Morning Buzz, May 25, 2004

NFL OWNERS TO TIGHTEN OWNERSHIP RULES AS MEETINGS BEGINTODAY

NFL owners today will gather for the annual Spring Meetingat the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island, FL. Topics on the agenda include the L.A.-area stadium initiatives, anupdate by the NFL Broadcast Committee on upcoming TV rights negotiations, SuperBowl XXXIX planning, as well as reports by the Finance Committee, BusinessVentures Committee and the NFL Management Council (NFL).

SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reports that the owners will approvea policy change preventing a family member of a team owner from buying an NHL,NBA or MLB team in an NFL market other than their own (SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL, 5/24 issue).

NHL & NHLPA TODAY TO GATHER FOR CBA NEGOTIATING SESSION

The NHL and NHLPA will meet today for another CBAnegotiating session, and the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE noted that at issue iscost certainty – a relationship between team revenues and player salaries.  Lack of movement on this issue will “hold upabout 90[%] of [CBA] progress” (Minneapolis STARTRIBUNE, 5/19).

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will be available forthe media today at 5:00pm ET at St. Pete Times Forum prior to Game One of theFlames-Lightning Stanley Cup Finals.

FSN TODAY EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK

FSN President Bob Thompson and Exec VP/AffiliateSales & Marketing Lindsay Gardner today will host a 2:00pm ET newsconference, and SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reports that FSN is expected to announcethe launch of its own college sports network that would “mostly use existingrights.”  The net would launch as soonas Q4, with Thompson saying, “Anything we do we’d like to have up next schoolyear” (SPORTSBUSINESSJOURNAL, 5/24 issue).

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that a trio of Fox SportsDigital channels will be “rebranded and relaunched to focus exclusively oncollege sports.”  Each channel will“retain its regional focus” – East, Central and West – but all pro sportscoverage will be eliminated (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 5/25).

U.S. ENERGY SECRETARY TODAY TO UNVEIL ATHENS SECURITYEQUIPMENT

IOC President Jacques Rogge today is expected to meetwith Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to discuss preparations forthe Games.  Greek Public Order Minister GeorgeVoulgarakis: “I want to make it clear that we will not put the people andthe event in danger.  We can guarantee asafe Olympic Games” (REUTERS,5/24).

The AP reported that U.S. Energy Secretary SpencerAbraham today will unveil radiation detection equipment designed to “boostdefenses against potential terrorist threats to the Olympics such as a dirtybomb.”  The devices will be installed atairports and ports.  Abraham also plansto “tour Athens’ international airport, where similar U.S. equipment is alreadybeing used” (AP,5/24).

MISL TODAY TO ANNOUNCE CHICAGO AS HOME OF EXPANSION TEAM

The DAILY SOUTHTOWN reports that MISL execs today willannounce that Chicago has been awarded an expansion franchise to begin playduring the ’04-05 season.  The team isexpected to play its home games at the UIC Pavilion and be coached by formerMLS Chicago Fire MF Frank Klopas (DAILYSOUTHTOWN, 5/25).

MORNING BRIEFS

Falcons Owner Arthur Blank and AFL Georgia ForceOwner & Chair Virgil Williams have reached an agreement in principlefor the sale of the Force to Blank.  Thetransaction is to be completed in August (Falcons).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit inManhattan yesterday ruled that the NFL’s age restriction is not an illegalrestraint of trade, thus blocking former Ohio State RB Maurice Clarettfrom entering a supplemental draft (Mult.,5/25).

Clarett's attorney AlanMilstein said that he “plans to file a petition as early astoday asking all 12 judges in the 2nd Circuit to review the case,” but has notyet decided if he will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court (ClevelandPLAIN DEALER, 5/25). 

The Grizzlies yesterday unveiled a new logo and team colors– three shades of blue and a “hint of Grizzlies Gold.”  The club will unveil new uniforms, arelaunched Web site, a redesigned team store and the FedExForum court June 17 (MemphisCOMMERCIAL APPEAL, 5/25).

The ATLANTACONSTITUTION reports that Iran today is expected to announce that its wrestlingteam will boycott next month’s Titan Games in Atlanta because of “U.S.military activity in the Shiite cities of Iraq.”  Meanwhile, Iraq confirmed over the weekend that it would send atleast three athletes (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 5/25).

The BOSTON HERALDreports that Michelle Wie will be in the field of this year’s U.S.Women’s Open, having been “extended the first special exemption ever granted toan amateur in the event,” which will be played July 1-4 at The Orchards GolfClub in South Hadley, MA (BOSTONHERALD, 5/25).

TheVIRGINIAN-PILOT reports that the Colonial Athletic Association yesterdayexpanded to 11 with the addition of Georgia State Univ. (VIRGINIAN-PILOT,5/25).

The CORVALLIS GAZETTE-TIMES reports that Matthew Knight,the oldest son of Nike Chair & CEO Phil Knight, died this pastweekend during a diving trip in El Salvador. Matthew Knight was in Central America to “shoot footage for a nonprofitorganization that runs orphanages” (CORVALLISGAZETTE-TIMES, 5/25).

ATTENDANCEWATCH:

• The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that the Marlins’ sparsest crowd of the season, 10,214, was rewarded yesterday afternoon as the Marlins pounded out 12 hits against the D’Backs, “triggering the Krispy Kreme free doughnut promotion” (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 5/25).

• The Baltimore SUN reports that with 36,000 tickets having “already been sold for this weekend’s NCAA men’s lacrosse championships, tournament organizers are preparing to open part of the upper deck of M&T Bank Stadium.”  Tournament Dir Marty Schwartz said ticket sales are “more than 10,000 ahead of last year’s pace” (Baltimore SUN, 5/25).

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

The NBA Store on Fifth Avenue will host a 10:00am ET tapingof “The Finals: Summit of Champions,” featuring a roundtable discussionincluding Basketball HOFers Rick Barry, Clyde Drexler, WaltFrazier, George Gervin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish,Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell and BillWalton.  ESPN/ABC Sports’ MikeTirico will moderate.

Also, Russell will appear on WFAN-AM’s “Imus in theMorning,” while Frazier will be a guest on “Live! with Regis & Kelly.”

ESPN EnterprisesSenior VP & GM Rick Alessandri, along with Jim Russell RacingDrivers School President Ken Ude and VP & GM Kjell Kallmanwill host a 12:45pm ET press conference to unveil the ESPN Russell RacingSchools, which will offer more than ten different programs from its baselocation at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. The deal is the latest agreement for ESPN Enterprises, which is chargedwith creating, launching and incubating new business opportunities (ESPN).

Raptors F Vince Carter will announce details of hisupcoming fourth annual charity all-star game at noon ET in Dundas Square inToronto.

The N.Y. chapter of the National Sports Marketing Networkwill host a panel discussion, “Action Sports: Catching The Next Wave,” at8:00am ET at Morton’s Steakhouse. SportsBusiness Journal/The Sports Business Daily Editor-at-Large TerryLefton will moderate a panel including SoBe co-Founder John Bello,NBC Sports VP/New Business Development Kevin Monaghan, ESPN X Games GM ChrisStiepock and Extreme Explorations COO Larry Schwartz.

The Promotion Marketing Association will host theconference, “Star Power L.A. 2004: Where Brands Are The Stars!,” at theRenaissance Hollywood Hotel.  MasterCardInt’l Exec VP & CMO Lawrence Flanagan will deliver the keynoteaddress.  Discussion topics include“Building A Global Brand Through Entertainment Marketing,” “The Power OfTelevision & Cable,” “The Power Of Sports,” “Creating An IntegratedPlatform For Entertainment Marketing” and “The Reel Deal.”  View theentire agenda.

The Falcons will debut the highlight tape “A Reason toBelieve” at the Fox Theatre as a preview of the upcoming season (ATLANTACONSTITUTION, 5/24).

IN OTHER NEWS….

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER noted that Sirius Satellite Radioinked a deal with EchoStar Communications that will “allow consumers to hearits 64 commercial-free music channels on millions of TV sets … to become thenation’s most-listened-to satellite radio service.”  However, since the deal gives about two-thirds of EchoStar’s 9.7million Dish Network subscribers the Sirius service free, XM Satellite Radioand its 1.7 million paid subs “still beats Sirius' 400,000” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 5/21).

DAILY VARIETY reported that new figures from the Interactive Advertising Bureau “show that onlinemarketers spent a record $2.3[B] in the first quarter of this year, the highestfigure on record.”  It is the “secondrecord-breaking quarter in a row after years of decline reaching back to theprevious peak” in Q4 ’00 (VARIETY.com,5/24).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was"State Capitals." 

"This southern capital was named for an ancestor of a20th century poet known for his clever rhymes." 

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

CBS' DavidLetterman: "It's the annual Fleet Week.  Four thousand sailors are visiting New York City, and this yearone of them gets to be the new Jennifer Lopez fiancé.  The city is very excited about Fleet Week,and everybody is getting ready.  Infact, Mayor Bloomberg has called up 3,000 reserve hookers. ... Crime inNew York City is down.  The bad news forNew York City: It's our number one industry. ... I know crime is down becauseI'm telling you something, it has been months since I've been on the subwayscreaming, 'Isn't anybody going to do anything!?' ... The cicadas come outevery 17 years, and the cicadas we're getting now are brazen.  Oh my God! Today, they made six naked cockroaches form a pyramid" ("LateShow," CBS, 5/24).

NBC'sJay Leno: "Did you see that 'Shrek' made $104[M] this weekend?  That is the most money taken in one weekendsince John Kerry's honeymoon. ... President Bush fell off hisbicycle this weekend.  You know what'sreally sad?  It was a stationary bike.... Earlier this evening, President Bush delivered an important speech on thefuture of Iraq, but the TV networks ran their regular programming.  So I guess the speech is important, just notimportant enough to interrupt 'The Swan.' ... More video of that horriblebeating coming out of Iraq.  No, I'msorry, that was the Lakers game. ... A ship carrying 4,000 Hyundai automobilessank after colliding with an oil tanker. Hyundai officials calculate the loss of cars to be well over$3,000" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 5/24).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten Things NeverBefore Said On 'The Sopranos,'" read by castmembers from the HBO show ("LateShow," CBS, 5/24).

CBS’ Craig Kilborn:“Tell me if this is weird.  After seeingall those guys doing cartwheels and high-fives in the Viagra commercials, Iactually feel bad I’m not impotent.  I’mreally missing out on doing cartwheels. … President Bush fell off of his bike.  He wound up with cuts and bruises on his chin, his nose, hisupper lip, or as the Secret Service call it, ‘Condition Hillary.’  Our Presidentfell off his bike and today, declared war on gravity.  Bush turned down a CAT scan saying, ‘Do I look like a cat?’…   Prosecutors now are worried that Michael Jackson, the king of pop, mighttryand flee the country.  And blend in to where?” (“The Late Late Show,” CBS, 5/24).

MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is Nashville?"  Nashville was named for Gen. Francis Nash, an ancestorof poet Ogden Nash.

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

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