Morning Buzz, August 4, 2004

ANHEUSER-BUSCH NAMING NEW CARDINALS BALLPARK SAME AS OLD

MLB Cardinals Chair Bill DeWitt Jr. today will host a noon CT news conference at Busch Stadium, and the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH reports that A-B is acquiring the naming rights for the team’s new downtown ballpark, which is scheduled to open in ’06. Several sources said that the new park would be named Busch Stadium. Terms of the deal were not disclosed (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/4).

NHL & NHLPA TO DISCUSS CBA FOR SECOND TIME SINCE MAY 25

The AP reported that the NHL and NHLPA today will resume CBA discussions in Toronto, the first meeting between the sides since July 21 in N.Y. In N.Y., the parties “met for four hours and the league submitted outlines of six concepts concerning cost certainty,” but the union disapproved of all of them. Prior to that session, the sides had not met since May 25 (AP, 8/3).

WTA TOUR PLAYERS THREATENING TO BOYCOTT ATHENS GAMES

The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott “will arrive in Montreal today to attend the Rogers Cup and will discuss” with Tour players the German Olympic Committee’s exclusion of Anca Barna and Marlene Weingartner from the Athens Olympics. Several Tour players are “threatening to spark an Olympic boycott” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 8/4).

IRVING CITY COUNCIL EYEING COWBOYS STADIUM; TOO LITTLE TOO LATE?

The DALLAS MORNING NEWS reported that Irving City Council members will meet today to “discuss the possibility of building a Cowboys stadium in Las Colinas.” However, Arlington officials announced last week that they are “talking with the Cowboys about a deal that would split stadium costs 50-50. The team will work exclusively with Arlington until August 17 and would like to place a tax referendum on the November ballot” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/1).

MORNING BRIEFS

MLB owners will “discuss and, probably, extend the contract” of Commissioner Bud Selig during their August 17-18 meetings in Philadelphia. Selig said in April ’03 that he “would not seek an extension when his current contract expired” (L.A. TIMES, 8/4).

K.C. voters yesterday approved the proposed $250M downtown arena, with 57% voting in favor of “boosting hotel fees by up to $1.50 per day and rental-car fees by up to $4 per day” to help cover the cost (K.C. STAR, 8/4).

CBS expects to be 80% sold on its NFL inventory soon, and the net “is garnering ‘just under’ double-digit cost-per-thousand increases. Strong categories include automotive – domestic and foreign – telecom and beer (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 8/4).

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue yesterday said that several organizations, including Clear Channel and AEG, have submitted bids to produce the Super Bowl XXXIX halftime show, and he joked, “I’m told the only group would be the Boston Pops, so I can sleep well” (N.Y. TIMES, 8/4).

Pope John Paul II has established a sports department with the orders to cultivate a sports culture which “promotes a vision of sports activity as a means of integral personal growth and as an instrument in the service of peace and brotherhood among peoples” (AP, 8/4).

Former Mets broadcaster Bob Murphy died yesterday in West Palm Beach from lung cancer at the age of 79 (Mult., 8/4).

TODAY’S EVENTS

The Greek government will release price lists of commonly bought items “in an attempt to stop local businesses from ripping off visitors to the Olympic Games.” The lists will appear in several entry points (London GUARDIAN, 8/3).

The Royal Canadian Mint will release six million loonies in Vancouver that feature the Olympic rings. Every Canadian athlete participating in the Athens Games will receive a collector’s version of the loonie, and as much as 10% of sales of the loonies “will go towards a fund to support athletes” (EDMONTON SUN, 8/4).

The NFL will announce timelines for stadium deals at the Rose Bowl, the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and in Carson as soon as today (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 8/3).

The 2004 RBI World Series begins in Detroit, and runs through August 12. Comerica Park will host the boys championship games for each division.

The Greek and Canadian Olympic baseball teams will play a 10:00am ET exhibition game at Camden Yards. There is no admission fee, but donations benefiting the Derksen Education Fund and Greek Baseball Federation are encouraged.

SMI will release its Q2 ’04 earnings during an 11:00am ET conference call.

ESPN will host a 3:00pm ET conference call to discuss “Old School Week,” which features former “SportsCenter” anchors teaming with current anchors during August 8-12 telecasts of the show. ESPN Exec VP/Programming & Production Mark Shapiro will be joined on the call by former anchors Gayle Gardner, George Grande, Greg Gumbel, Craig Kilborn and Charley Steiner.

An exhibit celebrating the 50^th Kentucky Derby Festival, “Kentucky Derby Festival @ 50: A Photo Parade,” will open at the Kentucky Derby Museum next to Churchill Downs. The exhibit will run through the end of the year (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 8/3).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

USA TODAY reports that President Bush is “going to beat Democrat John Kerry in November,” according to the Goldklang Group, which gave attending fans a choice between a Bush or Kerry bobblehead upon entering the gates Monday night at their seven ballparks. Bush won four states – New York (Hudson Valley Renegades), South Carolina (Charleston RiverDogs), Florida (Ft. Myers Miracle) and South Dakota (Sioux Falls Canaries). Kerry won three – Massachusetts (Brockton Rox), Connecticut (New Haven County Cutters) and Minnesota (St. Paul Saints) (USA TODAY, 8/4).

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

ESPN RANKS THE 25 GREATEST SPORTS RECORDS OF LAST 25 YEARS

ESPN last night aired “ESPN25: Who’s #1? Greatest Records,” which ranked the top 25 sports records set during the last 25 years. The following details the top ten (ESPN, 8/3):

IN OTHER NEWS….

The FCC today is expected to issue a ruling on “whether people can use a new breed of digital recorders from TiVo to pipe recorded programs over the Internet from their homes to their offices, hotel rooms, friends' living rooms or beyond” (L.A. TIMES, 8/4). The NFL and MLB have lobbied the FCC to deny TiVo the ability to transmit recordings over the Internet (THE DAILY).

One of Hollywood’s “last major independent television studios, Carsey-Werner-Mandabach, has taken down its ‘for sale’ sign – at least for now.” Red Sox Chair Tom Werner is a partner in the company (L.A. TIMES, 8/4).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Reference Books.”

“The name of this type of reference book comes from the Greek for ‘circle of instruction.’”

LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

CBS’ David Letterman: “You know we’re on high terrorist alert here in New York City. You picked a nice time to come here on vacation. … If we change our lives the terrorists have won, right? Despite the fact that we’re at the orange level alert here in New York City, I went on about my normal business as usual today. Here’s what I did. First of all, fell asleep in my office just like usual. Secondly, didn’t bother to prepare for the show just the way I do everyday. Third, I got drunk at Hooters. … Don’t kid yourself, there haven’t been this many bomb threats since CBS announced its fall line-up. … Former President Bill Clinton is on the program tonight. As a result, security here in the theater is tighter than Joan Rivers’ face. … President Clinton, don’t kid yourself, is still very popular. As a matter of fact, he is three points ahead of Kerry. … According to his daughter, John Kerry once gave CPR to a hamster. Now wait a minute, didn’t the same thing happen to Richard Gere?” (“Late Show,” CBS, 8/3).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “L.A. Times reporting today that al Qaeda terrorists have been traced to Iran, and President Bush is talking tough. He said today he will invade Iran the minute he has evidence that his approval rating is below 45%. … John Edwards and John Kerry recently published their political promises and strategies in a book. See, that’s smart putting it in a book. That way they’re certain to keep it from Bush. … American Airlines kicked a disruptive man off a flight this week from Miami to New York for wearing a t-shirt that had a topless woman on the front of it. The flight wasn’t delayed. Luckily, they were able to get another pilot. … Concrete pieces from Wrigley Field in Chicago have been falling down. Well it’s strange this time of year, because usually the Cubs don’t collapse until the playoffs. … Smarty Jones is retiring at the age of three. … You know why he’s retiring? So he can smoke dope with Ricky Williams” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 8/3).

LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“What is an encyclopedia?”

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