| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Tuesday, Febuary 10, 2004
9:00am ET | |
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| • | NFL Today To Ask U.S. District Court Judge To Block Last Week’s Draft Ruling |
| • | Magna Entertainment To Appear Today Before Maryland Racing Commission |
| • | Diamond Walnut Bowl Today To Ask Pac-10 To Drop Silicon Valley Affiliation |
| • | Meadowlands: Devils To Newark; Giants Hoping To Renovate; MLB Talks |
| • | Announcement About Nolan Ryan Joining Astros Could Come As Early As Today |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
NFL TODAY TO ASK THAT LAST WEEK’S DRAFT RULING BE BLOCKED
The Cleveland PLAIN DEALER reports that the NFL today willask U.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin “to block last week’s ruling that allows Maurice Clarett to enterApril’s NFL draft. If a stay isgranted, it could prevent Clarett from being eligible for the 2004 draft untilan appeal is heard.” If Scheindlindenies a stay, the NFL “could seek one from the U.S. Court of Appeals in theSecond Circuit. The appeals court wouldbe the league’s last opportunity to get the ruling blocked.” A hearing is scheduled for tomorrow at1:00pm ET (ClevelandPLAIN DEALER, 2/10).
MAGNA TO EXPLAIN TRACK IMPROVEMENTS TO MD COMMISSION TODAY
The WASHINGTON POST reports that representatives of MagnaEntertainment “will appear this afternoon before the Maryland Racing Commissionto update the status of work being done on the backstretches at Laurel Park andPimlico.” Magna’s improvements “likelywill receive a passing grade. However,with the quality of racing plunging at Laurel Park this winter, … horsemen areexpressing anxiety over the future of racing in Maryland” (WASHINGTONPOST, 2/10).
DIAMOND WALNUT BOWL TO SPEAK WITH PAC-10 OFFICIALS TODAY
The SILICON VALLEY/SAN JOSE BUSINESS JOURNAL reports that the Diamond Walnut Bowl today“will ask the Pacific 10 Conference … to drop its affiliation with the SiliconValley Football Classic and come to [S.F.], using its superior stadium andlocation as a lure.” Both bowls are“expected to offer each team about $600,000 and 200 free hotel rooms over fournights.” The Diamond Walnut Bowl isplayed at SBC Park, while the Silicon Valley Football Classic is played atSpartan Stadium in San Jose (SILICONVALLEY/SAN JOSE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/6 issue).
STAR-LEDGER OFFERS THREE PIECES ON MEADOWLANDS FACILITIES
The Newark STAR-LEDGER reportsthat the Devils “signed anagreement with Newark last night to move to a downtown arena by 2007.” The agreement, which the city “said was aletter of intent, does not ensure the building” of the $300M, 18,000-seat arena(NewarkSTAR-LEDGER, 2/10).
NJSEA President George Zoffinger “met with topexecutives with [MLB] yesterday about bringing a team” to the Meadowlands. A source said that the talks “focused on theviability” of a third MLB franchise in the market. MLB VP/PR Patrick Courtney: “There were officials intoday, but this was not about the Expos” (NewarkSTAR-LEDGER, 2/10).
The NFL Giants’ urgency to start a$290M renovation to Giants Stadium “is growing because the NFL’s stadium renovation financing fund, knownas G-3, expires at the end of March. After that, the league’s owners would have to vote to extend thefunding, which provides loans of up to $150[M]” (NewarkSTAR-LEDGER, 2/10).
NOLAN RYAN COULD OFFICIALLY JOIN ASTROS AS EARLY AS TODAY
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that an announcement involvingBaseball HOFer Nolan Ryan being signed to a personal services contractby the Astros could come as early as today. Astros Owner Drayton McLane: “I haven’t talked to Nolan in about10 days, but I have certainly talked to Nolan and encouraged him and recruitedhim. … We’ve had numerous conversations in the last several months” (HOUSTONCHRONICLE, 2/10).
The DALLAS MORNING NEWS reports that Ryan “met with RangersOwner Tom Hicks on Monday morning to decline a contract extension thatwould have called for him to be more involved with the team on both thebaseball and business sides. It alsocould have given him up to [1%] ownership of the team, a financial deal worthmore than $3[M]” (DALLASMORNING NEWS, 2/10).
SI.COM TO LAUNCH 40th ANNIVERSARY SWIMSUIT ISSUE WEB SITE TODAY
SI.com will launch its 40th anniversary Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Web site at11:00am ET, which will include exclusive photos, a 40th anniversaryswimsuit section, a photo gallery featuring a day in the life of a swimsuitmodel, photos of athletes and their wives or girlfriends featured in thisyear’s issue as well as video clips from photo shoots. Later tonight, Billy Bush of “AccessHollywood” will host a live Webcast from the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issuelaunch party at 8:00pm ET (Sports Illustrated).
NBC’s Jay Leno last night revealed the cover modelfor this year’s swimsuit issue is Veronica Varekova ("TheTonight Show," NBC, 2/9).
MORNING BRIEFS
The BOSTON HERALD reports thatReebok Int’l CMO Micky Pant will leave the company “to pursue a ‘life-long dream’ of establishing abusiness that connects him to his roots in India.” Senior VP/Global Footwear Dennis Baldwin will replace Pant(BOSTONHERALD, 2/10).
NEWSDAY reports that a three-member arbitration panel “beganhearing testimony yesterday to determine how much Cablevision subscribers willpay to watch Yankees games on YES this season and in future years” (NEWSDAY,2/10).
The BOSTON HERALD reports that theRed Sox “are putting would-beseason-ticket holders on the team’s first-ever waiting list after selling outits multi-game inventory for 18,000 seats. So far, roughly 500 thwarted season-ticket seekers have been placed onthe list, which requires a $50 fee” (BOSTONHERALD, 2/10).
The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that the NBA, “frustratedwith delays in completing the sale of the Hawks, Monday benched” prospectiveowners Michael Gearon Jr. and Rutherford Seydel from a scheduledpanel discussion with Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban at Philips Arena priorto the Hawks’ 7:30pm ET game against the Mavericks (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 2/10).
The Nashville TENNESSEAN reports that an ABA franchise “runby pop-rock musician Sally Anthony is expected to begin playing in Nashvillethis fall, provided the team can find a home court” (NashvilleTENNESSEAN, 2/10).
The BOSTON GLOBE reports that TV and radio spots with GeorgeForeman promoting the launch of his Casual Male Big & Tall clothingline will “begin airing in some warm-weather Texas markets this week. Next month, the ad campaign will gonational” (BOSTONGLOBE, 2/10).
NASCAR Chair & CEO BrianFrance, on potentially shuffling the schedule next year to add more populartracks to the ten-race postseason: “We’re always mindful of trying totweak it and make it better. It doesn’tmean we will, but having those last 10 races gives us things to consider thatwe didn’t have to consider before” (INDIANAPOLISSTAR, 2/10).
The AHL yesterday announced that Winnipeg has been awarded the ‘06 AHLAll-Star Classic (WINNIPEGSUN, 2/10).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
USA TODAY notes that during the Phillies’ Veterans Stadiumauction Friday, Tom Burgoyne, the Phillie Phanatic, “discovered the headfrom his fuzzy green costume was missing after he returned from a break.” Nobody has “shouldered the blame for the$3,000 missing head, and security cameras’ images were inconclusive.” Burgoyne: “I was fortunate to have a backupcostume” (USA TODAY, 2/10).
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 |
TODAY’S EVENTS
The L.A. chapter of the National Sports Marketing Networkwill host a panel discussion, “Hispanic Marketing: How The NBA Reaches TheFastest Growing Demographic,” from 10:00am-12:30pm PT at Staples Center. TerryLefton of The Daily and SportsBusiness Journal will moderatea panel that includes Telemundo Exec VP/Sports Jorge Hidalgo, RLR/JarrinAdvertising & Marketing Principal Ralph Lasher, NBA Latin America& U.S. Hispanic VP & Managing Dir Arturo Nunez and M3OrciManaging Dir Roberto Orci. Thepanel discussion will be preceded by a keynote address by NBA Commissioner DavidStern.
IN OTHER NEWS….
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Sunday’s 46thAnnual Grammy Awards broadcast “delivered its highest numbers in three years,driving CBS to an easy victory for the night.” The show drew an average of 26.4 million viewers and an 11.7/28 Nielsenrating in the 18-49 demographic from 8:00-11:30pm ET (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 2/10).
USA TODAY reports that ABC is “considering a tamer versionof a March 2 ‘NYPD Blue’ episode in the Central and Mountain time zones – wherethe series airs at 9:00pm, an hour earlier than elsewhere – by altering a15-second sex scene.” The action is an“example of networks’ responses to increasingly intense scrutiny in theaftershocks over the Super Bowl halftime show.” ABC is “putting off a final decision until after congressionalhearings on indecency” tomorrow (USATODAY, 2/10).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “PresidentialRelatives.”
“He’s the U.S. President whose great-grandson is seen heretaking part in a special celebration.”
LAUGH TRACK
THEMONOLOGUES:
CBS’ DavidLetterman: “The Grammys were very exciting. Three more wins for John Kerry. ... The show was solong. I felt like Christina Aguilera’sdress. I couldn’t stay up. And the show actually, honestly, was alittle dull. To wake up the crowd,halfway through the show, Phil Spector came out and fired off a coupleof shots. ... Forty years ago tonight the Beatles performed on this stage. Now look what you get. That night when the Beatles performed in thistheater, the screaming was so loud you couldn’t hear a thing. By comparison, the only time that happenshere in the Ed Sullivan Theater is when a rat runs through the audience. ...Once again it’s time for the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show down at Madison SquareGarden. ... The judges, when they’re out there looking at dogs, they’re lookingfor long, sloping shoulders; they’re looking for head and tail carried high;they’re looking for very strong hindquarters. It’s the same qualifications to be a Donald Trump girlfriend” ("LateShow," CBS, 2/9).
NBC’sJay Leno: “Here’s the scorecard from last night’s Grammy Awards: censorsfifteen, naked breasts zero. ... As you know, there was a five-minutetape-delay at the Grammy Awards, which can be dangerous. For a lot of artists, that means they onlyhave ten minutes of fame left. ... On ‘Meet The Press’ yesterday, PresidentBush was asked what he would do if he lost the election and Bush said, ‘Youmean like last time?’ There was oneembarrassing moment when President Bush was asked by Tim Russert if hiscommission investigating Iraq was bipartisan and President Bush said, ‘Aperson’s sexuality should play no part in it.’ ... According to a new report,the majority of gun owners are senior citizens. So if Clint Eastwood says, ‘I can’t remember if I firedfive shots or six,’ he probably really can’t remember” ("The TonightShow," NBC, 2/9).
LATENIGHT LAUGHS:
Snowboarder Tara Dakides returned to CBS’ “Late Show”last night after a botched stunt Thursday caused the cancellation of thatnight’s show. Dakides, on her injuries:“I’m here. I still haven’t seen theclip so I don’t know what it looks like, but all I remember is the concrete andthen getting rushed off. I’m good. I’m great. I had a really nice weekend” ("Late Show," CBS, 2/9).
CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “Are you guys familiar withGallup Polls? A Gallup Poll found thatif the election were held today, Dennis Kucinich would be beaten by FredGallup. … You know Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean remind me ofChristina Aguilera’s boobs. Everyone iswaiting for them to drop out. … President Bush is in the hot seat over Iraqipre-war intelligence. Remember the goodole days when the only thing a president was trying to cover up was a stain?”(“The Late Late Show,” CBS, 2/9).
MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Pitt WR Larry Fitzgerald declares for NFL Draft | Stanford men’s basketball; Pro Bowl |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Larry Brown-Mark Cuban dispute | Nuggets F Carmelo Anthony; Stanford men’s basketball |
| ESPN | 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” | Pittsburgh-Seton Hall | UConn-Notre Dame; Larry Fitzgerald |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Grammy Awards | Actor Rob Schneider; Sugar Ray Leonard |
| Empire Network | “Empire Sports Report” | Bills name Sam Wyche QB coach | Patriots RB Antowain Smith; Free agent QB Mark Brunell |
| FSN | “Southwest Sports Report” | Larry Brown-Mark Cuban | Mavericks-Hawks; Kansas-Oklahoma State |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“Who is Teddy Roosevelt?”
If you haveany questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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