| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, October 30, 2003
9:00am ET | |
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| • | NFL Owners To Vote Today On ’08 Super Bowl Site As Fall Meeting Concludes |
| • | Sonics Open Season With Win Over Clippers In Important Japanese Market |
| • | Pirates To Unveil New Marketing Strategy To Season-Ticket Holders Today |
| • | Marlins Promise To Change Name To Miami Marlins If New Ballpark Is Built |
| • | Jazz Play To Smallest Opening Night Crowd In Delta Center History Last Night |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
NFL OWNERS TO SELECT ’08 SUPER BOWL SITE TODAY IN CHICAGO
The annual NFL Fall Meeting concludes today at theRenaissance Hotel in Chicago, and the N.Y. TIMES reports that owners will awardthe ‘08 Super Bowl to one of three sites – Arizona, Tampa or DC. Several owners said that the Arizona bid“could gain the most votes in view of Tempe’s having stepped in” to host thisweek’s transplanted Dolphins-Chargers “MNF” game. Yesterday, the owners decided “not to explore the possibility ofan 18-game regular season and a 2-game preseason” (N.Y. TIMES,10/30).
In anticipation of a favorable decision, the city of Glendaleis inviting the public to a celebratory announcement at the Glendale CivicCenter at 2:30pm MT (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/27).
The L.A. DAILY NEWS reports that the league’s progress“toward a new stadium in [L.A.] never made it to the floor” yesterday. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, saidof a brief presentation being made today: “If we have time” (L.A.DAILY NEWS, 10/30).
SONICS BEAT CLIPPERS AT JAPAN’S SAITAMA STADIUM THIS MORNING
The Sonics defeated the Clippers 109-100 in their seasonopener from Saitama Stadium in Japan, a game which ended just before 8:00amET. The L.A. TIMES notes that this isthe “sixth time NBA teams have opened the season in Japan,” and it is thesecond trip each for the Clippers and Sonics. The two teams play again in Japan Saturday – Friday night in the U.S. (L.A.TIMES, 10/30).
The N.Y. TIMES notes that the NBA “is not so much a sport asan attitude and a brand in Japan. … To younger Japanese, a growing number ofwhom travel overseas, the NBA speaks an entirely different language: theintangible code of style” (N.Y.TIMES, 10/30).
PIRATES, BREWERS GOING INTERACTIVE TO SELL SEASON TICKETS
The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE reports that the Pirates will“unveil a new marketing strategy today” at noon ET, as season-ticket holdershave been invited to PNC Park to “hear the specifics on pricing revisions andrevamped packages aimed at rewarding loyal and repeat customers.” There also will be a Q&A session withOwner Kevin McClatchy and GM Dave Littlefield (PITTSBURGHPOST-GAZETTE, 10/30).
The Brewers today will send an interactive CD-ROM to allseason-ticket holders, which includes information on ’04 season tickets, aguided tour of the team’s clubhouse by manager Ned Yost and simulationsof running alongside the Racing Sausages and sliding down Bernie Brewer’s slide(Brewers).
CITIZENS BANK PARK “PRETTY MUCH” ON SCHEDULE FOR OPENING
The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that sod installation atCitizens Bank Park, the Phillies’ new ballpark, will “begin today or tomorrowand should be completed by the end of next week.” Phillies President David Montgomery had said that thegrass on the field “would have to be laid down by the end of this month for itto take root before winter.” Construction of the ballpark,which opens April 4, “is pretty much on schedule” (PHILADELPHIAINQUIRER, 10/30).
TODAY THE DAILY GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH…
Which league exec is fascinated by war documentaries on TheHistory Channel and is in the process of reviving the credibility of hisleague? To find out, see today’s “Sports Industrialists” section for “THEDAILY Goes One-On-One With…”
MORNING BRIEFS
The MIAMI HERALD reports that the Marlins are promising thatif they get a new ballpark “the team will change its name to the MiamiMarlins.” Marlins President DavidSamson: “It was something [Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria] and I had noproblem with. It was not a negotiatingpoint” (MIAMIHERALD, 10/30).
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that the Red Sox have increasedticket prices for the ninth consecutive year, with the average ticket pricejumping to $44.37, “all but [guaranteeing] the Sox will reign for a sixthstraight year as purveyors of the costliest average ticket” in MLB (BOSTONGLOBE, 10/30). View Red SoxPresident & CEO Larry Lucchino’s openletter to season-ticket holders.
The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that IOC Marketing Dir MichaelPayne and IOC Finance Commission Chair Richard Carrion are inToronto this week to “meet with Canadian TV networks” in an attempt to“stimulate interest in the 2010 and 2012 [Olympic] Games.” So far, CBC “appears to be the only networkkeen on bidding for the 2010 Games,” which will be in Vancouver (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL, 10/30).
The L.A. TIMES reports that ATHOC has proposed “moving themen’s shotput from Olympic Stadium in Athens to the site of the ancient Gamesin Olympia.” The proposal “must clear anumber of considerable logistical hurdles” (L.A.TIMES, 10/30).
The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that jury selection in thetrial of former SLOC President Tom Welch and Senior VP Dave Johnson is“likely to be completed today, clearing the way for opening statements to bedelivered Friday” (SALT LAKETRIBUNE, 10/30).
NEWSDAY reports that a grand jury investigating BALCOPresident Victor Conte is “expected to convene for a second time todaywith the possibility that recognizable athletes will begin to appear.” The grand jury met last week “but noathletes were present” (NEWSDAY,10/30).
The Atlantic 10 yesterday announced that its men’sbasketball tournament will be held at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnatifollowing the ‘05 and ’06 season. Thetournament will be held at the Univ. of Dayton Arena this season (Atlantic10).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that a crowd of 17,306 attended last night’s Trail Blazers-Jazz game, the “smallest opening night crowd in Delta Center history” (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 10/30).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
Sonics G RonaldMurray, after seeing the type of cell phones available in Japan, said,“They’ve got phones we’ve never even seen over here. Nextel’s got to stepit up” (SEATTLEPOST-INTELLIGENCER, 10/30).
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. Daily News |
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| Philadelphia Daily News | Philadelphia Daily News |
TODAY’S EVENTS
The Heat will pay all toll expenses for vehicles travelingthrough the SR 836 toll plaza in Miami from 7:00-9:00am ET as a reminder thatthe Heat play their first home game tomorrow night at 7:30pm ET against thePistons. The Heat Dancers will bestationed in each of the booths.
Nashville’s Legendary Fairgrounds Speedway will host a1:00pm ET news conference, where the track’s name will be changed to Music CityMotorplex, and a new logo will be unveiled. Track President Joe Mattioli “may also have an announcement aboutthe track’s NASCAR future” (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 10/30).
Nets F Richard Jefferson, rapper Jermaine Dupri,Hot 97’s DJ Kay Slay and BET’s “Rap City” host Big Tigger arescheduled to compete in an “NBA Live 2004” competition at 3:00pm ET at the NBAStore on Fifth Avenue in N.Y. as part of NBA “Premiere Week.”
The National Baseball HOF will display postseason game-usedartifacts from the Marlins and Yankees. Eventually, the memorabilia will be made part of the HOF’s World Seriesexhibit, “Autumn Glory: A Postseason Celebration” (Albany TIMES-UNION, 10/29).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The WALL STREET JOURNAL notes that Sirius Satellite Radioreported a Q3 ’03 net loss of $106.7M, compared with a net loss of $108.2M inthe same period a year earlier. Revenuejumped to $4.3M in Q3 ’03, up from $17,000 in the same period a year earlier,and up from $2.1M in Q2 ’03 (WALL STREETJOURNAL, 10/30).
DAILY VARIETY reports that Spike TV’s “Joe Schmo” finishedits season “before an average of 3.4 million viewers – more than double theshow’s previous high two weeks ago – making it the net’s most watched programsince the former TNN relaunched in August” (DAILYVARIETY, 10/30).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that CBS Dir of Communications MichaelSilver has resigned after a 39-year-run with the net (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 10/30).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “The World’sPeople.”
“The first recorded use of this word now applying to 1.1billion people was by St. Ignatius of Antioch around 100 A.D.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
CBS’ DavidLetterman: “Folks from out of town, I don’t know if this will delight orhorrify you, but New York City has a miserable rat problem. It turns out that there are 20 million ratsin the metropolitan area. Many commutein from Connecticut and New Jersey. MayorBloomberg has declared war on the rats, and he says the war will continueuntil the rats are capable of self-rule. The city announced after a four-day siege, they have taken back theHello Deli. … Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger is paying a visit to PresidentBush in Washington, DC. Yeah, Ithink now is a really great time for him to be leaving California, nothingreally big going on there. … New York city is a great city, but it also can bestrange and peculiar. This guy in astudio apartment was keeping 16 dangerous, poisonous, viperous, venomoussnakes. I think people in New York Citylike danger. For example, there was aguy before who kept a tiger in his apartment. The monkey was so scared he wouldn’t come out of the bathroom. I know another guy who actually kept LizaMinnelli in his apartment. … Liza Minnelli and her husband of aweek-and-a-half, David Gest, are getting a divorce. Liza’s husband claims Liza beat him up. Liza’s tough, don’t kid yourself. Have you ever been hit in the groin with anartificial knee? … Jennifer Lopez and Mayor Bloomberg held a joint newsconference. They announced New YorkCity will be the host city for her 2012 wedding. And then Mayor Bloomberg granted landmark status to J.Lo’s ass” (“LateShow,” CBS, 10/29).
NBC’sJay Leno: “Welcome to Cali-ferno, where every Wednesday is AshWednesday. … President Bush declared yesterday that California is a disasterarea, while saying everything is going well in Iraq. Governor Gray Davis said this fire may be the worstdisaster this state has ever faced. Thegood news for him is that he’s moved down a notch. … The fires are now startingto affect business. I guess the fires today got very close to an adult filmstudio. … It’s so smoky. I stopped atWal-Mart today, and I couldn’t see the illegal aliens. … Today in Washington,Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger had lunch with Senator Ted Kennedy. Arnold and Ted having lunch, I understand GloriaAllred is now representing the waitress. Arnold has the top, Ted has the bottom. … It now seems psychologistswant to unionize so they can negotiate higher payments from health insurancecompanies. If psychologists walk offthe job, L.A. is screwed. … Now waiters are going on strike. Apparently, there is a union forwaiters. Isn’t that the Screen ActorsGuild?” (“Tonight Show,” NBC, 10/29).
LATENIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten was “Top Ten Things Overheard in the Meeting Between JenniferLopez and Mayor Bloomberg” (“Late Show,” CBS, 10/29).
| 10) “Ever done it with a short billionaire?” |
| 9) “I’m still in love with Ben Affleck ... How about you, Jennifer?” |
| 8) “Deep down, I’m still just Bloomberg from the block.” |
| 7) “I’m glad there are no pressing issues facing the city so I can waste my afternoon talking to a pop star.” |
| 6) “Call me ‘M-Blo.’” |
| 5) “That doesn’t feel like the key to the city, your Honor.” |
| 4) “I know I’m a multi-billionaire, but I still want the nine bucks I wasted on ‘Gigli.’” |
| 3) “Baby, I should arrest you because you’re in New York City and you’re smokin’!” |
| 2) “So how long have you been president of New York, Mr. Bloomstein?” |
| 1) “Would you care to meet the ‘Deputy Mayor,’ if you know what I mean?” |
WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Lakers | LeBron James; Redskins coach Steve Spurrier |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Kobe-Shaq feud | Mavericks-Lakers; LeBron James |
| ESPN | 1:00am ET “SportsCenter” | Cavaliers-Kings | Spurs-Nuggets; Bucks-T’Wolves |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Kobe-Shaq feud | NBA suspensions; Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is Catholic?”
If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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