Morning Buzz, May 26, 2004

NFL EXECS AIMING TO SETTLE ON L.A. STADIUM SITE WITHIN A YEAR

The NFL owners meetings continue today in Florida, and theL.A. TIMES reports that NFL execs intend to “settle on an L.A. stadium sitewithin a year in hopes of having a team ready to play in the nation’ssecond-largest market by the 2008 season.” NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue: “We feel that everyone has beenworking at this – Carson, the Rose Bowl and the Coliseum.  At some point, decisions need to bemade.  Everyone’s had a real good periodof analysis, and now we have to start making some decisions” (L.A.TIMES, 5/26).

AD BREAKINGTODAY SUPPORTING HAMPTON ROADS’ EXPOS PURSUIT

The VIRGINIAN-PILOTreports that in a TV spot to be unveiled today, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, Virginia Beach Mayor MeyeraOberndorf, SuffolkMayor Dana Dickens, Hampton Mayor Charles Wornom and Williamsburg Mayor JeanneZeidler “don battinghelmets and eye black to make their pitch in support of an effort” to bring theExpos to Hampton Roads.  The ad is “partof a publicity campaign promoting a seven-week sale of season tickets thatbegins today.”  With 80 outdoor ads, thecampaign will “try to make the case that other, smaller areas became majorleague cities because they had a major league attitude” (VIRGINIAN-PILOT, 5/26).

ESPN TODAY TO UNVEIL PROGRAMMING INITIATIVES FOR ESPN25

ESPN is hosting a 9:00am ET news conference today at theESPN Zone in N.Y. to unveil details of the net’s 32-hour ESPN25initiative.  ESPN25 Exec Producer JohnDahl and ESPN’s Bob Ley are expected to participate.  Select athletes whose performances impactedsports during the past 25 years, as well as Coyotes D Paul Mara, whoshares his September 7 birthday with ESPN, will also participate.  ESPN25 programming will begin May 30 andculminate on September 7 (ESPN).

FOX SPORTS TODAY TO ANNOUNCE TV DEAL WITH PREMIERLEAGUE

Fox Sports World today will announce a North American TVrights deal with the English Premier League at a 10:00am ET press conference atNevada Smiths in N.Y.  Fox Sports World& Fox Sports en Español Senior VP & GM David Sternberg, EnglishPremier League CEO Richard Scudamore and Football Association GeneralSecretary & Head of Business and Corporate Affairs Nic Coward willparticipate (Fox Sports).

SOLDIER FIELD CONTRACTOR TO BECOME IL SPORTS AUTHORITYCHAIR

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE reports that Peter Bynoe, Chairof Soldier Field private managers subcontractor Telemat, today will becomeIllinois Sports Facilities Authority Chair. Bynoe previously served in the same role from ’88-92.  Additionally, the appropriation of a $1.5M“portion of the annual subsidy, earmarked for upkeep and renovation of SoldierField, is on the authority board’s agenda” for today (CHICAGOTRIBUNE, 5/26).

MORNING BRIEFS

The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that Visa is preparing twoTV ads featuring Smarty Jones, one of which will “run next week on prime-timeand morning television and a congratulatory ad that will run on NBC’s BelmontStakes broadcast June 5” if Smarty wins (PHILADELPHIAINQUIRER, 5/26).

The Marinersreported net income of $13.6M for the FY ending October 31, 2003. The club's reported net income through four full seasons at Safeco Fieldis $68.6M (SEATTLEPOST-INTELLIGENCER, 5/26).

The FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM reports that Texas RacingCommission veterinarians yesterday “inspected all but about 70 horses stabledat Lone Star Park” because of concerns over vesicular stomatitis.   The remainder of the horses will be checkedtoday.  Breeders’ Cup officials have“expressed concern about conducting the races at Lone Star Park if the casespersist” (FT. WORTHSTAR-TELEGRAM, 5/26).

USA TODAY reports that former ESPN Radio host TonyKornheiser said he was interested in hosting a radio show in the DC areathat “can be heard nationally, such as XM Radio” (USA TODAY, 5/26).

Flames VP/Sales Rollie Cyr yesterday said that demandfor Stanley Cup Finals tickets is “so high the club could sell out thePengrowth Saddledome twice.”  Yesterday,on an Internet ticket site, the asking price for a ticket to Game Three was asmuch as C$1,690 (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL, 5/26).

The Mighty Ducks extended their affiliation agreement withthe AHL Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (Mighty Ducks).

The TAMPA TRIBUNE notes that Sporting News has namedLightning GM Jay Feaster Exec of the Year for the ’03-04 season (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 5/26).

Big East Commissioner & outgoing BCS Coordinator MikeTranghese indicated that opinions among the BCS conferences and bowls are“changing frequently between models that would add a week to the season andthose that would simply add a fifth game and leave the structure relativelyunchanged.”  Tranghese: “I couldn’thandicap it. … They’ve got to go back, got to study it, got to talk to theirmembership” (AP, 5/25).

The MIAMI HERALD reports that Broward County commissionersyesterday “approved the design for a 109-acre [$60M] regional park, featuring acricket field – the pitch – that's big enough for Broward to host World Cupmatches in 2007 – if the county lands its bid for the competition” (MIAMIHERALD, 5/26).

The WASHINGTON POST reports that Charles County (MD)Commissioners yesterday “signed an agreement with private investors to share inthe costs of building a 4,500-seat ballpark.” The $15.7M stadium could be in place as early as spring ’06 (WASHINGTONPOST, 5/26).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reports that a crowd of 21,674, the “second largest ever at the St. Pete Times Forum,” watched the Flames defeat the Lightning last night in Stanley Cup Finals Game One (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 5/26).

• The TAMPA TRIBUNE reports that the announced crowd of 8,571 at last night’s Twins-Devil Rays game was the “lowest of the season” at Tropicana Field (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 5/26).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

The AP reported that the independent Frontier League RiverCity Rascals have canceled a “Sports Criminals Night” promotion that would have“turned the stadium into a giant prison, with a fan thrown into a ‘dugout jail’each inning.”  The June 2 promotion wasintended “to humorously poke fun at how the media sensationalizes athletes whoend up involved in the justice system” (AP, 5/25).

THE BACK PAGES

The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sportscovers from some major metropolitan tabloids:

N.Y. Post	N.Y. Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News	Calgary Sun

TODAY’S EVENTS

Cavaliers G LeBron James and NikeGO, Nike’s communityinitiative to encourage physical fitness among children, will unveil anddedicate a refurbished basketball court at 1:00pm ET at Ed Davis CommunityCenter in Akron, OH.  Following the dedication,James and Nike will host a basketball clinic. Also expected to attend are Nike Dir of U.S. Community Affairs MollyWhite and Cavaliers GM Jim Paxson. The court is the first of five donated by James in the Akron area.

The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that Comcast CEO BrianRoberts is expected to add the title of Chair as C. Michael Armstrongis stepping down from the post “a year ahead of schedule” (PHILADELPHIAINQUIRER, 5/26).

The NHL Panthers will announce former coach Mike Keenanas their GM and former Senators coach Jacques Martin as their coach at a2:00pm ET news conference at Office Depot Center.  The announcement was “put off by the Panthers one day at therequest of the NHL, which didn’t want anything to distract” from last night’sFlames-Lightning Game One (PALM BEACH POST, 5/26).

Hendrick Motorsports begins its 20^th anniversarycelebration at its Charlotte HQs with an 8:30am ET fan festival.

IN OTHER NEWS….

Cablevision Chair Charles Dolan, on whether he wouldconsider selling the company to Time Warner: “If Time Warner came out with aninteresting offer we would certainly pay attention to it. … No, we have not hadspecific offers.  There has not beenanything offered to accept” (NEWSDAY,5/26).

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that TiVo yesterday posted“stronger-than-expected fiscal first-quarter earnings,” driven by subscribergains.  TiVo reported a $9.1M loss asrevenue rose to $34.5M, as compared to $28.5M in the same period a yearearlier.  TiVo added 264,000 subscribersin the quarter, “surpassing its guidance of 200,000 on the high end – withabout 73% of them coming from DirecTV” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 5/26).

The N.Y. TIMES reports that MTV yesterday announced that itintends next February to “start the first cable television channel directed atgay viewers.”  The channel will be namedLogo.  Online travel agency Orbitz has“already made commitments to buy commercial time” on the channel (N.Y. TIMES,5/26).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was"Myths & Legends." 

"At a feast he couldn't enjoy his dinner because hislife was literally hanging by a thread.”

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

CBS' DavidLetterman: "Looking back on last night's show, I think the problem wasI didn't have an exit strategy. ... Earlier tonight was the final episode of'American Idol.'  That means the winnerwas either Diana or...ah, who cares. ... In New York City there are notmany women cab drivers.  Well, MayorBloomberg wants the city to hire more female cab drivers, and I was talkingwith my cab driver this morning on my way to work, and I said, 'I understandthey're going to hire more women cab drivers,' and the guy said, 'I am awoman.' ... Crime in New York City is way down by 5.8%.  I've noticed there is less crime in New YorkCity.  I'm telling you it's been monthssince I've had to say to a loved one, 'Do what he says, he means business!' ...President Bush is going to establish elections there in Iraq, he's goingto rebuild the infrastructure, he's going to create jobs, and he says if itworks there, he'll try it here. ... Bush announced he has a five-point strategyfor getting out of Iraq, and I jotted them down.  Points 6-10 will be handled by the Kerryadministration" ("Late Show," CBS, 5/25).

NBC'sJay Leno: "Last night, President Bush announced his plans forIraq.  He called for the rebuilding ofIraq's economy, getting international cooperation, bringing in newleadership.  Same thing Kerry's callingfor here. ... Bush said there will be a new president in Iraq.  In fact, to give him a chance, he'll givehim a 30-second head start. ... President Bush fell off his mountain bike thisweekend.  Luckily he was not hurt.  He was wearing the same helmet he wears whenhe eats pretzels. ... A baby was born from sperm frozen 21 years ago.  I believe they named the kid Ice Cube.They said today he was chillin'" ("The Tonight Show," NBC,5/25).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night's Top Ten list was “Top Ten Signs Your Team IsNot Going To Win The NBA Finals,” read on-stage by ten Basketball HOFers ("LateShow," CBS, 5/25). 

CBS’ Craig Kilborn:“Here’s my question, ladies and gentlemen. How confident can voters feel when our two choices for President can’tride a bike. … The rock band Phish has announced that they are breakingup.  Fans of the band were so distraughtthey came this close to getting off the couch. … Happy Birthday to Bob Dylan.  He turns 63.  I think Ispeak for everybody when I say, that’s all? Only 63?” (“The Late Late Show,”CBS, 5/25).

MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"Who was Damocles?"

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

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