Morning Buzz, January 28, 2004

AUCTION OF CART ASSETS BEGINS THIS MORNING IN INDIANAPOLIS

The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that the immediate futures ofthe IRL and CART “are in the hands” of U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge FrankOtte, who is scheduled to begin hearing arguments at 9:30am ET at the BirchBayh Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse. Otte will preside over an “auction of CART’s assets between two bidders:a group of current CART team owners [OWRS] intent on keeping the series alive,and IRL President Tony George, who is intent on shutting it down” (INDIANAPOLISSTAR, 1/28).

The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES notes that Otte “may not make hisdecision today” (ST.PETERSBURG TIMES, 1/28).

IAAF TO LODGE FORMAL LEGAL CHALLENGE TO USATF ON JEROME YOUNG

The L.A. TIMES reports that the IAAF “expects to lodge aformal legal challenge to the move by a USA Track & Field panel thatcleared sprinter Jerome Young to compete at the 2000 SydneyOlympics.”  Track’s int’l governing body“is set to announce as soon as this week that it plans to take the case to theSwiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.” At stake are the gold medals won by Young and five other Americans,including Michael Johnson, in the 1,600-meter relay at the SydneyOlympics.  Also, the USOC Exec Committeeyesterday “reiterated a long-standing demand that USATF turn over its files inthe case” (L.A.TIMES, 1/28).

SUPER BOWL MEDIA DAY PRODUCES STANDARD FARE OF LAUGHS

Super Bowl XXXVIII media day was yesterday at ReliantStadium, and USA TODAY notes that more than 3,000 credentialed media peoplewere there, but the NFL “gives outlets that don’t usually cover sports one-daypasses” for the session.  This year’swas not “quite as carnival-like as a year ago, … but media day had its moments”(USATODAY, 1/28).

The L.A. TIMES notes that Sal Iacono, a cousin of ABClate-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, wore a No. 4 Panthers jersey andtried to pass himself off as Panthers K John Kasay.  Despite the fact Iacono was “wearing adifferent-colored jersey from the rest of the Panthers, several reporters fellfor it and conducted straight interviews, believing they were talking to Kasay.  Iacono didn’t level with the reporters, buthe said he gave such outlandish answers that they should have figured it out” (L.A.TIMES, 1/28).

The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES notes that Warren Sapptalked to Patriots Owner Robert Kraft as part of his NFL Networkduties.  Before long, Kraft was “showingSapp the Patriots’ ring for winning the Super Bowl two years ago.  Kraft explained that, at the request of someof his defensive backs, it was made of white gold.”  Sapp said loudly, “What a concept!  An owner who listens to his players.  That’s a great ring!  Wegot an old-school ring!” (ST.PETERSBURG TIMES, 1/28).

The HOUSTON CHRONICLE notes that Mitch Fatel of NBC’s“The Tonight Show” asked Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi, “Do you think theongoing Martha Stewart trial is going to distract you from thegame?”  Bruschi responded, “Martha is agreat gal.  Why don’t they just let hergo?” (HOUSTONCHRONICLE, 1/28).

The BOSTON HERALD notes the following exchange between RossThe Intern from NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” Patriots S Rodney Harrisonand Sports Illustrated’s Paul Zimmerman (BOSTONHERALD, 1/28):

• Ross: “What’s the wildest place you and your wife ever made whoopee?”
• Harrison: “What did you say?  What did you say?”
• Zimmerman to Ross: “Get the hell out of here.”
• Ross to Zimmerman: “What are you, the kicker?”
• Zimmerman to Ross: “Yeah, I’ll kick your ass.”

IT’S HE HATE ME’S WORLD AND WE’RE ALL JUST LIVING IN IT

It turns out taking the moniker “He Hate Me” during hisbrief XFL playing days has been a boon to Panthers KR Rod Smart, who wasa popular subject yesterday at Super Bowl media day.  Smart is featured today by (at least) the following columnists:the N.Y. Times’ HarveyAraton, the Washington Post’s MichaelWilbon, the Boston Globe’s DanShaughnessy, the S.F. Chronicle’s RayRatto and the Seattle Times’ LesCarpenter (The Daily).

Smart was featured on the 6:00pm ET edition of ESPN’s“SportsCenter,” where ESPN’s Chris Mortensen asked, “Have youtrademarked ‘He Hate Me?’”  Smart:“Yeah, it’s all mine” ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 1/27).

SARATOGA HARNESS TRACK TO OPEN SLOTS AREA THIS MORNING

The N.Y. TIMES reports that Saratoga Gaming & Racewaytoday will open its new $15M gaming area at 10:00am ET.  While “most patrons will chose the slotmachines over betting on horses … that will hardly matter to trackmanagers.  Most believe that without thepromise of slot machines, several harness tracks in the state would havealready closed.  For those tracks, thelast few years have been a case of survival while waiting for the slots’cure-all.”  Twenty percent of theprofits from the machines will go to track operators and an additional 9percent will be allocated to purses (N.Y.TIMES, 1/28).

Meanwhile,Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell said yesterday that he is“working on a bill that would allow slots at eight racetracks and fournon-track venues – including two in Philadelphia” (PHILADELPHIAINQUIRER, 1/28).

MORNING BRIEFS

The WASHINGTON POST reports that the NHL is “investigatingan altercation between … Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis and a fan that tookplace after Sunday’s game at MCI Center.” The investigation “could result in the fining or suspension ofLeonsis.”  NHL VP/Media Operations FrankBrown indicated that there “was no timetable for concluding the investigation” (WASHINGTONPOST, 1/28).

The AP reports that the NHL wants to “resume negotiationswith the players’ union on a new [CBA] within the next two weeks” (AP,1/28).

The L.A. TIMESreports that tomorrow’s vote to approve Frank McCourt’s Dodgersbid “became largely academic” yesterday when “both the ownershipcommittee and executive council endorsed his bid” (L.A.TIMES, 1/28).

DAILY VARIETY reports that ESPN’s primetime ratings were up26% in January (DAILYVARIETY, 1/28).

USA TODAY reports that if the U.S. Taekwando Union BODapproves a plan set forth yesterday by the USOC, it “can keep its status as thenational governing body and its power to select Olympic teams.  The plan calls for all Taekwando Unionofficers to resign and for the USOC to appoint an executive director and afive-person committee to run the organization” (USA TODAY, 1/28).

The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that the Univ. ofToronto and MLSE have “set February 8 as the deadline to determine whether aproposed $100[M] sports complex on the campus will go forward” (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL, 1/28).

DAILY VARIETY reports that Electronic Arts “saw its revenuereach $1.475[B] in the third quarter on its fiscal calendar, up 20% from thesame quarter a year ago.”  EA Sports’“Madden NFL Football 2004” was the “top-selling game of 2003” (DAILYVARIETY, 1/28).

The Celtics yesterday announced that the team has accepted theresignation of head coach Jim O’Brien and appointed assistant coach JohnCarroll interim head coach (Celtics).

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that several “prominentministers with congregations near the proposed [Brooklyn Arena] joined forceswith local elected officials yesterday to demand a greater say – if and how the$2.5[B] project moves forward.”  Some ofthe ministers said that they were “not necessarily opposed to Bruce Ratner’splan,” but they were “unanimous in their anger over Ratner’s failure to reachout for their input before unveiling designs that already had many detailsworked out” (N.Y.DAILY NEWS, 1/28).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports that a “season-low crowd of 12,067” attended last night’s Flames-Coyotes game at Glendale Arena, which was Brian Boucher Night.  The Coyotes only had 12 shots on goal before losing 2-1 (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/28).

• The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE reports that a “season-low crowd of 9,391” attended last night’s Lightning-Penguins game at Mellon Arena.  The crowd was the “smallest for a home game since December 19, 1995, when a snowstorm limited the turnout” to 7,170 (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 1/28).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

The HOUSTON CHRONICLE notes that the menu for last night’sSuper Bowl XXXVIIII Host Committee Media Party at the Downtown Aquariumincluded “one ton of shrimp, 250 pounds of jumbo lump crabmeat, 3,000 pounds ofcrawfish, 2,000 pounds of quail, 100 pounds of short ribs, 300 pounds of filetmignon, 150 pounds of house-made pasta and, for a sweet treat, 5,000 Texas pralines”(HOUSTONCHRONICLE, 1/28).

THE BACK PAGES

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

N.Y. Post	N.Y. Daily News

Philadelphia Daily News

TODAY’S EVENTS

CBS Sports will host an 11:00am ET conference call todiscuss its Super Bowl XXXVIII pregame show, “The Super Bowl Today.”  CBS Sports President Sean McManus,Exec Producer Tony Petitti, Senior Producer Eric Mann and “TheSuper Bowl Today” team members Jim Nantz, Dan Marino, DeionSanders and Boomer Esiason are expected to participate.

The 2004 PGA Merchandise Show begins at the Orange CountyConvention Center in Orlando and runs through Sunday.  Viewthe agenda.

IN OTHER NEWS….

The N.Y. TIMES reports that Miller Brewing has “expanded its(ad) agency roster by naming” Richmond, VA-based Martin Agency to “create [TV]commercials for Miller Genuine Draft beer.” Miller spent roughly $35M last year advertising the brand (N.Y. TIMES,1/28).

The WASHINGTON POST notes that Amazon.com yesterday reportedits “first profitable year after nearly a decade of red ink.  The company’s strongest holiday season everpushed it over the top,” with $73M in fourth-quarter earnings, up from earningsof $3M in Q4 ’02.  For the year, thecompany posted sales of $5.3B, “giving it a $35[M] profit, compared with a$149[M] loss” in ’02 (WASHINGTONPOST, 1/28).

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that USA Network President DougHerzog is “in line to return to the top executive post at Comedy Central,which he headed as President in the mid-1990s.”  Herzog is expected to “leave his post at the Universal-ownednetwork once Universal completes its merger with NBC later this year” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 1/28).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “The BusinessBookshelf.”

“F. Paul Pacult’s ‘American Still Life’ is thehistory of this over 200-year-old Kentucky company.”

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

NBC’sJay Leno: “I’m wearing my new Joe Lieberman watch.  The problem is it stops running after NewHampshire. ... A Newsweek poll said that if the elections were held today, JohnKerry would beat Bush 49% to 46% and today, President Bush calledNewsweek magazine a threat to world peace. ... Doesn’t John Edwards looklike the guy from the TV commercial who finally asks his doctor if Viagra isright for him. ... Bill Clinton has lost so much weight on the SouthBeach Diet, he had to get all new clothes. In fact, he said some of his pants are so big on him, now they actuallyfit his girlfriends. ... A woman in Romania had a benign tumor removed from herbody that weighed 176 pounds.  Onehundred seventy six pound tumor on her body. That’s when you know you’ve got a bad HMO. ... Oscar nominations cameout today.  Up for Best Actor, SeanPenn for ‘Mystic River,’ Jude Law for ‘Cold Mountain’ and of course,George W. Bush for ‘Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction.’ ... Tonight on theprogram, America’s favorite dumb blonde is on the show, Terry Bradshaw.... Paris Hilton now wants to make legitimate movies.  She certainly knows how to audition” ("TheTonight Show," NBC, 1/27).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” made light of the factthat it was filmed in advance of the New Hampshire Primary closing.  Jon Stewart opened the show bysaying, “What an incredible day in American politics – The New HampshirePrimary.  And the crowd goes nuts!  The polls closed over three hours ago.  The results are in.  We’re not going to report on thoseresults.   The reason is that many ofyou I’m sure have TiVo’d the election and you don’t want to know, but for thoseof you who do want to know.”  Video of amonkey scrubbing a cat was shown (“The Daily Show,” Comedy Central, 1/27).

TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“What is Jim Beam?”

If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

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