Morning Buzz, June 8, 2004

LIGHTNING WIN FIRST STANLEY CUP WITH 2-1 VICTORY OVERFLAMES

The Lightning defeated the Flames 2-1 last night at St. PeteTimes Forum to win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.  The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reports that VF Imagewear-manufacturedshirts celebrating the win will be available today.  The company has “created seven types of the official locker roomT-shirt for each of seven levels of NHL playoff activities and seven styles ofStanley Cup commemorative apparel.  Thewinning team was handed factory-fresh New Era hats at center ice and LeeSportT-Shirts made by VF” (ST.PETERSBURG TIMES, 6/8).

As the Lightning have set arena attendance recordsthroughout the playoffs, The TAMPA TRIBUNE reports that another St. Pete TimesForum record crowd of 22,717 attended the finale (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 6/8).

The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that about 15,500Flames fans “watched the loss on huge screens in the Pengrowth Saddledome” (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL, 6/8).

Following the game, Lightning D Jassen Cullimore saidof a possible lockout, “If I was to wager a guess right now, I’d say therewon’t be hockey.  I don’t see the lightat the end of the tunnel, and it’ll be a shame because it will hurt thegame.”  But, Lightning President RonCampbell said, “I believe both sides are going to get it done” (TAMPATRIBUNE, 6/8).

MLB FIRST-YEAR PLAYER DRAFT CONCLUDES TODAY WITH 32 ROUNDS

The MLB First-Year Player Draft continues today with thefinal 32 rounds after 551 players were drafted in the first 18 roundsyesterday.  The N.Y. TIMES reports thatteams are “trying to cut down their first-round risks and eliminate some of thebig signing bonuses awarded to relatively unproven high school players,” andselected more college players.  JeredWeaver and Stephen Drew, both represented by Scott Boras,“were thought to be [the Padres’] top choice, but Weaver fell” to the Angels atNo. 12 and Drew to the D’Backs at No. 15 (N.Y.TIMES, 6/8).

The SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE reports that the Padres have yet to finalize a deal, which will be$3-3.3M, with No. 1 overall pick Matt Bush.  Boras wanted “major money” for either Weaver (up to $9.5M)or Drew ($4.7M). Padres GM Kevin Towers: “Signability always comes intoplay” (SANDIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/8).

MATTEL USING SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BRUSCO IN NEW HOT WHEELSLINE

The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that Mattel today willunveil a new marketing campaign “anchored by a seven-year-old skateboardingphenomenon named Mitchie ‘Little Tricky’ Brusco.”  Brusco has helped Mattel “design a HotWheels-brand skateboard that will bear his name,” and the company is launchingprint ads in children’s magazines to support the line.  The line is “part of Mattel’s attempt totransform Hot Wheels into an extreme-sports brand” (WALLSTREET JOURNAL, 6/8).

$500 UPPER DECK CARD PACK PUSHES INDUSTRY STANDARD FORWARD

USA TODAY reports that Upper Deck Exquisite, a five-cardpack of basketball cards, hits retail today with a $500 price tag, “vaultingway past the previous industry high of $150 a pack.”  One card in the set features the actual NBA logo off thegame-worn jerseys of Michael Jordan and LeBron James.  Each pack “contains at least one autographedrookie patch card (numbered 99 to 225) and one autographed patch card (numberedto 100 or fewer).”  James, CarmeloAnthony, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant are featured in theset, as are autographed cards of Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird,Bill Russell and Julius Erving (USATODAY, 6/8).

SAN ANTONIO GROUP URGING PGA TO RECONSIDER PGA VILLAGE PROJECT

The SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS reports that a group of SanAntonio government and business leaders today will lobby PGA CEO Jim Awtreyin Chicago to “reconsider terminating the PGA Village project,” which wasplanned for the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, and perhaps consider other sites(SANANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 6/8).

MORNING BRIEFS

The N.Y. POST reports that a “hidden provision” in New YorkGov. George Pataki’s plan to expand the Jacob K. Javits ConventionCenter would impose a 5% tax on cars rented at the city’s airports.  The tax “would be in addition to an alreadydisclosed $1.50 hotel tax that is also earmarked to help fund” the project (N.Y. POST, 6/8).

The L.A. Sports Council and L.A. Area Chamber of Commercereleased a study that found the economic impact of ’03 sporting events in L.A.to be an all-time high of $2.7B (L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce).

Rugby World Cup has reappointed IMG and its TV arm TWI asits commercial brokers for the next two Rugby World Cups, in 2007 and2011.  IMG/TWI will act as eventconsultants, sell TV rights, sponsorship, hospitality, ticketing, licensing,merchandising, new media and archive sales (Rugby World Cup).

CBC hockey analyst Don Cherry on his future, “I’mgoing to tell you I’m going to be back. I haven’t talked to anybody and nobody’s talked to me. … How could theyget rid of the No. 1 guy that’s watched in Canada?” (TorontoGLOBE & MAIL, 6/8).

Cowboys coach Bill Parcells apologized yesterday forremarks made to the press.  Parcellssaid of QBs coach Sean Payton’s play-calling, “No disrespect to theOrientals, but what we call ‘Jap plays’” (DALLASMORNING NEWS, 6/8).

The MLB Giants have reached a five-year extension withKNBR-AM to broadcast the team’s games through the ’09 season.  Financial terms were not disclosed (Giants).

The L.A. DAILY NEWS reports that Lakers G Derek Fisheryesterday attended the NBA’s unveiling of a second-floor room atWatts/Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club. The league, continuing an NBA Finals tradition, renovated the room withnew carpeting, more than 6,000 books and 12 computers (L.A.DAILY NEWS, 6/8).

The World Wildlife Fund recently released a report sayingthat the Athens Olympics “will do irreversible damage to the environment” (LondonTELEGRAPH, 6/8).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER reports that the Mariners broke the one million mark in attendance last night in their 28^th home game.  The quickest the club has made it to one million is 23 games, in ’02 (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 6/8).

• The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that a record crowd of more than 14,000 attended yesterday’s Exelon Invitational at Hartefeld National Golf Club hosted by PGA Tour player Jim Furyk (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/8).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

CBS’ “Late Show” host David Letterman, on beingco-owner of the Indy 500-winning team: "I had nothing to do [with thevictory], but by God I'm taking all the credit I can squeeze out of this thing.… This gives me in life a tremendous psychological edge.  Whenever there's trouble at CBS, or troublewith the show, I can just say to whomever is causing me the trouble, 'Hey, Iwon the Indianapolis 500.  Kiss myass'" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/7).

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

NewJersey Judge Donald Goldman will preside over a hearing on the NewarkArena referendum (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 6/7).

LicensingUniversity’s Licensing 2004 International conference begins today at the JacobK. Javits Convention Center in N.Y. Spencer Gifts VP/Licensing, Marketing & Product Development BethSchlansky will moderate a panel discussion, “What Retailers Are Looking ForIn Licensed Products.”  Panelistsinclude Hot Topics General Merchandising Manager & VP Cindy Levittand Mervyn’s Senior Business Analyst Ron Emhoff.  The conference runs through Thursday.

Adelegation from the U.S. Figure Skating Association and ABC will visit the XcelEnergy Center to “consider the St. Paul arena for a nationally televised men’sand women’s world figure skating competition in October.  The arena is expected to end up with theevent” (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/8).

LoneStar Sports & Entertainment will host a news conference to announce thatEnglish Premier League club Everton will play two Mexican sides on July 29 andAugust 1 at Reliant Stadium in the Copa de Tejas (HOUSTONCHRONICLE, 6/5).

The15^th anniversary special edition two-disc DVD of Universal’s “Fieldof Dreams” hits retail, and Universal will host “A Moonlight Screening Underthe Stars” at 7:00pm PT in Hollywood.

FormerMets 1B Ed Kranepool will launch a baseball memorabilia auction company,The Memorabilia Road Show, Hosted by Ed Kranepool, LLC, at an 11:00am ET newsconference at Mickey Mantle’s Restaurant in N.Y.  Joining Kranepool at the news conference will be Baseball HOFers FergusonJenkins, Rollie Fingers and Ozzie Smith.

IN OTHER NEWS….

USA TODAY reports that that CBS’ coverage of Sunday’s 58^thTony Awards, up against Pistons-Lakers Game One, drew a record low 6.6 millionviewers according to preliminary Nielsen numbers.  Last year, the telecast drew 7.9 million (USA TODAY, 6/8).

The AP reports that Tribune Co. will “cut more than 200 jobsand other spending as a result of a slowdown in advertising revenue at ahandful of its newspapers.”  The cutswill be “across the board at the Tribune’s 14 newspapers,” representing alittle more than 1% of the company’s 20,000-plus employees (AP,6/8).

The MIAMI HERALD reports that Magic Johnson Enterprises isbuying 30 Burger King restaurants, including three in Miami’s Liberty Cityneighborhood, five in Atlanta, 14 in Dallas and eight in Birmingham, “withopportunities for expansion expected” (MIAMI HERALD, 6/8).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

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

"Once slang for brain, this two-word phrase now meansthe Heritage Foundation or the Brookings Institution." 

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

CBS' DavidLetterman: "Have you heard the good news?  Jennifer Lopez – God bless her – was married over theweekend, and she married salsa heartthrob Marc Anthony.  No date has been set for the divorce.  Jennifer Lopez has been married so manytimes her ring finger has carpal tunnel syndrome.  One good thing about being Jennifer Lopez: you get to paywholesale prices for rice. ... Ninety-three million dollars in the firstweekend for the new ‘Harry Potter’ movie. It's another Harry Potter blockbuster, and this one's a littledifferent.  This time, Harry Potter is ateenager at Hogwarts School, but he gets into a lot of trouble for spending toomuch time with his wand. ... President Bush met with the Pope inRome.  Did you see the picture of thetwo of them together?  Man, that poorguy.  He has that blank look on his facelike he doesn't know where he is, and the Pope told him, 'Well, just be quietand relax, it'll be fine'" ("Late Show," CBS, 5/7).

NBC'sJay Leno: "Yesterday was a huge night for guys.  You had the NBA Finals and the TonyAwards.  Thank God for TiVo!  Nineteen thousand people watched the Lakerslose at the Staples Center last night. Well, 19,002 watched if you count Gary Payton and Karl Malone.  The Lakers only scored 75 points.  The Detroit defense was so good, Kobetried to hire them as his attorneys. The bad news is it's looking shaky going for ring number four.  The good news is Jennifer Lopez got ringnumber three! ... Jennifer Lopez married singer Marc Anthony and do you knowwhere they met?  At her last wedding.... CNN says that 47% of the people they interviewed did not know that Americafought the Germans on D-Day.  You knowwhat you call those people?  The French!... Looks like Smarty Jones did not win the Triple Crown this weekend.  Horse racing is a tough business.  In fact, this just came out today.  This is 'New Alpo Now With SmartyJones'" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 6/7).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten Things OverheardAt Jennifer Lopez's Wedding" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/7).

CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “I went to a ‘Friends’ finaleparty, and I admit I don’t watch a lot of television, but, do they have to kickme out for asking which one is Kramer? Did you guys guess the ending of‘Friends?’ I think in the office pool I won – I had, ‘NBC goes bankrupt’ … On aserious note, everybody’s still talking about that group of men who werehumiliated, laughed at, mocked…but enough about the Lakers. … Interesting fact:psychologists say that men and women have different kinds of manic-depression.Men become violent and suicidal, women date Lenny Kravitz” (“TheLate, Late Show,” CBS, 6/7).

MONDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is think tank?"

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

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