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Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz, November 25, 2003

The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
9:00am ET

FedExForum Exec Dir Still Expects Arena To Be Completed On Time, On Budget

Top Maple Leafs Affil To Seek Franchise Fee Reduction From NHL Club Today

Former USOC Dir Of Int’l Relations Returns To The Stand Today In SLOC Trial

MLS Looking At Shea Or Yankee Stadium To Play Host To Next Year’s MLS Cup

Aerosmith Tabbed By NFL Again, This Time For Super Bowl Pregame Show

Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy!


FEDEXFORUM SCOREBOARD PACKAGE TO BE BID OUT TODAY

The Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL reports that the FedExForum’sscoreboard package “will be bid out today.” The scoreboard represents about half of the $20M worth of items that “still must be put out for bid before a guaranteedmaximum price” is determined.  However,New Memphis Arena Public Building Authority Exec Dir David Bennett“still expects the arena to open on schedule and close to the $250[M] budget” (MemphisCOMMERCIAL APPEAL, 11/25).


TOP MAPLE LEAFS AFFIL TO SEEK FRANCHISE FEE REDUCTION TODAY

The TORONTO STAR reported that four representatives from theAHL St. John’s Maple Leafs will be in Toronto today for negotiations withToronto Maple Leafs President Richard Peddie, GM John Ferguson,assistant GM Mike Penny and Air Canada Centre GM Bob Hunter,“aimed at having the franchise fee St. John’s pays to the Leafs – believed tobe [C$1.2-1.7M] – reduced.”  The St.John’s group knows the Leafs do not “have many options.  They also know that there are a good numberof people in St. John’s who think the city would be better served by having aQuebec Major Junior Hockey League team, so for once, the big, bad Leafs mightnot get their way” (TORONTOSTAR, 11/24).


FORMER USOC DIR OF INT’L RELATIONS RETURNS TO THE STAND TODAY

The SALT LAKETRIBUNE reports that former USOC Dir of Int’l Relations Alfredo La Montreturns to the stand today in the trial of former SLOC President Tom Welchand Senior VP Dave Johnson.  Welch’s attorney, BlairBrownyesterday“presented evidence that the USOC supplied grants,” paid internships and otherbenefits to National Olympic Committees and IOC members in the late 1980sand early 1990s.  Brown’s argument: “How could Welch and Johnson havedefrauded the USOC, as the government’s indictment alleges, if they learned thetricks of the trade from the USOC?” (SALT LAKETRIBUNE, 11/25).


RBC CENTER TO REVIEW SIGNAGE POLICY TODAY AFTER INCIDENT

The RBC Center Exec Committee will meet today, and theRaleigh NEWS & OBSERVER reports that the committee will review its “policyregarding signs and banners at … Hurricanes games after a fan left the arena inprotest on Sunday when he was prohibited from displaying a banner critical ofcoach Paul Maurice,” which stated, “Mo must go.”  Arena policy presently bans signs andbanners “that could be construed as vulgar, offensive, graphic or outside ofwhat the community standard would consider in ‘good taste.’”   RBC Center GM Dave Olsen said thatit “was a ‘new’ usher’s decision that the banner violated those standards” (RaleighNEWS & OBSERVER, 11/25).


MORNING BRIEFS

The CHICAGO TRIBUNEreports that a Cook County (IL) judgeruled yesterday that the Cubs “did not break state scalping lawsby selling tickets through” Wrigley Field Premium Ticket Services,a “brokerage service incorporated” by Tribune Co., the team’s owner (CHICAGOTRIBUNE, 11/25).

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports thatMLS “is looking into the possibility of having Shea or YankeeStadium play host to next year’s MLS Cup” (N.Y.DAILY NEWS, 11/25).

The MIAMI HERALD reports that TheSports Authority Founder Jack Smith “is part of a group looking to take over the troubledGiacomelli Sport Group, Italy’s largest sporting-goods chain.”  Smith resigned as The Sports Authority Chairin ’99 (MIAMI HERALD,11/25).

The BOSTON HERALD reports thatAerosmith has “been drafted totake part in Super Bowl XXXVIII’s pregame show saluting the city of Houston,its sports heroes and the space program” (BOSTONHERALD, 11/25).

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics metyesterday in DC, and the WASHINGTON POST reports that “among the sobering factspresented to the members” of the commission was that recent scandals in collegebasketball have “prompted potential TV advertisers to question whether theywanted to continue being associated with the NCAA tournament” (WASHINGTONPOST, 11/25).


A LIGHTER BUZZ

ABC college football analyst Terry Bowden, on whichteam he would choose to play Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, this year’s BCSchampionship game: “USC.  It’s the bestmarket for ABC” (“PTI,” ESPN, 11/24).


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
Philadelphia Daily News

TODAY’S EVENTS

Select ACC and Big Ten men’s basketball coaches will joinESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla for a noon ET conference call to discussthe ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

The Flames will launch a partnership with KidsUpFront at a1:00pm MT news conference at the Pengrowth Saddledome.  Flames President & CEO Ken King,G Roman Turek and KidsUpFront President David Spencer areexpected to attend.


IN OTHER NEWS….

USA TODAY reports that CBS “will coast to an easy victory inthe important November sweeps race, widening last year’s razor-thin lead overNBC by nearly 3 million viewers. And NBC will cling to a narrowing victory among theyoung-adult viewers prized by advertisers, despite losing 14% of that audiencefrom last November” (USA TODAY,11/25).

The N.Y. TIMES notes that Nielsen Media Research yesterdayreleased a 43-page report explaining the decline in viewership among males18-34.  The report “found that changesin Nielsen’s methodology that started as long as a year and a half ago arepartly – but not wholly – to blame for the decline.”  As of November 16, viewership in the demo was down 7.7% forprimetime compared with the same period from last year (N.Y. TIMES,11/25).

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE reports that Coca-Cola yesterday pickedChicago-based Starcom MediaVest Group as its “new agency for its $350[M]consolidated media business after one of the most contentious reviews in recenthistory” (CHICAGOTRIBUNE, 11/25).  IPG’sUniversal McCann, who previously shared the account with Starcom MediaVest, wasalso considered (THE DAILY).

The BOSTON HERALD reports that ElisabethHasselbeck, wife of Redskins QB Tim Hasselbeck and sister-in-law ofSeahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck, has been named co-host of ABC’s “TheView.” Elisabeth, a former footweardesigner at Reebok, was a semifinalist on “Survivor: The Australian Outback” (BOSTONHERALD, 11/25).


FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Women InBusiness.”

“In 1963 she founded her company with a sales force of nine;today that number is over 950,000.”


LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

CBS’ DavidLetterman: “I can hardly breathe. My pants are a little too tight. … Last week, I had the terrible,terrible flu.  It’s gotten so bad herein New York City, my driver was blowing his nose in his turban. … Everybody’sgot a cold or the flu.  Rush Limbaughrecently sent his housekeeper out to score some NyQuil. … Lyle Menendezjust got married.  I’m not sure wherehe’s registered.  So that means now bothLyle and Eric Menendez are taken, but the good news is Phil Spectoris still available. … Johnny Depp has been named sexiest man alive byPeople Magazine.  I was in therunning.  I placed right between DennisKucinich and Michael Jackson. … How about that Michael Jackson?  It finally happened, the cops came up with ascarier mug shot than Nick Nolte’s. … It was quite a scene lastweek.  He was handcuffed, and throwninto a holding cell.  Just like many ofhis guests at Neverland Ranch” (“Late Show,” CBS, 11/24).

NBC’sJay Leno: “This has not been a good 48 hours if you’re a UCLA fan whobelieves Michael Jackson is innocent. Anybody see that game?  USC beatUCLA 47-22.  That’s like Demi Mooreand Ashton Kutcher. … Earlier today, Michael met with his priest, andafter spiritual advice, they went out on a double date.  The newspapers are reporting today that thespecial nickname he had for this kid was ‘Rubba,’ after a game they used toplay together called ‘Rubba Rubba.’  Ifhe keeps this up, he’s going to be playing ‘Rubba’ with Bubba. … A lot of radiostations have stopped playing Michael Jackson’s music, to which Michael said,‘Now I know how LaToya feels.’ … According to recent Gallup polls, 17%of those surveyed still had a favorable opinion of Michael.  I know that doesn’t sound like much, butthat still puts him way ahead of all the Democratic candidates running forPresident. … The one who has really been hurt by this scandal is CBS.  They were supposed to air their MichaelJackson special this Wednesday, but pulled it off the air.  They’ve had a rough couple of weeks.  First they had to pull the movie about the Reagansoff, then these allegations surface about Michael Jackson.  It turns out less than a month ago, CBS paidmillions of dollars for the rights to do a special called ‘Paris Hilton:All-American Girl’” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 11/24).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night’s Top Ten was “Top Ten Excuses of the Guy Arrested For Smuggling 750Pounds of Bologna” (“Late Show,” CBS, 11/24).

10) “I wanted to get my Christmas shopping done early.”

9) “Used to smuggle drugs, but now everybody’s into the Atkins diet.”

8) “It seemed like a good idea when I was drunk.”

7) “First I get caught mailing myself in a crate and now this.”

6) “Rush Limbaugh has a new addiction.”

5) “If I refused, Oscar Mayer was going to kill my family.”

4) “I can’t bring luncheon meats across the border? What is this, Russia?”

3) “Was just a decoy for the guy smuggling 800 pounds of olive loaf.”

2) “How about I give you fifty pounds of bologna to make this whole problem go away?”

1) “It was medical bologna.”


MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

Net

Show

Lead

Next Items

ESPN

“Around The Horn”

Is Alonzo Mourning HOF worthy?

Are Cowboys best team in NFC?; Chiefs, Ravens’ comeback

ESPN

“PTI”

Can Cowboys win Super Bowl?

Ravens’ offensive output; Broncos’ playoff chances

ESPN

12:00am ET “SportsCenter”

Proposed Curt Schilling trade to the Red Sox

Northern Arizona-Arizona men's basketball; Alonzo Mourning

FSN

“Southern Sports Report”

North Carolina-Davidson men’s basketball

BCS Standings; Titans-Falcons


FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“Who is Mary Kay?”


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

TheMorning Buzz provides an early update of the news and headlines each Mondaythrough Friday at approximately 9:00am ET. If you would like to sign up for ane-mail alert to the Morning Buzz, go to My Account and personalize your e-mail alert options.

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