| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, December 30, 2003
9:00am ET | |
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| • | CART Today To Seek Sale Procedures Approval To Open Wheel Racing Series |
| • | NFL Divisional Playoff Schedule Could Be Announced As Early As Today |
| • | Philadelphia Park To Host Live Races Today After Jockeys Refused Yesterday |
| • | Mets Mulling Working Agreement With Bobby Valentine’s Chiba Lotte Marines |
| • | ABC Posts Highest NBA Christmas Day Doubleheader Final Rating Since ’99 |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
CART TODAY TO SEEK APPROVAL OF SALE IN BANKRUPTCY HEARING
CART today is expected to seek approval of procedures forsale of the company to Open Wheel Racing Series during a bankruptcy hearing atthe Birch Bayh Federal Building & Courthouse in Indianapolis. The INDIANAPOLIS STAR noted that CART hasbeen “allowed to pay ordinary business expenses to employees and was givenuntil January 30 to prepare bankruptcy schedules” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 12/20).
NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE COULD BE ANNOUNCED TODAY
The NFL Divisional Playoff schedule could be announced asearly as today, which will be played Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January11. The BOSTON GLOBE notes that thePatriots prefer the Saturday night window. NFL VP/Communications Greg Aiello: “The ultimate decision restswith the commissioner [Paul Tagliabue]. His staff prepares all the pertinent information and makesrecommendations, but he makes the final call and informs the networks” (BOSTONGLOBE, 12/30).
REEBOK HOPES TO CASH IN ON GREEN BAY’S HOT MARKET TODAY
The GREEN BAYPRESS-GAZETTE reports that official NFC North Divisional Championship logoedapparel from Reebok “should arrive today at the Packers Pro Shop.” Packers Pro Shop Buyer Pam Burnett:“The orders were in their hands. If we won the division, they would startproducing.” After the team qualified for the playoffs in dramaticfashion, Pro Shop Manager Deb Mulry said of yesterday’s business,“It’s been crazy here all day. It’s been like a game day” (GREENBAY PRESS GAZETTE, 12/30).
JOCKEYS TO RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA PARK FOR LIVE RACING TODAY
The PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS reports that Philadelphia Parkis scheduled to host live races this afternoon after “jockeys refused to ride yesterday over what they considerlate payment of their mount fees and their share of the purses.” A more sophisticated drug-testing system ofthe horses in Pennsylvania “has slowed payments to jockeys in recent weeks”from three days to “at least a week.” The track “probably lost an estimated $100,000 in revenue because of thewalkout” (PHILADELPHIADAILY NEWS, 12/30).
MORNING BRIEFS
The L.A. TIMES notes that theAngels and Edison Int’l jointly confirmed yesterday that the company “hadexercised its option to terminate the sponsorship agreement under which AnaheimStadium had become Edison Field.” Theballpark will be renamed Angel Stadium of Anaheim (L.A.TIMES, 12/30).
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that Yankees Owner GeorgeSteinbrenner “was back at work just 48 hours after he collapsed at amemorial service. Running the show fromhis Tampa home yesterday, The Boss talked baseball with other Yankee honchosand continued to make light of his collapse” (N.Y. DAILYNEWS, 12/30).
The Newark STAR-LEDGER reports that the Mets “are mulling establishing a working agreement with the ChibaLotte Marines,” the team former manager Bobby Valentine will manage nextseason. The Mets are considering“making Valentine an advisor to the team from overseas, a Far East consultant”(NewarkSTAR-LEDGER, 12/30).
ABC yesterday announced that its NBA Christmas Daydoubleheader featuring Mavericks-Kings and Rockets-Lakers averaged a 3.6/8 finalNielsen rating, the highest Christmas Day doubleheader average since ’99 (ABC).
The ORLANDO SENTINEL reports that someone “snatched a framed10-year anniversary … Magic jersey from an empty TD Waterhouse Centre skyboxduring the team’s Christmas Day game” against the Cavaliers. The skybox belongs to the City of Orlando (ORLANDOSENTINEL, 12/30).
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that the MinneapolisCity Council yesterday “came to a rare agreement … on a stadium proposal thatsupports the Warehouse District as the new home for the Twins and retains theMetrodome for the Vikings.” Theproposal does not “offer a financing plan for the ballpark but it designatesthe site” (MinneapolisSTAR TRIBUNE, 12/30).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that beginning in February, DC’sWRC-AM “will broadcast select local high school games live.” The station also is “planning a weekly talkshow dedicated to high school sports in the metropolitan area.” The Clear Channel Entertainment-owned stationlaunched December 15 (WASHINGTONPOST, 12/30).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports that a standing-room-only crowd of 18,217 attended last night’s Rangers-Coyotes game, the second Coyotes game at Glendale Arena (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 12/30).
- The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that a sellout crowd of 19,250 attended last night’s Maple Leafs-Panthers game at Office Depot Center, where as part of Canada Night, Canadian currency was as valuable as U.S. currency for game tickets (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 12/30).
- The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE reports that a crowd of 16,120 attended last night’s Blackhawks-Penguins game at Mellon Arena for Iceburgh bobblehead giveaway night, the “second-largest crowd of the season” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/30).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE reports that at Green Bay Mayor JimSchmitt’s invitation, Cardinals WR Nathan Poole and his wife “willtravel to Green Bay this weekend to accompany the mayor” forSeahawks-Packers. Poole caught the game-winningTD against the Vikings Sunday to propel the Packers into the playoffs. Schmitt: “He’s my favorite non-Packersplayer” (GREENBAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 12/30).
THE BACK PAGES
The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sportscovers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:
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| N.Y. Post | N.Y. Daily News |
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| Philadelphia Daily News | Philadelphia Daily News |
TODAY’S EVENTS
LeBron James turns 19 today and the Cavaliers hostthe Pacers at 7:00pm ET at Gund Arena (THE DAILY).
Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Dir Sean Ryan today willannounce that the event is returning to Lambeau Field in ’04. The inaugural race in ’00 went throughLambeau Field, “but was forced to bypass the stadium while it was beingrenovated over the next three years” (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 12/30).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that the holiday season “hasbeen a good one for both the sales figures and stock prices” of XM SatelliteRadio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Yesterday alone, XM shares jumped 7.7% to $26.16, while Sirius sharesclosed up 9.8% at $2.58 “amid strong industry buzz.” Those jumps “put the stocks at or very near their 52-week highs”(HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 12/30).
MEDIA POST reports that XM, Sirius and TiVo all “expected tocash in big during the holidays.” TiVoshares closed yesterday at $7.09, up 3.2% (MEDIA POST,12/30).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Foodstuffs.”
“A plant called this accompanies sushi and also the PassoverSeder.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
NBC’sJay Leno: “Did you all have a nice Level Orange Christmas? It was a little different this year. Instead of shaking each present under thetree, first I had it x-rayed. Then Ihad the bomb-sniffing dog look at it. ... I’m in a good mood. Finally got rid of all my relatives hangingaround the house. You know what Idid? Grilled up a bunch of Washingtonstate beef. ... In fact, when that story first broke about the mad cow inWashington, Bill Clinton said, ‘Here we go again.’ ... Due to theincreased terror alert, security’s been stepped up at the Sugar Bowl thisyear. Officials will be looking to stopanyone who doesn’t belong at the Sugar Bowl and today, USC turned in Oklahoma.... Of the big three teams – USC, LSU and Oklahoma – USC football players havethe highest graduation rate at 61%. LSUis 40%. Oklahoma is 33%. But see, isthat fair? The one team actually smartenough to work a computer gets screwed by it” ("The Tonight Show,"NBC, 12/29). USC players andcoaches were in the audience last night (THE DAILY).
MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 12:30am ET edition of “SportsCenter” led with Hornets-Pistons,followed by a report on Pacers F Ron Artest being benched for lastnight’s game and Grizzlies-Pacers.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is wasabi or horseradish?”
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