Morning Buzz, April 27, 2004

BCS MEETINGS CONTINUE TODAY; NO MAJORDECISIONS EXPECTED

The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that ABC will present aproposal to BCS conference commissioners today in Phoenix that would “not onlyadd a fifth BCS bowl, but would also hold an additional game for the nationalchampionship after those five bowls have been played.”  No major decisions are expected to be madetoday (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 4/27).

Outgoing BCS Coordinator & Big East Commissioner MikeTranghese, on the system to be proposed by ABC: “We want to hear what [ABC]has to say. … But frankly, right now, I don’t sense a lot of support for it” (WASHINGTONPOST, 4/27).

ABC Senior VP/Programming Loren Matthews yesterday“dismissed a published report that said his company is preparing to make alucrative offer to the BCS” on the five games plus one system (L.A.TIMES, 4/27).

JOCKEYS GAIN GROUND ON KHRA DURING YESTERDAY’S HEARING

The L.A. TIMES reports that five jockeys yesterday “appearedto have gained ground” in their lawsuit against the Kentucky Horse RacingAuthority (KHRA) over wearing advertising during Saturday’s KentuckyDerby.  U.S. District Court Judge JohnHeyburn II will hear closing arguments today before ruling on aninjunction.  While KHRA attorneys arguedthat ads on jockeys’ pants “could obstruct stewards when they analyzed foulclaims,” Heyburn said, “The regulation doesn’t seem to be designed for thatreason. … All you’ve shown me today is that you put the rule on the books andintend to enforce it.  Unless you canshow me something else, that won’t cut it” (L.A.TIMES, 4/27).

EIGHT FIRMS LAND TWO CLIENTS EACH IN NFL DRAFT’S SECONDROUND

Today, The Daily presents the second installment ofour annual NFL Draft agent chart. The representation of the top five selectionsin the second round of the draft is as follows:

Please see today’s issue of The Daily for therepresentation of all 31 second round picks.

YANKEES AND RED SOX TAKE RIVALRY TO MULTIMEDIA PLATFORM

MLB Productions and Hart Sharp Video today will release“Yankeeography – Volume One,” the first in a series of four DVD sets that willfeature the Yankees biography programs, which air on YES Network.  Volume One will feature Derek Jeter, BabeRuth, Ron Guidry, Thurman Munson, Joe Torre and DonMattingly (MLB).

The BOSTON HERALD notes that Red Sox Owner John Henry,Chair Tom Werner and President & CEO Larry Lucchino were inattendance last night at Loews Boston Common Theatre for the premiere ofThinkFilm’s Red Sox documentary, “Still, We Believe: The Boston Red SoxMovie.”  Meanwhile, Fox Pictures wantsto “shoot in and around Fenway Park” this summer for a remake of “Fever Pitch,”a “love story about a boy, a girl and a perpetual losing team.”  The movie, based on Nick Hornby’sbook, “About A Boy,” debuted in England in ’97 (BOSTONHERALD, 4/27).

MORNING BRIEFS

The London GUARDIAN reported that David Beckham has“clinched a record-breaking [US$71.6M] deal to become the worldwide face ofGillette, making him the highest-paid British advertising star of all time” (LondonGUARDIAN, 4/26).

The SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE reports that San Diego CityCouncil members yesterday voted 7-2 to approve a proposal for a new Chargerslease that would “wipe out the controversial ticket guarantee and pave the wayfor the team to drop its lawsuit against the city” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 4/27).

The WASHINGTON POST reports that DC officials are “indiscussions with the U.S. Soccer Federation about having the U.S. men’snational team play a World Cup qualifier at RFK Stadium” on October 13.  DC United would “help organize and promote”the game (WASHINGTONPOST, 4/27).

The Nashville TENNESSEAN reports that the U.S. Women’sNational Soccer Team will play Canada at The Coliseum July 3 in preparation forthe Athens Olympics.  The match will bebroadcast by ESPN at 7:00pm ET (NashvilleTENNESSEAN, 4/27).

The Cavaliers have selected Ohio-based Stern Advertising forcreative development of marketing and ad campaigns (Cavaliers).

TNT’s coverage of the NBA Western Conference Finals will beavailable on “TNT in HD.”  The HD feedwill also carry the September 11 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll400 (Turner Sports).

The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that Ottawa-based TheTeam 1200 radio host Don Romani, who implied that Maple Leafs RW TieDomi beat his wife, has “lost his job.” The station will make an announcement this morning (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL, 4/27).

The AP reported that Champ Car World Series driver BrunoJunqueira will “return to the Indianapolis 500 with Newman/HaasRacing.”  The race will be the “only IRLeffort this season for Newman/Haas” (AP,4/26).

The PBA yesterday announced that it has signed a three-yearagreement with Brunswick Bowling and Billiards for sponsorship of the PBA Tour(PBA).

The AP reported that the Northern League St. Paul Saints are“auctioning off a plate appearance in a preseason game oneBay.  Money collected in thebidding will be donated to local charities.” The auction concludes May 3 (AP, 4/26).  Through 24 bids, the high bid as of presstime is $1,525.

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE reports that the “second-smallest crowd at PNC Park” – 8,579 – attended last night’s Reds-Pirates game (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/27).

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

Reebok Senior VP/Global Sports Marketing Tom Shinewill host a noon PT news conference at Standard Hotel in L.A. to announce asponsorship deal with Chivas. 

The National Portrait Gallery in London will unveil itsfirst portrait of David Beckham, by Sam Taylor-Wood.  The London TELEGRAPH reports that theportrait is a video, “lasting one hour and seven minutes, showing the Englandcaptain in bed, alone, fast asleep” (LondonTELEGRAPH, 4/27).

The MLS Earthquakes will host a 10:30am PT conference callwith DC United F Freddy Adu and coach Peter Nowak.

IN OTHER NEWS….

Citgoannounced yesterday that it will move its headquarters and 700 jobs to Houston(AP, 4/27).

The L.A.TIMES reports that Walt Disney has “quietly decided to move the location of itsannual board retreat to its Burbank headquarters, fueling speculation that itwanted to avoid the media spotlight while directors were taking up severalsensitive issues.  The two-day event,which ends today, originally was to be held at an Anaheim hotel to coincidewith the announcement of plans to celebrate Disneyland’s 50^thanniversary” (L.A.TIMES, 4/27).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was"Phrases." 

"It's the original meaning of the word 'checkmate,' orwhat many newspaper headlines said on August 17, 1977." 

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

CBS' DavidLetterman: "I was just notified that on June 30^th, Iraq isbeing turned over to me. ... The streets have been just crazy.  I’m beginning to think that the only thingthat gets swept around here is the New York Yankees. ... Over the weekend, twoguys in Central Park were arrested because they were up in a tree in CentralPark, they were naked and they were having sex and I was thinking, you can'tblame them because the price of New York City hotels has just gone through theroof. ... P. Diddy is starring in a Broadway musical that openedtonight.  It's a revival of the classic,'Guys and Ho's.'  No, wait aminute.  That's not what it is.  I'm sorry; it's called 'My Fair Diddy.'  The opening was a big success.  Only three people were shot. ... JohnKerry has now released his medical records and it turns out that John Kerrystill has some shrapnel embedded in his left thigh and coincidently, PresidentClinton also has that.  Actually,it's one of Monica's earrings" ("Late Show," CBS, 4/26).

NBC'sJay Leno: "Michael Jackson and his attorney, Mark Geragos,have split up.  Apparently, Michael wasupset because Geragos wouldn't play ball. That's what he said.  He alsowouldn't play tag, hide and seek, pick up sticks, kick the can.  The rumor is Mark Geragos quit.  That's when you know you're in trouble, whenyour lawyer looks at both of his big cases and decides Scott Petersonmay be the more innocent one. ... The Dominican Republic has pulled their 300troops out of Iraq.  I didn't know theyhad an army.  The only Dominicans I'veever seen in uniform are playing for the Yankees. ... President Clinton'smemoirs are going to be released this June. I believe the title of the book is 'Drill Bill.' ... The publisher saidClinton's book could be 700 pages. Isn't that amazing?  EvenClinton's books are fat. ... According to USA Today, the price of a typicalbaseball ticket has doubled in the last ten years.  Well, sure.  Thosesteroids don't grow on trees. ... In the NFL Draft on Saturday, Ohio State tiedthe record by having 14 players drafted. That's more players than Ohio State had graduate" ("The TonightShow," NBC, 4/26).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten Things I Can SayNow That I Lost 'American Idol,'" read on-stage by the latest “AmericanIdol” castoff, Jennifer Hudson ("Late Show," CBS, 4/26).

CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “I want to start off with somevery good news involving the health scare in the porno industry: It’s stillsafe to watch!  I’m telling you it’sweird, this porn scare.  I pull into agas station and I think the guy, the guy pumping gas, is now an out-of-workporn actor because he’s holding the nozzle in my car saying, ‘You want it baby,don’t you?  You want it baby.’ … Today PresidentBush announced a new plan to destroy the city of Fallujah.  A new plan: Billy Joel driving atank. … You heard about that, right? Billy Joel, over the weekend, lost control of his car and he crashedagain.  He does this.  I think this is what happens.  He drives along and he remembers, I was oncemarried to Christie Brinkley” (“The Late Late Show,” CBS, 4/27).

Last night's edition of CBS' "Late Show" featureda commercial spoof directed at the Yankees. Announcer: "Yankees star Derek Jeter is 0-25 since April20.  His batting average is now down to.175.  It just goes to show you neverknow what form our evil plots will take. A message from al Qaeda.  alQaeda, a Time Warner Company" ("Late Show," CBS, 4/26).

New Giants QB Eli Manning appeared on last night'sedition of CBS' "Late Show" to discuss his draft day experience.  CBS' David Letterman asked Manning,"Were there other teams that you said, 'I'm not interested in playingfor?'"  Manning: "No, that wasthe only one. ... Didn't want to be too picky" ("Late Show,"CBS, 4/26).

MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What was, 'The king is dead'"

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

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