Morning Buzz, May 20, 2004

MLB OWNERS MEETINGS CONCLUDE TODAY AT LEAGUE HQS IN N.Y.

The MLB owners meetings conclude today in N.Y. withCommissioner Bud Selig expected to address the media this afternoon, andMLB.com reported that the MLB Relocation Committee yesterday “met for 2 ½ hoursduring a full day of committee meetings.” The conversations focused on the “future of the Expos and the probablestaging of the first World Cup of Baseball as early as next spring.”  MLB President & COO Bob DuPuy:“We are entirely confident that the Expos will play somewhere other thanMontreal for the 2005 season” (MLB.com,5/19).

SEARCH FOR FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL DIR BEGINS TODAY

The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that the SouthFlorida Golf Foundation will meet this morning to begin a formal search for anew tournament director for the PGA Tour Ford Championship at Doral, as thefoundation is “forcing out” Tom Neville.  Two sources “familiar with Neville’s removal said the PGA Tourand the Ford Championship forced the board’s action.”  South Florida Golf Foundation President Bob Shafer isexpected to release a statement following the meeting (Ft.Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 5/20).

MWC IN NEGOTIATIONS FOR FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL DEALS W/ESPN

The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that the Mountain WestConference Commissioner Craig Thompson expects to receive a package thismorning from ESPN that includes “some of the general ‘deal points’” of apotential TV rights agreement – which “probably also will include a drasticreduction in Big Monday men’s basketball games.”  Under the deal, the conference is expected to “play a lot morefootball games on unconventional weeknights” like Tuesdays, Wednesdays andFridays (SALTLAKE TRIBUNE, 5/20).

L.A. DEVELOPER TODAY TO UNVEIL MIXED USE PLANS FOR CA TRACKS

The L.A. TIMES reports that L.A. developer Rick Carusotoday will announce plans for shopping and residential complexes behind thegrandstands at Magna Entertainment-owned Santa Anita Park in Arcadia and GoldenGate Fields in S.F.  Magna Chair FrankStronach: “It might be that the old man goes to the track and his wife doesa little bit of shopping.”  Stronachalso called the development “family entertainment.”  The projects are expected to cost as much as $400M each (L.A.TIMES, 5/20).

MORNING BRIEFS

USA TODAY notes that a small unexploded bomb yesterday was“found outside a British car dealership in Athens,” the third planned attack intwo weeks.  The bomb was a few hundredyards from the Hellenikon Sports Complex, the second-largest Olympic venue (USATODAY, 5/20).

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that NYC2012 has “no plans tomake dramatic changes to its bid – a move some critics call a deathknell.”  NYC2012 Founder DanDoctoroff: “Nothing we've heard orseen indicates any sort of major changes would be required.  We can always continue to improve, explain,refine, but we are very comfortable with the plan” (N.Y.DAILY NEWS, 5/20).

The ST. PAUL PIONEERPRESS reports that Vikings Owner Red McCombs “apparently is becoming more eagerto sell the Vikings,” as Vikings President Gary Woods met recently withassociates of T’Wolves Owner Glen Taylor (ST. PAULPIONEER PRESS, 5/20).

The NewOrleans TIMES-PICAYUNE reports that the Conference USA meetings end today andthe “only specific announcement made Wednesday was the most obvious one – thatfor football, Tulane will be part” of a the new Western Division.  No announcement was made regarding afootball championship (NewOrleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 5/20).

DAILY VARIETYreports that CBS has scheduled “Listen Up,” the new comedy based on the life ofTony Kornheiser for Monday at 8:30pm ET (DAILY VARIETY, 5/20).

The Newport NewsDAILY PRESS reported that Curtis Strange has resigned as ABC’slead golf analyst effective immediately "after a months-long contractdispute." With his contract expiring after this season, "Strangesought a four-year extension. ABC, he said, offered two" (NewportNews DAILY PRESS, 5/19).

Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw, on ABCpursuing Charles Barkley for a role on “MNF”: “Charles Barkley is a guythat could easily get overexposed in a situation like that.  Can you imagine John Madden workingwith him?  I don't think so. ... Heshould stick to basketball" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 5/19). 

Ironman North America announced a two-year extension withUnilever’s Degree brand, which remains the official antiperspirant/deodorant ofthe organization.  The partnership alsoincludes title sponsorships for sections of Ironman events (Ironman NorthAmerica).

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	Calgary Sun

TODAY’S EVENTS

The Sports Lawyers Association will begin its 30^thAnnual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore.  Panel discussions include “Representing Your Client’s Interestsin the Media,” “Drug Testing Issues Including Designer Drugs” and “EthicalConsiderations for Sports Lawyers Representing Athletes in Potential CriminalAreas.”  The Baltimore SUN reports thatroughly 400 people are expected to attend, including “high-ranking executives”from MLB, the NBA, NFL and NHL (Baltimore SUN, 5/20).

The World Congress of Women’s Golf begins at theWaldorf-Astoria in N.Y.  SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL reports that the conference includes four panel sessions, which will“focus on the state of women’s golf worldwide, sponsorship sales tactics andopportunities, television challenges and trends, and player development.”  Participants include LPGA Commissioner TyVotaw, ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production Mark Shapiro,IMG/TWI Senior Int’l VP Peter Smith and Wendy’s Int’l Exec VP/Marketing DanCalhoon (SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL, 5/17 issue).

Magic Johnson will be announced as a member ofNASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program during an 11:00am ET news conference inConcord, NC.

Raiders CEO Amy Trask will “join other Raiders executivesfor a series of private cocktail events” beginning today in downtown S.F.  Trask: “This is a great way for us to touchbase with businesses with whom we do business and talk to new ones as well” (S.F.BUSINESS TIMES, 5/14 issue).

NCAA President Myles Brand will be the keynotespeaker at the National Wrestling Coaches Convention at the Hyatt RegencyIndianapolis.  Brand will be the “firstNCAA President to address the wrestling community” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/19).

The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee for the ’04 NCAAMen’s Final Four will release the results of an independent study of theeconomic impact of the Final Four at 10:00am CT at Poe Middle School.  Additionally, the NCAA and corporate partnerCoca-Cola will make financial and equipment donations to 17 area middleschools.

adidas will “bring together the 50 young players deemed tobe the top [basketball] prospects in Asia” for a four-day clinic in Shanghaiinvolving Head of Global Sports Marketing Larry Norman (BOSTON GLOBE,5/19).

An int’l friendly between Brazil and France will kick offFIFA’s 100^th anniversary celebration at Stade de France near Paris.

The Wizards and Mystics will dedicate the recentlyrefurbished basketball court at Rosedale Recreation Center in DC at 3:30pm ET.  The Coca-Cola sponsored court is the 19^ththat Washington Sports & Entertainment has refurbished with the DCDepartment of Parks and Recreation since ‘92.

IN OTHER NEWS….

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER reports that in a letter to FCC ChairMichael Powell, a bipartisan groupof lawmakers wants the FCC to “study the economic, regulatory and technicalbarriers that may be preventing the cable industry from offering their serviceon an unbundled or a la carte basis” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 5/20).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was"Tourist Attractions." 

"It occupies the 78 acres of land where Met Stadium,former home of the Vikings and Twins, once stood." 

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

CBS' DavidLetterman: "My name is Dave Letterman.  I am Brad Pitt's body double in 'Troy.' ... Last night, RandyJohnson pitches a perfect game.  Didyou see that?  He retired 27 men, therecord previously held by Jennifer Lopez. ... Yankee Stadium will nolonger sell Cracker Jack.  But listen tothis.  Instead, they will put a prize inyour beer. ... You can no longer buy Cracker Jack in the stadium, but in theparking lot you can still buy crack. ... The White House is now saying thatthey still do not have a timetable for when the U.S. will be out of Iraq.  Although, they hinted that it could be earlyin the Kerry administration" ("Late Show," CBS, 5/19).  

NBC'sJay Leno: "Premium gas is almost three bucks a gallon.  In fact, gas is so high, the First Lady'smotorcade tonight was all Mini Coopers. ... Did you know President Bushonce worked as a sales clerk at Sears in the sporting goods department?  In fact, he actually sold John Kerry thefirst bike he fell off of. ... The U.S. Olympic athletes are being told if theywin any medals this year not to wave the American flag because other countriesmight consider it boasting.  Now othercountries can wave their flag, but they're telling our athletes not to waveours, which is very ironic when you consider the fact if it wasn't for us, alot of these countries would be waving some other country's flag.”

Atthe conclusion of Leno's monologue, Lakers G Derek Fisher appearedon-stage to talk about his game winning shot against the Spurs in Game Fivewith 0.4 seconds left.  Fisher:"You know what else you can do in 0.4 seconds?  Hit the fast forward button on the TiVo and go right past yourmonologue" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 5/19).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten Cool ThingsAbout Pitching A Perfect Game," read by D'Backs P Randy Johnson viasatellite from Turner Field in Atlanta ("Late Show," CBS, 5/19).   

CBS’ Craig Kilborn:“There is talk now that President Bushmay tap into our emergency oil reserves. But I’m asking, didn’t we already do this?  Wasn’t that called invading Iraq? … If the election were heldtoday, both John Kerry and GeorgeBush would lose to Brad Pitt’s abs.… Kind of disturbing here in California. Reading test scores are down. And I say something is wrong when our kids can’t read the directions onthe side of a home pregnancy kit” (“TheLate Late Show, CBS, 5/19).

WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is the Mall of America?"

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

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