| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Friday, Febuary 27, 2004
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | IOC Exec Board To Meet Today; Greeks Say Stadium Roof Will Be Completed |
| • | Judge Today To Hear Motions In Rockets’ And Astros’ Lawsuit Against FSN |
| • | Maryland Senate Gives Preliminary Approval To Legalize Slots At Six Locations |
| • | Kentucky Legislator Today To File Proposal To Expand Track Gambling |
| • | DirecTV To Move $100M Ad Account From Deutsch Inc. To Omnicom Group |
| • | Morning Briefs/A Lighter Buzz/The Back Pages/In Other News/Laugh Track |
Due to inclement weather in the Charlotte area, The Daily will present abbreviated versions of the Morning Buzz and today’s issue. The Closing Bell will not publish today.
IOC EXEC BOARD TO MEET TODAY IN ATHENS WITH NOCS
The IOC Exec Board will meet today in Athens with representatives from the National Olympic Committees. Among the agenda items, IOC Coordination Commission Chair Denis Oswald will deliver a report on Athens’ progress (IOC).
The L.A. TIMES reports that Athens officials said yesterday that the roof on the Olympic Stadium “would be done in time. So too would other projects, they said, acknowledging that time was tight.” While IOC execs “express confidence,” one Olympic source “compared the situation to a horse race in which a jockey has been riding a mount particularly hard. If the jockey is the IOC, the horse the Greek government and Athens 2004, the worry is that more whipping will not inspire the horse – but prompt collapse just shy of the finish line” (L.A. TIMES, 2/27).
JUDGE TO HEAR MOTIONS TODAY IN ROCKETS/ASTROS SUIT
The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that Texas State District Judge Joseph Halbach today “will hear motions for summary judgment” in the Rockets’ and Astros’ lawsuit against FSN. The teams have agreed to become partners in the Houston Regional Sports Network, which hopes to begin broadcasting Rockets games in ‘05 and Astros games in ‘06, but FSN “claims the new network’s offer to the Astros was improper and that the team remains under contract” through ’09. If Halbach “does not grant either side’s motion for summary judgment, which would end the case before it goes to a jury, or if the sides are unable to reach a settlement through mediation,” the case will go to trial April 5 (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 2/27).
FINAL VOTE ON MARYLAND SLOTS BILL SET FOR TODAY
The WASHINGTON POST reports that the Maryland Senate yesterday “gave preliminary approval to a bill that would legalize 15,500 slot machines at six locations” in the state, while keeping “the Eastern Shore off-limits to large gambling operations.” A final vote is set for today. If the bill passes, it would go to the House, “which killed a different slots proposal last year” (WASHINGTON POST, 2/27).
KENTUCKY LEGISLATOR TODAY TO FILE GAMBLING PROPOSAL
The Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL reported that Kentucky House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark today will file legislation “on a proposal to expand gambling at some tracks and open casinos at other sites, including one in downtown Louisville.” If passed, the proposal would be put to a “statewide vote in November’s general election.” Even if a bill is filed, Clark “conceded that chances for passage face an uphill battle in Frankfort. Because the measure would seek to amend the state constitution, a three-fifths majority of the General Assembly would be required before it could proceed to the ballot” (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 2/26).
MORNING BRIEFS
USA TODAY reports that “moving back the start of the season at least a week and pushing back kickoff times for Sunday games are among the proposals” NFL Exec VP Steve Bornstein has asked the league’s TV partners to consider in negotiations. Also, “negotiations could be conducted this fall, a year sooner than scheduled” (USA TODAY, 2/27).
The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that NCAA President Myles Brand’s compensation for the ‘02-03 FY is $763,000, according to the first public release of the information (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/27).
The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that after meeting yesterday, the Phillies have decided that Veterans Stadium will be imploded early on March 21 (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 2/27).
In the wake of the BALCO case and with concerns over personal trainers in MLB clubhouses, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig “reminded teams yesterday to keep out people who do not belong” in the clubhouse and other areas. Selig: “There will be absolutely no exceptions to these regulations and major league clubs will be held responsible if they are not enforced” (N.Y. TIMES, 2/27).
NBC’s “Today” this morning featured an interview with Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez. Asked by Matt Lauer if in a year people will know what cologne Rodriguez wears or what car he drives, Rodriguez responded, “I hope not. I am going to New York City for one reason: to take care of business on the field” (“Today,” NBC, 2/27).
The L.A. TIMES notes that “after heavy overnight rains washed out Thursday’s second round” of the Accenture Match Play Championship, the second and third rounds will be “doubled up and played today to get the tournament back on schedule” (L.A. TIMES, 2/27). ESPN is televising today’s rounds, while Saturday and Sunday’s matches will be split between ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 (THE DAILY).
The WASHINGTON POST reports that National Council of Women’s Organizations Chair Martha Burk “now seems resigned to the reality” that Augusta National admitting a woman as a member “likely will not happen” while Hootie Johnson remains the club’s chair. Burk: “I personally think if they haven’t caved in by now, they won’t until Hootie is out of the picture” (WASHINGTON POST, 2/27).
The National Basketball Referees Association today issued a letter to NBA Senior VP/Basketball Operations Stu Jackson in response to the league’s three-game suspension of a referee who admitted an officiating error during Wednesday night’s Lakers-Nuggets game. The referees association called the league’s actions contradictory to the NBA Officiating Performance Standards publication (NBRA).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The DETROIT NEWS reports that Karl Malone, Yao Ming, Steve Nash and Tracy McGrady will appear in animated form tomorrow on the WB cartoon “Static Shock.” In the episode, a “visit by teenage superhero Static to the All-Star Game reveals that the players” are actually a “top-secret group of armored heroes known as The Hoop Squad.” Malone is “The Pulverizer; Yao is Center Force, with extendable limbs; McGrady is Spin Drive, with cyclone abilities; and Nash is Point Man, with pinpoint accurate rockets exploding from his gloves” (DETROIT NEWS, 2/27).
IN OTHER NEWS….
REUTERS reported that DirecTV “plans to move its estimated $100[M] advertising account to Omnicom Group Inc. as part of its reorganization under” News Corp. Sources said that creative duties on the account were “expected to move to Omnicom’s BBDO agency from IPG’s Deutsch Inc.” (REUTERS, 2/26). Omnicom shops Rapp Collins and OMD, respectively, will handle direct marketing and media buying (THE DAILY).
REUTERS reported that Sony will “delay the U.S. and European release of an eagerly awaited handheld version of its PlayStation console until next year because it wanted more time to prepare game software.” While Sony said that the handheld would still be released this year in Japan, “some analysts also questioned that target” (REUTERS, 2/26).
THE DAILY QUESTION
Name the book that was awarded the ’81 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, a dozen years after the author committed suicide.
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “Here’s a fascinating statistic about New York City. Listen to this, it takes the average New Yorker 38 minutes to commute each day. Thirty-eight minutes, and I was thinking about this. I would have actually been here faster than 38 minutes today, but I hade to crawl the last three miles with a knife wound. … The oldest New Yorker has passed away at 111. So now this moves Joan Rivers up to first place. … How many folks have been to see Mel Gibson’s movie, ‘The Passion?’ It’s creating a great deal of controversy, but people are going to see it. And when they see it, some are shocked, some actually weep, some run out of the theater. I mean, it’s a lot like this show. But ‘The Passion’ is such a big hit, the folks at the CBS television network had an idea and they’re going to turn it into a situation comedy starring Danny Aiello. … Have you folks been following the Martha Stewart trial? Well, yesterday her defense only lasted 17 minutes. And with the time left over, Martha showed the jury how to pan sear Ahi tuna. … I worry about Larry King because frankly he’s getting a little older and I think he’s a little confused because last night during the debate, he kept asking Dennis Kucinich how often Liza beat him” (“Late Show,” CBS, 2/26).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Good Things About Winning An Academy Award” (“Late Show,” CBS, 2/26).
| 10) | “I mentioned Budweiser in my acceptance speech and to this day I get a case a year." |
| 9) | “I hide a spare house key under my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.” |
| 8) | “Back in my day, I had good luck using the line, ‘Wanna polish my Oscar?’” |
| 7) | “Dangle it from your rearview mirror and goodbye speeding tickets.” |
| 6) | “No more of that 'It's just an honor to be nominated bull.” |
| 5) | “If you forget to rewind, Blockbuster generally looks the other way.” |
| 4) | “On camping trips, the Oscar is great for pounding in tent stakes.” |
| 3) | “A lot of people don’t know this, but the head screws off and there’s Bourbon inside.” |
| 2) | “Do you realize Mr. Genius Albert Einstein never won an Academy Award?” |
| 1) | “There’s a good chance Paris Hilton will make a sex video with you.” |
THE DAILY ANSWER
“A Confederacy of Dunces,” written by John Kennedy Toole.
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