Morning Buzz, Febuary 9, 2004

STAN KROENKE TODAY TO ANNOUNCE PLAN TO START REGIONAL NET

The ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS reported that Stan Kroenketoday will announce that he has “decided to start his own regional television network toshowcase” the Avalanche,Nuggets, NLL Mammoth and MLS Rapids, rather than sign a new deal with FSN RockyMountain.  The company “hopes to havethe network up and running by September.” Many details, “such as starting costs, programming schedules – even aname for the new network – still are being worked out” (ROCKYMOUNTAIN NEWS, 2/7).

WESTWOOD ONE TO CONTINUE AS NHL RADIO HOME THROUGH ‘09

By RussellAdams, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

The NHL and Westwood Onetoday will announce that they have reached a five-year extension that makesWestwood One the league’s national radio home through the ‘09 Stanley CupFinals.  The extension, believed by sources to be in the eight figure rangeover five years, ensures that the All-Star Game, the Conference Finals and theStanley Cup Finals will be broadcast on Westwood One.  Other currentprogramming that will remain includes the “Game of the Week” during the secondhalf of the season, opening night of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, select gamesthroughout the first two palyoff rounds, “This Week in the NHL” and “HockeyRules!”  Additional content to be produced beginning next season includesopening night of the regular season, All-Star Saturday and an expanded numberof games during the first two playoff rounds.

NHL GMs TO DISCUSS COMPETITIVE ISSUES AT THREE-DAY MEETING

The three-day NHL GM meetings begin today in Henderson, NV,and the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reported that the agenda will includediscussions on potential rule changes. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the following items will bediscussed, “Goalies handling the puck, goalkeeper equipment, bigger nets, linemarkings, moving the blue line, making them wider, using the tag-up rule,automatic icing … three points for a win in regulation.”  The GMs will “convene again in June to renewtalks.  Any rule changes would be inplace for the beginning of next season” (Minneapolis STARTRIBUNE, 2/8).

The TORONTO SUN reported that there will be many “outsiders”participating in the meeting, including injured Blues D Al MacInnis,NHLPA reps Steve Larmer and Mike Gartner and HOF coach ScottBowman (TORONTO SUN, 2/8).

CUBS, CITY OF CHICAGO AGREE TO PHASE IN 12 MORE NIGHT GAMES

The CHICAGO SUN-TIMES reported that the Cubs and the city ofChicago “finally cut a deal Friday tophase in 12 more night games at Wrigley Field after the team agreed to severalminor concessions demanded by Mayor Daley.”  The agreement “means the Cubs could phase in the first fouradditional night games” by this season. Tonight at Wrigley’s Stadium Club, the Cubs will present the agreement,which is expected to be approved by a City Council committee tomorrow and thefull council Wednesday (CHICAGOSUN-TIMES, 2/7).

GREG RUSEDSKI TO FACE ATP HEARING TODAY OVER DRUG CHARGE

The LONDON TIMES reported that ATP player Greg Rusedskitoday will attend a hearing in Montreal over the governing body’s two-year banof Rusedski for testing positive for nandrolone.  Attorneys representing Rusedski and the ATP “have exchangedbriefs,” and a tribunal chaired by former Canadian Ambassador to the UN L.Yves Fortier will preside.  Rusedskihas banned representatives of the World Anti-Doping Agency from attending (LONDONTIMES, 2/7).

MORNING BRIEFS

The N.Y. TIMES reported that the NFL will seek to stay U.S.District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin’s ruling that “overturned theleague rule restricting the eligibility of players who enter the draft, raisingthe possibility” that Maurice Clarett could be “shut out of the April 24draft.”  Scheindlin could “reject theleague’s request but it could be granted by an appellate court before the draftdate” (N.Y.TIMES, 2/7).

The L.A. TIMES reported that former MLB Giants Exec VP CoreyBusch, the point man for Frank McCourt on the purchase of theDodgers, has agreed to a one-year contract as a team consultant, “endingspeculation he would become the Dodgers’ next president or head of businessoperations” (L.A.TIMES, 2/7).

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that Brooklyn United forInnovative Local Development (BUILD), a recently formed coalition of arearesidents, “gathered yesterday to show support for the $2.5[B] plan for anarena, apartments, office and retail space” in Brooklyn.  Organizers said that BUILD “was notbankrolled by Bruce Ratner” (N.Y.DAILY NEWS, 2/9).

The DALLAS MORNING NEWS reported that the Stars “will notrenew their affiliation agreement” with the AHL Utah Grizzlies after thisseason.  Stars GM Doug Armstrongsaid that with the “uncertainty of what a new [CBA] might entail, the Starswanted to keep their options open for the 2004-05 season” (DALLASMORNING NEWS, 2/7).

The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reported that prospective HawksOwner and Celtics season-ticket holder Steve Belkin “brought about 350employees from his Trans National Group to FleetCenter” for Friday night’sHawks-Celtics game (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 2/7).

The ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS reported that fans at the PepsiCenter “caught on tape hurling debris”after the Avalanche’s 3-2 OT loss to the Red Wings Thursday “could be strippedof their season-ticket privileges.” Officials reviewed tapes Friday from arena cameras, “in hopes of gainingpositive identification of fans who violated building policies” (ROCKYMOUNTAIN NEWS, 2/7).

The K.C. STAR reportsthat the Ward family of Russell Stover Candies – along with a group ofanonymous individuals – has donated $12M to the Kansas University AthleticCorporation.  The money will be used for“various renovations at Allen Fieldhouse as well as the building of a Hall ofAthletics” (K.C. STAR,2/8).

The LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL reported that Mike Tyson“will likely return to boxing on June 5 in a fight to be telecast onShowtime.”  No opponent “has beenpicked, nor has a site been identified.” Additionally, Oscar De La Hoya said last week that he “plans tofight on HBO [PPV] on June 5, though he didn’t specify an opponent” (LASVEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/8).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that yesterday’s NHL All-Star Game drew 19,434 at 18,064-seat Xcel Energy Center, which “equaled the largest to watch a hockey game in the state” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/9).

• The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS reported that at $15 per ticket, the NHL All-Star practice session Saturday at Xcel Energy Center drew a crowd of 15,204, which Commissioner Gary Bettman said “might be a record” (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/8).

• The HONOLULU ADVERTISER reports that an announced sellout of 50,127 attended the Pro Bowl yesterday at Aloha Stadium, marking the 24^th sellout in 25 games in Honolulu (HONOLULU ADVERTISER, 2/9).

• The L.A. TIMES reported that a crowd of 14,154 attended Friday night’s Verizon Millrose Games at MSG (L.A. TIMES, 2/7).

• The DALLAS MORNING NEWS reported that MLB Rangers GM John Hart missed the Rangers’ annual awards banquet Friday at the Arlington Convention Center because he “was dealing with matters at his home in Florida.”  The gathering of approximately 650 was “by far the smallest turnout in at least the last decade” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/8).

• The AFL announced that the nine Week One games averaged 14,242 fans, up 9% from 13,064 in Week One last year.  Sellouts were reported at the Pepsi Center and Wachovia Center.  The following details the attendance for each game:

A LIGHTER BUZZ

The FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM reported that despite MavericksOwner Mark Cuban’s two points, the “perfectly horrible Nationals –sports’ version of a human punch line – continued their unfathomable losingstreak to the Harlem Globetrotters” before a crowd of roughly 15,000 Saturdayafternoon at American Airlines Center (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM,2/8).

The DETROIT NEWS reported that prior to Friday night’sPistons-Hornets game at New Orleans Arena, guest national anthem singer TerryBarrileaux “sang the second verse wrong, then stopped, realizing she hadmade a mistake.  She started over withthe help of public address announcer Jim Rumsfeld and much of the crowd”(DETROITNEWS, 2/7).

WEEKEND RAP…

The following are excerpts from the panelists’ “partingshots” on Sunday’s edition of ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters”:

• Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, on Drew Henson quitting baseball to return to football: “Of all our major sports, baseball is the trickiest to judge, so much so that throwing big money at prospects makes very little sense. ... Both sides knew it was futile.  Henson moves to the NFL.  Baseball gets the last laugh.”

• Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom: “If you think Maurice Clarett’s case will throw innocent prep stars into the evil jaws of professionalism, I have two words for you: wake up.  Or did you miss last week, a.k.a. signing week for college football recruits. ... It was cheered like the stock market and analyzed like the commodities market. ... It isn’t the money of pro sports that’s ruinous.  It’s the sense of entitlement.”

• N.Y. Times columnist William Rhoden, on Lennox Lewis announcing his retirement: “He was too big to miss, but too lackluster for Americans to embrace. ... There was never a defining moment or scandal to brand his name. ... The most that we can say is he was good and he’s gone.”

• N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica, on watching “Miracle”: “For me it was a chance to relive for a couple of hours the best night I’ve ever had covering sports and the best night I ever expect to have. ... This movie let me be there again” ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 2/8).

Heard elsewhere over the weekend:

• ABC News’ Mike Von Fremd, on NASCAR’s new point system: “NASCAR is the only televised sport that suffers a drop in its ratings near the end of the season.  This new point system is designed to change that” ("World News Tonight," ABC, 2/6).

• Albom, on Patriots QB Tom Brady: “He became the face of the NFL in (Super Bowl XXXVIII) in my opinion.  He is now the marketable commodity” ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 2/8).

• AFL Philadelphia Soul co-Owner Jon Bon Jovi, on his ownership style: “I’ll be much more Wellington Mara than I will be Al Davis” (ESPNews, 2/6).

• Bruins G Andrew Raycroft, on appearing in a Boston-area TV commercial pitching Bruins license plates with Bruins C Patrice Bergeron: “(The plates) are selling like crazy.  We got (Bergeron’s) good looks, so how can you go wrong” ("NHL YoungStars," ESPN, 2/7).

• ESPN’s Gary Thorne, on NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman attending the All-Star Game: “He and (NHLPA Exec Dir) Bob Goodenow have both been here and both have done a lot of talking, and the one thing that’s come out of that on the CBA is that they are a long way off” (ABC, 2/8).

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

The SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS reports that the San Jose SportsFacility Task Force will hold its first meeting, and Dir Dean Munro bythe end of the year plans “to issue a report that will be a road map forbringing another one of the Big Four sports” to the city (SANJOSE MERCURY NEWS, 2/9).

THIS WEEK IN SISTER PUBLICATION SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL…

This week’s In-Depth focuses on the opening of the NASCARseason, including a ranking of the 20 most influential people in motorsports.

For these stories and more, see this week's SportsBusiness Journal.

EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are thisweek’s confirmed earnings announcements for sports-business related companies (THEDAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS….

This week’s cover of TIME offers “Believe Him Or Not … Does BushHave A Credibility Gap?”  Meanwhile, NEWSWEEK examines “WhoReally Killed Jesus?” (THE DAILY).

The Recording Academy distributed its 46^th AnnualGrammy Awards lat night at Staples Center in L.A., where Coldplay wonRecord of the Year for “Clocks,” while OutKast won Album of the Year for“Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” and Richard Marx and Luther Vandrosswon Song of the Year for “Dance with my Father.”  Beyonce was the big winner with five awards.  View the complete list of winners.

USA TODAY notes that Justin Timberlake apologized forhis role in the Super Bowl halftime show during his acceptance speech for theBest Male Pop Vocal Performance, saying, “I know it’s been a rough week oneverybody.  What occurred wasunintentional, completely regrettable, and I apologize if you guys areoffended” (USATODAY, 2/9).

The L.A. TIMES reports that, under “intense scrutinyfollowing Janet Jackson’s breast-baring performance during last week’s SuperBowl, MTV has quietly plucked a number of its edgiest music videos out of itsdaytime rotation.”  MTV will play thevideos, including clips from Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Incubusand Blink 182, “only during overnight programming, generally between[10:00pm-6:00am]” (L.A.TIMES, 2/9).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Friday’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “19^thCentury Philosophy.”

“This three-word quote, originally in German, comes soonafter, ‘We have killed him – you and I, all of us are his murderers.’”

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

CBS’ DavidLetterman: “Welcome to ‘Survivor 53^rd Street.’  By the way, tonight’s bungee jump off the EdSullivan Theater building has been canceled. ... Last night’s ‘Late Show’ wascanceled because of a medical emergency and here’s the surprising part.  It wasn’t mine. ... Snowboarder TaraDakides was going to do a jump out on 53^rd Street and the snowwas a little wacky and she ended up falling like two stories and landing on thepavement.  She’s fine.  She’s okay. She has some stitches in her head and a little bump on her head, butshe’s fine.  I’m telling you, it’s thecraziest, most dangerous stunt I’ve ever asked a woman to participate in thatdidn’t result in a pregnancy. ... There hasn’t been a jump that ill-advisedsince I moved from NBC to CBS. ... CBS is still apologizing because of JanetJackson’s wardrobe malfunction, and I was thinking, ‘Well, if CBS doesn’tlike nudity, what about getting rid of that naked fat guy on ‘Survivor?’” ("LateShow," CBS, 2/6).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “CBS has banned Janet Jackson fromthe Grammy Awards.  CBS feels like theywant to go with more wholesome performers like R. Kelly and ChristinaAguilera. ... Because of Janet’s performance at the Super Bowl, theGrammy’s will now be on a five-minute delay so they can take out anymistakes.  In fact, I understand DickCheney wants to use this technology in all of President Bush’sspeeches now. ... A theologian by the name of Kevin Orlin Johnson saidduring his studies on Christianity he was surprised to discover how adamantlyopposed early Christians were to sports. They didn’t believe in sports.  Idon’t know if it had anything to do with the fact that the main sport back thenwas throwing Christians to the lions” ("The Tonight Show," NBC,2/6).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

Friday night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Changes CBS IsMaking To The Grammys” ("Late Show," CBS, 2/6).

Patriots K Adam Vinatieri appeared on Friday’sedition of NBC’s “The Tonight Show.” Vinatieri said the team did not know JanetJackson exposed her breast “until after the game, but if I had to choosebetween Janet and the streaker that ran across the field when he did, I guess Iwould probably have to choose Janet” ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 2/6).

During the news segment on NBC’s “SNL,” castmember JimmyFallon said, “Justin Timberlake is reportedly upset with Janet Jacksonover the Super Bowl halftime show incident, saying that he was told her breastwould never be in full view.  But is itreally so shocking that a member of the Jackson family took advantage of anaive, young boy?” ("SNL," NBC, 2/7).

SUNDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

ESPN’s 11:00pm ET edition of “SportsCenter” (late due to thePro Bowl) led with Lakers-Magic, followed by Nuggets-Kings andthe PGA Tour’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that the weekend at the box office “proved to be adisappointment” as the estimated total for the top 12 films was $92.7M,slipping 9% from the comparable period a year ago.  The total for all films this weekend is projected “to be in the mid-to-high$100[M] range, down from last year’s $120.7[M]” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 2/9).

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“What is ‘God is dead?’”

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

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