| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | Day One Of Sports Sponsorship Symposium Focuses On ROI, Accountability |
| • | Alamodome Interested In MLS Expansion Franchise; Conference Call Today |
| • | Big Ten Today To Announce Partial Resolution To Metrodome Scheduling Issue |
| • | IOC Exec Board To Scrutinize USOC’s Handling Of Failed Drug Tests Today |
| • | NJSEA, Giants Reach Agreement To Finance Renovations At Giants Stadium |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
SPORTS SPONSORSHIP SYMPOSIUM CONCLUDES TODAY IN N.Y.
The Sports Sponsorship Symposium concludes today at theMarriott East Side in N.Y. The two-day conference, presented by The SportsBusiness Daily and SportsBusiness Journal, focuses largely on ROI and includesa mix of panel discussions and case studies. The following offers highlights of day one. View today’s agenda.
In an opening panel assessing ROI and accountability insports sponsorships, Reebok Int’l VP/Sports Marketing John Lynch said,“For us, a league sponsorship like the NFL or NBA actually is pretty clear cutbecause there is a business model, there is an ROI in the true sense of thedefinition, a return on investment. Sofrom that standpoint, we can see whether we make money or not.”
An afternoon session featured four agency execs discussingthe “changing face of sports marketing.” Octagon Worldwide President & CEO Rick Dudley said, “I thinkthe industry has suffered from the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome of notdemanding the respect that it deserves. … The business has matured quitedramatically. It’s attracting a greatcaliber of businesses. … It’s our obligation to understand marketing, notsports marketing, not sponsorship, not event marketing, but understandmarketing, and where we fit in that mix” (THE DAILY).
For more from yesterday’s sessions, see today’s issue of TheDaily.
ALAMODOME INTERESTED IN PLANNED MLS EXPANSION FRANCHISE
The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that Alamodome Dir MikeAbington, MLS COO Mark Abbott and Hunt Sports Group President JohnWagner today will discuss what San Antonio “needs to do to gain anexpansion franchise.” MLS, which has a$10M expansion fee, “hopes to add two teams in time for the 2005 season.” MLS hopes to announce on or before November23 which cities will be added. HuntSports Group operates the Burn, the league’s only franchise in TX (SANANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 9/24).
BIG TEN TO MOVE GOPHERS-WOLVERINES GAME TO FRIDAY NIGHT
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that the Big Tenconference will announce today the Univ. of MN-Univ. of MI game scheduled forOctober 11 at the Metrodome “will be played a day earlier to avoid a potentialconflict with Twins postseason baseball.” However, the conference “will wait to make a decision on the [October18] game against Michigan State until after” the ALDS (Minneapolis STARTRIBUNE, 9/24).
IOC TO SCRUTINIZE USOC’S HANDLING OF POSITIVE DRUG TESTS
The IOC Exec Board will meet today in Lausanne, Switzerland,and USA TODAY reports that the USOC’s “handling of positive drug tests datingto the 1980s will be scrutinized.” According to documents released last spring by former USOC Drug ControlDir Wade Exum, U.S. athletes tested positive more than 100 times from‘88-‘00, but “only a handful of the athletes were barred from competing and 19went on to win medals.” IOC President JacquesRogge: “We want to hear why the athletes were exonerated. We want to see if there was a valid reason”(USA TODAY, 9/24).
MORNING BRIEFS
The Newark STAR-LEDGER reports that the NJSEA and NFL Giants“reached an agreement to financerenovations at Giants Stadium yesterday, improving the state’s chances oflanding the first outdoor, cold-weather Super Bowl” (NewarkSTAR-LEDGER, 9/24).
The FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM reports that Sunday’s NorthKorea-U.S. Women’s World Cup match at 22,555-seat Columbus Crew Stadium inColumbus, OH, has been declared a sellout (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/24).
The Cleveland PLAIN DEALER notes, “While the sellout isimpressive, the fact [that] 16,000 tickets were sold for the matches [tonightat Columbus Crew Stadium] not involving the U.S. women speaks well of how theWorld Cup is perceived” (ClevelandPLAIN DEALER, 9/24).
NFL Network today will announce the hiring of former ESPNNFL analyst Sterling Sharpe as a studio analyst. Michael Irvin replaced Sharpe thisyear on ESPN (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/24).
ESPN announced that Sunday night’s Bill-Dolphins gameregistered the largest household audience on cable TV for ‘03, drawing a 9.0/(7,867,000 HHs) Nielsen cable rating. Last year’s comparable Raiders-Titans game was seen in 7,779,000HHs. ESPN’s Sunday night NFL telecastsare averaging an 8.8 cable rating this season, up 4% from an 8.5 cable ratingat this point in ‘02 (ESPN).
The L.A. TIMES reports that prosecutors yesterday sided withmedia organizations “in requesting that Kobe Bryant’s preliminaryhearing in [CO] remain open, an indication” that Eagle County DA MarkHurlbert “believes Bryant’s accuser will not have to testify.” In a separate filing, Bryant’s team “askedEagle County Judge Frederick Gannett to uphold a subpoena requestingthat the woman appear at the October 9 proceeding” (L.A.TIMES, 9/24).
The CP reports that WHA Commissioner Bobby Hull wasin Quebec City yesterday to “scout locations” for teams in the revivedleague. Hull said that the WHA is alsoconsidering NHL cities such as L.A., Phoenix, Dallas and Edmonton because ofthe potential NHL work stoppage (CP,9/24).
The FINANCIAL TIMES reports that ten of BSkyB’s “largestinstitutional shareholders yesterday met with senior independent directors fromthe company, urging them to ensure an ‘impartial’ succession to outgoing” CEO TonyBall. The meeting was “called amidconcerns in recent days about possible nepotism” as speculation has Ball beingreplaced by News Corp. Chair & CEO Rupert Murdoch’s son, James(FINANCIAL TIMES, 9/24).
The OTTAWA SUN reports that a deal to bring a European PGATour event to The Marshes Golf Club in Kanata could be announced “in the nextweek or 10 days.” One source said, “There’sa host club agreement in hand, and European Tour officials are at The Marshesnow trying to iron out the details” (OTTAWA SUN, 9/24).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The BOSTON HERALD reports that a crowd of 33,723 attended last night’s Orioles-Red Sox game at Fenway Park, the 61st sellout of the season. The crowd “established a new, single-season club record for the fourth consecutive season. With two home dates remaining, the Sox have drawn 2,655,029, which surpassed last year’s total of 2,650,093” (BOSTON HERALD, 9/24).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
ESPN.com reported that with Jon Bon Jovi inPhiladelphia yesterday to introduce the AFL Soul, Mia Hamm “walkedthrough the lobby of a Philadelphia hotel without being noticed. Instead, fans – and several of her U.S.teammates – headed” for Bon Jovi. U.S.women’s national soccer team member Cindy Parlow, on if she asked BonJovi to invest in the WUSA: “No. MaybeI should have” (ESPN.com, 9/23).
Following Snapple’s $166M sponsorship deal with N.Y., NEWYORK MAGAZINE asks, “How else could New York co-brand itself?” N.Y. Times advertising columnist StuartElliott: “For Mets fans, an official crying towel” (NEW YORK MAGAZINE,9/22 issue).
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 Sports Sponsorship Symposium, presented by Street &Smith’s The Sports Business Daily and SportsBusiness Journal, concludes at theMarriott East Side in N.Y. Roundtable discussion topics include “The Role ofMedia in Your Sports Sponsorships,” “Tapping Into Fan Passion,” “Seizing theValue-Added Opportunities” and “Cutting Through the Clutter: Non-TraditionalForms of Advertising and Promotion.” View today’sagenda.
MLB and Harlem RBI will host a team of Russian youthbaseball players for an exhibition game at Murry Bergtraum High School inN.Y. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig,Russian Minister of Sport Vyacheslav Fetisov and MLB President & COOBob DuPuy are scheduled to attend. Festivities continue tomorrow with a skills competition, to be attendedby Russian President Vladimir Putin and DuPuy.
Everlast and Foot Locker begin a three-city tour to promotethe launch of Everlast’s casual shoe line. WBC & WBA super welterweight champion Shane Mosley willattend a 4:30pm ET event at the Foot Locker store in N.Y.’s Herald Square. Junior welterweights Arturo Gatti andMicky Ward will attend a separate 4:30pm event at the Foot Locker storein Times Square. The tour continuesOctober 3 in Chicago and October 10 in L.A.
Hornets F/C Robert Traylor will travel with theHornets Caravan to Mobile, AL, to visit Little Flower Catholic School, the USAChildren’s & Women’s Hospital and Cody Road Boys & Girls Club (MOBILEREGISTER, 9/18). The Hornets willalso host auditions for national anthem singers at Lakeside Mall in New Orleansfrom 9:00am-5:00pm CT (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 9/21).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that in a move that could“bolster the chances that government regulators will approve News Corp.’sattempt to buy a stake in the nation’s largest satellite TV company, DirecTV iscommitting to beaming all local TV signals into all of the nation’s TV marketsby 2008” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 9/24). The AP reportsthat News Corp. has “promised to invest $1[B] in new satellites for DirecTVservice if federal regulators approve its bid” (AP,9/24).
DAILY VARIETY reports that NBC has “greenlit production on‘Celebrity Poker Showdown,’ a six-episode hourlong series set to air” Tuesdayson Bravo in the winter. Kevin Pollakwill host the show, which will feature Jack Black, Matthew Perry,David Schwimmer, Martin Sheen, Allison Janney, BradleyWhitford, John Spencer and Emily Procter, among others (DAILYVARIETY, 9/24).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Astronomy.”
“This planet has the shortest year, 88 days.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
CBS’ DavidLetterman: “Today is the first day of autumn, and so today on my lunchhour, I’m walking through Central Park and I saw a nut gathering squirrels. ...According to polls, retired General Wesley Clark now leads allDemocratic candidates, and if Clark looks familiar to you, I believe he’s thesame guy in the Lipitor ads. ... Joe Lieberman, for example, is worriedabout the popularity of Wesley Clark. As a matter of fact, today he replaced his wife, Hadassah, with BonnieHunt. ... There are reports now that Saddam Hussein is in hiding,and he’s running out of hair dye. It’scrazy. I’m sorry. Did I say Saddam Hussein? I meant Martha Stewart. ...Apparently, Ben and J.Lo got back together in Georgia to go get agun license and people are saying to me, ‘Dave, where are the next greatHollywood murder trials coming from?’” ("Late Show," CBS, 9/23).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “It is now officially fall. I love autumn in the San FernandoValley. The air this morning was abrisk 102 degrees. ... They began adding up all the damage from HurricaneIsabel. In fact, in West Virginia, aChevy was blown off its cement blocks in the front yard and actually parkedonto the street. ... It’s hard to believe a week later there are stillthousands of people without power. Butmost of those are just Democrats in Washington. ... President Bush spokeat the United Nations today. Bush saidthe nations of the world need to be more united than ever. Yeah, they are – against us! ... It’sreported that down near Ben’s home in Savannah, Georgia, Ben was in a gun storebuying a gun while J.Lo was sitting in the car waiting for him. Isn’t that how Robert Blake used tobreak up with women? ... They have a new drug that they say may one-day stopthe craving for cocaine. The bad news –it’s heroin. ... In Germany, this guy took some hallucinogenic drugs, cut offhis tongue and his penis. Here’s theworst part. The doctor who reattachedthem was dyslexic” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 9/23).
LATENIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s “Top Ten” list was “Top Ten Surprises In PresidentBush’s Address To The United Nations” ("Late Show," CBS, 9/23).
| 10) “Admitted taking longer than expected to mismanage the rebuilding of Iraq.” |
| 9) “President Bush wearing ‘Kucinich in 2004’ campaign button.” |
| 8) “Kept referring to the United Nations as the International House of Pancakes.” |
| 7) “He formally surrendered to North Korea.” |
| 6) “After a few remarks, turned it over to Dr. Phil who discussed weight loss.” |
| 5) “Labeling Jim Belushi as a member of the ‘axis of evil.’” |
| 4) “Usual smug smirk even smugger and smirkier.” |
| 3) “His opening act: Beyonce, with very special guest Jay-Z.” |
| 2) “‘Speech’ was nothing more than recipe for Laura’s quick ‘n’ easy chicken-fried steak.” |
| 1) “The part where he screamed, ‘Save us, Schwarzenegger!’” |
TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Maurice Clarett | Raiders-Broncos; Kobe Bryant |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Maurice Clarett | Raiders-Broncos; Terrell Owens |
| ESPN | 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” | Phillies-Marlins | Cubs-Reds; Giants-Astros |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Maurice Clarett | Raiders-Broncos; Peyton Manning |
| FSN | “New England Sports Tonight” | Orioles-Red Sox | Patriots DL Ted Washington; Marshall Faulk |
| MSG | “SportsDesk” | Yankees-White Sox | Orioles-Red Sox; NHL Rangers |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is Mercury?”
If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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