Morning Buzz, June 21, 2004

ESPN THIS MORNING BEGAN 120 HOURS OF WIMBLEDON COVERAGE

ESPN this morning began 120 hours of Wimbledon coverage at 7:00am ET on ESPN2 from the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London. From 7:00am-5:00pm each day this week, ESPN and ESPN2 will air continuous coverage with at least two hours of highlights each evening. For the first time, ESPN will use a wireless camera as needed for outer courts not equipped with cameras. Additionally, ESPN Deportes began more than 45 hours of Spanish-language coverage at 8:00am ET.

The HOUSTON CHRONICLE noted that if the exchange rate holds up, both Wimbledon singles champions will receive more than $1M for the first time, as the tournament’s payout is increasing 16.4% overall (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 6/19).

Meanwhile, the L.A. TIMES reported that the England-Croatia Euro 2004 soccer match scheduled for tonight “dominates the conversations in parks, restaurants and hotels” in London. The only tennis player “seen on any posters or advertisements around London is Andre Agassi,” who withdrew from the tournament due to injury (L.A. TIMES, 6/20).

DEVELOPMENT FIRMS TO UNVEIL NEW PROPOSAL FOR EXPOS BALLPARK

The WASHINGTON POST reported that a development group, prospective team owners and other Virginia baseball boosters today at a rally will “reveal some details of their proposal,” which would see the Expos relocated to Loudoun County, VA, west of Dulles Int’l Airport. Under the plan, home builders Centex Corp., Beazer Homes USA and Van Metre Cos. would use revenue from a $4.5B housing and commercial development to fund a ballpark (WASHINGTON POST, 6/20).

The AP noted that a group “hoping to permanently bring the [Expos] to Puerto Rico submitted a bid to buy the team.” The proposal “probably comes too late for baseball to give it much consideration” (AP, 6/19).

NANTZ AND GUMBEL SWITCHING ROLES IN CBS’ NFL COVERAGE

The N.Y. TIMES reported that CBS Sports will announce today that Greg Gumbel will “no longer call [NFL] games with Phil Simms and will replace Jim Nantz as the host of ‘NFL Today.’” In turn, Nantz will replace Gumbel as the net’s No. 1 play-by-play announcer. Gumbel hosted “NFL Today” from ’90-93, before hosting NBC’s pregame studio show from ’94-97. He returned to CBS in ’98, when the net reacquired rights to AFC games. Nantz has hosted “NFL Today” since ’98 and was CBS’ No. 2 NFL announcer in the early ‘90s (N.Y. TIMES, 6/20).

PARIS COURT TO RULE ON ARMSTRONG’S REQUEST TO INCLUDE DENIAL

The AP reported that Lance Armstrong has sued to force La Martiniere, publisher of “L.A. Confidential: The Secrets Of Lance Armstrong,” which alleges doping violations by the cyclist, to “include his denial” in the book. A Paris court will rule on the request today. Thibault de Montbrial, an attorney for authors David Walsh and Pierre Ballester, as well as La Martiniere, “argued that inserting a notice into the book would signal ‘the end of investigative journalism’ in France” (AP, 6/18).

MORNING BRIEFS

The TAMPA TRIBUNE reported that the NHL is “planning to lay off half of its league office staff in preparation for a potential owner lockout in September, joining several NHL teams that are cutting staff positions to brace for a labor battle.” NHL VP/Communications Bernadette Mansur indicated that the issue is “an internal matter and declined to elaborate” (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 6/19).

SunTrust Banks announced a multi-year agreement with NASCAR to become the organization’s official bank. The company also becomes an associate sponsor of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team to be named (SunTrust Banks).

The Baltimore SUN reported that U.S Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has denied Marion Jones’ request to “use his Senate committee as a forum to publicly answer questions about possible steroid use” (Baltimore SUN, 6/19).

The AP reported that Taco Bell has acquired naming rights for Boise State Univ.’s sports and events facility in a 15-year deal for $4M in cash and other contributions. The venue will be called Taco Bell Arena (AP, 6/19).

MLB runs a full-page ad in USA Today congratulating Reds CF Ken Griffey Jr. on his 500^th career home run, under the header, “Congratulations and keep smiling, Junior, you’re now a member of the 500-home run club” (THE DAILY).

The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reported that F1 Management Chair Bernie Ecclestone this weekend exercised a two-year option extending the F1 U.S. Grand Prix’ stay at Indianapolis Motor Speedway through ’06 (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/19).

The AP reported that the Giants today will begin selling rubber chickens named “Walk’er,” in honor of the walks LF Barry Bonds draws. The chickens cost $10, with proceeds going to the Giants Community Fund (AP, 6/19).

ATTENDANCE WATCH:

• The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reported that Friday’s Atlanta Beat-N.Y. Power match at the WUSA Soccer Festival in Blaine, MN, drew a crowd of 2,011, while a crowd of 5,017 attended Saturday’s Washington Freedom-Boston Breakers match (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/20).

• The ATLANTA CONSTITUTION reports that 10,730 attended Saturday and Sunday’s Titan Games action at Philips Arena (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 6/21).

• The L.A. TIMES reports that a total of 165,240 attended this past weekend’s Yankees-Dodgers series, a Dodger Stadium record for a three-game series. The previous record was 162,376 for a ’99 series against the Cardinals (L.A. TIMES, 6/21).

• The AP reported that the retiring of Tim Raines’ No. 30 jersey drew a crowd of 18,114 for Saturday’s White Sox-Expos game, the largest Olympic Stadium crowd since the Expos’ Montreal opener (AP, 6/20).

• The MIAMI HERALD reported that a College Baseball World Series record crowd of 26,530 attended Saturday night’s LSU-Miami game at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha (MIAMI HERALD, 6/20).

• The FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM reported that a crowd of 37,462 attended Saturday’s Mexico-Dominica World Cup qualifier at the Alamodome in San Antonio (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/20).

• The LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER reported that a Kentucky Speedway record crowd of 72,312 attended Saturday’s NASCAR Busch Series Meijer 300 presented by Oreo (LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, 6/20).

• The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that an estimated crowd of 120,000 attended yesterday’s F1 U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/21).

• The Portland OREGONIAN reported that a crowd of 12,376 attended Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on the Univ. of Oregon’s campus (Portland OREGONIAN, 6/20).

WEEKEND RAP

The following are excerpts from the panelists’ “parting shots” on Sunday’s edition of ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters”:

• Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, on Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars drafting Darko Milicic instead of Carmelo Anthony: "Joe Dumars is a great executive. He ignored the mob and did it his way. Will Darko ever make it? I don't know and you don't either. Here's my take: in Joe I trust."

• N.Y. Times columnist William Rhoden, on Reds OF Ken Griffey Jr: "Griffey moved to Cincinnati. He was injured and re-injured and many of us wrote him off as a star who never reached his potential. A decade later, Griffey seems to have found his second wind. He needs a home run to become one of twenty players in baseball history to reach 500, but the good news about Griffey is that he's managed to stay healthy, and now you can wonder what might have been."

• Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom, on the USADA: "If anyone out there knows how this (USADA) works, would you please explain it to me right after you explain it to Marion Jones? No wonder the five-time Olympic medalist is making like Rasheed Wallace with a referee. How would you feel if you didn't fail a drug test, they didn't charge you with anything, but they won't clear your name or tell you if you can compete in the Olympics? ... Where are the rules here? If there's no proof and no positive test, they can still ban you?"

• ESPN's John Saunders, on the passing of Ralph Wiley: "I can tell you about what a terrific writer he was, how brilliant he was, how racially conscious he was, and how so many of us looked up to him. But what I want you to know about Ralph Wiley is what a good person he was" ("Sports Reporters," ESPN, 6/20).

Heard elsewhere over the weekend:

• ATHOC President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, on the Athens Olympics: "We will be ready. Don’t miss it, and I want to say to our friends in America, don’t miss these Games because these Games will be unique" ("Today," NBC, 6/19).

• Coca-Cola Media Relations Representative Petro Kancur, on Coca-Cola being a sponsor of the Olympic flame relay: "There's no better time to take a symbol of peace and unity and hope around the world and we're just glad to be a part of that" ("Today," NBC, 6/19).

• NBC's Lester Holt, on walking with the Olympic torch on crutches: "There were folks who did this on artificial limbs (and) in wheelchairs" ("Today," NBC, 6/20).

• USGA Exec David Fay, on banning belly putters: "At this point, don't bet on any type of change anytime soon or maybe never, ever" ("U.S. Open," NBC, 6/19).

• Ryan, on Phil Mickelson: "He is the people's choice of the moment. … No player on the tour of any consequence has been better with the fans" ("Sports Reporters," ESPN, 6/20).

• NBC’s Jimmy Roberts said in his post-U.S. Open wrap up that Mickelson was “cheered by New Yorkers as if he had brought a tax cut” (“U.S. Open,” NBC, 6/20).

THE BACK PAGES

The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sports covers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:

N.Y. Post	N.Y. Daily News
Philadelphia Daily News	Newsday

TODAY’S EVENTS

NY Assemblyman Richard Brodsky plans to hold hearings on Gov. George Pataki’s most recent legislation for expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Center. With only two days left in the legislative session, which does “not provide much time for debate” (N.Y. TIMES, 6/19).

NBC is expected to announce that KNBC-NBC sportscaster Fred Roggin will host CNBC’s Athens Olympics coverage while FSN’s Inga Hammond will host Bravo’s coverage (L.A. TIMES, 6/21).

CFL Commissioner Tom Wright will visit New Brunswick to “discuss a possible East Coast franchise. Wright will be in Moncton to meet with local government and business representatives” (CP, 6/21).

ESPN will host a noon ET conference call to discuss its coverage of Thursday’s NBA Draft with ESPN Coordinating Producer Dan Steir, host Mike Tirico and analyst Jay Bilas.

An NCAA committee will discuss the possibility of delaying the start of the college baseball season by two weeks, which would push the end of the College Baseball World Series to early July. The earliest it has been discussed being changed is ’06 (AP, 6/20).

MLBAM will Webcast the noon ET announcement of the New York Mercantile Exchange All-Star Futures Game rosters on MLB.com.

THIS WEEK IN SISTER PUBLICATION SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL…..

This week’s cover story examines the Bobcats as the franchise nears its expansion draft, NBA Draft, a new RSN and the construction of a new arena.

For these stories and more please visit the SportsBusiness Journal.

EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are this week’s confirmed earnings announcements for sports-business related companies:

IN OTHER NEWS….

This week’s cover of Time offers “Bill Clinton Explains Himself.” This week’s cover of Newsweek examines “The Secrets of ‘Spider-Man 2.’”

The SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER reported that Paul Allen is bankrolling a rocket thattoday is expected to “lift out of California’s Mojave Desert in an attempt to be the first privately funded flight into space.” Allen: “We’re pushing the envelope here – to prove that you can do space tourism. After this flight and maybe a few more, we’ll be in position to go after the X Prize.” The Ansari X Prize “offers $10[M] to the first organization to send (and return safely) three people into space twice in two weeks” (POST-INTELLIGENCER, 6/19).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Friday's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "The 16th Century."

"In 1582 the man born Ugo Buoncompagni proclaimed this solar dating system still used today."

LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

CBS' David Letterman: "We come to you each and every night from New York City, where something is happening every minute and most of it goes unsolved. ... Can you tell it's summer? ... I'm driving to work today, and the toll booth guy asks me to put lotion on his back. ... I saw one of those only in New York scenes of summer. I go outside today for lunch, and I see a street vendor skimming West Nile mosquitoes out of the hot dog water. ... Big weekend in New York City, like I have to tell you folks. All the hookers in Times Square are offering their Father's Day discounts. ... I already know what my son is giving me for Father's Day. It's a big coffee mug that reads, 'World's Oldest Dad.' ... The publishers called him in and they handed former President Clinton the first official copy of his new book, and from force of habit he helped it out of his jacket" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/18).

NBC's Jay Leno: "President Bush was asked today if he's going to see the controversial new movie that's critical of his presidency, and Bush said, 'I'm not really a Garfield fan.' … In an interview in the Sunday Express of London, Janet Jackson said that the entire Super Bowl incident was a result of a plot by conservative forces to distract people to what's really going on in the world. It was a vast right breast conspiracy. Even Hillary's going, 'Shut up!.' ... Because of the new law in Colorado, when he goes on trial, Kobe Bryant will actually be asked questions by the jury. Jurors can now question the person on trial, and Kobe's lawyers are trying to fight this because you know the questions they're going to ask: 'Hey, what the hell happened in game Five? Do you really hate Shaq? Are you leaving?'" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 6/18).

SUNDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

ESPN’s 11:00pm ET edition of “SportsCenter” led with the U.S. Open, followed by Reds-Cardinals, highlighted by Ken GriffeyJr.'s 500th career home run, and Yankees-Dodgers.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that the estimated total for the top 12 films was $126.9M, up 9% from last year’s fourth summer weekend. The projected total for all films is forecast to be in the “low- to mid-$130[M] range, up from last year’s $122.5[M].” Additionally, the year-to-date total reached the $4B mark “faster than any box office year on record” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/21).

DAILY VARIETY reports that millions in Europe “got their kicks last week from watching Euro 2004 [soccer] matches on TV rather than going to the movies.” Weekend receipts in the U.K. dropped 74%, while Italy saw a 40% decline and Spain “slumped to its worst frame of the year” (DAILY VARIETY, 6/21).

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is the Gregorian Calendar?"

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

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