| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, April 15, 2004
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | All MLB Ballparks To Honor Jackie Robinson Today With Pregame Ceremonies |
| • | Florida House Today To Vote On Bill That Would Give Marlins $60M Subsidy |
| • | Chiefs, Cowboys And Packers To Each Play Five National Games In ’04 Season |
| • | Yankees President Says Team Will “Vigorously Object” To Team In New Jersey |
| • | Magic Experience Almost 4,000 No-Shows Last Night For Fan Appreciation Night |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
MLB TEAMS TO HOST JACKIE ROBINSON PREGAME FESTIVITIES TODAY
Today marks the 57th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking MLB’s color barrier, and as such, MLB has established the date as “Jackie Robinson Day” throughout the league. Pregame ceremonies are planned for each ballpark hosting a game today, including a nationally televised celebration prior to tonight’s Braves-Mets game on TBS. Robinson’s widow, Rachel, and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig will attend the game at Shea Stadium (MLB).
This morning, former NL President & Jackie Robinson Foundation Chair Len Coleman and Jackie’s daughter, Sharon
Robinson,will ring the NYSE opening bell (MLB).
FLORIDA HOUSE COMMITTEE TO VOTE ON MARLINS SUBSIDY TODAY
The MIAMI HERALD reports that the Florida House Finance & Tax Committee today will vote on a bill that would “give the Marlins access to a $60[M] subsidy similar to the ones used to build or retrofit seven sports stadiums across the state.” The money, which “guarantees the stadium owner $2[M] a year for 30 years, was awarded” to Pro Player Stadium in ‘93, when Dolphins Owner Wayne Huizenga also owned the Marlins. Though Huizenga only used $10M, he continues to collect the annual subsidy. House Majority Leader Marco Rubio: “It sounds like all they are asking for is the same tax rebate every other team in Florida gets. But it will be tough for this to pass” (MIAMI HERALD, 4/15).
CHIEFS, COWBOYS AND PACKERS LEAD WITH FIVE NATIONAL GAMES
The NFL yesterday released the ’04 regular-season schedule, and the following details the teams participating in the most nationally televised games, including two games on Christmas Day as well as a Christmas Eve game:
| Team | Games | Team | Games |
| Chiefs | 5 | Eagles | 4 |
| Cowboys | 5 | Patriots | 4 |
| Packers | 5 | Rams | 4 |
| Broncos | 4 | Ravens | 4 |
| Colts | 4 | Redskins | 4 |
| Dolphins | 4 | Vikings | 4 |
NOTES OF INTEREST:
- The Bengals will play their first “MNF” game since ’92.
- The Packers and Vikings will play the first Friday regular-season game since ’99 on Christmas Eve.
- Eagles WR Terrell Owens for the first time will play the Ravens, which had him on their roster briefly after acquiring him from the 49ers.
- For the second consecutive season, there will be a two-week gap between the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl.
- The defending NFC Champion Panthers have two national games.
- The NFC East boasts 14 national games.
75-POUND TRIBUTE BOOK TO MUHAMMAD ALI HITS RETAIL TODAY
USA TODAY notes that “GOAT,” as in Greatest Of All Time, the 75-pound book about Muhammad Ali, today hits retail in two limited editions that come in silk-covered boxes. The first 1,000 copies “sell for $7,500 and come with a 6-foot abstract sculpture by Jeff Koons and four prints by photographer Howard Bingham.” Each copy is numbered and signed by both Ali and Koons. Until today, “SUMO,” a 66-pound tribute to fashion and celebrity photographer Helmut Newton, was “touted as the largest book ever published” (USA TODAY, 4/15).
TODAY THE DAILY GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH....
Which current major-leaguer, who recently laid the groundwork for a post-playing career in broadcasting, lists Julia Roberts as his favorite actress? To find out see today’s issue of The Daily.
MORNING BRIEFS
Yankees President Randy Levine, on New Jersey’s attempt to secure an MLB team: “We will vigorously object and exercise all our rights if any attempts are made to put any major-league team there” (AP, 4/15).
Speaking yesterday at an NYC2012 luncheon, Peter Ueberroth said that N.Y. has a good chance of hosting the 2012 Olympics because it is “the only major, major” city in the world not to have hosted the Games. Ueberroth also endorsed facility construction as long as “everything is to help the people who live here all the time” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/15).
The ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS reports that HOK Sport + Venue + Event, which designed the Pepsi Center and Coors Field, has been awarded the contract to design the MLS Rapids’ soccer-specific stadium (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 4/15).
DC Mayor Anthony Williams yesterday said that he will not attend any Orioles games until MLB puts a team in DC. Williams: “I made a pledge. … We’re tired of being dissed. You know, we go for the Olympics, we get dissed. We go for the Super Bowl, we get dissed. I’m tired of it” (WASHINGTON TIMES, 4/15).
Cavaliers G LeBron James, on the fact that DC United F Freddy Adu is the highest-paid player in MLS though he is only 14-years-old: “I’m happy for Freddy Adu. He’s a Nike person” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/15).
As expected, the MLB Rangers late yesterday announced an extension of their sponsorship deal with Dr Pepper Bottling Company of Texas through ’08 (Rangers).
The FLORIDA TIMES-UNION reports that BCS conference commissioners may “whittle down a list of bowls vying to host the fifth BCS game at meetings” scheduled to begin April 25 in Scottsdale, AZ. Among the leading contenders are the Toyota Gator Bowl, Capital One Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Houston Bowl, Alamo Bowl and Holiday Bowl (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 4/15).
The PALM BEACH POST reports that the ACC withdrew a proposal to the NCAA Management Council Tuesday that would “eliminate all media guides beginning in the fall.” Instead, the ACC will “discuss ways to reduce the size and six-figure costs of the publications” (PALM BEACH POST, 4/15).
The DENVER POST reports that Winter X Games IX, which will return to Aspen/Snowmass for the fourth consecutive year, will be held from January 29-February 1. The event will stay in Aspen/Snowmass through ’07 (DENVER POST, 4/15).
ESPN runs a full-page ad in USA Today promoting the NBA Playoffs, with the tagline, “:24 To Live,” above a picture of T’Wolves F Kevin Garnett. The playoffs begin Saturday on ESPN at 1:00pm ET (THE DAILY).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The Magic hosted Fan Appreciation Night during last night’s game against the 76ers at TD Waterhouse Centre, and the ORLANDO SENTINEL reports that the turnstile count of 11,057 was “almost 4,000 less than the tickets distributed” (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/15).
- The Cleveland PLAIN DEALER reports that the smallest crowd in Jacobs Field history – 14,237 – attended last night’s Twins-Indians game (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 4/15).
- The following offers a comparison of this year’s NHL Stanley Cup Playoff first-round attendance averages through Tuesday to the previous ten years (NHL):
| Year | Games | Sellouts | Avg. Attendance | % Capacity |
| 2004 | 28 | 26 | 18,772 | 100.0% |
| 2003 | 47 | 37 | 18,251 | 98.8% |
| 2002 | 47 | 37 | 18,442 | 99.1% |
| 2001 | 44 | 42 | 18,360 | 99.8% |
| 2000 | 41 | 38 | 18,342 | 99.9% |
| 1999 | 44 | 37 | 17,204 | 98.6% |
| 1998 | 46 | 38 | 17,866 | 98.7% |
| 1997 | 48 | 42 | 17,991 | 99.7% |
| 1996 | 45 | 34 | 18,166 | 98.2% |
| 1995 | 49 | 27 | 17,072 | 96.3% |
| 1994 | 48 | 30 | 16,837 | 97.1% |
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The HARTFORD COURANT notes that UConn men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun, a lifelong Red Sox fan and Massachusetts native, rejected the Yankees’ invitation to throw out the first pitch at an upcoming game. Calhoun: “No chance. Sixty years of torment is enough.” However, Calhoun will throw out the first pitch before Monday’s Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park (HARTFORD COURANT, 4/15).
The Masters Champion Phil Mickelson, when asked what he will have on the menu for The Masters Champion’s Dinner: “I hadn’t really thought about it, but I love a little lobster ravioli in a creamy tomato sauce, a little garlic bread and Caesar’s salad. But who’s thinking about it?” (USA TODAY, 4/15).
THE BACK PAGES
The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sports covers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:
| | |
| N.Y. Post | N.Y. Daily News |
TODAY’S EVENTS
The NBA BOG will continue meeting at The Essex House in N.Y.
NBA TV will televise the NBA Draft Lottery tiebreakers live at 2:00pm ET.
Raptors NBA TV will televise a live news conference at 10:00am ET with coach Kevin O’Neill, “presumed to be on his way out,” and Raptors interim GM Jack McCloskey (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 4/15).
The 2004 NBA Legends Tour: Destination Finals will be in San Antonio to showcase the Larry O’Brien trophy, the first visit to NBA Playoff cities and non-NBA cities for fan autograph and photo sessions. Southwest Airlines is the tour sponsor (NBA).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The N.Y. TIMES reports that Jim Beam this week “ends a yearlong hiatus from advertising and will have its first campaign by its new agency,” BBDO Worldwide, Chicago. The new campaign, which has an $8-12M budget, “features Jim Beam bottles stripped of their labels for an unobstructed view of their brown liquid contents. The new theme: ‘The stuff inside matters most’” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/15).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Biblical Journeys.”
“Two names: a man journeying and his country of destination in both Genesis 39 and Matthew 2.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “Everybody in New York City has got ‘The Alamo’ fever. It’s crazy. Everybody loves ‘The Alamo’ and has just gone nuts for it. As a matter of fact, the hookers in Times Square, because of ‘The Alamo,’ are handing out coonskin condoms. ... The first new car dealership has opened just outside of Baghdad. The name of the place is Crazy Qusay. His prices are insane! It’s easy to find. You just look for the big neon turban. ... I thought President Bush during his primetime press conference looked calm. I thought he looked confident. I thought he looked focused. That’s right. He’s drinking again. ... It was a tough press conference for President Bush. He spent the first ten minutes trying to pronounce Falluljah” ("Late Show," CBS, 4/14).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “Tax day is a great day for Americans because you get to deal with your two most favorite government agencies, the IRS and the Post Office. I make a full day of it. I like to go by the Department of Motor Vehicles in the morning. President Bush released his tax returns yesterday. He listed the economy as a liability, so he gets to write that off. ... Gas is just nuts here in California. Prices are so high, today I saw Diana Ross and Glen Campbell carpooling drunk together just to save money. ... It was on this very day that the famous actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln, thus starting a bad tradition of celebrities getting involved in politics. ... In box office news, no one remembered ‘The Alamo.’ Disney may have done the impossible here. The movie ‘The Alamo’ could actually turn out to be a bigger disaster than the original. ... Barry Bonds is on such a roll now, the only thing that could stop him is either an injury or a urine test” ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 4/14).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Ways My Life Has Changed Since Becoming Famous,” read on-stage by “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard ("Late Show," CBS, 4/14).
| 10) “I know I’m the most famous guy in the world named Ruben.” |
| 9) “Thanks to NAFTA, I’m also the Canadian and Mexican idol.” |
| 8) “Last weekend I was briefly married to Britney Spears.” |
| 7) “I can actually afford to gas up my car.” |
| 6) “Now that I’m making the big money, I no longer have to buy generic paper towels.” |
| 5) “Guess who cleans my pool? Hall and Oates.” |
| 4) “Dude, Bush just asked me if I want to rule Iraq!” |
| 3) “In addition to an agent and a manager, I now have an apprentice.” |
| 2) “Chance to appear on my favorite late night talk show – but until then, this one will do.” |
| 1) “After I won I gave Paula Abdul a Ruben sandwich.” |
CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “Last night Fox aired the White House press conference instead of ‘American Idol,’ but only after the President agreed to end his remarks by saying, ‘Bush out.’ … And today President Bush got some bad news. After his televised speech, the FCC fined him $10,000 for saying Shiite. … And our good friend rapper C-Murder will soon go on trial for murder. I’m no legal expert, ladies and gentlemen, but I think it’s a bad sign when the crime you’re accused of is your first name” (“The Late Late Show,” CBS, 4/14).
WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Lakers playoff chances | NFL Draft; Barry Bonds-Mark McGwire comparison |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Barry Bonds | Fan catching Bonds’ home run; High schooler Dwight Howard declares for NBA Draft |
| ESPN | midnight ET “SportsCenter” | T’Wolves-Grizzlies | Nuggets-Spurs; Kings-Warriors |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Larry Ellison catching Bonds home run | Cedric the Entertainer; Oregon State RB Steven Jackson |
| MSG | “SportsDesk” | Nets-Heat | Flyers-Devils; Lightning-Islanders |
| FSN | “Rocky Mountain Sports Report” | Avalanche-Stars | T’Wolves-Grizzlies; Nuggets-Spurs |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“Who was Joseph and what is Egypt?”
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