| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
9:00am ET | |
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| • | ACC Expected To Extend Expansion Invitations To Miami And Virginia Tech |
| • | Six Cities To Make Pitches Today For Bevy Of NCAA Basketball Final Fours |
| • | Fox Cable Networks And IMS To Launch Pro Skateboarding Tour In ‘04 |
| • | PA State Senate Expected To Approve Slot Machine Legislation Today |
| • | Local Fan Store Opts To Look At Lighter Side Of Neuheisel Controversy |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
ACC COULD MAKE MIAMI-VIRGINIA TECH ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY
The WASHINGTON POSTreports that the ACC at a press conference planned for as early as today isexpected to announce that it is extending invitations to Virginia Tech andMiami, but not Boston College and Syracuse. While the detailsof last night’s conference call “were not immediately clear,” a source close tothe situation said that “perhaps geography played a role” in the decision (WASHINGTONPOST, 6/25).
NCAA TO LISTEN TO FINAL FOUR PITCHES TODAY FROM SIXCITIES
The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that representatives of the San Antonio Local OrganizingCommittee are in Santa Ana Pueblo, NM, today to “make their final presentationin hopes of securing NCAA men’s and women’s basketball Final Fours beginning in2008.” San Antonio is one of six sitesbeing considered for men’s Final Fours in ‘08, ‘09, ‘10 and ‘11, and one offour cities in the running for women’s Final Fours in ‘08, ‘09 and ‘10. The NCAA will announce its selectionsTuesday (SANANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 6/25).
The other competitors for the men’s Final Fours are Houston,Detroit, Indianapolis, New Orleans and St. Louis (HOUSTONCHRONICLE, 6/25).
FOX CABLE NETWORKS, IMS TO LAUNCH PRO SKATEBOARDING TOUR
In an exclusive to TheDaily, SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s Liz Mullen reports that Fox Cable Networksand action sports firm IMS will launch a pro skateboarding tour in ‘04 to bebroadcast on FSN and the new 24-hour action sports network FUEL. Thetour, which will have a $2.5M purse, will take place in tencities, including N.Y., L.A., Las Vegas, Dallas and Philadelphia. IMS CEO Adam Jacoby is already in talks with companies aboutpresenting and event sponsorships. CAA represented IMS in the deal.
PA STATE SENATE TO APPROVE SLOTS AT HORSE RACING TRACKS
The PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS reports that the PA Senate “is expected to move legislationtoday to allow slot machines at horse racing tracks.” State Sen. Vince Fumo “plans to add an amendment thatwould bar professional sports team owners from investing in racinos.” The amendment “seems to target” Flyers and76ers Chair Ed Snider and Nets Managing General Partner Lewis Katz(PHILADELPHIADAILY NEWS, 6/25).
The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER notes that slot machines “are expected to generate $300[M]in revenue for the state in the first year, and … that number could jump tonearly $800[M] in subsequent years” (PHILADELPHIAINQUIRER, 6/25).
RACING BOARD TO APPROVE NYRA’S TAKEOUT REDUCTION TODAY
NEWSDAY reports that the NYRA’s latest takeout reduction “is expected to be rubber-stamped today by theracing board under a newly passed state rule that deregulates takeout levelsand will become effective with next month’s opening at Saratoga.” The takeout on straight bets will go from14% to 13% and on two-horse (doubles, exactas and quinella) bets from 17.5% to17%. The takeout is the percent of eachdollar held for purses, taxes and expenses (NEWSDAY,6/25).
NYRA Chair & CEO Barry Schwartz: “I have alwaysbelieved that lower takeout is good for both the fans and those of us whobenefit from the handle. And what wehave done now is make the lowest takeout in the nation even lower. It’s a win-win situation for all involved” (N.Y.TIMES, 6/25).
MORNING BRIEFS
U.S. Sen. JohnMcCain (R-AZ), who is Chair of the Senate CommerceCommittee, after listening to testimony yesterday at the committee’s hearingon the USOC said that he is “confident lawmakers could enact reformsbefore Congress’ August recess” (WASHINGTONPOST, 6/25).
The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that Big Ten Commissioner JimDelany yesterday “offered a defiant response” to non-BCS schools beingorganized by Tulane Univ. President Scott Cowen. While Delany noted the Big Ten is open to“moderate adjustments” to the BCS formula, he added, “I don’t know how muchmore we’re going to be willing to do, to be honest. I don’t think there’s going to be a feeding at the trough interms of revenue sharing” (INDIANAPOLISSTAR, 6/25).
The Lightning have entered into an affiliation agreementwith the AHL Hershey Bears, which also have an affiliation agreement with theAvalanche. The Springfield Falcons hadserved as the Lightning’s AHL affiliate for the past two seasons (THE DAILY).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that ATP Chair Mark Milessaid he is “optimistic” the organization will work out its differences withGrand Slam officials over prize money, although he “emphasized the discussionswere about ‘a whole gamut of issues, not one specific demand.’” Miles will meet with the USTA this weekendon the issue (WASHINGTONPOST, 6/25).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The L.A. DAILY NEWS reports that the Giants beat the Dodgers last night “in front of a Pac Bell Park regular-season record crowd of 42,648” (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 6/25).
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A LIGHTER BUZZ
The SEATTLE TIMES reports that thehottest item at Univ. of Washington fan store The Dawghouse “is a T-shirt poking fun at the RickNeuheisel controversy.” The T-shirtfeatures “an NCAA bracket on the back and says ‘Farewell from Neuheiselville’in big letters. … In smaller type, the shirt reads ‘Man we’re gonna miss thatdude’ with a caricature of Neuheisel waving a peace sign in one hand and dollarbills in the other.” Store Owner KimWilliams said the store has sold “about 100” since they went on sale ninedays ago (SEATTLETIMES, 6/25).
THE BACK PAGES
The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sportscovers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:
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| N.Y. Post | N.Y. Daily News |
TODAY’S EVENTS
The Philadelphia Chapter of the National Sports MarketingNetwork will host its monthly panel discussion at the First Union Center from8:00-10:30 am ET. This month’sdiscussion: “The Role of Media in Sports: Is It Really Church and State?” (THEDAILY).
NBA Draft prospects LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony,Darko Milicic, Dwyane Wade, Nick Collison and MaciejLampe will ring the opening bell at the NYSE at 9:30am ET (THE DAILY).
Bucs LB Derrick Brooks will sing “Take Me Out to theBallgame” during the seventh inning stretch of the 1:20pm CT Brewers-Cubs gameat Wrigley Field. The appearance ispart of an 11-day tour Brooks is taking with 29 members of the Tampa Boys &Girls Clubs (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 6/22).
NBC Sports will conduct a conference call to preview thenet’s Wimbledon coverage, which begins Saturday, at 3:00 pm ET. Play-by-play announcer Ted Robinsonand analysts John McEnroe and Mary Carillo are scheduled toparticipate (THE DAILY).
Padres President & COO Dick Freeman, Exec VP& GM Kevin Towers and VP/Development Erik Judson will be onhand for the installation of the first ten lockers in the home clubhouse ofPetco Park at noon PT (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The WALL STREETJOURNAL notes that Wall Street “widely believes the Fed will cut short-terminterest rates” today, but traders continue to “bicker over how far theFed will move, with the market split between favoring a quarter-point cut, asopposed to a more aggressive half-point move.” Investors and traders alsoare “keenly anticipating what the Fed will say about the economy, theprospects for deflation and any future rate moves” (WALLSTREET JOURNAL, 6/25).
NEWSDAY reports thatCablevision Systems says its planned satellite TV venture “could be severelyhurt if Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. gains control of DirecTV.” In an FCC filing, the company said, “Themarriage of News Corp. with DirecTV provides the perfect match of incentive andability to hamper the development of national [satellite TV] competition” (NEWSDAY,6/25).
DAILY VARIETY reports that HBO’s “Sex and the City” achieved“a Nielsen orgasm for Sunday’s premiere of its sixth and final season, drawing7.3 million total viewers to make it the fourth highest-rated episode in theshow’s history” (DAILYVARIETY, 6/25).
The N.Y. POST’s “Page Six” reports that Jason Alexander“has been dropped from hismultimillion-dollar-a-year job as spokesman for KFC – and animal rights zealotssay it was because he ruffled corporate feathers about its treatment of chickens.” Alexander reportedly met with PETAofficials, “who are lobbying to have the birds gassed rather than beheaded” (N.Y. POST, 6/25).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Holidays &Observances.”
“This observance began as a day to eat up all the stuff inyour home you couldn’t eat for the next 40 days.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
CBS’ DavidLetterman: “You can tell that it’s summer in New York. Earlier today, I had my lunch at the RupertG Hello Deli, and I went in there and he was putting chlorine in the chickensoup. ... McDonald’s now is fazing out beef with antibiotics and this is howdumb I am. I didn’t realize that, butapparently, before they gave you their little hamburgers, they would inject itwith some kind of antibiotic. The goodnews is now you can get a Big Mac without a prescription. ... The CIA is usingDNA testing to determine if Saddam Hussein is dead or alive. Coincidently, it’s the same method theDemocrats used on Al Gore. ... Apparently, the U.S. military obtainedsamples of Saddam Hussein’s DNA from a Baath Party intern. ... PresidentBush had a $2,000 a plate fundraiser in New York, or as tourists call it,room service. ... Bush comes in at 5:00 and at the fundraiser, George W. Bushspoke for 25 minutes and that was just trying to pronounce the menu. ... TheBush fundraiser was $2,000 a head, making it the most expensive head that didnot cause an impeachment” ("Late Show," CBS, 6/24).
NBC’sJay Leno: “The United States is now looking at the possibility that anIraqi convoy that was destroyed near the Syrian border the other day may havecontained Saddam Hussein, and if this is true, this marks the 23rdtime we have killed Saddam Hussein since the war began! ... We kill this guymore times than Kenny on ‘South Park.’ ... Congressional Republicans are veryupset that federal funds are being used to pay for a conference on sexualarousal at The Kinsey Institute. Republicans say taxpayer money shouldn’t be used to investigate sexualarousal, unless of course you’re trying to impeach a president. ... VitaliKlitschko was killing Lennox Lewis, but they stopped the fightbecause blood was everywhere from Klitschko’s eye. I think George Foreman tried to grill it, that’s how badhis face was. ... Congratulations to Tampa Bay, the Arena Football Leaguechampionship over the weekend. Tell youhow unimportant this game was, I told my TiVo to record it and it justforgot.” During the monologue, Vitali Klitschkowalked on stage to tell Leno how to pronounce his name correctly. Klitschko, on whether there will be arematch: “I hope” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 6/24).
LATENIGHT LAUGHS:Lastnight’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Signs You’re In Love With DemocraticPresidential Candidate Howard Dean” (“Late Show,” CBS, 6/24).
| 10) “You’ve actually heard of him.” |
| 9) “Whenever he discusses plans to revitalize economy, you get goosebumps.” |
| 8) “You named your cats ‘Howard,’ ‘Dean’ and ‘Six-Term Governor Howard Dean.’” |
| 7) “You’ll only watch movies featuring Ron Howard or Harry Dean Stanton.” |
| 6) “When you hear a report on the radio about a highway accident, you murmur, ‘Please, God, don’t let Howard Dean be involved.’” |
| 5) “Constantly complain rival candidate Dennis Kucinich isn’t ‘Howardly’ enough.” |
| 4) “Changed outfit four times before watching appearance on ‘Meet The Press.’” |
| 3) “You stand by him despite the fact his infidelities embarrassed you in front of the entire...oh, wait a minute, wrong Democrat.” |
| 2) “When he announced his candidacy, you didn’t laugh your ass off.” |
| 1) “You’re actually considering wasting a vote on him.” |
TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” led with a report that theRangers are attempting to trade RF Juan Gonzalez to the Expos, followedby Pirates-Expos and Andre Agassi defeating Jamie Delgadoin the first round of Wimbledon.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is Mardi Gras?”
If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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