Morning Buzz, September 22, 2003

NASCAR TO UNVEIL NEXTEL CUP LOGO TO GENERAL PUBLIC TODAY

By Bill King, Senior Writer,SportsBusiness Journal

Nextel’smustard yellow replaces Winston’s familiar red as the dominant color in theNASCAR Nextel Cup Series logo revealed to the general public for the first timetoday. Sponsors and other insiders got their first look at the new mark last week at a NASCAR sponsor summitin Naples, FL. NASCAR next breaks outthe logo in January, during test sessions that precede the Daytona 500. Nextel replaces R.J. Reynolds’ Winston brandas title sponsor for NASCAR’s top series next year in a ten-year, $750M deal.

ORZA, EXPOS REP TO MEET TODAY AFTER SPLIT SCHEDULE REJECTED

USA TODAY reports that MLBPA Associate General Counsel GeneOrza will meet today with Expos player rep Brian Schneider afterExpos players on Friday rejected MLB’s proposal to play 22 home games either inMonterrey, Mexico, or in San Juan, Puerto Rico in ‘04. MLB President & COO Bob DuPuy:“We recognize this is a burden for them, but it’s also a burden for each of the29 clubs that is funding one-29th of their payroll and expenses. We’re not happy with that situation, butuntil we get a permanent solution it’s what we’ve got” (USA TODAY, 9/22).

MAURICE CLARETT’S ATTORNEY TO MEET WITH NFL TODAY IN DC

ESPN.com reported that Maurice Clarett’s attorney, AlanMilstein, will meet today with NFL Exec VP & Chief Legal Counsel JeffreyPash and NFL Exec VP & Management Council Chair Harold Hendersonin DC to discuss Clarett’s status for next year’s NFL draft (ESPN.com, 9/21).

NIKE TO HOST ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS MEETING TODAY IN OREGON

Nike today will host its annual shareholders meeting at theOregon Convention Center, beginning at 10:00am PT, and the Portland OREGONIANreported that shares of Nike have risen 40% in the past year. The shares closed Friday at $61.50, “a 52-week high, as investors reacted to thecompany’s announcement Thursday afternoon that fiscal first-quarter profitsbeat all projections and U.S. orders for sneakers increased for the first timein more than a year” (PortlandOREGONIAN, 9/21).

NBA ROOKIE TRANSITION PROGRAM CONTINUES TODAY IN METRO NY

The NBA Rookie Transition Program, a mandatory six-dayseminar and workshop program for all incoming rookies, continues today inTarrytown, NY. The program coversprofessional and life skills, player development, media and communityrelations, legal education and personal development, with sessions lasting from9:00am-9:00pm ET (THE DAILY). NBA Senior VP/Player Development Mike Bantom: “Unfortunately,there was no such program when I entered the NBA. I was forced to learn many of the lessons we teach by trial anderror, mainly error” (BOSTONGLOBE, 9/21).

MORNING BRIEFS

The BOSTON GLOBE reported that MLB is “hopeful of playingregular-season games in Europe in 2005,” and is “looking at bringing a team ofbig-league All-Stars to Australia after the ‘04 season” (BOSTONGLOBE, 9/21).

The WASHINGTON POST reports that following Broncos coach MikeShanahan fibbing about an injury during last week’s game, NFL Commissioner PaulTagliabue “sent a memo Friday to team presidents, general managers, headcoaches and public relations directors outlining the proper method of reportinginjuries during a game” (WASHINGTONPOST, 9/22).

The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that “thousands oftiny black-and-white signs” at yesterday’s Sweden-U.S. Women’s World Cup matchat RFK Stadium read “Save the WUSA” (Ft.Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 9/22). The WASHINGTON TIMES reports that one poster read, “BoycottMcDonald’s and Nike,” an attack on the companies “for not helping the fledglingWUSA” (WASHINGTONTIMES, 9/22).

The CHICAGO SUN-TIMES reported that final arguments in theWrigley Field Premium Ticket Services class-action lawsuit were heardWednesday, and Cook County Judge Sophia Hall, who is presiding over thecase, said that she “expects to rule November 25” (CHICAGOSUN-TIMES, 9/21).

The SEATTLE TIMES reported that the Seahawks were “about3,000 tickets short of lifting the blackout [Friday morning]” for yesterday’sgame against the Rams, when “two Seahawks corporate partners, The Home Depotand Nextel, purchased a large enough block of tickets to allow” the game to betelevised in Seattle (SEATTLETIMES, 9/20).

The AP reported that the USOC’s Athletes Advisory Councilunanimously approved a resolution Friday “supporting the restructuring plan”proposed by the USOC internal reform task force (AP, 9/21).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The N.Y. TIMES reports that a crowd of 34,114 attended yesterday’s Sweden-U.S. Women’s World Cup match at RFK Stadium in DC. The doubleheader also featured Brazil-South Korea (N.Y. TIMES, 9/22).

• The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reported that a crowd of 24,347 attended Saturday’s Norway-France and Nigeria-North Korea Women’s World Cup doubleheader at Lincoln Financial Field (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/21).

• The LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM reported that a crowd of 10,027 attended Sunday’s Russia-Australia and Ghana-China Women’s World Cup doubleheader at The Home Depot Center (LONG BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM, 9/22).

• The K.C. STAR reports that the MLS Wizards “were successful in breaking their all-time attendance high, drawing an announced 30,308” to Saturday’s game at Arrowhead Stadium against the Earthquakes (K.C. STAR, 9/21).

• The CINCINNATI ENQUIRER reports that the Bengals “set a home attendance record [yesterday] with a crowd of 64,596” for the team’s game against the Steelers at Paul Brown Stadium, where the Steelers won 17-10 (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 9/22).

• The Portland OREGONIAN reported that a crowd of 59,023 attended Saturday’s Michigan-Oregon college football game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, “the biggest crowd ever to watch a college football game” in OR (Portland OREGONIAN, 9/21).

• The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reported that a crowd of 27,162 attended Saturday’s Yankees-Devil Rays game at Tropicana Field, the “largest at the Trop since opening day” (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 9/21).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

The N.Y. POST notes that when the Giants kicked thegame-winning field goal in OT yesterday against the Redskins 12 minutes priorto the scheduled start of the Primetime Emmy Awards, “Fox executives heaved asigh of relief.” A Fox spokesperson“would not reveal if a [programming] decision had been made” if the game hadstretched beyond 8:00pm ET (N.Y. POST, 9/22).

WEEKEND RAP…

The following are excerpts from the panelists’ “partingshots” on Sunday’s edition of ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters”:

• Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom, on the Tigers approaching the worst record in MLB history: “I know records are made to be broken, but the one set by the lowly expansion Mets should not be broken by a franchise that’s been around for a century. ... They say those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, but does that mean if we try to forget this season, that next year the Tigers will do worse?”

• N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica, on the WUSA suspending operations: “I’m sorry for Mia Hamm and all the rest of them, but it doesn’t make this a bad country and it doesn’t make you a bad citizen if you didn’t even know the WUSA existed. ... People get to watch the sports they want to watch and they didn’t want to watch women’s professional soccer, and despite that big crowd in Detroit the other night, they aren’t much interested in the WNBA either. The guys running soccer just didn’t have David Stern’s deep pockets or his even deeper ego.”

• Miami Herald columnist Dan LeBatard, on Emmitt Smith signing with the Cardinals in the off-season: “This isn’t the ending anyone wants to see. Emmitt Smith has been too good and too proud to make the punctuation on his career embarrassing.”

• ESPN’s John Saunders, on San Jose St. Univ. football player Neil Parry returning to the field with a prosthetic leg after three years of surgeries and rehab: “He waited until late in the game (Thursday night against Nevada) before appearing in just one play, but that play was as big as the winning score in the Super Bowl” (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN, 9/21).

Heard elsewhere over the weekend:

• Fox Sports’ Terry Bradshaw, on why comedian Frank Caliendo is on “Fox NFL Sunday”: “Is Frank related to David Hill? Is he dating his daughter or something? If he is, that would explain everything” (“Fox NFL Sunday,” Fox, 9/21).

• CBS’ Jim Nantz, on Titans QB Steve McNair injuring his finger: “This ring finger injury is the most talked about ring finger last weekend outside of J.Lo” ("The NFL Today," CBS, 9/21).

• ESPN’s Steve Young, on small home crowds for the NFL Cardinals: “That’s a USFL crowd. ... (Cardinals QB) Jeff Blake better whisper in the huddle because it gets so quiet down there the defense could hear you” ("Sunday NFL Countdown," ESPN, 9/21).

• Cubs broadcaster Chip Caray, on Wrigley Field being viewed as an attraction for fans: “I think it’s a huge part of it, and it’s amazing to me that people think of that as a negative” ("OTL," ESPN, 9/21).

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

TODAY’S EVENTS

The NTRA begins its annual two-day meeting and marketingsummit at The Mirage in Las Vegas (THOROUGHBRED TIMES, 9/16).

WFXT-Fox in Boston today launches “Morning News” from6:00-9:00am ET with host Gene Lavanchy, who served as WHDH-NBC sportsanchor since ‘94 (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/21).

The Minneapolis Planning Commission will examine a proposalto build a new $250M ballpark for the Twins adjacent to the Target Center. Additionally, the owners of the land areplanning a $600M+ “privately financed housing development for the area” aroundthe ballpark (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 9/18).

The Padres will begin moving the Candy Factory building 280feet east of its current location adjacent to Petco Park. The building will move 80-100 feet per dayas roughly 42 hydraulic lifts and a cable winch system will attempt to move thebuilding up a 6.5-foot incline.

THIS WEEK IN SISTER PUBLICATION SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL…

This week’s cover story looks at the evolvingcompetition between Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine, five years afterthe launch of the ESPN title in 1998.

For these stories and more, see this week's issue of SportsBusinessJournal.

EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are thisweek’s confirmed earnings announcements for sports-business related companies (THEDAILY):

IN OTHER NEWS….

This week’s cover of TIME offers “The ReaganLetters.” Meanwhile, NEWSWEEK examinesDemocratic Presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark, under theheader, “Who Is This G.I.?” (THE DAILY).

USA TODAY reports that Salma Hayek will appearstarting today in Coca-Cola’s “first bilingual commercial produced for nationalmainstream TV.” The ads via Lapiz, willair on PGA Tour and Braves programming (USA TODAY, 9/22).

The 55^th Primetime Emmy Awards were held last nightat the Shrine Auditorium in Hollywood. The following details select winners. View allwinners.

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Friday’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “FictionalCharacters.”

“This title character was based on a man who bravely servedthe Guides Regiment at the 1857 siege of Delhi.”

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

NBC’sJay Leno: “Last night they had the new edition of the show‘Survivor.’ It premiered last night,and all the contestants were dropped on a tiny island completely surrounded bywater. North Carolina, I believe it wascalled. ... I’m fascinated by these reporters who feel they have to standoutside in the storm to report. Haveyou seen these guys? It’s like theWeather Channel version of ‘Jackass.’ ... There are now reports that France mayagree to train Iraqi soldiers. Why? I thought Iraqis alreadyknew how to surrender. ... According to the National Health Service, 64% of themen surveyed said they get no regular exercise of any kind, and here’s the sadpart. That was just the poll of ChicagoBears players” ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 9/19).

SUNDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

ESPN’s11:30pm ET 90-minute edition of “SportsCenter” led with Rams-Seahawks, followed by Giants-Redskins and Packers-Cardinals. The first non-NFL report, at 13:53 into thebroadcast, was the NL Wild Card race. The first report on the Women’s World Cup was Sweden-U.S. at45:12.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that with “five films opening in wide release this weekend, andwith their respective business ranging from frosty to sizzling, overall it wasa strong session and welcome news for what has been a sluggish month. The total estimate for the top dozen filmswas a sensational 37% higher than the comparable frame last year” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 9/22).

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“Who was Gunga Din?”

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

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