| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, October 17, 2003
9:00am ET | |
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| • | Yankees Advance In Dramatic Fashion Last Night Against Red Sox In The Bronx |
| • | USOC BOD To Meet Today In Cleveland To Discuss Structure, Doping Issues |
| • | Heat To Offer Free Tickets To Preseason Game Due To World Series Conflict |
| • | FIFA President Sepp Blatter Expected To Have Term Extended By One Year |
| • | Devils Raise Stanley Cup Banner Before Sellout Crowd In The Meadowlands |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
YANKEES ADVANCE IN ELEVENTH; JOIN MARLINS IN WORLD SERIES
The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 6-5 last night in GameSeven of the ALCS on a walk-off home run in the eleventh inning by Yankees 3B AaronBoone. Each of the network morningshows led with video of the home run. Fox will begin World Series coverage Saturday at 7:30pm ET (THE DAILY).
In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes, “And so a new generationof New Englanders has learned the risk of rooting for the Red Sox” (BOSTONGLOBE, 10/17).
In N.Y., George King writes, “Maybe there is something tothis Curse of the Bambino after all” (N.Y. POST, 10/17).
In Houston, David Barron writes the Marlins-Yankees WorldSeries match-up is “is a dead-lock cinch to beat the anemic 11.9/20 average forlast year’s Angels-Giants series. Butit won’t produce the Nielsen numbers that the Cubs would have posted againstNew York or Boston” (HOUSTONCHRONICLE, 10/17).
In Chicago, John Jackson notes that a Cubs-Red Sox or aCubs-Yankees match-up “might have single-handedly erased all the monetarylosses the network has suffered the last few years from its rights deal withMajor League Baseball” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES,10/17).
During halftime of Cavaliers-Lakers on TNT, which airedwhile Red Sox-Yankees was in progress, Charles Barkley said of thepreseason game, “Paul Silas’ wife and LeBron James’ mother aren’teven watching this game” (TNT, 10/16).
MEMBERS OF USOC BOD SET TO VOTE THEMSELVES OUT OF OFFICE
The L.A. TIMES reports that more than 120 members of theUSOC BOD will convene in Cleveland today “to do something radical. They are set, at a meeting scheduled to runthrough the weekend, to vote themselves out of office. Most of them, anyway. About a dozen, maybe fewer, mightremain.” However, it “might not matterwhat the USOC decides this weekend. TheU.S. Senate and the House of Representatives are at work on their own reformplans” (L.A.TIMES, 10/17).
AS MANY AS 40 ATHLETES TO BE QUESTIONED ON DOPING CONSPIRACY
ESPN.com reported that as many as 40 athletes may havealready received subpoenas to “testify before a federal grand jury that isinvestigating whether a prominent San Francisco nutritionist has links to whatone anti-doping official calls ‘an international doping conspiracy.’” One source close to the case said, “Thenames I’ve heard are some of the biggest names in sports” (ESPN.com, 10/16).
USA TODAY reported that the USOC has asked USA Track &Field President Bill Roe to address its Exec Committee today “about howUSATF plans to respond to information requests on the Jerome Young”doping case and “what USATF plans regarding athlete conduct regulations” (USATODAY, 10/14).
HEAT FORCED TO MOVE PRESEASON GAME DUE TO WORLD SERIES
The Heat, beginning at noon ET today, will offer freetickets to next Tuesday’s preseason game against the Grizzlies. Originally scheduled for 7:30pm, the October21 contest has been shifted to a noon tip-off to accommodate Game Three of theWorld Series that night, which will also be in Miami (Heat).
MORNING BRIEFS
The L.A. TIMES reports that Sepp Blatter “will servean additional year as FIFA’s President, extending his term in office until2007, under a proposal to be voted on this weekend at an Extraordinary FIFACongress in Doha, Qatar. The move isintended to prevent the FIFA presidential election from taking place in thesame year as the World Cup” (L.A.TIMES, 10/17).
USA TODAY reports that the BCS “will change, somehow, aftercontracts expire at the end of the 2005 season. Beyond that, conference commissioners emerged [yesterday] fromtwo days of meetings in Chicago with little indication of the future of the$115[M]-a-year arrangement.” Pac-10Commissioner Tom Hansen: “We’re not considering a full, formal playoff,and we’re not considering the status quo, but everything in between is still upfor discussion” (USA TODAY,10/17).
The DALLAS MORNING NEWS reported that the Stars’ sellout streak of 238 consecutivegames, including the playoffs, ended Wednesday at American Airlines Centeragainst the Bruins. The crowd of 18,289was “about 300 seats shy of a sellout” (DALLASMORNING NEWS, 10/16).
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that Fenway Park groundskeeper PaulWilliams likely will file a civil suit stemming from the bullpen incidentduring Game Three of the ALCS involving Yankees P Jeff Nelson and RF Karim Garcia. Williams’ lawyer, Patrick Jones, said, “There is an investigation ongoing and it’s anticipated we’ll file acivil suit” (N.Y.DAILY NEWS, 10/17).
The AP reported that Raiders TE Marcus Williams filedsuit yesterday in Alameda County court against LB Bill Romanowski forbreaking an orbital bone during an August 24 fight in practice. The suit seeks “unspecified damages foralleged battery, negligence and intentional infliction of emotionaldistress.” No criminal charges werefiled (AP, 10/16).
The Baltimore SUN reports MD Gov. Robert Ehrlich saidyesterday that he is “willing to accept slot machines at free-standingemporiums in the state as well as at horse racing tracks – as long as tracksget the majority of the sites” (BaltimoreSUN, 10/17).
NASDAQ has approved San Diego Soccer Development Corp.,doing business as Soccer Development of America, to begin trading on the OTCBulletin Board under the symbol “SDSD” (San Diego Soccer Development).
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that Rice Univ., a member ofthe WAC since ‘96, will be invited to join Conference USA “along with fellowWAC schools Tulsa and SMU in the near future, and sources say Rice will accept”(HOUSTONCHRONICLE, 10/17).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The N.Y. POST reports that a sellout crowd of 19,040 attended last night’s Maple Leafs-Devils home opener at Continental Airlines Arena, where the Devils raised the Stanley Cup banner. The Devils did not sell out the arena until their 33rd home game last year (N.Y. POST, 10/17).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Last night’s 6:00pm ET edition of ESPN’s “SportsCenter”thought they had Steve Bartman, the Cubs fan who attempted to catch afoul ball during Marlins-Cubs NLCS Game Six, on a phone interview, but insteadit turned out to be a crank caller. ESPN’s Dan Patrick conducted the interview for 1:23 when thecrank caller asked Patrick, “Do you like Howard Stern’s buttcheese?” Patrick: “We’ve beenhad.” Patrick later began an interviewwith former Marlins manager Jeff Torborg by asking, “Are you sure thisis Jeff Torborg?” ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 10/16).
Asked what it “says about a society that would vilify aheartbroken Cubs fan,” Chicago Mayor Richard Daley countered, “What doesit say about you media people? Don’tworry about society. What aboutyou? You would not print your editor’sname, address and telephone number and tell people, ‘They did that editorial’in this community. You wouldnever. You’d be fired tomorrow” (CHICAGOSUN-TIMES, 10/17).
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. Post |
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| N.Y. Daily News | N.Y. Daily News |
TODAY’S EVENTS
Galyan’s Trading Co. will open a 100,000-square-footlocation in Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island. The store is the company’s 42nd and first in the N.Y.metro area (NEWSDAY, 10/16).
The Association of National Advertisers continues its 93rdannual conference in Dana Point, CA. The conference runs through the weekend. View the agenda.
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, actor John Cusack is forced torelive the nightmare Cubs fans experienced during the eighth inning of NLCSGame Six against the Marlins on NBC’s “Today,” a mere eight hours after itoccurred (THE DAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
TheWASHINGTON POST reports that AOL Time Warner “deleted the ‘AOL’ from itsname yesterday, returning to the familiar ‘Time Warner’ label that was itscorporate calling card before its ill-fated $112[B] merger with America Onlinein January 2001.” The company’s stockticker symbol has been changed from “AOL” to “TWX.” The company also introduced a new corporate logo designed byN.Y.-based Lippincott Mercer (WASHINGTONPOST, 10/17).
The APreports that The New York Times Co. yesterday posted a 15% decline in Q3 ‘03 earnings,“despite higher revenues, as the company’s costs rose, particularly fornewsprint and health benefits.” Thecompany earned $50.1M in the three months ending in September, compared with$59M in the same period a year ago. Total revenues rose 4% to $759.3M versus $729.5M (AP,10/17).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that Nextel yesterday “reportedstrong revenue growth and raised its profit forecast for 2003 but reported a 9%drop in third-quarter net income, reflecting debt-retirement costs.” Net income was $348M down from $383M a yearearlier. Revenue grew 27% in the quarter to $2.89B from $2.28B (WALLSTREET JOURNAL, 10/17).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Name’s TheSame.”
“This sports superstar of 1973 bears the name of one of thesix major organs of the United Nations.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “I’m a little on edge, I’m alittle jumpy and I’m a little beside myself. Today is my first full day off prescription painkillers. ... (RushLimbaugh) went into rehab, and he’s been in there about three or four daysand apparently, he’s doing unbelievably well. As a matter of fact, earlier today he announced his engagement to ElizabethTaylor. ... Earlier today, Jack Nicholson admitted that he washooked on prescription sunglasses. ... (Angela Lansbury is) 78 years oldtoday, and as a special treat, Pedro Martinez threw her to the ground.... According to rumors now, Saddam Hussein is being hidden by relativesin his hometown. Oh no, wait aminute. No, that’s that Chicago Cubsfan who tried to catch (the foul ball)” ("Late Show," CBS, 10/16).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “Halloween is just two weeksaway. If you want to drive people inChicago nuts this Halloween, here’s what you do. Dress up like a Cubs fan, stand outside the front door and yell,‘I got it!’ ... Man that was a heartbreaker last night. Didn’t you want the Cubs to win? That was sad. I haven’t seen a collapse like that since, well, last year’sCubs. ... More and more facts coming out about (the Cubs fan). ... He’s 26years old, a Notre Dame grad. Hecoaches in a youth football league and he’s currently in the witness protectionprogram. But he did get some good newstoday. He was named Marlins MVP. ...You know who sent condolences to the Cubs today? Al Gore. He saidhe knows what it’s like to get screwed in Florida. ... (Newsweek) said RushLimbaugh’s home was worth $30[M] with a street value of $80[M]” ("TheTonight Show," NBC, 10/16).
LATENIGHT LAUGHS:
Lastnight’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Perks Of Being Stationed In Baghdad.” Ten U.S. Army soldiers in Baghdad read thelist ("Late Show," CBS, 10/16).
| 10) “Access to Saddam’s extensive collection of Barbra Streisand CDs.” |
| 9) “I’m the only Jonathan Atwood in the Baghdad phonebook.” |
| 8) “You play cards with those Iraqi government decks – we use the actual guys.” |
| 7) “We get to test out the army’s new bulletproof camel.” |
| 6) “You don’t need Dr. Phil to lose weight here – you just sweat your ass off.” |
| 5) “When the C.O. isn’t looking, I like to tiptoe around the Presidential Palace and play dictator for a while.” |
| 4) “It’s fun to pick up the phone and say, ‘No, Uday and Qusay are not available right now because they’re dead.’” |
| 3) “Goodbye standard-issue army tent, hello billion-dollar palace.” |
| 2) “CBS comedies are even funnier in Kurdish.” |
| 1) “The farther away from the state of California, the better” |
THURSDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Marlins-Cubs
NLCS Game Seven | Red Sox-Yankees ALCS
Game Seven; Bobcats hire Bernie Bickerstaff |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Red Sox-Yankees
ALCS Game Seven | Marlins-Cubs NLCS Game
Seven; unlucky Cubs fan |
| ESPN | 1:00am ET “SportsCenter” | Red Sox-Yankees
ALCS Game Seven | ALCS analysis; Cavaliers-Lakers preseason |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Marlins-Cubs
NLCS Game Seven | Buccaneers DL Anthony McFarland and Michael Johnson interviews |
| FSN | “New England Sports Tonight” | Red Sox-Yankees
ALCS Game Seven | John Henry Williams illness; Patriots-Dolphins |
| FSN | “Rocky Mountain Sports Report” | Avalanche-Wild | Broncos-Vikings; Broncos RB Clinton Portis interview |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“Who was Secretariat?”
If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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