Morning Buzz, June 2, 2004

QWEST TO PUT ITS NAME ON SEAHAWKS STADIUM FOR 15-20YEARS

By DanielKaplan, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Seahawks CEO Tod Leiwekewill host an 11:00am PT news conference today to announce that QwestCommunications will name Seahawks Stadium, which will become Qwest Field.  It is believed the deal is for 15-20 yearswith a rights fee in the $4-5M annual range. The Seahawks have been in the market for a naming rights partner sincemoving into the stadium two seasons ago and hired The Bonham Group to sell thecategory. 

L.A. MAYOR FORMALLY BACKS COLISEUM’S BID TO HOUSE NFL TEAM

The L.A. Coliseum Commission today holds its monthlymeeting, and the L.A. TIMES reports that L.A. Mayor James Hahn yesterday“formally backed the Coliseum as the logical home venue” for an NFL team.  Hahn: “The Coliseum certainly is in a greatposition at this point, having completed their environmental documents.”  Hahn, who spoke yesterday with NFL Exec VP& COO Roger Goodell, said that he is “cautiously optimistic aboutthe NFL’s target of 2008.”  Hahn: “Ican't believe they'd want to wait any longer than that” (L.A.TIMES, 6/2).

JETS LAUNCHING COUNTER-ATTACK AGAINST STADIUM OPPONENTS

The N.Y. POST reports that the Jets today willcounter-attack opponents of the West Side stadium project by launching a pairof 30-second TV ads “touting the benefits of the $1.4[B] project on the eve ofa long-awaited City Council hearing.” One of the spots focuses on job creation, while the other pumps theproposed stadium’s “environmentally friendly” design.  A source familiar with the campaign “would not say how much theteam is spending, but described the effort as ‘overshadowing’” Cablevision’santi-stadium campaign (N.Y. POST, 6/2).

DODGERS OWNER FRANK MCCOURTNAMING HIMSELF PRESIDENT

The L.A. DAILY NEWS reports that Dodgers Owner FrankMcCourt will “inform all team personnel today that he himself will fill therole” of President.  McCourt, on why heis taking the role: “First, Ihave been fulfilling that role since the time we purchased the franchiseanyway. Number two is the individuals we brought on board. I think they are allhighly capable, and [we] have developed a great working relationshiptogether, along with Jamie (McCourt)” (L.A.DAILY NEWS, 6/2).

MIKE WILLIAMS NO LONGER PLANNING ON SUING NFL OVER DRAFT

The L.A. TIMES reports that Mike Williams, the USCsophomore who declared for the NFL Draft and retained an agent, today isexpected to announce that he has “taken necessary steps that will allow theschool to petition the NCAA for reinstatement of his eligibility.”  USC would have to “show evidence thatWilliams had severed ties with his agent and that any benefits received fromthe agent were repaid” (L.A.TIMES, 6/2).

OLYMPIC FLAME BEGINS WORLDWIDEJOURNEY TODAY IN SYDNEY

The ’04 Olympic flame this morning began its 34-dayworldwide journey as it was flown from Athens to Sydney, where Australiansprinter Cathy Freeman will run the opening leg of the ceremony beforeit returns to Athens on August 13 (THE DAILY).  REUTERS reports that an estimated C$45M will be spent on “takingthe torch around the world on its own private jumbo jet, dubbed Zeus” (REUTERS,6/2).

MORNING BRIEFS

The WASHINGTON POST reports that NFLPA Exec Dir GeneUpshaw has met with Redskins Owner Daniel Snyder and LB LaVarArrington in “hopes that they reach a resolution over Arrington’s grievanceagainst the club.”  Arrington claims theclub shortchanged him $6.5M (WASHINGTONPOST, 6/2).

The Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL reports that Morgan Keegan& Co. and Regions Financial Corp. have signed a three-year deal to takeover as title sponsors of the ATP Tour Kroger St. Jude.  The event will be renamed and will continueto benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (MemphisCOMMERCIAL APPEAL, 6/2).

USADA Dir of Legal Affairs Travis Tygart yesterdaysaid that the organization “might not close all of its cases” before the July9-18 U.S. Olympic team trials.  The WASHINGTONPOST reports that if the investigations run through the August 13-29 Olympics,some athletes could be “subject to retroactive disqualifications and theeventual nullification of their results” (WASHINGTONPOST, 6/2).

USA TODAY reports that Julius Erving is no longerbeing considered for the Raptors’ GM vacancy. Additionally, the Hornets will promote Assistant GM Allan Bristowto GM “sometime before the June 24 draft” (USA TODAY, 6/2).

The Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL notes that Memphis CityCouncil members “narrowly defeated a proposal to close The Pyramid effectiveDecember 1” during a budget committee hearing yesterday (MemphisCOMMERCIAL APPEAL, 6/2).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The L.A. TIMES reports that a season-low crowd of 22,402 attended last night’s Brewers-Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium (L.A. TIMES, 6/2).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

The DETROIT FREE PRESS reportsthat Comerica Park singing hot dog vendor Charley Marcuse “has beensilenced.”  Tigers officials “refusedcomment, referring calls to Sportservice, which handles concessions” at theballpark.  Sportservice GM JohnVerespie said that some fans had complained.  Verespie: “We will assess the situation and make some moredecisions going forward.  There havebeen some people who told us they miss the singing” (DETROIT FREEPRESS, 6/2).

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

NBA Commissioner David Stern, ABC Sports/ESPNPresident George Bodenheimer, ABC’s Al Michaels and BasketballHOFers Willis Reed, Bill Russell and Bill Walton will hosta press luncheon to tip off “The Finals On ABC” at noon ET at the net’s N.Y.HQs.

NBC will conduct a 2:00pm ET conference call to preview itscoverage of Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. NBC Producer David Michaels, co-host Tom Hammond, racecaller Tom Durkin and handicappers Bob Neumeier and MikeBattaglia will participate.

Comcast SportsNet will air the drawing for the BelmontStakes live at 11:00am ET.

Today is the deadline for opponents of Newark’s arena fundingplan to gather enough registered voters to force a vote on the issue, and theNewark STAR-LEDGER reported that several Newark Council members andneighborhood activists said that they “submit more than the required 2,314signatures … to put the funding question on the November ballot” (NewarkSTAR-LEDGER, 5/31).

As part of settling a Super Bowl XXXVIII bet, Bank ofAmerica CEO Ken Lewis will present Chair Chad Gifford with 38North Carolina dogwood trees as a permanent gift for the city of Boston.  Boston Mayor Tom Menino and PatriotsLB Tedy Bruschi will help Lewis and Gifford plant the trees in Boston’sFranklin Park at 11:00am ET.

Knicks F Kurt Thomas, Merrill Lynch VP/MediaRelations Selena Morris and Securities Industry Association spokespersonChristine Conlon will announce the winners of the ’04 Kurt ThomasInvestment Challenge at noon ET at Merrill Lynch’s Vesey Street office in N.Y.

Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice will appear on “Live! WithRegis & Kelly” at 9:00am ET and PBS’ “Charlie Rose Show.”

The San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum will host an11:30am PT “Sports at Lunch” session of its speaker series.  Today’s speaker will be MLB player agent DaveStewart.

ESPN will begin its coverage of the Scripps NationalSpelling Bee from 3:00-5:00pm ET.

IN OTHER NEWS….

The N.Y. POST reports that representatives for MelKarmazin are “expected to reach out to Walt Disney’s [BOD] soon about thepossibility” of the former Viacom President & COO succeeding Disney CEO MichaelEisner.  But, Disney Chair GeorgeMitchell yesterday released a statement that read in part,  “Theboard has complete confidence in the current management” (N.Y. POST, 6/2).

The HOLLYWOODREPORTER notes that the broadcast TV upfront is expected to “begin in earnestthis week, possiblyas early as today, as buyers and sellers dive into negotiations to place morethan $9[B] in advance advertising commitments for the upcoming televisionseason.”  Cable nets have “already soldmore than $3[B] in ad inventory, with the final tally expected to hover atabout a 15% increase over last year's $5.4[B] haul” (HOLLYWOODREPORTER, 6/2).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was"American Literature." 

"The title object of this 1850 novel is described as'so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom.'"

TUESDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is 'The Scarlet Letter?'"

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dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com

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