| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, December 19, 2003
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | Kobe Bryant To Appear At Motions Hearing Today In Sexual Assault Case |
| • | Liberty Bowl Today To Announce AutoZone Has Inked Title Sponsorship Deal |
| • | Georgia Today To Make Damon Evans First African-American AD In SEC History |
| • | Miami City Commission Today To Discuss Referendum For Marlins Ballpark |
| • | Steve Bartman Foul Ball From NLCS Game Six Auctioned For $106,600 |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
The Dailyeditorial office will be closed the entire week of December 22-26.
We will returnMonday, December 29.
Have a safe andfestive holiday season.
KOBE TO APPEAR IN COURT TODAY, TONIGHT'S GAME IN QUESTION
Kobe Bryant is scheduled to appear in Eagle, CO,today for a motions hearing in his sexual assault case. The L.A. TIMES reports that during a mediasession yesterday “in which he said, ‘I don’t know’ about a dozen times, Bryantsaid he could not predict how today’s motions hearing … would go, and thereforecould not predict if he would reach Staples Center in time” for tonight’s7:30pm PT game against the Nuggets. Asked when he would have to make a decision on Bryant’s availability,Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, “7:30” (L.A.TIMES, 12/19).
AUTOZONE TO TAKE OVER LIBERTY BOWL TITLE SPONSORSHIP IN ‘04
The Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL reports that Liberty Bowlofficials today will announce at a noon CT press conference that AutoZone hassigned a multiyear deal to title sponsor the Liberty Bowl, beginning with the’04 game. Financial terms were not available, but current title sponsor AXAFinancial “reportedly has paid the game about $1[M] annually.” AXA Financial’s seven-year run as titlesponsor ends with the December 31 game between Southern Mississippi and Utah atLiberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, which will air on ESPN (MemphisCOMMERCIAL APPEAL, 12/19).
DAMON EVANS TO BECOME FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN AD IN SEC HISTORY
The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that the Univ. of Georgiatoday will announce that Senior Associate AD Damon Evans has beenpromoted to the school’s new AD. Evanswould become the first African-AmericanAD in the SEC – 16 days after Mississippi State Univ. hired Sylvester Croomas the first African-American football coach in the SEC. At 34, Evans “would also be the youngest[AD] in the conference.” Evans wasconsidered outgoing AD Vince Dooley’s “hand-picked successor” (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION,12/19).
CITY MAY SEEK SALES TAX FROM COUNTY FOR MARLINS BALLPARK
The MIAMI HERALD reports that the Miami City Commission is “scheduled today to discuss thelanguage of a referendum question related” to a new ballpark for theMarlins. Under the referendum, Miami-DadeCounty voters “could beasked to pay a half-percent sales tax” for the ballpark. But the “proposal has a catch. [MLB] would have to guarantee the publicwould get revenue from the stadium for 30 years” (MIAMIHERALD, 12/19).
STEVE BARTMAN FOUL BALL FROM NLCS AUCTIONED FOR $106,600
The AP reports that the Steve Bartman foul ball fromMarlins-Cubs NLCS Game Six was purchased for $106,600 in an Internet auctionthat ended this morning at 4:00am ET. Auction house MastroNet did not provide any “information on the personwho placed the winning bid.” The ballgenerated 37 bids (AP,12/19).
MORNING BRIEFS
The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that the IRL “is eliminatingprivate testing in 2004 and making other changes to reduce costs forparticipants.” The racing series alsois “changing the number of engines that can be used on race weekends. Teams will be limited to one during two-dayevents and an engine change before qualifying at three-day shows” (INDIANAPOLISSTAR, 12/19).
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that Roxbury District Courtclerk-magistrate Michael Neighbors yesterday charged a Fenway Parkgroundskeeper and Yankees P Jeff Nelson and OF Karim Garcia with misdemeanorassault and battery for their roles in the ALCS bullpen brawl at FenwayPark. Despite the charges, Neighborssaid that Boston police and prosecutors “presented a ‘weak case’” againstNelson and Garcia (BOSTONGLOBE, 12/19).
The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that former NBAer AlonzoMourning today is expected to receive a new kidney, “not from one of the200 or so fans or strangers who offered him one of theirs, but from a cousinwho is a good match” (Ft.Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 12/19).
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that Houston Metro yesterday“installed two remote-controlled cameras atop a downtown building,” as part ofa test to see whether the view will “help it manage traffic and trains duringthe Super Bowl festivities next month.” The area is expected to be “among the top party spots” during Super Bowlweek (HOUSTONCHRONICLE, 12/19).
The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS reports that former Vikings RB TedBrown today will be indicted by the Mille Lacs County attorney’s office forhis involvement in the Arctic Blast fundraiser sexual assault case. Former Vikings QB Todd Bouman “willnot be indicted, although he was also at the center of the 10-monthinvestigation” (ST. PAULPIONEER PRESS, 12/19).
NZCITY.com reported that adidas will end its eight-yearassociation with Athletics New Zealand, with the company “opting not to renewits contract following on from its withdrawal from soccer.” Athletics GM John Stewart said that a“new major sponsor has already been found.” Stewart added that the new sponsor is based in New Zealand (NZCITY.com,12/18).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
USA TODAY notes that Saints WR JoeHorn attended last night’s Kings-Hornets game and “got a loud standingovation when a Hornets mascot performed a dunk off a trampoline, pulled out hiscell phone and walked over the Horn’s seat to point him out. Horn smiled, stood briefly and waved to thecrowd” (USA TODAY, 12/19).
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 |
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, the always marketable CharlesBarkley probably will not be signing an endorsement deal with AmericaWest Airlines anytime soon following his comments on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” (THEDAILY).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The L.A. TIMES reports that RealNetworks yesterday filed a$1B antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft in federal court in San Jose, accusingthe company of “illegally bundling its Media Player with its dominant Windowsoperating systems.” The suit contendsthat Microsoft “improperly protected its operating system monopoly from apotential RealNetworks threat and tried to monopolize the media softwaremarket” (L.A.TIMES, 12/19).
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that Viacom and Comcastyesterday signed a “groundbreaking agreement guaranteeing that Viacom’schannels will continue to be aired on Comcast’s cable-TV systems” through ’08,with “some parts running as long as 2011” (WALL STREETJOURNAL, 12/19).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that Coca-Cola North AmericaPresident & COO Jeffery Dunn is “leaving to pursue ‘his ownentrepreneurial goals.’” Coca-ColaPresident & COO Steven Heyer will assume Dunn’s responsibilitieseffective immediately. Dunn’s departurewas “widely anticipated in the industry, analysts said, particularly after Cokeexecutives said last week that they were disappointed with North Americansales” (N.Y.TIMES, 12/19).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Science.”
“Some refractive index numbers for you now: diamond, 2.42;air, 1.0003; this, 1.0000.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “My name is Dave Letterman andI want to negotiate. ... I spent the entire day with a contractor up at myhouse. Here’s what I’m doing. I’m putting in my own spider hole. ... We’relearning more and more about the capture of Saddam Hussein. For example, it turns out that U.S. forcesacted on a tip from Rush Limbaugh’s maid. ... President Bush isan avid runner. He jogs two or threemiles every day and he’s been doing that for the last ten or fifteenyears. Well, he’s having some kneepain, so doctors are giving him an MRI scan of his knees and it’s interesting. I was thinking about this. I don’t think anyone in the White House hashad this much wear and tear on their knees since...” ("Late Show,"CBS, 12/18).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “Less than one week from now, kidsall over L.A. will be visited by the old man who comes around once a yearbearing gifts: their real dad. ... Prosecutors have accused Michael Jacksonof giving a young boy wine and showing him pictures of naked women. So it looks like he could be charged withbeing an Italian uncle. ... Now that George Bush has captured Saddam Hussein,it raises the question, ‘What’s he going to get his dad for Christmas nextyear?’ ... Today is Keith Richards’ birthday. Had he lived, he’d be 60-years-old. ... New Orleans Saints widereceiver Joe Horn has been fined $30,000 for the way he celebrated atouchdown during Sunday’s game. Hepulled out a cell phone and pretended he was talking to somebody. He’s not the only one. The Chargers did the same thing on Sunday. But they used their cell phone to getdirections to the end zone” ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 12/18).
LATENIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten ‘Late Show’ ChristmasCarols,” sung by the “Late Show Carolers” on-stage ("Late Show,"CBS, 12/18).
| | Sung to the tune of… |
| 10) “I saw Saddam in a spider hole.” | “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” |
| 9) “Prescription pills, prescription pills, it’s rehab time for Rush.” | “O Christmas Tree” |
| 8) “Joseph Lieberman got screwed by his friend Al Gore.” | “Frosty The Snowman” |
| 7) “I’m dreaming of Paris Hilton, having sex on the Internet.” | “I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas” |
| 6) “Michael the nose job Jackson, had a lot of legal fees.” | “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” |
| 5) “Silent night, silent night, must be another Dennis Kucinich rally.” | “Silent Night” |
| 4) “Phylicia Rashad, Phylicia Rashad, Phylicia Rashad, I haven’t seen her in anything in a while.” | “Feliz Navidad” |
| 3) “I’ll be home for Christmas, if not, can you TiVo ‘Queer Eye?’” | “I’ll Be Home Christmas" |
| 2) “Grope, the Arnold plaintiffs claim.” | “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing” |
| 1) “We wish we were on Jay Leno, we wish we were on Jay Leno, we wish we were on Jay Leno, but our agent’s no good.” | “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” |
THURSDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Red Sox-Rangers trade deadline passes | Packers QB Brett Favre; Raiders DB Charles Woodson |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Red Sox-Rangers trade deadline passes | Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner; Pro Bowl rosters |
| ESPN | 10:30pm ET “SportsCenter” | Red Sox-Rangers trade deadline passes | Kings-Hornets; NBC-Notre Dame extension |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Red Sox-Rangers trade deadline passes | Alamo Bowl; Ben Affleck |
| FSN | “Detroit Sports Report” | Pro Bowl rosters | Lions rushing attack; Lions-Panthers |
| Comcast Mid-Atlantic | “SportsNite” | Orioles SS Miguel Tejada | MLB free agents; Red Sox-Rangers trade |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is a vacuum?”
If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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