| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, December 9, 2003
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | NBA Exercises Option To Extend Collective Bargaining Agreement With NBPA |
| • | NHL BOG Meeting Concludes Today; CBA Expected To Be At Top Of Agenda |
| • | About 75 Super Bowl And NFL Sponsors Today To Conclude Jacksonville Visit |
| • | Red Sox Today To Announce Plan To Offer Four-Game Packs At Fenway Party |
| • | Minnesota Stadium Screening Committee To Conduct Its First Meeting Today |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
NBA EXERCISES OPTION TO EXTEND CBA THROUGH ’04-05 SEASON
The NBA and NBPA yesterday announced that the league willexercise its option to extend the collective bargaining agreement through the’04-05 season. The announcementfollowed a meeting between NBA owners and players, including NBA Commissioner DavidStern and NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter. The parties have agreed to meet on a regular basis in order toreach a new, long-term agreement (NBA).
NHL GOVERNORS TO DISCUSS CBA TODAY AS MEETING CONCLUDES
The NHL BOG will conclude its meeting today at The Breakersin Palm Beach, FL, and the PALM BEACH POST reports that the “impendingexpiration of the collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and itsplayers comprised about 90 minutes” of yesterday’s four-hour meeting and“figures to be at the top of the agenda” today. NHL CLO Bill Daly: “It was pretty evident to meeverybody’s on the same page with where we are and the issues we need toresolve in terms of what’s facing the league. It’s a fairly simple solution” (PALMBEACH POST, 12/9).
The TORONTO STAR reports that yesterday’s meetings “werelow-key, focused mostly on business issues like digital TV” (TORONTOSTAR, 12/9).
The BOG yesterdayalso heard a “report on the status of the Thrashers’ proposed sale from AOLTime Warner,” but “did not take action to approve the sale” (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 12/9).
SUPER BOWL, NFL SPONSORS TO CONCLUDE JACKSONVILLE VISIT TODAY
The FLORIDATIMES-UNION reports that about 75 event planners representing Super Bowland NFL sponsors today will conclude a visit to “scout out eventlocations for the 2005 game.” JSBHC President Michael Kelly: “Wedid it much earlier than other Super Bowl cities. I hope the trip is beneficial and they go back with a good ideaon what Jacksonville has to offer” (FLORIDATIMES-UNION, 12/9).
RED SOX TO OFFER FOUR-GAME TICKET PACKS AT SATURDAY PARTY
The BOSTON HERALD reports that the Red Sox today willannounce a “Christmas at Fenway” partythat will “feature a chance to buy tickets in time for the holidays. Though single-game tickets will not go onsale until February, Sox fans who show up at Fenway will get a crack at buyingfour-game Sox Pax,” starting Saturday at 9:00am ET. The team will open the .406 Club “to ticket-buying fans, who willbe regaled with music, food, refreshments and visits from Sox players andmanagers.” Red Sox officials “areseeking permission from City Hall to hold the event, which is expected to drawhundreds, if not thousands” (BOSTONHERALD, 12/9).
Meanwhile, Red SoxOwner John Henry will be among those on hand as the team opensa $3M baseball academy in the Dominican Republic (MLB.com,12/8).
MINNESOTA COMMITTEE TO PRODUCE STADIUM IDEAS BY FEBRUARY 2
 |
| Anoka County And City Of
Blaine Stadium Rendering |
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s Stadium Screening Committeetoday will conduct its first meeting, and the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reportedthat the committee’s mission “is to arrive at site and finance ideas for Twinsand Vikings stadiums” by February 2. The committee will consider the concept of “co-location,” under whichstadiums for the two teams are placed “on the same plot of land to minimizeduplication of infrastructure costs and maximize economic activity for a hostcommunity” (MinneapolisSTAR TRIBUNE, 12/8).
MORNING BRIEFS
The N.Y. TIMES reports that the NFL has issued tenguidelines “to strengthen its year-old policy to include at least one minoritycandidate for every head coaching vacancy” (N.Y. TIMES,12/9).
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabueyesterday while addressing a breakfast meeting to benefit the Loyola UniversitySchool of Business, said, “Ithink New Orleans will be a strong contender in 2009, but like our games on thefield, it is in an increasingly competitive environment (for Super Bowls)” (NewOrleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 12/9).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that AOL yesterday confirmedthat it will sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show. Performers in the show, “to be produced by MTV, will likelyfeature Janet Jackson and Outkast, among others. The official announcement of a lineup couldcome today” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 12/9).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that DaimlerChrysler AG’sChrysler Group yesterday “tried to distance itself from” the Dodge brand’spresenting sponsorship of the Lingerie Bowl. Chrysler CEO Dieter Zetsche: “I am responsible for everything wedo at Chrysler, but I didn’t know about it.” Chrysler and event producer Horizon Productions are now “looking at waysto highlight the athletic ability and training of the players” (WALLSTREET JOURNAL, 12/9).
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that Sunday’s Dolphins-Patriotsgame on WBZ-CBS posted a 43.8/61 local Nielsen rating, the Patriots’“highest-rated regular-season game ever and seventh-highest overall.” Only two ’03 events, Yankees-Red Sox ALCSGame Four and Game Seven, produced a higher rating (BOSTONGLOBE, 12/9).
The BIRMINGHAM NEWS reports that U.S. District Court Judge C.Lynwood Smith yesterday ruled that Time Inc. “must reveal unnamed sourcesused in a May Sports Illustrated article about former Alabama football coach MikePrice, who has sued the company over libel.” SI’s Don Yaeger wrote the story (BIRMINGHAMNEWS, 12/9).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that the interest in newly acquiredMets SS Kaz Matsui “is substantial, reflected in the more than 65reporters, about two-thirds of them from Japanese media organizations, who werewaiting at the airport for him to arrive from Japan” (N.Y.TIMES, 12/9).
The K.C. STAR reports that the race for a new arena in theK.C.-area “accelerated as developers stepped forward [yesterday] with plans tobuild one in Overland Park.” The $140Mfacility would be home to a CHL team. Developers also “hinted at the prospect of trying to attract indoorsoccer and an arena football team” (K.C.STAR, 12/9).
The L.A. TIMES reports that CaseyWasserman “is branching into artist representation this week, hiringa top music manager with a roster of clients including rock bands Coldplay andRancid. … The move is designed to bolster Wasserman’s entertainment firm, Wasserman Media Group,” whichalready includes ownership of the AFL L.A. Avengers and management ofaction-sports stars such as motocross rider Travis Pastrana (L.A.TIMES, 12/9).
Tiger Woods yesterday was named the ’03 PGA Tour Player of the Year,despite failing to win a major or the money title. Woods led the Tour with five victories (Mult., 12/8).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that as a precaution, Americantrack and field athletes at the ’04 Olympics in Athens “might be discouragedfrom wearing red, white and and blue or anything with ‘USA’ when they are notcompeting.” A seven-nation securityadvisory group met yesterday in Athens to discuss plans for the Olympics (WASHINGTONPOST, 12/9).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE reports that the 53,079 fans who attended Sunday’s Raiders-Steelers game “were the fewest to attend a Steelers game in the three years of Heinz Field” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/9).
THE BACK PAGES
The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sportscovers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:
| | |
| Philadelphia Daily News | Philadelphia Daily News |
| | |
| N.Y. Post | N.Y. Post |
TODAY’S EVENTS
Brewers representatives and Wisconsin legislators are“hoping to meet today to discuss legislative calls to conduct a state audit ofthe team’s finances” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL,12/9).
ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale will ringthe 9:30am ET opening bell at the American Stock Exchange.
UPS Racing will unveil a program between NASCAR driver DaleJarrett and a “legendary golfer” at 10:00am ET on its Web site. The program will be featured March 14 on the No. 88 Ford duringthe Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
ESPN will host a 1:00pm ET conference call to discuss itscollege football awards coverage. ESPN“College GameDay” host Chris Fowler, college football analyst MarkMay and Senior Coordinating Producer Mo Davenport are scheduled toparticipate.
Mike Ditka will be in San Diego to promote the NFL’s“Tackling Men’s Health” program as part of its Levitra partnership (SANDIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/7).
Prospective WHA franchise owners will make presentations toleague organizers today and tomorrow in Toronto (HARTFORD COURANT, 12/7).
Harry Belafonte is in DC for the tenth anniversarycelebration of the Arthur R. Ashe Jr. Foreign Policy Library, anorganization “co-founded by Belafonte in 1981 to deal with issues concerningU.S. policies toward Africa and the African diaspora.” Actor Danny Glover and writer WalterMoseley are expected to attend (WASHINGTON POST, 12/9).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Universal McCann Senior VP& Dir of Forecasting Robert Coen and ZenithOptimedia Worldwide CEO JohnPerriss yesterday offered ’04 ad spending predictions at the 31stannual UBS Media Week Conference. Coenpredicted that overall U.S. ad spending “will rise 6.9% next year to $266.4[B]after what he estimates will turn out to be a 5.2% increase this year.” Perriss predicted that global ad spending“will be up 3.4% for the current year to end up at $327.2[B], with 2004 to addanother 4.7%.” Perriss also estimatedthat the “quadrennial effect of Olympics and the U.S. elections will add about$1[B] each in advertising spending next year, mostly on TV.” The European Soccer Cup “will add another $500[M]”(HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 12/9).
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that opponents of N.Y.’scontroversial Snapple deal “tried topostpone a vote tomorrow on the bulk of the $166[M] beverage pact until aftercity controller William Thompson completes a two-month audit of theaward process. But the call for a delayfailed by a 4-to-2 vote of the city’s Franchise Concession and ReviewCommittee” (N.Y.DAILY NEWS, 12/9).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “PresidentialCandidates.”
“The last major party presidential candidate to lose twiceto the same individual.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
CBS’ DavidLetterman: “We have three feet of snow on Eighth Avenue and all lifts arerunning. We have a lot of snow here inNew York City and it’s not gone yet. Earlier this morning, I saw a tourist shoveling a path to a hooker. ...On my lunch hour, I went up to Central Park and I’m walking through CentralPark, and you’re like hip deep in snow, and I saw a squirrel salting his nuts.... Of course, they had the big blizzard down in Washington, DC ... It was so badPresident Bush had to cancel six fundraisers” ("Late Show,"CBS, 12/8).
NBC’sJay Leno: “As you know, USC stands for ‘Undoubtedly ScrewedCollege.’ Do you know what BCS standsfor? ‘Boy Computers Suck.’ ... EvenFlorida voters are going, ‘What the hell is this all about?’ The formula for ranking the teams in the BCSis so complicated, even the football players who go to class can’t figure itout. ... People are outraged by this. That Florida thing was just about the presidency. This is college football. ... Obesity is thetop health story of the year. Newsweeksays sweets and fats may be addictive. You know what that means? Forgetthe Betty Ford Center. We need a BettyCrocker Center. ... Some doctors are now recommending virtual colonoscopies fortheir patients instead of the old-fashioned kind of exam. It’s a rectal exam that’s done by acomputer. Kind of like what USC gotthis weekend” ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 12/8).
LATENIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Ways New York City IsDifferent When It Snows” ("Late Show," CBS, 12/8).
| 10) “Crack diluted with road salt.” |
| 9) “Hardware stores charge a reasonable $40 for snow shovels.” |
| 8) “Cabs’ bald tires replaced by bald snow tires.” |
| 7) “Ed Sullivan Theater suddenly the warmest place in town.” |
| 6) “Due to the wind chill factor, Jets 5-and-8 record feels like 5-and-23.” |
| 5) “There’s an amazing stillness aside from, you know, the car alarms and gun shots.” |
| 4) “Radio City Rockettes dance in cross-country skis.” |
| 3) “Instead of garbage, Regis is pelted with snowballs.” |
| 2) “911 closes so emergency personnel can go sledding.” |
| 1) “At least now you can see the urine.” |
Last night’s edition of CBS’ “Late Show” featured the ownerof the Hello Deli, Rupert Jee, attending a Jets tailgate and thentalking to Jets QB Chad Pennington and DL Jason Ferguson in thelocker room after a game in a skit called “Rupert Visits the Jets.” Rupert was shown drinking a Coors Light,Heineken, Bud Light and some vodka. Rupert to a Jets fan, “You want to hear a secret? I’m drunk off my ass right now.” Rupert told Ferguson, “Congratulations onyour victory (over the Jaguars at home). Do you think you could have done it without me?” Rupert to Pennington, “I was going to askyou some questions about the game. Would you do something for me instead?” Pennington: “Hi, I’m Chad Pennington. Whenever I’m in Midtown, I stop by the Hello Deli. ... So score atouchdown for tastiness and go to the Hello Deli. ... Tell them Chad sent you”("Late Show," CBS, 12/8).
MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | BCS standings | Patriots; Cowboys |
| ESPN | “PTI” | BCS standings | Chiefs-Broncos; NFL’s best team |
| ESPN | 12:00am ET “SportsCenter” | BCS standings | Suns-Magic; Men’s basketball coaches’ poll |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | BCS standings | Giants DE Michael Strahan; Hornets G Baron Davis |
| FSN | “Pittsburgh Sports Tonight” | Raiders-Steelers | Steelers playoff scenario; Pirates |
| Empire Network | “Empire Sports Report” | Sabres G Ryan Miller | Sabres RW Miroslav Satan; Kings-Red Wings |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“Who was Adlai Stevenson?”
If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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