| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, September 12, 2003
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | Pistons To Announce Today That Darko Milicic Is Free From European Team |
| • | Bucs And Coca-Cola To Offer Sneak Preview Of Football Town USA Today |
| • | The Golf Channel Offering Exclusive Live Coverage Of The Solheim Cup |
| • | P&G Touting League Partnership As WNBA Finals Begin Tonight In L.A. |
| • | Expos Close Out 22-Game Puerto Rico Schedule Last Night With 14,222 Average |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
PISTONS TODAY TO ANNOUNCE DARKO IS FREE TO SIGN WITH TEAM
The DETROIT FREE PRESS reports the Pistons will conduct anews conference today to announce that rookie C Darko Milicic is “free from commitments withhis European team and available to join the NBA. The Pistons expect to sign him to a multiyear contract threeweeks before training camp starts.” Milicic recently made appearances for his former team, “the finalstipulation in an agreement between Milicic and Hemofarm, which will releasehim from the remaining six years” of his deal (DETROIT FREEPRESS, 9/12).
COCA-COLA TO HOST FOOTBALL TOWN USA AT BUCS HOME GAMES
The Bucs and Coca-Cola, which yesterday renewed as one ofthe team’s Pewter Partners, today will offer a preview of Football Town USAfrom 4:00-6:00pm ET in the north parking lot behind Raymond James Stadium. Football Town USA is an area that willfeature football-themed interactive games prior to each Bucs home game thisseason. Coca-Cola will distributecomplimentary samples today and throughout the season in the area (Bucs). See today’s issue of The Daily formore details of the sponsorship renewal.
GOLF CHANNEL OFFERS LIVE LATE NIGHT SOLHEIM CUP COVERAGE
The Golf Channel runs a full-page ad in USA Today promotingits exclusive live coverage of the Solheim Cup from Sweden, which began earlythis morning at 1:00am ET. The net willcontinue coverage tomorrow and Sunday, both nights starting at 2:00am. A three-hour telecast, hosted by NancyLopez, will run each night at 8:00pm (THE DAILY).
In Orlando, Scott Andera writes of the TV coverage, “Here’s an instant cure for Annika withdrawaland the lack of good late-night programming all in one” (ORLANDOSENTINEL, 9/12).
WNBA FINALS BEGIN TONIGHT, SHOCK-SPARKS AT STAPLES CENTER
Procter & Gamble today runs a full-page ad in USA Todaypromoting the WNBA Finals, as well as its partnership with the league. The WNBA Finals, which matches the DetroitShock and L.A. Sparks, begin tonight at 4:30pm PT at Staples Center. ESPN2 will televise Game One (THE DAILY).
Palace Sports & Entertainment President Tom Wilson,on competing with the NFL for fans: “The consequences of stretching out theregular season is you’re up against your worst enemy – the popularity ofprofessional football.” ABC willtelevise Game Two of the series, which will be played Sunday at 4:00pm ET inDetroit. The Lions play in Green Bay at1:00pm ET that day, but Shock officials are still “expecting around 14,000fans” (DETROITNEWS, 9/12).
MORNING BRIEFS
The AP reports that Milanand the surrounding Lombardy region “are forming a bid for the 2016 SummerOlympics.” The IOC will not select thesite of the 2016 Olympics until ’09 (AP,9/12).
The Patriotsyesterday joined the list of NFL teams with a marketing deal with Levitra,signing a three-year deal. Levitra receives stadium signage, as well asbroadcast, print and online media (BOSTONGLOBE, 9/12).
USA TODAY features ashort Q&A with NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Tagliabue on Week One: “Fifteen of the 16 games were sold out. We had very strong televisionaudiences. And four of our games weredecided in the last thirty seconds, so that continues to build on the momentumthat we had last season” (USATODAY, 9/12).
NFLPA Exec Dir Gene Upshaw, on Rams QB Kurt Warnerremaining in the club’s season-opening loss to the Giants despite reports thathe suffered a concussion on his second pass attempt of the game: “We’re veryconcerned. We’ve requested the tapes[of the game] so we can look at them. But our medical adviser called me and said he couldn’t believe theydidn’t notice Kurt had a concussion” (PHILADELPHIA DAILYNEWS, 9/12).
The Bergen RECORD reported that the NJSEA will submit a bidfor Giants Stadium to host the ‘08 Super Bowl by the NFL’s deadline today (BergenRECORD, 9/11).
The AHL Cleveland Barons today will re-launch their Web site with several new features,including interactive polls, a weekly editorial from the front office and morecomprehensive statistics (Barons).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The CP reports that a crowd of 12,559 attended last night’s Cubs-Expos game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, the team’s final game of the ’03 season in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Expos averaged 14,222 spectators during their 22 games at the venue (CP, 9/12).
- The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that a crowd of 46,768 attended last night’s Univ. of CA-Univ. of UT football game at Rice-Eccles Stadium, surpassing the previous record of 45,634 set against BYU in ’98 (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 9/12).
THE BACK PAGES
The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sportscovers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:
| | |
| Philadelphia Daily News | Philadelphia Daily News |
| | |
| N.Y. Post Magazine | N.Y. Post |
TODAY’S EVENTS
Reds groundskeeper Doug Gallant will conduct a clinicat Great American Ball Park from 9:00am-3:00pm ET for local high school andcollege coaches, ADs and maintenance workers. The clinic will cover the general field maintenance, as well as apresentation on the construction of the Reds’ new stadium.
Oscar De La Hoya is scheduled to appear on CNBC’s“Power Lunch” at noon ET.
The ST. PAUL PIONEERPRESS reports that Hamline Univ. today will announce the “largest gift inits 149-year history: $7[M], most of it to be used to build a new footballstadium and athletic center” (ST.PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 9/12).
Heat F Caron Butler and G Dwyane Wade willplay one-on-one at Flamingo Park in Miami Beach from 3:30-4:30pm ET. Spectators can win free Heat merchandise, aswell as get autographs from the players. The Heat cheerleading squad will participate.
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,the newest addition to “Fox NFL Sunday,” Frank Caliendo, offers evidencethat he defeated a Hollywood heavyweight also vying to replace Jimmy Kimmel (THE DAILY).
INOTHER NEWS….
The L.A. TIMES reports that a federal judge yesterday“ordered Taco Bell to pay an additional $11.8[M]” to Joseph Shields andThomas Rinks, the “creators of the talking Chihuahua character that starredin a popular 1990s ad campaign” for the chain. The extra money is “interest to the more than $30[M] that a federal juryin June awarded” the pair for breach of contract and other claims against TacoBell (L.A.TIMES, 9/12).
DAILY VARIETY reports that ABC’s “MNF” special Thursdaynight Jets-Redskins NFL Kickoff Live 2003 game helped ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live”draw its “largest [audience] on any night in two months (1.87 million) and itsbest 18-34 rating (0.8/6) in three months” (DAILYVARIETY, 9/12).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Operettas.”
“The subject of this 1879 work may have been inspired byunauthorized productions of the creators’ earlier works.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “New York now has an officialbeverage. Were you aware of this? The city has signed like a multi-milliondollar contract with Snapple, and Snapple is now the official beverage of NewYork, and I’m thinking, ‘Wait a minute. Whatever happened to gin in a brown paper bag?’ ... Ben Affleckand Jennifer Lopez have cancelled their wedding rehearsal and I’mthinking to myself, ‘Does Jennifer Lopez really need to rehearse a wedding?’... Ben and Jennifer have postponed their wedding. Now they’re going to have to push back the divorce. ... BenAffleck and Jennifer Lopez are upset about the media attention. That’s the problem. They’re all upset and I’m thinking, ‘Youknow, they really ought to be pleased about the media attention because this isthe first thing they’ve done together that’s drawn a crowd’” ("LateShow," CBS, 9/11).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “Barbie dolls have now been banned inSaudi Arabia. It seems Saudi Arabia’sreligious police believe the Barbie dolls threaten the morality of thecountry. It’s okay to have 18wives. You just can’t have a Barbie.... Voters in Alabama rejected a $1.2[B] tax increase proposal. The governor said if it isn’t approved,public schools will go bankrupt, police will be cut by one-third and thousandsof prison inmates will be released early. So it will be just like California, but with less teeth. ... Bad news forOhio State fans. Superstar Maurice Claretthas been suspended this year and his season is officially over. This is going to cost him millions ofdollars in under the table payments” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 9/11).
LATENIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Reasons Jennifer Lopezand Ben Affleck Have Postponed Their Wedding” ("Late Show," CBS,9/11).
| 10) “Ben had a date that night.” |
| 9) “Until yesterday, Jennifer thought she was marrying Matt Damon.” |
| 8) “Hectic shooting schedule for ‘Gigli 2.’” |
| 7) “The Sizzler had double-booked a Bar Mitzvah on the same night.” |
| 6) “Last night he came home to find her being kissed by Madonna.” |
| 5) “Only way they can think to postpone their divorce.” |
| 4) “Somehow Letterman actually got an invitation.” |
| 3) “The ‘something borrowed’ was a wedding gown Winona got at Saks.” |
| 2) “They both suddenly realized, ‘What the hell are we doing?’” |
| 1) “Caterer needed more time to make plastic wedding-cake bride with gigantic ass.” |
THURSDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “SportsCenter” | Phillies-Braves | Twins-White Sox; Indians-Royals |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Kurt Warner | Keyshawn Johnson; Maurice Clarett |
| FSN | “Pittsburgh Sports Tonight” | Steelers LB Joey Porter | Ray Lewis; Steelers LB Clark Haggans |
| FSN | “Midwest Sports Report” | Rockies-Cardinals | Astros-Brewers; Cubs-Expos |
Note: ESPN’s “Around The Horn” and “PTI” were pre-empted bythe net’s coverage of the PGA Tour John Deere Classic.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is ‘Pirates of Penzance?’”
If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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