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Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz, April 30, 2003

The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
9:00am ET

adidas Posts Strong Q1 Profits, But Shares Hurt By Slow North American Sales

Oakland Police To Meet Today With A’s, Coliseum Officials To Discuss Alcohol

Baghdad Athletic Clubs To Meet Today To Form New Olympic Committee

NBA Commissioner David Stern Critical Of Pacers For Not Televising Game Two

MLB Officials Tell Moreno That Vote On Angels Purchase Will Come May 15

Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy!


SHARES OF ADIDAS HURT BY NORTH AMERICAN SALES FIGURES

REUTERS reports that adidas-Salomon AG today “posted a strong rise in [Q1 ‘03] profits … but tepid sales and a tough run in the key North American market knocked its shares lower.”  Despite a 19% increase in net profit, “market players honed in on a 22[%] fall in orders in North America.”  Deka Group Fund Manager Trudbert Merkel: “The U.S. segment’s performance was disappointing.  The stock has a nice performance over the course of the year and now there is a lot of negative potential for the share price” (REUTERS, 4/30).


OAKLAND POLICE TO SUGGEST CHANGES TO ALCOHOL POLICIES

The CONTRA COSTA TIMES reports that Oakland police are scheduled to meet today with A’s officials and Network Associates Coliseum vendors “to suggest changes in alcohol policies” at the stadium.  One point of discussion will be the West Side Club, a full-service bar that “continues to sell alcohol throughout the game and for an hour” after the game.  While A’s VP/Stadium Operations David Rinetti said that the team “is willing to discuss curtailing alcohol sales in the club,” he noted that neither of the two recent highly publicized fan incidents involved alcohol sales at the club late in a game (CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 4/30).


SPORTS ILLUSTRATED OFFERS “101 MOST INFLUENTIAL MINORITIES”

The latest issue of Sports Illustrated, which hits newsstands today, offers the magazine’s choices of the “101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports.”  The top five: Charlotte NBA expansion franchise Owner Robert Johnson, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan and Arturo Moreno.  SI’s Web site notes that this list “could not have existed just a few years ago,” adding, “These men and women are reshaping the sports industry and opening doors through which others will follow” (SI.com).


WIRELESS GAME “YAO MING BASKETBALL” TO BE OFFERED IN CHINA

CA-based wireless games developer and publisher Sorrent and Qualcomm today will announce that the wireless video game, “Yao Ming Basketball,” will be offered exclusively on China Unicom’s “U-Magic” wireless data service.  China Unicom, the country’s second largest wireless operator, is expected to introduce the game this summer (THE DAILY).


BAGHDAD CLUBS HOPING TO FORM NEW OLYMPIC COMMITTEE

KNIGHT RIDDER reports that representatives from 13 of Baghdad’s athletic clubs will meet today “to create a new Olympics committee and reorganize the local leagues.”  The group hopes “to rebuild clubhouses and playing fields and raise money for equipment, coaches’ salaries and travel abroad” (KNIGHT RIDDER, 4/30).


MORNING BRIEFS

NBA Commissioner David Stern, on the Pacers not locally televising Game 2 of their series against the Celtics: “I don’t think it’s going to happen again.  I think you’ll always see local televising (of playoff games).  Based upon the (fan) reaction, I think they made a good decision to televise the rest of their games” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/30).

NBAE Exec VP Gregg Winik, on NBA TV having to carry more playoff games because of ESPN’s commitment to the NHL and the expanded first round: “After the season, we’ll get together with ESPN and TNT, look at the first round and how it should play out” (USA TODAY, 4/30).

The L.A. TIMES reports that MLB officials have told prospective Angels Owner Arturo Moreno that a “vote on his proposed purchase of the Angels has been added to the agenda of the owners’ May 15 meeting.  If approved, as expected, he would take over the franchise from Disney immediately” (L.A. TIMES, 4/30).

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that N.Y. City Council members today will introduce a bill that, if passed, would ban the sale of ephedra in N.Y. (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/30).

The L.A. TIMES reports that the All England Club said that a “bow or curtsy to the royal family would no longer be required as players walk onto or leave Centre Court” during Wimbledon unless Queen Elizabeth or Prince Charles are in the box.  Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles haven’t attended since ’77 and ’70, respectively (L.A. TIMES, 4/30).

The AP reported that Australia will “refuse to send a team” to cycling’s World Track Championships July 30-August 3 in China out of fear for SARS.  The Int’l Cycling Union is “expected to decide this week if the championships will be moved to another country” (AP, 4/29).

The L.A. DAILY NEWS reports that jockey Lafitt Pincay yesterday announced his retirement.  Pincay won a record 9,530 races (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/30).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

  • After selling tickets for $1 to calm fears over SARS, the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that a crowd of 48,097 attended last night’s Rangers-Blue Jays game at SkyDome, “not quite a sellout and well shy of the 50,119 who showed up for opening day” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 4/30).
  • As noted in yesterday’s Closing Bell, the Twins, T’Wolves and Wild all were in action last night in the Twin Cities.  The Wild reported that an announced crowd of 19,394 for Canucks-Wild Game 3 at the Xcel Energy Center was the largest to ever attend a hockey game in the state of MN (THE DAILY).  The L.A. DAILY NEWS reports that a crowd of 20,098 attended Lakers-T’Wolves Game 5 at Target Center, the “largest crowd in T’Wolves history” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/30).  The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that a crowd of 12,188 attended the D’Rays-Twins game at the Metrodome (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/30).

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

TODAY’S EVENTS

The NJSEA will hold its regular board meeting at 10:00am ET at its executive offices at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, NJ (THE DAILY).

The Redskins will host the third annual Redskins All-Stars Award Ceremony at 11:00am ET at FedEx Field.  T Chris Samuels and S Ifeanyi Ohalete will join the Redskins Leadership Council and Deloitte & Touche in presenting the top ten area youth organizations, recognized for their dedication and community spirit, with over $100,000 in community grants (THE DAILY).

ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production Mark Shapiro and “Rome is Burning” host Jim Rome will host a media conference call at 4:00pm ET to discuss the new weekly sports talk show, which premieres Tuesday, May 6 (THE DAILY).

USA TODAY reported that a news conference is scheduled in DC to garner support for a bill that would posthumously honor Jackie Robinson with a Congressional Gold Medal.  The bill is being co-sponsored by 17 U.S. Senators, including Barbara Boxer (D-CA), John Kerry (D-MA), John McCain (R-AZ) and Tom Daschle (D-SD) (USA TODAY, 4/28).

The NHL will announce the three finalists for each of its seven annual trophies at noon ET (THE DAILY).

Brewers C Eddie Perez and former Brewers P Bill Castro will speak to Univ. of WI-Milwaukee students at noon CT about life as a Hispanic MLBer, their experiences as an immigrant in the U.S., how they view their role in helping the Brewers attract Hispanic fans and the long term future of Hispanic players in MLB (THE DAILY).


IN OTHER NEWS….

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that America Online President of Interactive Marketing Robert Sherman “is leaving his post as of today, exactly one week after AOL Time Warner management reported seeing the first encouraging trends at its online unit, which has been in a deep advertising slump for the past year” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 4/30).

DAILY VARIETY reports that Vivendi Universal Chair Jean-Rene Fourtou yesterday declared “publicly for the first time that Vivendi Universal Entertainment will be sold this year” during a “raucous and highly emotional annual shareholder’s meeting in Paris.”  Bids are said to be “due in late May to early June with a sale later in the summer” (DAILY VARIETY, 4/30).

The BOSTON GLOBE reports that the Yawkey Foundation, “which became one of the state’s largest charities last year with the sale of the Red Sox, awarded more than $23[M] in grants yesterday to 11 schools and social service programs.”  Among them, Boston College was granted a multiyear, $15M grant to “help construct a new athletics center” (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/30).

TMP Worldwide, N.Y., parent of job site Monster.com, is expected to be renamed Monster Worldwide today (Advertising Age, 4/28).


FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was “Films of the ‘60s.”

“In the top films of two consecutive years in the 1960s, she played a nanny and a governess.”


LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

CBS’ David Letterman: “I don’t like to talk about people when they’re not here, but you folks are nice and friendly and happy to be here.  Last night, what an ugly crowd.  We found out later when they left that 14 of those Iraqi card guys were actually in our audience last night. ... Are you worried about SARS?  Are you scared about SARS?  ... (Homeland Security Dir Tom Ridge) said today you’re supposed to duct tape your nose. ... (NYPD) captured an alligator in Central Park.  Now, they say he’s cooperating and providing valuable information. ... Four-foot alligator.  I laughed.  I said, ‘Four-foot alligator?  I mean my God, we got rats bigger than that.’ ... On Thursday, President Bush will declare that the war with Iraq is over. ... So now he can concentrate on squandering his high approval rating. ... There was a guy running around Baghdad and he said, I’m in charge, I’m the mayor.’  Geez, we never had a mayor before and so for like a couple of weeks he was telling everybody I’m the mayor of Baghdad and he’s having functions and doing stuff.  They finally arrested the guy.  It turned out it was Sean Penn” ("Late Show," CBS, 4/29).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “This SARS thing is getting scary.  In fact, there’s a new strain today even more dangerous: SARS with MSG. ... You know who I feel sorry for?  Connie Chung.  She’ll never get a job now. ... Today, Iraq’s Oil Minister surrendered to U.S. forces.  This came as great news to our Oil Minister, Dick Cheney.  He was thrilled. ... Hustler magazine’s Larry Flynt is now reportedly offering $1(M) for this videotape of First Daughter Laura Bush nude at a party at Yale. ... How embarrassing is that for the First Family?  You spend 21 years trying to raise your daughter right (and) she grows up to be a Democrat. ... A 17th century Italian monk who invented cappuccino is now one step away from becoming a saint.  He is credited with several miracles, the most famous one being of course getting people to pay $4 for a coffee with milk in it. ... Congratulations to Kevin Millwood, he threw a no-hitter, and a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers also threw a no-hitter.  Okay, it was during batting practice" ("Tonight Show," NBC, 4/29).


TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

ESPN’s 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” led with Mariners-Yankees, followed by Suns-Spurs Game 5 and Bucks-Nets Game 5.


FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“Who is Julie Andrews?”


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

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