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Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz, July 21, 2004

The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
9:00am ET

NHL CBA Talks To Resume Today, But New Proposals Unlikely

Jaguars To Unveil New Road Uniforms At Alltel Stadium This Morning

Bud Selig Leaning Toward Doing Away With AL/NL All-Star Host Rotation

Greece Reportedly To Allow Armed Special Forces To Protect Athletes

Larry Bird Gets Trumped By The Donald In Bid For Indiana Casino License

Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy!


FIRST NHL LABOR MEETING SINCE MAY TO BE TODAY IN N.Y.

USA TODAY reports that the NHL’s CBA talks resume this morning in N.Y., marking the first negotiations since May 25. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Exec VP & CLO Bill Daly will meet with NHLPA Exec Dir Bob Goodenow and Senior Dir of Business Affairs Ted Saskin. Today’s talks “likely will be continuing discussions, void of new proposals.” Meanwhile, employees at the league offices in N.Y., New Jersey, Montreal and Toronto, yesterday “were informed who would be laid off if no agreement is reached by Sept 16. The layoffs, which would take effect Sept. 20, could be significant, perhaps more than 50%” (USA TODAY, 7/21).


JAGUARS TODAY SHOWING OFF CHANGES TO ROAD UNIFORMS

Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich today will help unveil the team’s new road uniform at 10:00am ET at Alltel Stadium. JAGUARS.com noted that the team “will no longer wear white jerseys with white pants. When the Jaguars wear their white jerseys, they will wear their black pants. White jerseys will only be worn for road games this season.” The team will wear its teal jerseys at home, except for the December 5 ESPN game against the Steelers, when the Jaguars will wear black (Jaguars.com, 7/20).


AFTER FIRING ROSENHAUS, REDSKINS PICK HIRES EUGENE MATO

The WASHINGTON POST reports that Redskins S Sean Taylor, the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft, today is expected to file paperwork naming Eugene Mato as his agent. The decision “eliminates a major obstacle, although the sides will have to move quickly to get a deal done before the start of training camp next week.” Mato has a partnership with agent Jeffrey Moorad. Taylor fired agent Drew Rosenhaus days after being drafted (WASHINGTON POST, 7/21).


MORNING BRIEFS

The AP reports that MLB “might abandon its long-standing policy of alternating All-Star sites between” AL and NL ballparks. After officially awarding Pittsburgh the ’06 game, Commissioner Bud Selig said that “he expects to reveal the 2007-09 sites later this summer” (AP, 7/21).

The N.Y. TIMES reports that under “intense pressure from the United States, Greece will allow 400 American Special Forces soldiers to be present at the Olympic Games next month under NATO auspices and will also permit American, Israeli and possibly British security officers to carry weapons” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/21).

The K.C. STAR reports that Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg will “propose legislation to restore a 12th regular-season football game starting next season.” The proposal would go to the NCAA management council in January and “could be approved in April” (K.C. STAR, 7/21).

USA TODAY reports that the U.S. Justice Dept. “inquiry into how ESPN deals with college conferences continues to move forward. Five leagues say they have been contacted by government officials,” and the Big 12 “already has met with Justice lawyers” (USA TODAY, 7/21).

The CINCINNATI ENQUIRER reports that Univ. of Cincinnati legend Oscar Robertson will serve as the Bearcats’ interim head coach until Bob Huggins returns from suspension August 27. Robertson will “provide oversight and meet with UC players on a regular basis,” but will “not have any off-campus recruiting duties” (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/21).

Hockey HOFer Ken Dryden was one of eight new ministers appointed yesterday to the Cabinet of Canadian PM Paul Martin. Dryden was named Minister of Social Development and will oversee child care issues (AP, 7/21).

The ECHL terminated the membership of the Greensboro Generals and the Roanoke Express (ECHL).

The ASGA Tour has signed a multi-year deal with The Golf Channel that will include the broadcast of all ASGA Tour events and USPGL Section Championships during the ’04 and ’05 seasons under the program title “54 Holes to Sunday” (ASGA).

American Pro Cricket has singed a deal with Dish Network’s PPV service, Dish One Demand. The deal beings Friday and includes the regular-season, All-Star match, playoff and championship games (Pro Cricket).


ATTENDANCE WATCH

  • The Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL reports that over 3,000 fans, “most screaming summer campers, came out to welcome” Shaquille O’Neal to Miami yesterday. About 215 “media credentials were issued. There were 23 [TV] cameras inside the news conference and 25 still cameras, plus 17 satellite trucks on site” (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 7/21).
  • The Tigers hosted 322 dogs as part of their “Bark in the Park” promo for last night’s game against the Twins. The DETROIT FREE PRESS notes that “from hats to bibs to jerseys, many of the dogs sported Tigers apparel.” Total attendance was 23,227 (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 7/21).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

“Entertainment Tonight” reported that Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton, stars of Fox’ “The Simple Life 2,” on tonight’s episode will act as bat girls during a game for the Double-A Texas League Round Rock Express. Manager Jackie Moore told the girls, “You have two jobs: one of them is to go out and get the bats and the balls and the other is to distract the other club.” Reporter Mark Steines: “It’s in the locker room where they’re most appreciated” (“ET,” 7/20).


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

Former Mets GM Steve Phillips will join Gary Thorne and David Justice in the booth for ESPN’s telecast of Reds-Cubs. It is Phillips’ first full-time booth assignment. (NEWSDAY, 7/20).

CBS Sports will host a Tour de France conference call at 2:00pm ET with host Armen Keteyian and coordinating producer Victor Frank to discuss the net’s coverage of the final stages.

The 25th annual National Sports Collectors Convention starts today and runs through Sunday at the IX Center in Cleveland. Over 40,000 collectors are expected (USA TODAY, 7/21).

Fans may begin to sign up for EA Sports Fantasy Football, the company’s “first foray into the world of paid online fantasy sports” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/8).

The 65th summer season at Del Mar begins today. The session runs for 43 days though September 8.


ESPN’S 25 BIGGEST FLOPS OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS

ESPN’s “ESPN25: Who’s #1?; Biggest Flops” last night listed the 25 biggest flops from the past 25 years. ESPN’s Stuart Scott said, “Flopping isn’t exactly like losing. Losing is failure. Flopping is failure on a grand and inglorious scale” (ESPN, 7/20).

RK
FLOP
1)
Ryan Leaf
2)
The XFL
3)
Tony Mandarich
4)
Todd Marinovich
5)
2002 USA Basketball team
6)
Brian Bosworth
7)
Lawrence Phillips
8)
Vikings trade for Herschel Walker
9)
The San Diego/L.A. Clippers
10)
2002 MLB All-Star Game
11)
Dennis Miller on “Monday Night Football”
12)
Trail Blazers draft Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan
13)
Falcons trade Brett Favre
14)
Rick Pitino as Celtics coach
15)
Notre Dame football coach Gerry Faust
16)
Chris Washburn
17)
Heath Shuler
18)
Anna Kournikova
19)
22 MLB umpires resign
20)
Tigers fire Ernie Harwell
21)
Michael Jordan the baseball player
22)
Andre Ware
23)
The National Sports Daily
24)
Bills lose four straight Super Bowls
25)
Yankees P Brien Taylor

IN OTHER NEWS….

The L.A. TIMES reports that Disney and Comcast today will announce that Comcast will pay an estimated $20M over five years to Disney to “provide online children's games, activities and video shorts for its high-speed Internet customers.” The venture “also gives Comcast customers access to ‘ABC News Live,’ a 24-hour online news service, as well as ABC's ‘Nightline’ and reports from ‘World News Tonight’ and ‘Primetime Live’” (L.A. TIMES, 7/21).

USA TODAY reports that Charles Schwab fired CEO David Pottruck yesterday. Founder & Chair Charles Schwab will “return as CEO and lead the company” (USA TODAY, 7/21).

The INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that Donald Trump “landed his second Indiana casino” yesterday, beating Larry Bird and “an Indianapolis partnership for a license in Orange County.” The Indiana Gaming Commission awarded the contract to operate the French Lick casino -- the state's 11th and final casino -- to Trump Indiana “after nearly an hour of debate, mostly over Trump's financial problems.” Golfer Fuzzy Zoeller is a partner in Trump’s group (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/21).


FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was “On The Map.”

“In area it’s the largest African country through which the Greenwich meridian passes.”


LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

CBS’ David Letterman: “That means a great deal to me to come out here on a Tuesday night in New York City and get one-third of a standing ovation. … Walking to work today I saw one of those only in New York City scenes in the summer. It was a rat sitting on a curb enjoying a Dove Bar. … Wildfires in California and earlier today Governor Schwarzenegger said that they were started when a scented candle was knocked over by a girlie man. … Last week (Schwarzenegger) called California Democrats ‘girlie men’ and the Democrats are upset. Today, they responded with a one word response: bitch! … Some guys were mining for diamonds in Africa and they dug up a 182 carat diamond. That’s four sizes larger than the Hope Diamond and right now it’s being shipped to its new home, Mrs. Kobe Bryant’s finger” (“Late Show,” CBS, 7/20).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “What was it, 102 (degrees) today? I was sweating like Arnold Schwarzenegger at a Girlie Man convention. I love this story. As you know, Governor Schwarzenegger has not apologized for calling Sacramento legislators ‘girlie men.’ I’m not surprised. He still hasn’t apologized for making that ‘Jingle All The Way’ movie. … In a speech the other day to the Amish people, President Bush said that God speaks through him. Do you think God would mispronounce that many words? … President Bush has caused a huge international controversy after saying that Fidel Castro has made the Cuban sex tourist industry bigger than the one in Southeast Asia. This has got Congressional fact-finding tour written all over it. … Today, Martha (Stewart’s) lawyers petitioned the judge to consider all the time she’s spent in K Mart as time served. … Scientists say women athletes run faster after having an orgasm. There’s a pre-game ceremony you don’t want to miss. … Men also, when you think about it, because after sex what’s the first thing men always say: ‘Gotta run’” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 7/20).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Perks Of Winning The British Open.” The list was read on-stage by British Open champion Todd Hamilton (“Late Show,” CBS, 7/20).

10) “Everywhere I go, I’m recognized by middle-aged fat guys.”

9) “Whenever Tiger Woods and about a dozen other guys turn down an endorsement deal, I get the call.”

8) “Claret Jug is full of Sambuca.”

7) “Get to appear on MTV’s ‘Pimp My Cart.’”

6) “If you beat your caddie with a pitching wedge, the PGA Tour looks the other way.”

5) “President Bush called me – he kept calling me Ernie, but it was still nice.”

4) “Certain my boyhood home in Oquawka, Illinois will soon become the #1 tourist spot in America.”

3) “You become a household name like past winners David Brown and George Duncan.”

2) “For the next week only, Big Ben will be renamed ‘Big Todd.’”

1) “I’ve been filling up some divots, if you know what I mean”

The N.Y. TIMES’ Clifton Brown notes, “Nobody recognized Todd Hamilton … as he sat for an hour yesterday in a Manhattan hotel lobby. Nobody asked for an autograph” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/21).


LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

Net

Show

Lead

Next Items

ESPN

“Around The Horn”

State of the Cubs

State of the Dodgers; Redskins a playoff team?

ESPN

“PTI”

Shaq in Miami

Eddie George contract; Nelly joins Bobcats’ ownership group

ESPN

11:00pm “SportsCenter”

Cardinals-Cubs

Armstrong takes the lead;

Blue Jays-A’s

FSN

“I, Max”

Cubs

Braves the best-run franchise?; Eddie George

FSN

“BDSSP”

Shaq in Miami

Gordon Gund calls out Carlos Boozer; David Wells interview

FSN South

“Southern Sports Report”

Eddie George

Univ. of Tennessee suspends player; NC State coach Amato interview

MSG

“SportsDesk”

Marlins-Mets

Phillies-Braves; NL East standings

HOT TOPIC

The 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” first reported on Armstrong taking over the lead at the Tour De France at 10:25 into the broadcast, with 4:17 of total coverage. Last night’s edition of “OTL Nightly” featured a report on the allegations that Lance Armstrong is doping.


FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“What is Algeria?”


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

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