| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Monday, June 28, 2004
9:00am ET | |
| |
| • | CBA Negotiations On The Horizon As NBPA Gathers Today In Las Vegas |
| • | Media Organizations Today Challenging Judge’s Order In Kobe Bryant Case |
| • | IIHF President Fasel Meeting Today With Russian Federation Over NHL Deal |
| • | NHL Projecting Approximately $250M Operating Loss For ’03-04 Season |
| • | MLB Pushes Back Expos Relocation Decision Until After July 13-15 All-Star Break |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
CBA NEGOTIATIONS ON TAP AS NBPA MEETINGS BEGIN IN LAS VEGAS
The NBPA today begins its annual meetings in Las Vegas, and the N.Y. DAILY NEWS reported that NBA owners “called for rollbacks in salaries during recent talks with the players.” While NBA Commissioner David Stern said that talks “have been productive to get a new extension hammered out before the end of next season, when the current [CBA] expires, the union is not that optimistic.” NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter: “If what they’re saying to us about further cost containment is what's going to be in their proposal, then they shouldn't even bother making it” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/27).
MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS CHALLENGING JUDGE’S ORDER IN KOBE CASE
The L.A. TIMES reported that a group of media organizations including the AP and L.A. Times today in Colorado Supreme Court “plan to challenge the constitutionality” of an order issued by Colorado Judge Terry Ruckriegle, who is presiding over the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case. Ruckrielge threatened contempt if information from accidentally released transcripts from the case are published. AP attorney David Schulz: “There is a bright line between controlling access to information … and directing the press what they can do with the information once it’s out there. The judge’s order crosses the line.” Meanwhile, Ruckriegle set an August 27 trial date (L.A. TIMES, 6/26).
RUSSIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION LOOKING FOR SEPARATE NHL DEAL
The N.Y. TIMES reported that IIHF President Rene Fasel will travel to Moscow today to “negotiate with the Russian federation, which wants a separate agreement for transfer fees for its players, something that the NHL is resisting.” Until now, the NHL has “dealt only with the international federation, which has distributed money among European teams for transfers.” Under the old deal, the Russians would have received $220,000-$250,000 for Saturday’s No. 1 pick, Aleksandr Ovechkin. Fasel: “He is worth more. He is one of the reasons the Russians do not want to join the other European teams” (N.Y. TIMES, 6/27).
FIA PRESIDENT MAX MOSLEY SET TO PUSH THROUGH SAFETY, COST CHANGES
The London TELEGRAPH reported that FIA President Max Mosley will invoke for the first time measures aimed at “reducing costs and increasing safety” across F1. The F1 Commission will meet today, and team officials will be “given 60 days to come up with plans of their own. Should they fail to reach agreement in that period, they will be offered three options by the FIA and a further 45 days in which to make up their minds or have change imposed without their consent” (London TELEGRAPH, 6/25).
LILLY ICOS LEVERAGING TITLE SPONSORSHIP OF CIALIS WESTERN OPEN
Practice rounds for the PGA Tour Cialis Western Open begin today at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, IL, where Lilly ICOS will leverage its Cialis brand via several interactive displays. The company will present an entrance walk featuring images of past Western Opens, an Artist Experience allowing local artists to create imagery of the week’s events, a digital player locator board, relaxation booths and the Cialis Fan Tent with “Tips for Enjoying Your Golf Game” (Cialis).
MORNING BRIEFS
The WASHINGTON TIMES reported that the NHL is projecting an operating loss of roughly $250[M] for the ’03-04 season, less than the $272.6M loss during the ’02-03 season (WASHINGTON TIMES, 6/26).
The AP reported that MLB is “pushing back its decision on where to relocate” the Expos until after the July 13-15 All-Star break (AP, 6/26).
The WASHINGTON POST reported that USADA officials met Saturday in Raleigh with Marion Jones’ ex-husband, CJ Hunter, in a “move that signals the agency is still pursuing its investigation of Jones” (WASHINGTON POST, 6/27).
The Newark STAR-LEDGER reported that legislation has been passed to lease the Meadowlands Racetrack and Monmouth Park from the NJSEA. Lehman Bros. is “coordinating the bidding process” and NJSEA President George Zoffinger said, “There’s been a tremendous amount of interest already from 20 or 30 different people” (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 6/27).
MLBP has reached five-year licensing deals for Team MLB with Majestic Athletic and Outdoor Cap, making the companies the exclusive suppliers of institutional youth baseball league uniforms and headwear, respectively, featuring the colors and logos of all MLB teams and the Team MLB brand logo (MLBP).
Booz Allen Hamilton CEO Ralph Shrader, whose company this weekend completed its first year of a three-year title sponsorship of the PGA Tour Booz Allen Classic, said that he is “committed to golf in Washington, but hinted his company’s sponsorship might not be renewed if changes are not made” (WASHINGTON POST, 6/28).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that Spike TV has ordered 13 hourlong episodes of “Ultimate Fighter” to begin airing in January. The show will “chronicle a competition among 20 athletes to earn a shot at a spot” in the Ultimate Fighting Championship league (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/28).
NEWSDAY reported that the daily media corps following Yankees LF Hideki Matsui and Mets SS Kaz Matsui “swelled to more than 80” for this past weekend’s Mets-Yankees series. Sports Nippon writer Hiroki Toda: “This can’t compare to Hideki and Ichiro, but it is still a big deal” (NEWSDAY, 6/27).
Palestinian President Yasir Arafat said during a ceremonial lighting of an Olympic torch that he is “committed to a cease-fire during” the Athens Olympics (N.Y. TIMES, 6/27).
Top Fuel driver Darrell Russell died due to injuries sustained in a crash during Sunday’s Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals Gateway Int’l Raceway (Dover Motorsports).
ATTENDANCE WATCH:
- The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports that a crowd of 17,391 yesterday attended ArenaBowl XVIII at America West Arena, where the San Jose SaberCats defeated the Arizona Rattlers 69-62. The crowd was the largest ever to see a Rattlers game at America West Arena (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/28).
- A crowd of 25,157, including a Devil Rays record 7,162 walkups, attended Friday night’s Marlins-Devil Rays game at Tropicana Field. Hundreds of fans “were still lining up outside to buy tickets an hour after” the 7:15pm ET start (ST. PETE TIMES, 6/26). The three-game series drew 76,960, Tropicana Field’s “highest since 86,692 watched the Yankees and Rays” in 2002 (ST. PETE TIMES, 6/28).
- Friday night’s crowd of 41,959 for Pirates-Reds at Great American Ball Park was the fourth sellout in the Reds’ last six home games. The club gave away posters honoring Ken Griffey Jr.’s 500th career home run to promote the game (CINCINNATI POST, 6/26).
- The Dodgers sold out this past weekend’s series against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, bringing the club’s sellout total to 12 this season. The Dodgers had 11 sellouts during all of last season (L.A. TIMES, 6/26).
- A crowd of 16,484 attended Friday night’s Pride Community Day event at the Expos-Blue Jays game at SkyDome (TORONTO STAR, 6/26).
- The second game of yesterday’s Mets-Yankees doubleheader drew 55,387, the largest Yankee Stadium crowd this year (N.Y. POST, 6/28).
- An estimated crowd of 80,000 packed The Mall near Buckingham Palace Saturday for the final stretch of the London Olympic torch relay (BOSTON HERALD, 6/28).
- A crowd of 7,123 attended Sunday’s WUSA Soccer Festival at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, featuring Philadelphia Charge-San Jose CyberRays and San Diego Spirit-Carolina Courage (AP, 6/28).
- A Sunday crowd of 10,250 attended the U.S. Olympic gymnastic trials at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim. The four-session event drew a total of 34,597 (L.A. TIMES, 6/26).
- Saturday night’s WNBA Liberty-Storm game at Spokane Arena – the first WNBA regular-season game played outside of a primary market – drew a crowd of 4,527, “without the help of one season ticket presold or much in the way of promotion” (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/27).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
The ST. PETERSBURG TIMES reports that BankAtlantic, which signed on as a Marlins sponsor in the middle of the ’03 season, also became a Lightning sponsor during the ’03-04 NHL season. As both teams went on to win championships, BankAtlantic CMO Jarett Levan said, “I will tell you that coincidentally we’ve gotten lots of calls from local teams in the South and located in Tampa. … They want to sign on with BankAtlantic's lucky rabbit foot” (ST. PETE TIMES, 6/28).
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 Lance Armstrong: "Can you be identified as America's greatest contemporary athlete if your sport is one of which most of your countrymen wallow in perpetual ignorance? If you're Lance Armstrong, I say the answer is yes. ... Armstrong will be trying for his sixth straight victory (in the Tour de France), and be assured that he will be dogged by claims of drug usage everywhere he goes."
- N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica, on Tiger Woods' caddy, Steve Williams: "Williams kicked the camera belonging to a photographer from my paper last week. Then he apprehended another camera at the U.S. Open as if this were a new crime series, 'CSI: Shinnecock Hills.' Williams is no longer a guy lugging around golf clubs. He's become the top bouncer in all of professional golf."
- ESPN's Sal Paolantonio: "In the U.S. at least, tennis is five Croatians, a gaggle of Russians and as many Swedes as you can fit in the back of your soccer mom's Volvo. Tennis needs a commissioner to organize and market tennis and follow the golf model."
- ESPN's John Saunders: "(Mike) Tyson was suing promoter Don King for $100[M], money he said King stole while promoting six fights. This week Tyson agreed to accept $14[M] to dismiss the suit. ... Tyson got a better deal when he divorced Robin Givens" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 6/27).
Heard elsewhere over the weekend:
- ESPN's Eric Wynalda, on DC United F Freddy Adu: "(Adu) said this week things personally aren't going as well as he had hoped this season. It's the first time really Freddy's had to face adversity in his soccer career" (ESPN2, 6/26).
- ABC's Mike Tirico, on the PGA Tour: "The new class of superstar is athletic, and is catching the eyes of big-time advertisers, and helping to attract a diverse and younger fan base to the game of golf" ("Young Lions," ABC, 6/26).
THE BACK PAGES
The Morning Buzz offers today’s back page sports covers from some of the nation’s major metropolitan tabloids:
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| N.Y. Post | N.Y. Daily News |
| | |
| Philadelphia Daily News | Newsday |
TODAY’S EVENTS
The NHL Panthers will begin “Breakfast at Sunrise, Dinner at Sunset,” a program offering more convenient office hours to discuss and purchase Panthers ticket packages, tickets to upcoming shows and concerts, private club memberships, as well as corporate marketing sponsorship opportunities available at Office Depot Center. Those who take part will be served breakfast between 7:00-9:00am ET and dinner between 6:00-8:00pm.
The MLB Rangers begin a project with naming-rights partner Ameriquest Mortgage that calls for the pair to build three Habitat for Humanity houses per year in the Dallas area. The houses will cost $130,000 each, and they will be “built just beyond the home plate entrance at Ameriquest Field in Arlington then moved.” The first two houses are expected to be completed by July 16 (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/23).
Orlando’s WORL-AM 660 officially switches to 660 The Fan, “dropping all of its business and syndicated shows in favor of 24-hour-a-day sports programming” (ORLANDO BUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/14 issue).
Arnold Palmer, Billy Andrade, Greg Norman and Brad Faxon will compete in the CVS Classic at the Country Club of Rhode Island in Barrington, RI. The event raises money for Rhode Island charities (USA TODAY, 6/28).
An 18-foot bronze statue of Philadelphia native Wilt Chamberlain will be unveiled outside Wachovia Center during a 4:00pm news conference. The base of the statue will be adorned with the quote, “The worth of a man is measured by the size of his heart.” Becky Ault and Mike Cunningham cast the statue at A.R.T. Research Enterprises.
Wayne Huizenga’s time as Dolphins Owner reaches ten years (MIAMI HERALD, 6/27).
THIS WEEK IN SISTER PUBLICATION SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL…..
This week’s front page profiles OnSport President Gary Stevenson, whose small sports marketing firm gets kudos from big-time clients.
| Also in this week’s issue: |
| • | MLS will undergo radical makeover in ’05, including addition of two franchises. |
| • | Accusplit becomes official pedometer of PGA Tour and Champions Tour. |
| • | Titles bring millions in jersey sales for both Lightning and Pistons. |
| • | One-On-One with ESPN Exec VP & Exec Editor John Walsh. |
For these stories and more please visit the SportsBusiness Journal.
IN OTHER NEWS….
This week’s cover of “Time” examines “The Radical Mind of Thomas Jefferson.” This week’s cover of “Newsweek” offers “Lt. Gen. David Petraeus: Can This Man Save Iraq?”
REUTERS noted that J. Walter Thompson CEO Bob Jeffrey expects the share of dollars “spent by advertisers on network TV could decline by half over the next five years.” Jeffrey: “I think companies that now spend 70-80% in network TV, in five years I think you could see it go down to 30-40%” (REUTERS, 6/26).
The RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH reported that Miller Brewing has given Richmond ad firm The Martin Agency the “roster shop” designation. The agency created the Miller Genuine Draft “Relationship” campaign (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 6/26).
The N.Y. TIMES reported that N.Y.-based ad firm Grey Global Group has hired Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase to “explore a possible sale of part or all of the business” (N.Y. TIMES, 6/26).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Friday's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Medicine."
"In 1901 U.S. Surgeon General Walter Wyman helped establish a hospital in Hawaii for this disease."
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS' David Letterman: "Are you like me? Are you too embarrassed to ask your doctor if Viagra is right for you? ... The kids look up to me, and wherever I go people say to me, 'Dave, or Mr. Letterman, how you keep doing it night after night after' – talking about the show. I say, 'It's easy: vodka and Red Bull.' ... In New York today, it was hot and I'll tell you how hot it is. Over there at St. Patrick's Cathedral, I saw two priests loading their Supersoakers with holy water. ... New York City apartment building doormen are now receiving anti-terrorism training. These guys are going to stop a terrorist attack? They can't even stop the guy who keeps slipping the take-out menu under your door. ... Everybody in New York City is in the big Gay Pride mood. I'm coming to work this morning and I fell asleep on the subway and I wake up with a queer makeover” ("Late Show," CBS, 6/25).
NBC's Jay Leno: "In the Senate on Tuesday, Vice President Dick Cheney got so mad at Senator Patrick Leahy, Cheney told Leahy to go 'f himself.' But Leahy said it was okay. He said that Cheney was just having a bad day, which isn't really true. A bad day for Dick Cheney is like three heartattacks. ... As you know, we're still planning to handover power to the Iraqis on June 30. You know what this feels like? Did you ever return a rental car after you beat the crap out of it? ... Man, was Monica Lewinsky upset about the way Bill Clinton talked about her in the book, for which Hillary said, 'Hey, at least you got mentioned in the book.' ... Clinton also says in the book that after he told Hillary about the affair, it was the darkest part of his life. Really? How about when he hit on Paula Jones? That had to be pretty dark. That must have been a pitch black day. ... Are you ready for the big Arena football championship game this weekend? Still plenty of seats available. In fact, all of them! The halftime show isn't much. They have Tito Jackson flashing a breast" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 6/25).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Friday's Top Ten list was "Top Ten Questions Ralph Nader Asked Potential Running Mates" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/25).
| 10) "Are you here because you lost a bet?" |
| 9) "If I pick you, do you promise to vote for us?" |
| 8) "In case anybody asks, can you think of a reason I'm running?" |
| 7) "Are you sure you won't be intimidated by my dazzling charisma?" |
| 6) "Wanna drop out of the race and go to Massachusetts to get hitched?" |
| 5) "Is it okay if I pay you in grocery coupons?" |
| 4) "Isn't this a step down for you, Mr. Gore?" |
| 3) "Do you get nervous speaking in front of groups of 8 to 12 people?" |
| 2) "Are you comfortable being the answer to a Trivial Pursuit question?" |
| 1) "What's it like to be with a woman?" |
SUNDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 11:00pm ET edition of “SportsCenter” (late due to Mets-Yankees) led with the Mets-Yankees doubleheader, followed by the Mariners trading P Freddy Garcia to the White Sox and Cubs-White Sox. The first non-MLB report, at 11:51 into the broadcast, was Wimbledonfeaturing Taylor Dent-Andy Roddick.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that “Fahrenheit 9/11” earned an estimated $21.8M in the widest release ever for a documentary, and consequently “posted the highest gross ever for a film opening in less than 1,000 sites.” It was a “solid weekend at the box office, with the top seven films grossing more than $10[M] each. During this fifth weekend of summer, the top 12 films grossed an estimated $135.5[M], down 5% from the fifth frame of the season last year when summer began a week earlier.” The total for all films this weekend is forecast to be in the high-$130M to low-$140M area, down from last year's $150.1M (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/28).
| Title | Weekend | Cumulative |
| “Fahrenheit 9/11” | $21.8M | $22.0M |
| “White Chicks” | $19.6M | $27.1M |
| “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” | $18.5M | $67.2M |
| “The Terminal” | $13.9M | $41.8M |
| “The Notebook” | $13.0M | $13.0M |
| “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” | $11.4M | $211.7M |
| “Shrek 2” | $10.5M | $397.1M |
| “Garfield” | $7.0M | $55.8M |
| “Two Brothers” | $6.2M | $6.2M |
| “The Stepford Wives” | $5.2M | $49.0M |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
The question was, "What is leprosy?"
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