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Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz, May 30, 2003

The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, May 30, 2003
9:00am ET

Yao Ming Lands Seven-Figure Book Deal; ESPN’s Ric Bucher To Co-Author

Two ACC ADs To Meet With Shalala Today To Possibly Finalize Miami’s Move

SEC Member Schools Expected To Share Record $101M In Revenue

Annika Ready To Tee It Up As Kellogg-Keebler Classic Opens Today

CBS Asks Affils To Assist In Paying For Men’s Hoops Tourney Rights Fee

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


MIRAMAX BOOKS SIGNS YAO MING TO PEN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY

The Book Expo of America opens today in L.A., and the N.Y.POST reports that Miramax Books “is first out of the gate … announcing abig-ticket book deal that could easily reach” $1.5M for Rockets C Yao Ming. The group, headed by Harvey Weinstein,is handing Yao “close to seven figures for the story of his life.” The deal did “not include Asian rights,which could be potentially huge.” Theautobiography, which will be released in fall 2004, will be co-authored by ESPNMagazine sportswriter Ric Bucher (N.Y. POST, 5/30).


SHALALA TO MEET WITH ACC TODAY; BIG EAST NEXT WEEK

ESPN.com reported that NC State Univ. AD Lee Fowlerand FL State Univ. AD Dave Hart will meet today with Univ. of MiamiPresident Donna Shalala “to possibly finalize the Hurricanes’ move to the ACC.” A source close to the process said, “Itlooks like it’s a done deal. Once thesecampus visits are over, this will move quickly.” The ACC is expected to “send different athletic directors tomeetings at Syracuse and Boston College next week. Since ACC school presidents are not on these visits, theconsensus is that all negotiating has already been done” (ESPN.com, 5/29).

TheMIAMI HERALD reports that Shalala “has invited Big East presidents to meet with her Wednesday oncampus” (MIAMI HERALD,5/30).


RECORD SEC REVENUE SHARE AS MUCH AS $15M MORE THAN BIGTEN

The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that the annual SEC springmeeting in Destin, FL, concludes today, and the 12 conference members “are expected to share a record $101[M] fromfootball and basketball revenues this year.” That figure is “expected to be the highest for any conference in thehistory of college athletics. It is anticipatedthat the Big Ten will be second by as much as $15[M]” (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 5/30).


KELLOGG-KEEBLER CLASSIC BENEFITING FROM ANNIKA’S PRESENCE

The LPGA Tour’s Kellogg-Keebler Classic begins today atStonebridge Country Club in Aurora, IL, and USA TODAY reports that eventorganizers have added “Go Annika” and “Annika-Mania, Catch It!” buttons to themerchandise table to capitalize on Annika Sorenstam’s entry in the PGATour’s Bank of America Colonial last week. Pre-tournament ticket sales through Ticketmaster “are up about 70% fromlast year, though advance sales usually account for only about 20% of the totalgate.” Walk-up sales for the Pro-Amsand practice rounds “were four times” last year’s inaugural event. The three-day event drew 55,000 last year (USATODAY, 5/30).


MORNING BRIEFS

DAILY VARIETYreports that CBS has asked its affils “to contribute almost$300[M] to help pay” the $6.2B fee for the NCAA Men’s BasketballTournament. The net wants affils to “contribute 5% of the cost ofthe contract, or about $27[M] per year” (DAILYVARIETY, 5/30).

The Cavaliers lastnight held a select-a-seat event and VP/Communications Tad Carper saidthat the team is “significantly ahead of last season’s pace” onseason-ticket sales. The eight lower-level center-court sections, whichsell for $3,075 per season ticket, are sold out (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 5/30).

The L.A. TIMES reports that the CA State Senate yesterdayvoted 26-9 to approve a bill “barring in-state colleges and universities fromabiding by the NCAA’s rules” on athletic scholarships and stipends, healthinsurance, jobs not associated with sports, hiring agents or attorneys to helpwith career choices, transfers to other schools and penalties by others, suchas a coach or AD (L.A.TIMES, 5/30).

At the Penguins’ town hall-style meeting last night,Penguins Owner & C Mario Lemieux said of his return to the ice forthe ’03-04 season: “We’ll see about that. … We have great young players who aregoing to be here a lot longer than I will as a player and this is really a newera” (AP, 5/29).

The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that Tennis Canada andThe Katz Group Canada yesterday reached a ten-year naming rights deal to titlethe under construction 12,500-seat stadium on York Univ.’s campus The RexallCentre. Details of the agreement werenot disclosed. Tennis Masters CanadaTournament Dir Stacey Allaster said that a “secondary sponsor will bebrought on board for the training center of excellence bringing the namingpackage ‘close to [C$5M]’” (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL, 5/30).

BLOOMBERG NEWSreports that the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews will “formallyinclude women in its decision-making process for the first time. TheR&A is setting up a dual structure. One side will run commercialactivities” – including the British Open – and “set the game’s rules. Theother side will be a members’ club with few duties beyond self-administration”(BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5/30).

USA TODAY reports that Tulane Univ. has “postponed untilJune 10 its decision on the school’s sports programs,” even though a decisionwas expected yesterday. The school isconsidering “dropping to a lower-budget program in Division III or cuttingfootball and staying Division I in other sports” (USA TODAY,5/30).

Last night’s premiere edition of the new season of CBS’ “TheAmazing Race” began with the race teams meeting on the field at DodgerStadium. One of the two-person teamsincluded the wives of Falcons CB Ray Buchanan and former CB AshleyAmbrose (“The Amazing Race,” CBS, 5/29).


A LIGHTER BUZZ

Expansion ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers VP Billy Johnsonwas quick on his feet yesterday after Owner Charles Davenport had tocancel his appearance to introduce Glen Gulutzan as GM & coach. Johnson turned to actor Rick Schroder,who is currently filming “Black Cloud” at the Orleans Arena, asking him tostand in for Davenport. Aself-proclaimed hockey fan, Schroder obliged. Johnson: “After speaking with Glen for a while, he spoke as if he hadactually hired Glen himself.” “BlackCloud” is the story of a Native American boxer participating in the GoldenGloves competition (THE DAILY).


THE BACK PAGES

The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sportscovers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:

N.Y. Post
N.Y. Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News

TODAY’S EVENTS

The Sports Lawyers Association continues its 29thannual conference at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa inPhoenix. Today’s topics include “LegalConsiderations in Negotiating Athlete Endorsement and Sponsorship Agreements,”“Legal and Risk Management Aspects of the Physician/Athlete Relationship” and“Legal Challenges for Failure to Hire Minority Coaches.” Former Australian Parliamentary MinisterAssisting with the Sydney Games Andrew Thomson will deliver the keynoteaddress (THE DAILY).

The MLS and the USA Freedom Corps will announce at an11:30am ET press conference at RFK Stadium that the first shipment of the morethan 60,000 soccer balls for children in Iraq has been sent. USSF Exec Dir Herb Giobbi, USAFreedom Corps Exec Dir John Bridgeland, MLS COO Mark Abbott, AEGSoccer Managing Dir Kevin Payne, United MF Marco Etcheverry, F SantinoQuaranta and D Milton Reyes are scheduled to attend (THE DAILY).

Nets coach Byron Scott and G Jason Kidd willparticipate in a teleconference previewing the NBA Finals at 12:45pm ET (THEDAILY).

NY State Sen. Charles Fuschillo will hold a publichearing at Amityville High School to discuss his bill to ban the sale ofephedra (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/29).


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…..

Every Friday, the MorningBuzz highlights a video clip, chart or piece of information that might havefallen through the cracks. This week, with controversy surrounding the destruction of a QuesTecpitch tracker camera by D’Backs P Curt Schilling, FSN’s Tom Arnoldexplains a few other ways technology is invading sports (THE DAILY).


INOTHER NEWS….

The WASHINGTON POST reports that Microsoft yesterday agreedto pay $750M to AOL Time Warner to “drop an antitrust suit against the softwaregiant, in a deal that turns one-time rivals into powerful partners.” The companies agreed to “collaborate ontechnology that could one day set the standard for how music and movies aresold over the Internet” (WASHINGTONPOST, 5/30).

NEWSDAYreports that a year after leaving CBS, Bryant Gumbel is “returning to broadcast (TV)as an anchor of a quarterly news series on PBS.” “Washington Week” moderator Gwen Ifill will co-anchor “Flashpoints USA” alongsideGumbel. Originating from DC’s WETA-PBS,the show premieres July 15 at 9:00pm ET (NEWSDAY, 5/30).


FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “PresidentialElections.”

“The only two Democratic presidents defeated for reelectionsince the Civil War.”


THURSDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

ESPN’s10:30pm ET 90-minuted edition of “SportsCenter” led with Dodgers-Rockies, followed by Mets-Phillies and MightyDucks-Devils Game Two.


FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“Who are Jimmy Carter and Grover Cleveland?”


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

TheMorning Buzz provides an early update of the news and headlines each Mondaythrough Friday at approximately 9:00am ET. If you would like to sign up for ane-mail alert to the Morning Buzz, go to My Account and personalize your e-mail alert options.

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