“SUNDAY NFL COUNTDOWN” PANELISTS ADDRESS LIMBAUGH FLAP

ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” opened yesterday with a discussion of commentator Rush Limbaugh, who resigned last week, offering its panelists a chance to address the situation. Host Chris Berman: “I’m angry for all the hurt. Angry for the hurt of the show sure, for us, but more for you, the viewers.” Co-host Tom Jackson: “It was not our decision to have Rush Limbaugh on this show” (“Sunday NFL Countdown,” ESPN, 10/5).

USA TODAY notes that the program offered “extraordinary television, heartfelt, gut-wrenching apologies from the cast – especially Jackson and host Chris Berman – for missing the chance a week ago to quickly reject Limbaugh’s off-base agenda.” Also, while networks “normally abhor referring to their competitors,” commentators on CBS’ and Fox’ pregame shows “weighed in strongly on Limbaugh’s sudden exit from ESPN” (USA TODAY, 10/6).

See today's issue of The Daily for a complete report.

COX COMMUNICATIONS PREPARING CAMPAIGN AGAINST SPORTS NETS

The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that Cox Communications “is preparing a publicity campaign that blames the sports networks for household cable rates that rise faster than inflation.” The nation’s fourth-largest cable operator “also is quietly conducting focus groups with subscribers to see whether they would switch to satellite-TV providers if Cox no longer carried” ESPN or Fox Sports Nets (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 10/6).

WEEI-AM REPS TO DISCUSS RACIALLY CHARGED REMARKS TODAY

The BOSTON GLOBE reports that representatives of WEEI-AM “plan to meet today with officials from Metco, a voluntary desegregation program that buses Boston students to schools in the suburbs. They want to ask what the station can do to make up for the racially charged, on-air remarks of John Dennis and Gerry Callahan last Monday,” where the duo likened a gorilla to Metco students. The station suspended Dennis for two days, “but has yet to take disciplinary action against Callahan” (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/6).

DELTA AIRLINES TO UNVEIL FIRST AIRPORT PUTTING GREEN TODAY

Delta Airlines, the official airline of the PGA Tour, today will unveil its first practice putting green at the Crown Room Club on Concourse T at Hartsfield Int’l Airport in Atlanta. PGA Tour player Matt Kuchar is scheduled to attend, sign autographs and provide golf tips from 2:00-4:00pm ET (PGA Tour).

MORNING BRIEFS

BLOOMBERG NEWS reports that NFL Network has signed multi-year advertising deals with NFL sponsors FedEx, IBM, Time Warner, GlaxoSmithKline and Bayer (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/6).

The S.F. CHRONICLE noted that Giants-Marlins NLDS Game Four at Pro Player Stadium “marked the first time in postseason history that both starting pitchers, [Dontrelle] Willis and Jerome Williams, were African-Americans” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 10/5).

The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that Thrashers C Dan Snyder died last night “as a result of injuries suffered in a crash last Monday as a passenger in teammate Dany Heatley’s car.” Snyder was 25 (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/6).

The FLORIDA TIMES-UNION reported that the Super Bowl XXXIX Host Committee has a new mascot, Scoop the Pelican, who made his debut during yesterday’s Chargers-Jaguars game (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 10/5).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that the sellout crowd of 20,092 attending last night’s Mavericks-Jazz exhibition game at Palacios de los Deportes in Mexico City was “noisy all night, giving the exhibition game a playoff atmosphere. … But the real ruckus was reserved for whenever Eduardo Najera, the NBA’s lone native of Mexico, scored or rebounded or just walked out on the floor” (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 10/6).

• The BOSTON GLOBE reports that the crowd of 27,623 attending yesterday’s Sweden-Canada and Germany-U.S. Women’s World Cup semifinals doubleheader at PGE Park “seemed incredulous as [Germany’s] Maren Meinert and Birgit Prinz added goals during second-half stoppage time” to defeat the U.S. 3-0, “even briefly chanting ‘USA’ after the final whistle” (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/6). USA TODAY notes that with the U.S. team out of contention, “the air is out of the sails of a tournament already saddled with tremendous competition on the U.S. fall sports calendar” (USA TODAY, 10/6).

• The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that a crowd of 48,954 attended yesterday’s Chargers-Jaguars game at Alltel Stadium, the “third-smallest home crowd in franchise history” (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 10/6).

• The following details the attendance for all MLB playoff games this weekend:

Notes: The crowd of 54,357 in attendance for last night’s Cubs-Braves NLDS Game Five was a Turner Field record (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/6). The crowd of 65,464 in attendance for Saturday’s Giants-Marlins NLDS Game Four was “the largest in Major League Division Series history” (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 10/5).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a noted White Sox fan, on the Cubs: “I do like the Cubs, and of course I’m rooting for the Cubs. I had a Cubs hat on the other night. It was historical” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/4).

The BOSTON HERALD writes of yesterday’s Titans-Patriots game at Gillette Stadium, “It seemed that most every fan in the seats was keeping track of the Sox game in one way or another, whether it be by watching a nearby monitor, tuning into a transistor radio or getting updates from fans around them. The result was one of the most unusual and interesting crowd scenes you’ll ever find at an NFL game. Moments after Troy Brown’s 89-yard punt return for a touchdown was nullified by a penalty, the crowd erupted. It turned out that Johnny Damon had hit a two-run homer. And with just 4:40 left in the game, moments after Steve McNair scored a go-ahead touchdown, the crowd stood for a huge ovation. It turned out the final out had just been recorded at Fenway” (BOSTON HERALD, 10/6).

WEEKEND RAP…

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

• Miami Herald columnist Dan LeBatard: “Dan Marino screams at his receivers, and it’s an example of fire and desire. Rich Gannon’s face reddens with rage, and he just wants to win. But Terrell Owens yells at his dopey coordinator, and he’s a selfish, out-of-control diva? ... The 49ers win when he gets the ball ... (and) he’s just honest in a way that the cliché-spouters around him aren’t.”

• N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica: “The toughest guy in sports this week, more than any athlete, was a sportswriter. ... Ed Gray is tough. He’s a veteran sportswriter for the Boston Herald, and he wrote a piece in Tuesday’s edition of the Herald in which he revealed he’s a homosexual. ... This wasn’t only brave. It was true and necessary because it’s ridiculous to assume that there aren’t gay athletes, and star gay male athletes, in all the major sports. ... One of these days, one of them will do what Ed Gray had the courage to do.”

• Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom: “Kobe Bryant gets the controversy, (Tim) Duncan get the ring, but Kevin Garnett gets the money. Once again Garnett has smashed the NBA salary ceiling, signing a five-year contract extension worth over $100[M]. ... We keep thinking there’s some kind of lid to this sports money. There isn’t. Soon, someone will earn $30[M] a year in the NBA, maybe Garnett.”

• ESPN’s John Saunders: “The NHL is the only major sports league without some form of salary cap, and the players want no part of it. ... Brett Hull is on record saying 75% of NHL players are overpaid, but I don’t agree. Athletes aren’t overpaid, the owners are overpaying. They can’t give it away fast enough. ... There are several NHL teams who will lose less money by not playing next season. Wake up. If you’re making $9[M], try living on $5[M]” ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 10/5).

Heard elsewhere over the weekend:

• Lakers C Shaquille O’Neal, when asked by reporters to comment on Kobe Bryant’s legal situation: “I think we (will) take the same approach that Kobe and Phil are taking and not answer any questions about it. Word to you guys, you’re wasting your time if you’re asking me because I’m good. I know all about editing. I know how you use trickery” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 10/3).

• ESPN’s Chris Berman, on Lincoln Financial Field: “After two thuds at their new home field, Lincoln Financial Field, quickly retabbed the Stink, (the Eagles) righted themselves with a win at Buffalo” ("Sunday NFL Countdown," ESPN, 10/5).

• ESPN’s Bobby Valentine, on the MLB rulebook: “The rulebook is idiotic, it has to be changed. They have to go in there. I’ve been preaching this all year” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 10/4).

• LeBatard: “To me the most exciting player in the NFL now that Michael Vick is out is (Chiefs KR) Dante Hall” ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 10/5).

THE BACK PAGES

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

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

TODAY’S EVENTS

Comcast SportsNet today debuts its newest ad campaign, “No Days Off,” an extension of its “Every Day Is Game Day” tagline that was launched in ’01. The spots, which feature various Comcast SportsNet personalities in everyday life situations, will air on TNT, TNN, E!, Comedy Central and FX (Comcast).

The N.Y. POST reported that a collection of 25 Japanese artists’ interpretations of Nike’s ’86 white “Dunk” shoe will be on display this week at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, before traveling to Tokyo and N.Y. The artistic interpretations highlight the fact that new collections from Nike, adidas and Reebok “are taking their cues from Louis Vuitton’s enormously successful culture clash with Japanese avant-garde art” (N.Y. POST, 10/5).

THIS WEEK IN SISTER PUBLICATION SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL…

This week’s cover story features part one of a three-part series highlighting SportsBusiness Journal’s 2003 League Report Card. The results show that while sponsors feel that properties have made some improvements in their client service since the first time the survey was conducted in ‘99, some weak spots remain.

For these stories and more, see this week’s issue of SportsBusiness Journal.

EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are this week’s confirmed earnings announcements for sports-business related companies (THE DAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS….

This week’s cover of TIME examines “The War Over The Leak.” Meanwhile, NEWSWEEK offers “The Kobe Bryant You Don’t Know … Behind The Image, His Troubled Road To A Rape Charge” (THE DAILY).

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Las Vegas magician Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy “remained in critical but stable condition on Sunday, two days after being bitten on the neck by a white tiger during a performance” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/6).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Friday’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Movie Heroes.”

“Hiram Bingham, who rediscovered ‘the lost city of the Incas’ Machu Picchu, was a model for this movie hero.”

LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

CBS’ David Letterman: “Isn’t it lovely in New York in the autumn? The thing I love about autumn in New York – the rats are getting their winter coats. ... I’m coming to work today, and I’m talking to my cab driver and he’s telling me that cab drivers are not making any money. For some reason the cab drivers just can’t make a living anymore, and the guy was telling me he’s having trouble paying his al Qaeda dues. ... Apparently, the money they save on deodorant doesn’t go as far as it used to. ... It’s a huge day for Bill Clinton. Wesley Clark, his protégé, is doing well in the polls and Halle Berry is available. ... Anybody here from California? How much longer do you suppose that will be a state? ... Arnold Schwarzenegger is the frontrunner in the election, and now it looks like he’s going to be the next governor of California. Arnold is so confident that he’s going to be elected, he’s already chosen a body oil for the inauguration” ("Late Show," CBS, 10/3).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “Here in California, just four more days until we find out if there’s going to be a ‘Terminator 4.’ ... Six women have come forward to say that Arnold groped them without their consent. But the good news for Arnold, today Bill Clinton is now endorsing him. ... Today, there are allegations that Arnold once admired Hitler and the odd thing is Hitler is now three points ahead of Gray Davis in the polls. ... Courtney Love has been arrested again and hospitalized for overdosing on drugs. I didn’t know she was dating Rush Limbaugh. ... As you know, Rush had to resign from his football commentator job on ESPN because of those racial comments he made. See, I don’t think ESPN even gets it. Today, they named Rush’s replacement. Did you see who they hired? Trent Lott. ... The Bush administration is having this big scandal about a leak. That’s the big difference between Democrats and Republicans. Republicans have leaks, Democrats have stains. ... The administration said today they remain confident we’re going to find Osama and Saddam Hussein. Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein? We can’t even find Kobe Bryant” ("Tonight Show," NBC, 10/3).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:

Last Friday’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Items On Rush Limbaugh’s To-Do List” ("Late Show," CBS, 10/3).

SUNDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

ESPN’s 11:30pm ET edition of “SportsCenter” (late due to Browns-Steelers) led with Cubs-Braves NLDS Game Five.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that the aggregate box office gross “for this weekend’s top 12 films was disappointing as it was down nearly 19% from the corresponding session in 2002” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/6).

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“Who is Indiana Jones?”

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

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