| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Thursday, July 29, 2004
9:00am ET | |
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| • | N.Y. TWC Subscribers Today Finding Out Cablevision Networks May Be Pulled |
| • | Vikings Execs Today To Meet With Governor Tim Pawlenty Over Stadium |
| • | The CBC As Soon As Today To Announce Commentator Don Cherry’s Return |
| • | Brad Nessler Off NBA And Returning To ESPN’s College Basketball Broadcasts |
| • | NFLPA Prepared To Fight For Ricky Williams Should Dolphins Seek Repayment |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
CABLEVISION NETS COULD BE BUMPED FROM TIME WARNER CABLE
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that Time Warner Cable today will begin informing its N.Y.-area subscribers of the possible loss of Cablevision nets MSG, FSNY and the Metro Channels with “advertisements and bottom screen crawls during programming.” If Cablevision and TWC do not reach agreement on a new contract by midnight Saturday, the three nets will be pulled off the air (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/29).
VIKINGS SEEKING SPECIAL SESSION FROM MINNESOTA LEGISLATORS
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that Vikings execs will meet this morning with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s staff to “discuss the team’s stadium initiative.” Although the possibility of Pawlenty calling a special session to consider the stadium bill is unlikely, today’s meeting “will help bring both sides up to date.” Vikings Owner Red McCombs has been “mostly quiet regarding the stadium issue since the end of the legislative session, and the organization’s next move is unclear” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/29).
CHERRY ON TOP: HOCKEY COMMENTATOR RETURNING TO THE CBC
The TORONTO STAR reports that the CBC will announce as early as today that it has re-signed hockey commentator Don Cherry, who at one time was thought to be done with the net. Cherry’s return means former Canucks GM Brian Burke “is in and analyst Glenn Healy is out.” Burke’s addition “may even lead to a reduced role for Cherry.” It is not known how long the contract is, but all of Cherry’s previous deals with CBC have been for one year (TORONTO STAR, 7/29).
FORMER BEAT WRITER, COACH CONTRIBUTING TO BROWNS’ SITE
The Browns will relaunch their Web site today, with the theme, “Welcome to Brownstown.” The site will feature daily columns from coach Butch Davis and former Akron Beacon Journal beat writer Pat McManamon, who joined the Browns staff as Editor and columnist last week. Additionally, several new multimedia initiatives will be added to the site (Browns).
TODAY THE DAILY GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH…
What motorsports exec once had the privilege of taking a tour of Jay Leno’s car collection guided by the comedian himself and was most impressed by the jet-propelled motorcycle? To find out, see today’s issue of The Daily.
MORNING BRIEFS
ESPN basketball announcer Brad Nessler is reuniting with analyst Dick Vitale on Saturday night college basketball telecasts, ending his two years of work on NBA games at the net. Additionally, ESPN is creating a “Saturday night basketball version of ‘College GameDay’” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/29).
If the Dolphins “pursue repayment of approximately $7.8[M] in incentives and signing bonus money paid” to Ricky Williams, the NFLPA “likely will put up a strong fight.” NFLPA attorney Richard Berthelsen: “It’s our position that these penalty clauses that teams have put into contracts are unenforceable, depending on state law” (MIAMI HERALD, 7/29).
Dick’s Sporting Goods today announced that it has completed its cash tender offer for all of the issued and outstanding shares of Galyan’s Trading Co., as nearly 95% of the shares were tendered in response to Dick’s $16.75 per share cash offer (Dick’s Sporting Goods).
Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg and Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese have talked to the Justice Department regarding its investigation of ESPN’s practices in acquiring college football and basketball TV rights. The Mid-American Conference has also been contacted (N.Y. TIMES, 7/29).
USA Basketball runs a special advertising section in USA Today. Allstate, American Airlines and the country of Turkey each run full-page ads (THE DAILY).
Merrill Lynch has signed on to title sponsor this year’s Skins Game, which will feature Annika Sorenstam, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples and Adam Scott (THE DAILY).
K.C. group Citizens for a Downtown Arena is “filing a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission, alleging a problem with” Coalition Against Arena Taxes’ financial disclosure report (K.C. STAR, 7/29).
Ravens coach Brian Billick yesterday confirmed that he has signed a multiyear contract extension. Estimates value the deal at $4.5M annually (Baltimore SUN, 7/29).
PPI Motorsports is replacing driver Ricky Craven with Bobby Hamilton Jr. in its No. 32 Chevrolet in the ’05 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (AP, 7/28).
ATTENDANCE WATCH
Saratoga Race Course yesterday opened its 136th season in front of a crowd of 25,306, below the record of 32,913, set in ’02 (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/29).
A crowd of 55,421 attended last night’s Manchester United-Glasgow Celtic ChampionsWorld match at Lincoln Financial Field, down nearly 13,000 from last year’s match at the Linc featuring ManU (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 7/29).
The Packers’ annual shareholder meeting drew a crowd of 2,691 yesterday at the Resch Center in Green Bay (Green Bay PRESS-GAZETTE, 7/29).
The Dodgers have officially crossed the three million mark in advanced ticket sales for the ’04 season. The Dodgers are leading the NL with an average attendance of 42,077, and have totaled 2,145,905 in paid attendance through 51 home dates (Dodgers).
Last night’s crowd of 22,977 for Braves-Pirates included the largest mid-week walk-up – 7,331 – in PNC Park history (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 7/29).
A LIGHTER BUZZ
FSN’s Summer Sanders appeared on CNBC’s “McEnroe” last night to discuss her new show, FSN’s “The List.” Sanders told CNBC’s John McEnroe he was on the top ten list of “meltdowns” (“McEnroe,” 7/28).
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 |
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| Philadelphia Daily News | Newsday |
TODAY’S EVENTS
The NFLPA will begin its annual New Agents Seminar at the Ritz-Carlton in DC.
MLB, the Chinese Baseball Association and Mizuno will stage the first national schools baseball tournament in China beginning today and running through Saturday. The tournament includes 160 teams from Beijing, Shanghai, Tien Jin and Guangzhou in four divisions – elementary, junior high, high school and university.
Approximately 3,000 active U.S. military personnel are expected at the Univ. of North Florida Arena to watch the Puerto Rico-U.S. men’s basketball scrimmage. Saturday’s exhibition between the two teams at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena has sold out (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 7/29).
Grizzlies investor Charles Ewing will speak at the noon CT Entrepreneurs Roundtable luncheon at one of his Ewing Motor Service warehouses in Memphis (Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL, 7/16).
IN OTHER NEWS….
Time Warner Cable yesterday posted a net profit of $777M for Q2 ’04, down from $1.06B in the same period a year earlier, as “higher cable ad sales and a record boxoffice from its third ‘Harry Potter’ movie weren't enough to top gains from a year-ago, when it sold Comedy Central” (REUTERS, 7/29).
Comcast lost “more subscribers and signed up fewer high-speed Internet subscribers in [Q2 ‘04] than many analysts had predicted.” As a result, Comcast’s shares dropped 4% yesterday. The subscriber figures were “seen by some investors as a red flag that competition with phone giants and satellite TV providers was intensifying, raising the prospect of price wars and strained profitability” (L.A. TIMES, 7/29).
IMG Canada has signed a deal with the Fashion Design Council of Canada to become its exclusive sponsorship agent for Toronto Fashion Week (TORONTO STAR, 7/29).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “18th Century America.”
“These two British astronomers were sent to America in 1763 to settle a land dispute.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “Did you folks watch the Democratic National Convention last night? I’m telling you, to find that kind of excitement you have to go back to the Dukakis/Benson era. Spellbinding, wasn’t it? I myself didn’t watch the convention. The Weather Channel had a fascinating documentary on condensation. … CBS, by the way, did not carry the convention last night. You know you’re in trouble when you’re too dull for CBS. … Ted Kennedy spoke at the convention last night. He looked fantastic, by the way. … He has lost so much weight he had to borrow a pant suit from Hillary. … John Edwards has a very impressive resume. He was a trial lawyer, he was a senator and former host of ‘Family Feud.’ … Dennis Kucinich also spoke at the convention. By the way, when Dennis Kucinich speaks, here are the side effects: drowsiness, headache and sexual dysfunction” (“Late Show,” CBS, 7/28).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “The Democrats are meeting in Boston this week for the big Democratic National Convention, and I thought this was nice. For an extra $50, the hookers in Boston say they will dress up as Paul Revere. … Bill Clinton gave a great speech, but it made me kind of nostalgic. It reminded of a time in this country when presidents could actually talk. … Ted Kennedy blasted President Bush last night, really went after him, and today Kennedy’s paying the price. I understand he just lost his deal with Slim Fast. They yanked the endorsement. … Lance Armstrong is on his way home, and being called a hero for all America. President Bush called Lance to ask him what it was like to win again in 2004, and President Clinton called Lance and asked him, ‘What’s it like to be with Sheryl Crow?’ … Yesterday, a judge sentenced Courtney Love to rehab, and here’s the odd part, it was a life sentence” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 7/28).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Things Overheard During Teresa Heinz Kerry’s Speech” (“Late Show,” CBS, 7/28).
| 10) “I’m feeling 57 varieties of boredom.” |
| 9) “She’s opinionated, loud and rude – sort of like a female Dick Cheney.” |
| 8) “The accent’s pretty thick, but her English is still better than Bush’s.” |
| 7) “Thank God the networks decided not to broadcast this.” |
| 6) “Pretty impressive – she can spew obscenities in several languages.” |
| 5) “You know what’s good? That Heinz gravy.” |
| 4) “Can someone ask Michael Moore to eat his Doritos more quietly?” |
| 3) “After the speech, I hear she’s going to be out in the parking lot rasslin’ reporters.” |
| 2) “Ten bucks says Bush will have her deported by September.” |
| 1) “Hey, that’s the bitch who told me to shove it.” |
LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | D’Backs P Randy Johnson trade rumors | Falcons; Yankees RF Gary Sheffield |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Randy Johnson | Cubs P Greg Maddux; Ricky Williams |
| ESPN | 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” | Cardinals-Reds | Red Sox-Orioles; Mariners-A’s |
| FSN | “I, Max” | Randy Johnson | Red Sox SS Nomar Garciaparra; Phillies manager Larry Bowa |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | White Sox fans threatening Torii Hunter | Mark Spitz; former NFL head coach Buddy Ryan |
HOT TOPIC: Last night’s edition of ESPN’s “SportsCenter” first reported on the NFL at 12:01 into the broadcast, with 3:21 of total NFL coverage.
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“Who were Mason and Dixon?”
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