| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, May 7, 2003
9:00am ET | |
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| • | Jordan, Abe Pollin To Meet Today To Determine Jordan’s Future With Wizards |
| • | NBA, NBPA Reps Meet In N.Y. To Begin Working Towards New CBA |
| • | Cable Operators Turn ESPN Into “Punching Bag” On Capitol Hill Yesterday |
| • | Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation To Detail Plans In Toronto Today |
| • | MLB Today Announces Mother’s Day Breast Cancer Awareness Plans |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
JORDAN, POLLIN TO MEET TODAY REGARDING MJ’S WIZARDS ROLE
The WASHINGTON POST reports that Michael Jordan and Wizards Owner Abe Pollin “plan to meet today to determine Jordan’s future with the franchise.” The negotiations will end with Jordan “resuming his role as president of basketball operations or departing after nearly four years with the franchise.” If the two cannot come to terms, Jordan would be owed at least $10M (WASHINGTON POST, 5/7).
WASHINGTON POST columnists Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon today offer their views on Jordan’s future with the franchise. Kornheiser: “It behooves Pollin to embrace Jordan as his partner.” Wilbon: “Michael Jordan certainly isn’t the league’s best basketball executive yet. … But there’s nothing Jordan hasn’t gotten better at over time.”
HOPING TO AVOID WORK STOPPAGE, NBA GETS HEAD START ON CBA
ESPN.com reported that NBA owners and players, “hoping to avoid the work stoppage that ravaged the last labor negotiations, began preliminary talks” toward a new CBA yesterday in N.Y. While league finances, the luxury and escrow taxes were discussed, “no formal proposals were exchanged during the 4 ½-hour meeting.” Talks will continue this week. Among the participants were NBA Commissioner David Stern, NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik, NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter, Suns Chair Jerry Colangelo, Spurs Chair Peter Holt, Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander, Heat Managing General Patner Micky Arison, Grizzlies President Jerry West, Heat C Alonzo Mourning, Raptors F Antonio Davis and Magic F Pat Garrity (ESPN.com, 5/6).
ESPN, OTHER PROGRAMMERS BLAMED FOR SOARING CABLE COSTS
DAILY VARIETY reports that “with allegations flying” during a Congressional hearing yesterday, cable operators turned ESPN “into a punching bag … blaming it and other programmers for soaring cable costs.” During the hearing, ESPN officials “felt compelled to circulate” a statement from ESPN & ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer, which was noted in yesterday’s Closing Bell. The cable operators also “argued that consumers should be allowed to pick and choose programs a la carte. Government mandates now force customers to buy a complete package,” a policy that Cablevision Chair Charles Dolan wants Congress to repeal (DAILY VARIETY, 5/7).
VANCOUVER 2010 BID CORPORATION SEEKING HELP IN TORONTO
The TORONTO SUN reports that IOC Exec Committee member Paul Henderson and members of the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation will be in Toronto today to discuss the 2010 Olympic bid, and Henderson acknowledged that it is “ironic that the Vancouver/Whistler bid group would come to Toronto for a news conference given that, to many in the group, [Toronto] is enemy territory.” It is believed that should Vancouver lose the bid, Toronto would be the favorite to host the 2012 games. Henderson: “I think they’re a little paranoid about people from Toronto involved in the Olympic movement, that they have another agenda” (TORONTO SUN, 5/7).
MLB TO SUPPORT BIG BAM! FOUNDATION ON MOTHER’S DAY
MLB today announced that for the second consecutive year, it will conduct a Mother’s Day initiative to support breast health and breast cancer awareness organization, the Big Bam! Foundation. In addition to a financial contribution from MLB, all 30 clubs will display autographed pink chairs in home and visiting bullpens, which will be auctioned on MLB.com to benefit the foundation. Honorary initiative Chairs include Giants P Robb Nen, Padres P Trevor Hoffman and former MLBers Goose Gossage and Dennis Eckersley. Additionally, Mother’s Day pregame ceremonies will feature breast cancer survivors, celebrity supporters, volunteers and player reps (THE DAILY).
MORNING BRIEFS
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that columnist Bob Ryan has been suspended without pay for one month for “inappropriate remarks directed at the wife of [Nets G] Jason Kidd.” Additionally, Ryan will “not be allowed to appear on radio or television for the same period.” Ryan is a frequent guest on ESPN’s “Around The Horn” and “The Sports Reporters,” NESN’s “SportsPlus” and ESPN Radio (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/7).
The HARTFORD COURANT reports that WTXX-WB “has agreed to a multiyear contract with UConn to continue to broadcast men’s basketball games.” The station, which has broadcast games since ‘98, “will show 14 games a season,” the same number as last year. Terms of the deal were not disclosed (HARTFORD COURANT, 5/7).
Churchill Downs reported its Q1 ’03 earnings. Net revenues were $33.8M, up 9% from $31M over the year earlier period. The company reported a net loss of $11.5M, an improvement from a net loss of $12M a year earlier. The company will discuss the results on a 9:00am ET conference call (THE DAILY).
The TORONTO STAR reports that the Canadian Baseball League today begins spring training with eight teams located in Montreal, Trois-Rivieres, London, Welland, Saskatoon, Calgary, Kelowna and Victoria. Baseball HOFer Ferguson Jenkins is the league’s Commissioner (TORONTO STAR, 5/7).
Nick Price yesterday was elected to the World Golf HOF (THE DAILY).
The ECHL Pee Dee Pride announced that the team is changing its name, effective immediately, to the Florence Pride. The team is based in Florence, SC (THE DAILY).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reports that the announced crowd of 8,709 at last night’s Twins-Devil Rays game at Tropicana Field was the “third-worst in Rays history” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 5/7).
- The WNBA Lynx set a single-game team preseason attendance record yesterday with 7,921 for its game against the Shock at Target Center (THE DAILY).
- The HARTFORD COURANT reports that the WNBA Sun played its first-ever preseason game against the Liberty yesterday before a crowd of 2,311 at Mohegan Sun Arena (HARTFORD COURANT, 5/7).
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 |
TODAY’S EVENTS
ESPN will host a conference call at 2:00pm ET to discuss “Outside The Lines Nightly,” which debuts Monday, May 12. ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production Mark Shapiro, VP & News Dir Vince Doria, host Bob Ley and reporter Jeremy Schaap will participate (THE DAILY).
D’Backs LF Luis Gonzalez will host the grand opening of Gonzo’s All-American Grill in Phoenix at 11:00am MT (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 5/6).
SMI Chair Bruton Smith will host “Burgers With Bruton” at Lowe’s Motor Speedway at 12:30pm ET, where he will cook lunch and then announce a record purse for the NASCAR Winston Cup Coca-Cola 600, which will take place May 25 (THE DAILY).
The Capital Challenge, a bi-partisan three-mile team road race hosted by the SGMA, began at 8:00am ET in DC. Members of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the U.S. government captained each team (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Turner Broadcasting System promoted Turner Entertainment Networks Senior VP/Network Communications Shirley Powell to Turner Broadcasting System Senior VP/Corporate Communications, where she “will oversee all public relations activities for the CNN News Group, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network and other networks under the TBS umbrella” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 5/7).
Gillette announced its Q1 ’03 earnings yesterday, and the BOSTON GLOBE reports that the company “posted double digit gains” for sales and profit, but “remains cautious because of the slow economy and increased competition.” Net income rose 18% to $263M and sales increased 14% to $1.98B over the year earlier period (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/7).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that Kmart “emerged from bankruptcy protection yesterday amid a flurry of skepticism about whether it has the strategy and strength to beat back its rivals and regain its standing as a powerhouse in discount retailing.” The company has “wiped out $6[B] in liabilities but is left with a third of the stores and a quarter of the employees it had before” filing for bankruptcy in January ’02 (WASHINGTON POST, 5/7).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that AOL promoted Exec VP/Marketing Strategy & Solutions Lisa Brown, “a longtime associate” of AOL Chair & CEO Jonathan Miller, to Exec VP/Interactive Marketing. Brown replaces Bob Sherman, “who has gone back into retirement” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 5/7).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was “Legal History.”
“After killing his wife’s lover in Washington, DC in 1859, Representative Daniel Sickles was the first to claim this, a two-word term.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “Here’s good news. The coalition forces have captured Dr. Germ. She’s also known as Mrs. Anthrax, but I believe anthrax was actually her maiden name. ... The first Burger King has opened in Baghdad. That’s exciting, isn’t it? Lot of folks working there. The eight of clubs, the jack of diamonds, the king of spades. ... One of Saddam Hussein’s sons, Qusay, takes three tractor-trailer trucks and goes to a bank with a note from his father, and he steals a billion dollars in cash. That rat-bastard. Earlier today, he was invited to join the Republican Party. ... Democrat Joe Lieberman is running for President, and I think he must be serious because last week his wife, Hadassah, had her name legally changed to Meg. ... There was this survey about sex and according to the survey, 14% of adults who have sex can have sex for like an hour. I’m lucky if I can make this show last an hour. Actually, and I don’t want to brag here, but I can have sex for an hour. I actually can, but that includes waiting for my credit card to clear” ("Late Show," CBS, 5/6).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “Prostitutes have returned to Iraq for the first time in 20 years. In fact, the Iraqi prostitutes have a new slogan: ‘Now you don’t have to walk a mile for a camel.’ ... This proves that a democratic government is right around the corner because anytime you have hookers Congressmen can’t be far behind. ... Ed McMahon has got a new show. Going to China to host a new show called ‘SARS Search.’ ... A horse named Funny Cide has become the first gelding to win the Kentucky Derby since 1929. Gelding? Isn’t that the guy Regis is always yelling at in the morning? ... I understand the University of Alabama is thinking about hiring a gelding as their next football coach. ... Michael Jackson is house-hunting now in Florida, and he told the realtor, his number one priority is a good school district” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 5/6).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten President Bush Excuses For Not Finding Weapons Of Mass Destruction" ("Late Show," CBS, 5/6).
| 10) "We've only looked through 99% of the country." |
| 9) "We spent the entire budget making those playing cards." |
| 8) "Containers are labeled in some crazy language." |
| 7) "They must have been stolen by some of them X-Men mutants." |
| 6) "Did I say Iraq has weapons of mass destruction? I meant they have goats." |
| 5) "How are we supposed to find weapons of mass destruction? We can't even find Cheney." |
| 4) "We're still screwed up because of daylight savings time." |
| 3) "When you're trying to find something, it's always in the last place you look. Am I right, people?" |
| 2) "Let's face it – I ain't exactly a genius." |
| 1) "Geraldo took them." |
CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “This morning I woke up at dawn and just listened to the birds chirping. It was great. Then I tried to piece together how I got from the bar to the pet store. … Joey Buttafuoco and wife, Mary Jo, getting a divorce. Ever since his girlfriend shot her in the head, the magic has been gone. … Good news: Kmart has emerged from bankruptcy. They even hired back the guy who spread the pins on the floors of the dressing rooms. … The man who wrote the theme song for Gilligan’s Island has died of a heart attack. Apparently, it was a bad idea to make a pacemaker out of coconuts” (“The Late Late Show,” CBS, 5/6).
TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 10:30pm ET 90-minute edition of “SportsCenter” led with Kings-Mavericks Game 1, followed by 76ers-Pistons Game 1 and Red Sox-Royals.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is temporary insanity?”
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