Morning Buzz, December 18, 2003

TIME WARNER CABLE, CABLEVISION ARGUING OVER CARRIAGE DEAL

NEWSDAY reports that Time Warner Cable is running ads today in N.Y. newspapers with the headline, “Cablevision is threatening to take the Knicks and Rangers away from you in January.” The two companies are currently negotiating a new deal for Time Warner Cable to continue carrying MSG Network and FSNY, as the current deal expires December 31. Cablevision is “blaming Time Warner Cable, saying it ‘has demonstrated a reckless and cynical approach to these negotiations in an attempt to extract unreasonable terms from a programmer’” (NEWSDAY, 12/18).

RED SOX, RANGERS FACE 5:00pm ET DEADLINE TO COMPLETE TRADE

The BOSTON GLOBE reports that the Red Sox and Rangers face a 5:00pm ET deadline today to complete the Alex Rodriguez/Manny Ramirez trade.  After the MLBPA yesterday “rejected the restructuring of Rodriguez’s landmark contract by the Red Sox,” MLB Commissioner Bud Selig “currently is considering his legal options.”  If Selig approves the reworking of the contract over the union’s objections, the “matter could wind up before an independent arbitrator, a legal process that could take weeks and cause chaos for the teams and players involved” (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/18).

Rodriguez appeared this morning on NBC’s “Today” to help collect toys and to make a donation as part of the program’s toy drive.  NBC’s Matt Lauer handed A-Rod three caps: a Rangers cap, a Red Sox cap and a Yankees cap, and asked Rodriguez where he is going to play next season. Rodriguez: “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.  I wish I knew.  Matt, you can be my agent.” The two entered into the following exchange:

Lauer: “When are you going to know?”
Rodriguez: “Right now Matt, it’s in the hands of the players association and the owners.” 
Lauer: “Deadline today, you think?”
Rodriguez: “That’s what I hear.”
Lauer: “I talked to Jeter, he can play third base” (“Today,” NBC, 12/18).

PS&E TO ANNOUNCE FIVE-YEAR STADIUM DEAL FOR SEATTLE BOWL

Pro Sports & Entertainment will conduct a news conference today to announce that it has entered into a five-year agreement for the exclusive use of the Seahawks Stadium & Exhibition Center as the home of the Seattle Bowl, which upon NCAA certification, begins in December ’04. The bowl was played in ’01 and ’02. PS&E operates Seahawks Stadium (Pro Sports & Entertainment).

ST. LOUIS UNIV. TO BUILD $70M ON-CAMPUS BASKETBALL ARENA

The ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH reports St. Louis University officials today will announce that a $70M arena will be built on the eastern edge of campus. The 13,000-seat arena would be home to university’s basketball program. University officials “want it open for the 2005 season to coincide with the university’s switch to the Atlantic 10 conference, which has a higher profile than Conference USA” (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 12/18).

JAGUARS CERTAIN OF LOCAL BLACKOUT AS 14,000 TICKETS REMAIN

The Jaguars face the NFL-imposed blackout deadline today at 1:00pm ET, and the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION reports that team officials confirmed that more than 14,000 tickets remain for Sunday’s game against the Saints, “assuring it” of a blackout. Jaguars Senior VP/Marketing Dan Connell “expects a crowd of 40,000-50,000 for [QB Mark] Brunell’s final home game” with the team (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 12/18).

MORNING BRIEFS

USA TODAY reports that the NFL Competition Committee “will use the offseason to consider stiffer action, including suspension, against players whose displays trigger unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.” Committee co-Chair Jeff Fisher: “Apparently, fines aren’t a deterrent at this point” (USA TODAY, 12/18).

REUTERS reports that following its deal with the European Union to share select English Premier League broadcasts, BSkyB shares climbed 3.5% to $1.23 in afternoon trading, the “top gainer in the FTSE 100 Index” (REUTERS, 12/18).

The AP reports that Open Wheel Racing Series yesterday “expressed confidence … that they can quickly bring the CART open-wheel series out of bankruptcy and run the 2004 season with at least 15 races and 18 cars.” OWRS expects “support from creditors and an Indianapolis-based bankruptcy judge’s quick approval of a reorganization plan that would put publicly traded CART under private ownership” (AP, 12/18).

WUSA Boston Breakers GM Joe Cummings, on a revival of the league: “There’s no formal announcement because we’re still meeting with potential sponsors. Are the checks written? Absolutely not. But no one has said ‘No’” (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 12/18).

The N.Y. TIMES reports that a special committee created by Ohio State Univ. to investigate allegations of academic fraud in its football program yesterday said that it found “no evidence of misconduct and no evidence of players’ receiving preferential treatment in class” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/18).

Lleyton Hewitt plans to skip the Athens Olympics because the tennis competition is too close to the U.S. Open. The Olympic event ends eight days before the U.S. Open begins in N.Y. (Mult., 12/18).

The N.Y. TIMES notes that the Nets led the Jazz 13-9 after the first quarter during last night’s game at Continental Airlines Arena, the “second-lowest scoring first quarter since the inception of the 24-second shot clock in 1954-55” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/18).

Pro Football HOFer Otto Graham passed away yesterday at 82 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, FL, of complications from a dissecting aneurism (Browns).

THE BACK PAGES

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

N.Y. Daily News	Philadelphia Daily News

TODAY’S EVENTS

Yankees SS Derek Jeter is scheduled to appear on CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” which airs from noon-2:00pm ET.

ESPN will host a 1:00pm ET conference call to discuss coverage of its 200^th NFL game, Patriots-Jets on Saturday, and its NFL coverage for the next two weekends. ABC’s “MNF” producer Fred Gaudelli, ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production Mark Shapiro, Senior VP/Programming John Wildhack, NFL game producer Jay Rothman and play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick are scheduled to participate.

The Rainbow/Push Coalition’s Rainbow Sports will host a 3:00pm ET conference call to discuss its January conference, which is scheduled to include a task force meeting consisting of updates on diversity efforts from the major sports leagues.

Nike will conduct a 5:00pm ET conference call to discuss its Q2 ’04 results. The results will also be webcast live at http://www.nikebiz.com/invest.

Callaway Golf will host a 2:00pm PT conference call to provide additional guidance on its Q3 ’03 earnings. Callaway Golf Chair & CEO Ron Drapeau and Senior Exec VP & CFO Brad Holiday are expected to participate.

IN OTHER NEWS….

Nominations for the 61^st Annual Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning. View all nominations. The nominations for the Best Motion Picture categories are as follows (THE DAILY):

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Universal Studios Home Video’s “Seabiscuit” sold “more than 2.5 million combined DVD and VHS units during its first 24 hours on store shelves Tuesday, setting a pace that will likely make it the top-selling home video drama for the year” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/18).

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that ad-supported basic cable, according to a recently released study from Turner Broadcasting, is “expected to top the broadcast networks for the second straight year in the primetime household ratings.” Projections show that cable has “put even more distance between itself and the seven broadcasters than last year, scoring a six-point market share differential this year versus two points last year.” Additionally, cable is “projected to beat the broadcasters in the fourth quarter for the first time ever, marking three consecutive quarterly victories this year” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/18).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “International Law.”

“Drawn up at President Lincoln’s request, the first formal code for them said they get humane treatment and wholesome food.”

LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

CBS’ David Letterman: “The mayor of New York City announced that it looks like now with any kind of luck at all that New York City may see as few as 600 murders this year. Only 600 murders. I heard that and said, ‘Oh, pinch me. Am I dreaming?’ ... The only way we can make it now is with your help, so please, if you can, put off killing someone until January. ... It’s not everyday you get to pull a leader of a country out of a hole. That’s pretty exciting, and now they’re saying that it looks like Saddam may have been responsible for the murdering of one million people. But he’s being silly about it. He’s blaming the whole thing on his addiction to painkillers. ... His daughter is rallying around Saddam and supporting him. Were you aware that Saddam has three kids? He has the boys, Uday and Qusay, and his daughter, Uglay. ... They say that Saddam is acting like a jerk and that he still believes he’s president. Well you know; it’s just like Al Gore. ... Did you see where he was hiding? Did you see that little thing that they dug out of the ground where he was hiding? We haven’t seen a leader in a hole that big since, well, Clinton” ("Late Show," CBS, 12/17).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “Well folks, it’s Wednesday night or as the maids at the old Strom Thurmond plantation call it, hump day. ... You know that hole in Iraq where Saddam Hussein was found hiding? Today, Howard Dean moved in. ... President Bush said today when he was told that Saddam Hussein had been captured, he was up at Camp David reading a book. I don’t know what’s a bigger shock: capturing Saddam or finding out that Bush was reading a book. ... Today, of course, was the 100^th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight. Pretty amazing, and of course, a great accomplishment the first flight, but their timing was not the best. I mean, who flies over the holidays?” ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 12/17).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Other Observations Made By Saddam Hussein’s Daughter” ("Late Show," CBS, 12/17).

Last night’s edition of CBS’ “Late Show” aired a commercial-spoof of the New York Yankees off-season free agent signings. Commercial announcer: “Hey Yankee fans, 2004 is going to be the best season yet. So come on down next spring and welcome the newest bombers: Gary Sheffield, Javier Vasquez, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra, Vladimir Guerrero, Pedro Martinez, Barry Bonds, Albert Pujols, Jim Thome, Carlos Delgado, the entire infield of the Yomiuri Giants and your new designated hitter, Ted Williams’ frozen head. See you at the ballpark” ("Late Show," CBS, 12/17).

WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“Who are prisoners of war?”

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dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

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