the only state to touch two oceans?
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “It’s cold here in (N.Y.), just lousy cold, isn’t it? To give you an idea how cold it was yesterday, out at Yankee Stadium, throwing out the first pitch was Ted Williams. ... We have defeated Saddam Hussein and Iraq. The good news is Iraq is ours, and the bad news, Iraq is ours. ... The really difficult part is we have to rebuild Iraq into a strong independent nation that will one day hate the United States. ... Iraq’s Minister of Information did not show up for his press conference today. ... However, he claims he was there and he said it went very well. ... Yesterday, the Iraqis and the U.S. troops pulled down a giant statue of Saddam Hussein. ... They pulled the thing down and it landed right on top of Geraldo” ("Late Show," CBS, 4/9).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “Our troops have taken over Baghdad, ... being warmly greeted by the Iraqi people. ... These Iraqis are celebrating this victory, they’re looting stores, they’re running wild in the streets or as we call it in L.A., an NBA Championship. ... President Bush warned there are still pockets of resistance. There are still people fighting – Barbara Streisand, the Dixie Chicks, Susan Sarandon. ... Even if Saddam Hussein is not dead, now that America controls Baghdad that means he has less than a week to do his taxes. So he’s screwed either way. ... An Oklahoma couple got married after living together for 77 years. He’s 95. She’s 94. You know what their wedding song was? ‘Dust In The Wind’” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 4/9).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS: Last night’s “Top Ten” list was “Top Ten Things Iraq’s Information Minister Has To Say About The War” ("Late Show," CBS, 4/9).
| 10) "We’re pulling down the statues of Saddam to have them cleaned." |
| 9) "Don't believe that stuff you see on CNN ... or NBC or CBS, ABC, Fox or MSNBC." |
| 8) "If you ask me who the winner is, it depends on what your definition of ‘is’ is." |
| 7) "Iraqi television is off the air because we didn’t want you to have to sit through ‘Becker.’” |
| 6) "Do you know of any job openings for a lying weasel?" |
| 5) "Wolf Blitzer and I are engaged." |
| 4) "Iraqis are in the streets celebrating Cher's 40 fabulous years in show business." |
| 3) "Incoming!" |
| 2) “Saddam’s not dead – he’s just out with a case of the shingles.” |
| 1) “War? What war?” |
CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “They are laughing, they are drinking, they are dancing in the streets. I cannot believe the people in New Orleans are so glad that I’m gone. … Last night, I’m watching an old statue topple and shatter into a thousand pieces, and I realized in her special last night, Cher tripped. … Man in Rochester arrested for scalping tickets to a Kenny G concert. He was sentenced to life in an elevator” (“The Late Late Show,” CBS, 4/9).
WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 1:00am ET “SportsCenter” led with Mavericks-Suns, followed by Trail Blazers-Spurs and Rockets-Jazz.
THE DAILY ANSWER
Alaska. The Arctic Ocean covers the Earth’s polar region, and the Pacific Ocean touches the southern coasts of the largest U.S. state.
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