| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Monday, December 29, 2003
9:00am ET | |
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| • | Angels And Edison Int’l Reviewing $60M, 20-Year Naming-Rights Partnership |
| • | South Korea IOC VP Kim Un-yong Today Interviewed By Prosecutors |
| • | Minneapolis Today To Vote On Latest Ballpark Proposal For Twins |
| • | Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Released From Sarasota Hospital |
| • | Lance Armstrong Wins Second Consecutive AP Male Athlete Of The Year Award |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
EDISON INT’L, ANGELS REVIEWING $60M NAMING-RIGHTS DEAL
The L.A. TIMES reports that Edison Int’l and the Angels are “in the concluding stages of negotiations to modify the company’s” $60M, 20-year naming-rights deal for Edison Field, which began in ’98. An official announcement “could come as soon as this week.” While the agreement “requires the Angels to refer to Edison Field in publicizing activities at the stadium, the team's Web site recently announced a February fan festival ‘at the Big A’ and said tickets would be sold ‘at the Big A box office’” (L.A. TIMES, 12/29).
SOUTH KOREA IOC VP INTERVIEWED BY PROSECUTORS TODAY
Prosecutors today in Seoul questioned South Korea IOC VP Kim Un-yong “about allegations that he collected and embezzled funds from taekwondo organizations.” Prosecutors are also questioning Kim about “the origins of U.S. dollar bills and other foreign currency totaling $1.5[M] they found in Kim’s home, as well as allegations that he received shady money in return for helping two men become members of the Korean Olympic Committee” (USA TODAY, 12/29).
MINNEAPOLIS TODAY TO VOTE ON LATEST BALLPARK PROPOSAL
The Minneapolis City Council today is expected to vote on a proposal that “gives the city the authority to submit a proposal to locate a Twins ballpark” on a site near the Target Center. Minneapolis Development Dir Lee Sheehy will “now prepare and submit a site proposal to the governor's screening committee” on January 15. The latest resolution “also states that the council supports a refurbished Metrodome for the Vikings” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 12/24).
MODELL’S INDUCTION TO RAVENS’ RING OF HONOR POSTPONED
The Baltimore SUN reports that Ravens Owner Art Modell’s induction into the club’s Ring of Honor, scheduled for halftime of last night’s Steelers-Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium, was postponed until Saturday, when the Ravens host the Titans in the first round of the playoffs, because he was “battling a respiratory infection and did not attend the game. It was the first Ravens home game Modell has missed” (Baltimore SUN, 12/29).
ESPN, which televised the game, “still broadcast a special tribute to Modell at halftime” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 12/29).
The Baltimore SUN reports that an M&T Bank Stadium record crowd of 70,001 attended the game, where Ravens RB Jamal Lewis fell 39 yards short of the NFL single-season rushing record (Baltimore SUN, 12/29).
HEADLINES FROM THE HOLIDAY BREAK
BLOOMBERG NEWS reported that nearly 33% of Nike’s stock of LeBron James’ signature shoe, the Air Zoom Generation, was sold Saturday, December 20, the first day of sales. Nike Corporate Communications Manager Scott Reames said that similar releases are considered successful “if 25[%] of the stock sells in the first week” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 12/24).
The FCC Friday, December 19 approved News Corp.’s acquisition of DirecTV, and the WALL STREET JOURNAL reported that News Corp. “must accept arbitration of disputes with cable operators over fees to carry its local Fox TV stations and regional sports programming” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/22).
Jets goodwill ambassador Joe Namath apologized to ESPN sideline reporter Suzy Kolber following an “embarrassing interview in which Namath told Kolber he wanted to kiss her” during ESPN’s coverage of Patriots-Jets Saturday, December 21. Kolber said in a statement, “Joe apologized. I accepted. It’s over” (N.Y. POST, 12/24).
Time Warner Cable will “continue airing MSG, Fox Sports Net New York and MetroChannels under separate temporary agreements with the networks,” which are owned by Cablevision. The existing contracts were to expire January 1, “but the parties formed a temporary agreement while they work on long-term agreements” (NEWSDAY, 12/27).
Dodgers suitor Frank McCourt Monday, December 22, “met with a select group” of MLB club owners and officials at MLB’s N.Y. HQs (BOSTON HERALD, 12/23).
Islanders co-Owner Charles Wang “proudly boasted that an announcement on an arena to replace outdated Nassau Coliseum could come as early as next month” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/24).
The city of Miami and the Marlins resumed negotiations for a new ballpark, with the team “reconsidering a more affordable site at the Orange Bowl” (MIAMI HERALD, 12/24).
The MLB Cardinals finalized the financing for their new ballpark. The Cardinals are “providing the entire private portion of the ballpark financing themselves,” increasing their investment from $43.5M to $90M (Bizjournals.com, 12/22).
Bruce Ratner increased his bid for the Nets to “nearly $300[M], … making him the high bidder” for the franchise (Bergen RECORD, 12/24).
The New York Court of Appeals, without comment, refused to hear an appeal from a former Yankees employee who “claimed he was fired because he's gay and HIV positive” (N.Y. POST, 12/23).
MORNING BRIEFS
The AP named Lance Armstrong its Male Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year, while Annika Sorenstam won the organization’s Female Athlete of the Year award. The following is a breakdown of voting for the top ten males (AP):
| RK | Athlete | First-Place Votes | Total Points |
| 1) | Lance Armstrong | 26 | 174 |
| 2) | Barry Bonds | 10 | 59 |
| 3) | Tim Duncan | 5 | 47 |
| 4) | LeBron James | 4 | 39 |
| 5) | Carmelo Anthony | 2 | 21 |
| 6) | Andy Roddick | -- | 20 |
| 7) | Michael Phelps | 1 | 12 |
| 8) | Steve McNair | -- | 11 |
| 9) | Priest Holmes | 1 | 8 |
| 10) | Matt Kenseth | 1 | 6 |
The N.Y. POST reports that Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner is expected to return to work today following his release last night from Sarasota Memorial Hospital and is “back to normal health after suffering a fainting spell” (N.Y. POST, 12/29).
The DETROIT NEWS reports that Lions President & CEO Matt Millen “will return in 2004 … with the hearty endorsement” of Owner William Clay Ford. Ford: “He’ll be back because I want him” (DETROIT NEWS, 12/29).
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that thanks to a final-week agreement between Fox and CBS, “each network was able to use highlights from the other network's games immediately rather than waiting until the end of the broadcast day. And so fans watching the Broncos-Packers game on CBS had instant access to the miracle finish of the Cardinals-Vikings game on Fox” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 12/29).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE reported that a sellout crowd of 19,052 attended Saturday’s Predators-Coyotes game, the Coyotes’ inaugural game at Glendale Arena (EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE, 12/28).
- The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reported that more than 12,700 attended the NLL Vancouver Ravens-Arizona Sting game Thursday, December 26, the first event at Glendale Arena (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 12/27).
- The L.A. TIMES reported that a crowd of 18,743 attended Saturday’s Sharks-Kings game, the “largest to see a hockey game at Staples Center” (L.A. TIMES, 12/28).
- The LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL reported that an announced crowd of 4,428 attended the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers’ inaugural “Midnight Holiday Roundup” game against the Bakersfield Condors at Orleans Arena Tuesday, December 23, “although the in-house attendance was about half that” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL, 12/24).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reported that in a “promotion to prop up sagging ticket sales, the Islanders offered anyone wearing a Santa outfit free admission and the opportunity to parade across the ice between periods. … When a few fans removed red coats to reveal Rangers sweaters, they were jumped by other Santas and knocked to the ice while their jerseys were torn off” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/24).
WEEKEND RAP
The following are excerpts from the columnists "parting shots" from Sunday's edition of ESPN's "Sports Reporters." The "parting shots" were each columnists "most memorable moment from the year in sports" in 2003.
- Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan: "My sports moment of 2003 really was a moment. ... I'm talking about the NCAA basketball finals. Syracuse was protecting its three-point lead against Kansas as the clock was winding down. Kansas' Michael Lee was open in the left corner and I mean open! But from about halfway across the state of Louisiana came Syracuse's Hakeem Warrick who flew at Lee with his left hand ... to knock that shot out of bounds. ... The highest praise anyone from Boston can bestow in such a moment is that it was a 'Bill Russell play.' That was a Bill Russell play."
- N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica: "I'm going to remember Josh Beckett best of all from 2003. ... I'm going to remember a 23-year-old kid standing in there against the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium in Game Six of the Series and pitching one of the great games in World Series history. ... This was baseball and sports being as good as they can be."
- Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom, on the Cowboys hiring Bill Parcells as head coach: "With one swipe of the pen, several sports traditions were back in business. First of all, America's Team was going to get good again. You knew that, and let’s face it, life is more fun when the Cowboys are good. Their fans have something to love and the rest of us have something to hate. Now, not only can you hate the team, you can hate the coach, too. Bill Parcells is so good you can't help but resent him."
- ESPN's John Saunders: "I ready myself for the groans as I explain why this year's Stanley Cup Final was the most exciting of the year. First, I still contend it's the toughest championship to win. ... (In Game Six), 6-foot, 4-inch 235-pound (Devils D) Scott Stevens levels 5-foot, 10-inch 170-pound (Mighty Ducks LW) Paul Kariya. For a second, Kariya was out cold and probably didn't know what planet he was on. For many players in some sports, that would have been it, game over. But minutes later Kariya helped seal the victory, flying down the left wing and letting loose a cannonading drive and that is my magic moment of 2003" ("Sports Reporters," ESPN, 12/28).
Heard elsewhere over the weekend:
- CNNfn's Daria Dolan, on the USPS sponsoring a team in the Tour de France: "Why in heaven's name must the United States Postal Service be the core sponsor for a French bike race that Americans don't even watch and then cry, 'Poor mouth, we need to raise postal rates'" ("Dolans Unscripted," CNNfn, 12/26).
- CNNfn's Ken Dolan, on the Tour de France: "That's like watching cement harden" ("Dolans Unscripted," CNNfn, 12/26).
- CBS Sports’ Deion Sanders: “My New Year’s resolution, it may be tough, but I want to love thy neighbor (turning to Boomer Esiason). I know it’s hard but I am going to do it this year.” Esiason: “My resolution is to be a good teammate, remain a good teammate and remain sensitive to those with a different opinion than me (turning to Sanders) (“The NFL Today,” CBS, 12/27).
- CBS Sports’ Armen Keteyian, on the NFL’s stance on fantasy football: “From the league’s perspective, they view it differently than traditional sports betting. They say because fantasy football is a game of skill and not chance, that’s the reason they support it to the degree that they do” (“The NFL Today,” CBS, 12/27).
- Fox Sports’ Terry Bradshaw, on a sponsor for his annual “Terry Awards:” “Next year I too will welcome a corporate sponsor. But don’t worry, we will respect the tradition and the sanctity of the granddaddy of all award shows” (“Fox NFL
Sunday,” Fox, 12/28).
- Court TV's Mo Rocca, on the Kobe Bryant sexual assault scandal: "After the allegations first surfaced, he received the Teen Choice Award and just as the Golden Globes is a predictor for the Oscars, the Teen Choice Award is oftentimes the predictor for the most scurrilous scandal of the year" ("Today," NBC, 12/27).
THE BACK PAGES
The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sports covers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:
| | |
| N.Y. Post | N.Y. Daily News |
| | |
| Philadelphia Daily News | Philadelphia Daily News |
IN OTHER NEWS….
On the cover of their year-end issus, TIME offers its Person of the Year, The American Soldier, while NEWSWEEK, as part of its Who’s Next issue, features a picture of Jon Stewart, under the header, “Seriously Funny: For Election Laughs, ‘The Daily Show’ Rocks.”
The N.Y. TIMES notes a ComScore Networks study that reveals that e-commerce sales “reached 11.72[B] from November 1 to December 26, a 29[%] jump from $9.08[B] in the same period in 2002.” As of December 26, year-to-date sales – excluding travel and auctions – totaled $51.5B, a 22% increase from $42.4B in the same period a year earlier (N.Y. TIMES, 12/29).
BLOOMBERG NEWS reported that the holiday season was Amazon.com’s “busiest ever, as it added sporting goods, gourmet foods, jewelry and health shops to its offerings. A single-day record of more than 2.1 million units ordered, or a rate of 24 items per second, was set this holiday season” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 12/27).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Friday's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Seasonal Characters."
"In late 1939 Chicago adman Robert May considered Rollo and Reginald before settling on this name."
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
NBC's Jay Leno: "I guess this is a the big day for returns at department stores, although some people don't get it. I heard Jessica Simpson returned a gift certificate she got. ... The day after Christmas for guys is like the day after the prom. You ask the same question. 'Hey, what did you get?' ... During the holiday season, friends don't let friends drive drunk and real friends don't let their friends do interviews on ESPN during Jets games. ... Joe Namath: he could be our next governor of California. ... New York City has opened a new subway line that links Manhattan to Kennedy Airport. In fact, during the opening ceremonies they christened the first car by smashing a bottle of urine over it" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 12/26).
SUNDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
Sunday night's 11:30pm ET 90-minute edition of ESPN's "SportsCenter" (late due to Steelers-Ravens) led with the NFC playoff chase: Vikings-Cardinals and Broncos-Packers, followed by Rams-Lions and Steelers-Ravens. The first non-NFL report, at 32:24 into the broadcast, was Bucks-Spurs.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” reached the $200M mark Saturday “after 11 days – the second fastest to that level behind Sony’s “Spider-Man,” which reached that plateau in nine days.” The top 12 films from this weekend “racked up a staggering estimate of $168.7[M] at the boxoffice – up 8% from last year’s holiday record” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 12/29).
| Title | Weekend | Cumulative |
| “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” | $51.2M | $223.7M |
| “Cheaper by the Dozen” | $28.2M | $36.4M |
| “Cold Mountain” | $14.5M | $19.0M |
| “Something’s Gotta Give” | $14.2M | $56.4M |
| “Paycheck” | $13.9M | $19.2M |
| “Mona Lisa Smile” | $11.5M | $31.5M |
| “Peter Pan” | $11.4M | $15.1M |
| “The Last Samurai” | $8.4M | $74.4M |
| “Bad Santa” | $4.5M | $50.9M |
| “Elf” | $4.3M | $164.9M |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
"Who is Rudolph?"
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