Morning Buzz, June 17, 2004

104^TH U.S. OPEN BEGINS TODAY AT SHINNECOCK HILLS GOLF CLUB

Phil Mickelson will try to become the fifth player towin both The Masters and U.S. Open in the same year, as the 104^thU.S. Open begins today at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, NY, withESPN and NBC combining to air 31 hours of coverage.  ESPN will air segments today and tomorrowfrom 10:00am-3:00pm and 5:00-7:00pm. Meanwhile, NBC’s coverage includes live, two-hour broadcasts today andtomorrow from 3:00-5:00pm ET. The net’s weekend coverage will air from12:30-7:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.

NBC will use a U.S.Open record 50 cameras, 25 tape machines and a production staff of 190.  Among the cameras will be a bunker cam onhole No. 11.  Additionally, the net willuse computer-generated animations that highlight fairway features and terrainon seven holes (NBC).

NBC's"Today" show this morning at 8:00am ET aired Tiger Woods'first shot live in an effort to promote NBC's coverage (THE DAILY).

USGA Dir of MediaRelations Craig Smith said that the number of credentialed media at thetournament has grown “from probably a few hundred in the 1960s to about 1,000today.”  That number roughly “parallelsmembership in the Golf Writers Association of America” (GOLFWEEK, 6/12 issue).

USA Today runs aspecial section on the U.S. Open. Titleist runs a two-page spread and Fortune Brands runs a full-page adfor its Cobra brand (THE DAILY).

COMCAST, FOX SPORTS SIGN ONE-YEAR ONLINE VIDEO DEAL

By RussellAdams, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Comcast and Fox Sports today will announce a one-year dealthat puts multimedia content from FoxSports.com on a newly expanded version ofComcast’s Web site.  Per the deal, playerinterviews and clips from “BDSSP,” as well as other video content fromFoxSports.com, will be available at Comcast.net.  Comcast also has added features to its onlinesports address, allowing subscribers to tailor the site to their favorite teamsand follow scores live.  Comcast.netalready offers video content from MLB.com and NHL.com.  FoxSports.com GM Ross Levinsohn saidFoxSports.com has been focused on expanding its broadband offerings in the wakeof the deal with Microsoft to replace ESPN on the MSN portal, and the Comcastdeal provides an extra outlet for those efforts.

CHURCHILL DOWNS TODAY TO CONDUCT ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERMEETING

Churchill Downs Inc. will conduct its annual shareholdermeeting today at 10:00am ET the Jockey Club Suites at Churchill Downs, and theLOUISVILLE BUSINESS FIRST reports that CDI President & CEO Thomas Meekeris expected to “deliver a mostly positive message.”  Meeker said recently that many positiveforces “are at work in the racing industry.” Meeker: “The sky is not falling. The industry ishealthy. There are challenges, but those challenges can be handled if you havea positive state of mind, focus on the customer and have the confidence thatthe industry has terrific growth potential, which indeed it does” (LOUISVILLEBUSINESS FIRST, 6/11 issue).

GRIZZLIES TO UNVEIL NEW UNIFORMS; VISIT ST. JUDE’S HOSPITAL

The Grizzlies will unveil their new uniforms during a noonCT press conference outside their team store at the Toyota Center inMemphis.  The team unveiled a new logo inMay.  Grizzlies Majority Owner MichaelHeisley, President of Business Operations Andy Dolich and RodneyRichardson, Owner of Rare Design, which designed the uniforms, willattend.  The first 100 fans in attendancewill receive a free Grizzlies T-shirt. Following the unveiling, Grizzlies representatives will visit withpatients at the Memphis Grizzlies House at St. Jude Children’s ResearchHospital.

Grizzlies VP/Business Operations Mike Golub, on theteam’s new logo: “It reflects the region and the fans of Memphis, somethingabout where this franchise is now and where it’s going” (MemphisCOMMERCIAL APPEAL, 6/17).

AMD TO ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP WITH SAUBER PETRONASF1 TEAM

The N.Y. TIMES reports that computer chip manufacturer AMDtoday will announce its second F1 sponsorship, under which it will “supply asupercomputer roughly as fast as the world’s 10^th most powerfulmachine to the Swiss-based Sauber Petronas racing team.”  The machine will be used for aerodynamicsimulation.  AMD also sponsors theFerrari team (N.Y.TIMES, 6/17).

THE DAILY GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH…..

Which industry exec may use his company’s USOC sponsorshipthrough the ’08 Olympics in Beijing as a platform to move into China, andlistens to Britney Spears’ music to stay young?  To find out, read today’s SportsIndustrialists section of The Daily.

MORNING BRIEFS

AROUND THE RINGS reported that the pace of action is“picking up for the European broadcast and internet rights” for the 2010 and2012 Olympics.  An announcement on thewinning bids “could be days away.  Thevalue of the deal could approach the $1[B] mark” (AROUNDTHERINGS.com,6/16).

The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports that jockey StewartElliott, who rode Smarty Jones, has changed agents.  Joe Rosen will represent Elliott,replacing Ray Lopez, who handled Elliott for the past seven years.  Jockey agents “mostly perform the job ofgetting jockeys work riding mounts at tracks” (PHILADELPHIAINQUIRER, 6/17).

NHL Panthers broadcaster Jeff Rimer has been namedBlue Jackets play-by-play commentator for the club’s games on FSN Ohio.  Rimer is also the co-host of the “Inside theNHL” syndicated radio program (Blue Jackets).

The contractual dispute between former Blackhawks GM MikeSmith and the club has been resolved with no finding of fault by eitherparty.  The NHL claims that reports of asettlement including a $2M payment to Smith were inaccurate, as he actuallyreceived approximately $500,000 (NHL).

Empire Sports Network will televise a 29-game CFL schedulethis year beginning with tomorrow night’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats-BC Lions game (EmpireSports Network).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• A crowd of 35,070 attended last night's Orioles-Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium, before which the Athens Olympic torch relay ceremony took place featuring Tom Cruise, Janet Evans, Vitali Klitschko and Rafer Johnson, who lit a cauldron at home plate (MLB.com, 6/16).

• The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that a crowd of 7,849 attended last night’s Brazil-U.S. under-20 int’l friendly at Lockhart Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 6/17).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

Pistons G & NBA Finals MVP ChaunceyBillups appeared on CBS’ “Late Show” last night, and host DavidLetterman told Billups that he is old enough “to remember when the Pistonswere based in Ft. Wayne in his home state of Indiana.”  Billups responded, “So why are you a Pacersfan?  You should be a Pistons fan.”  Letterman: “Well, you know, of course Iam.  In my heart I’m a Pistons fan.”  Billups: “You know what?  I’m going to tell Ron Artestthat.  Next time you see him, you’regoing to have some problems.”  Letterman:“Well, that only lasts until you’re out of the building.  You understand” (DETROIT FREEPRESS, 6/17).

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	Newsday

TODAY’S EVENTS

About 125 people will carry the Olympicflame over a 34-mile route through St. Louis and nearby suburbs starting at1:00pm CT today (ST.LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 6/17).

Detroitwill host an 11:30am ET parade to honor the Pistons’ NBA Finals victory.

ESPNwill host a 1:00pm CT luncheon at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha to discuss itscoverage of the College Baseball World Series. Play-by-play commentator Mike Patrick will join analysts JeffBrantley, Harold Reynolds and Kyle Peterson on the call.

XGames X tickets go on sale today and action sports athletes Travis Pastrana,Mike Metzger and Nate Adams will participate in a 10:30am PT MotoX event on Hollywood Blvd.  HollywoodMayor Johnny Grant, X Games execs, X Games host Sal Masekela and TonyHawk will also attend.  X Games Xruns from August 5-8 in L.A.

IN OTHER NEWS….

According to a TNS Media Intelligence/CMR study released yesterday,ad spending is forecast to rise 9.3% to $140B for the full year, higher thanthe previous prediction of a 7.8% increase. Contributing to the rise will be Olympics ad spending, new products andpolitical ads, which are expected to top $1.3B in Q3 (Mult., 6/17).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was"Famous Products." 

"First designed as a surgical disinfectant, in 1895 itwas available to dentists and by 1914 was sold over the counter." 

LAUGH TRACK

THEMONOLOGUES:

CBS' DavidLetterman: "It's hotter than hell outside.  It's crazy hot, but there is a scientificexplanation. ... It's called global sweating your ass off. ... It's graduationtime, and here in New York City, the schools are filled with honor students, whichis a wonderful thing.  The schools arefilled with honor students: 'yes your honor, no your honor, guilty your honor.'... Man, did those Pistons beat up on the Lakers.  That means the only Laker getting a ring thisyear will be Kobe Bryant's wife. The Pistons really kicked the Lakers up and down the court, and so allthat was left for the Pistons to do then was strip the Lakers naked and runthem around on a leash. ... Today, Nancy Reagan accompanied the Lakersback to L.A. for the burial. ... Michael Jackson shows up at Taco Bellwearing a Spiderman mask.  You knowsomething, if this guy's not careful, people are going to start thinking he'snuts. ... Next month, Bill Clinton is going to publish his long awaitedmemoirs of 900 pages.  Nine hundred pages!  That's incredible.  I believe that he hasn't picked up anythingthat heavy since, well..." ("Late Show," CBS, 6/16).

NBC'sJay Leno: "I guess you know the big story: Motown beat Hotown.  The Lakers Dream Team is now the KeepDreaming Team. ... The Pistons beat the Lakers 100-87, and congratulations to63-year-old Detroit coach Larry Brown. He became the oldest coach ever to win an NBA title and here's the scarypart.  At 63, he is still younger thanhalf the Lakers. ... Back in his hotel after the game, Kobe Bryant couldn'teat, he didn't even touch his food, he didn't even touch the girl who broughtit. ... They asked Pistons and Lightning Owner Bill Davidson on thenews, 'What's the difference between winning in the NHL and winning in theNBA?'  He said, 'You know, it's likeblack and white.' ... 'Harry Potter' is the number one movie in the countryagain this week.  Have you noticed thatHarry is getting a little old?  In fact,in this one, his girlfriend is Demi Moore" ("The TonightShow," NBC, 6/16).

LATENIGHT LAUGHS:

CBS’ Craig Kilborn: “How about the Detroit Pistons? They won the NBA Championship. Congratulations. Afterwards there werefistfights, shattered windows, riots, and that was just in the Lakers’ lockerroom. I have good news for you Lakers fans: Kobe feels so guilty, you’re allgetting diamond rings. … Wow, there was an embarrassing moment during aDemocratic fundraiser. When they handed John Kerry a $10M check, hesaid, ‘I do.’ … Well this is shocking, new reports say that in 1993, Michael Jackson paid a boy $15M in hush money. Even more shocking, Michael now admitsBilly Jean was his lover. … And our good friend Britney Spears – we’ve hadher on so many times – she has cancelled her tour because of a knee injury shesuffered during the filming of a music video. Observers say Britney collapsed,and then she started lip synching, ‘ouch’” (Late, Late Show, CBS 6/16).

LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is Listerine?"

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

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