| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
9:00am ET | |
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| • | NASCAR’s Helton Today To Lift Ban On Hard-Liquor Sponsorships |
| • | NBA, Nike Today Announce Extension; Allows More Flexibility In Promotions |
| • | DC Council Chair Blocks Bill To Introduce Second Option For Ballpark |
| • | WTA Championships Begin Today In L.A. With Heavy Sharapova Focus |
| • | Athens' Price Tag For Olympics Surpassing Estimates; Approaching Highest Ever |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
NASCAR TEAMS ALLOWED TO SIGN LIQUOR SPONSORSHIPS NEXT SEASON
NASCAR President Mike Helton will hold a 10:00am ET teleconference to announce that the ban on hard-liquor sponsorships will be lifted for next season. USA TODAY reports that NASCAR teams and tracks will be permitted to advertise hard-liquor brands, “as long as the advertising programs include a commitment to promote responsible drinking.” NASCAR is not expected to name an official hard liquor (USA TODAY, 11/10).
NBA AND NIKE WILL EXPAND GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH $100M DEAL
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that the NBA today will announce it has expanded its global marketing deal with Nike for $100M over the "next four to five years that would give Nike more flexibility” in using its endorsed players in their NBA uniforms for joint promotions. As part of the deal, Nike will also sponsor the “Basketball Without Borders” program (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/10).
SOME MEMBERS OF DC COUNCIL WILL MEET TODAY ON NEW BALLPARK PLAN
The WASHINGTON POST reports that DC Council Chair Linda Cropp “blocked approval of a bill to build a baseball stadium with public money yesterday, announcing that she has a plan that could provide up to $350[M] in private funding” (WASHINGTON POST, 11/10). The WASHINGTON TIMES notes Cropp “wants to provide development rights to the ballpark” to a group led by real-estate exec Richard Gross, who would pay $350M to build the ballpark, then lease it to the team “while the debt is paid off.” The city would provide $150M for land and infrastructure. Cropp and DC Council member Jack Evans will meet today with Gross' group. The council is scheduled to vote on the ballpark issue again in two weeks (WASHINGTON TIMES, 11/10).
Meanwhile, the Expos today will announce how to purchase season tickets for the ‘05 season in DC. Expos President Tony Tavares indicated that the ticket announcement, which has been delayed several times, is “caught up in legal details,” but “had nothing to do with the council's postponement of the stadium vote” (WASHINGTON POST, 11/10).
WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS SHIFT MARKETING FOCUS TO SHARAPOVA
The WTA Tour Championships begin today at Staples Center in L.A., and the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE notes event organizers are focusing “on the appeal of [Maria] Sharapova” to reverse the event’s trend of declining attendance. A 48-foot by 14-foot billboard on Sunset Boulevard shows Sharapova lounging against a fence, and the “one thing not visible [is] a tennis racket” (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/10).
USA TODAY reports that a tournament poster sports Sharapova’s image with the tag line, “The closer you sit the hotter she gets” (USA TODAY, 11/10).
TURIN STRUGGLES DOWNPLAYED AS TICKETS GO ON SALE IN U.S.
Tickets for the ‘06 Turin Olympics go on sale today in the U.S., and the WASHINGTON POST reports that the USOC official ticket supplier, CoSport, has been allocated 21,169 tickets for distribution as individual tickets, ticket packages and ticket and lodging packages. CoSport President Matt Bijur: “We expect those folks who were intimidated by Athens to come back. Our goal is really to sell out everything” (WASHINGTON POST, 11/10).
MORNING BRIEFS
The ‘04 Athens Olympics’ overall cost may exceed the latest estimated price tag of $9B, according to Greece’s finance minister, making them the “most expensive in history.” The original bill was $6B (SportsTicker, 11/9).
Hockey HOFer and Coyotes Managing Partner Wayne Gretzky said he will not mediate between the NHL and NHLPA. Gretzky: “It’s not something I can just go in and fix. People will ask my thoughts, but no one has said ‘you should go in’” (TORONTO SUN, 11/10).
MLB Exec VP/Baseball Operations Sandy Alderson at the GM meetings in Florida yesterday discussed moving the non-waiver trading deadline to August 15 from July 31 (Mult., 11/10).
PGA Tour and San Antonio officials met yesterday in hopes of developing an PGA village development alternative. PGA Tour Senior VP Bob Combs, who participated in the talks said, “San Antonio is one market among a number” the group is currently evaluating (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 11/10).
After 15 riders were banned from the Churchill Downs meet, jockeys have been named for all 247 horses entered today and Thursday at the track. The Jockeys’ Guild and riders are angered by the industry being “lax in helping jockeys buy high-priced insurance that would cover them more fully” for on-track accidents (L.A. TIMES, 11/10).
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 6th Annual Street & Smith’s Sports Media & Technology conference concludes today at the InterContinental Barclay New York. Scheduled topics include, “The Future of Televised Sports,” “The Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Sports Networks,” “Succeeding in the Crowded Fantasy Sports Market,” “Ticketing Technology and the Impact on the Bottom Line,” “The Realities of the HDTV Transition,” and “Turning a Team Website into a Profit Center.”
The ‘04 World Children’s Day “Give a Hand” auction consisting of autographed, celebrity handprints, including Venus and Serena Williams and Carl Lewis, will begin on eBay. Proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
The Univ. of Tennessee BOT will vote to approve the initial phase of the $107M Neyland Stadium renovations (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 11/10).
The National Basketball Referee Association will launch www.nbarefs.org, a site that will include information on rules and officiating and for groups seeking referees for speaking engagements (USA TODAY, 11/10).
Reebok Int’l today is expected to unveil their $100 Pump 2.0 laceless sneaker that uses “pressure from inflatable air bladders to cling to the foot” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/10).
AHL Commissioner Dave Andrews will discuss upcoming AHL initiatives at 1:00pm ET at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.
IN OTHER NEWS….
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that CBS led the Nielsen standings in total viewers for the week of Novemver 4, “which included Election night and the first four nights of the November sweep.” ABC and NBC tied for lead in adults 18-49 and Fox “finished a distant fourth in both key measures” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 11/10).
DAILY VARIETY reported that Fox “has greenlit production of a live-action ‘24’ spinoff [‘24: Conspiracy’] that will be produced” specifically for cell phones. Each one-minute episode can be downloaded to Verizon phones every week (DAILY VARIETY, 11/10)
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Theatrical Premieres"
“The ‘Playboy Riots’ took place in this world capital in 1907 following a theatrical premiere.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “I’ve been thinking about this all day. Do you think it’s too soon to hit on Mrs. Arafat? According to Palestinian sources, Yasser Arafat is dead but improving. … New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey is stepping down this weekend. He says he wants to spend more time embarrassing his family. … Governor McGreevey is looking back on his greatest achievements while in office, and he cites environmental reforms -- very proud of that -- improving education and replacing those hideous drapes in the governor’s mansion. … Earlier right here (on CBS) was the 38th annual Country Music Awards show, and it turned out to be another heartbreaking loss for John Kerry. … John Kerry is already talking about running in 2008, and he’s going to make some changes. For example, Kerry will be replacing Teresa Heinz Kerry, his wife, with Diane Keaton” (“Late Show,” CBS, 11/9).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “Operation Phantom Fury is now underway in Iraq. Where are they coming up with the names for these missions? Phantom Fury? What is President Bush dipping into, his comic book collection? Operation Green Hornet! … If you saw the footage of Fallujah, it was unbelievable. Bullets flying through the air, smoke in the sky, people yelling in foreignlanguages.It’s like L.A. with cheaper gas. … Attorney General John Ashcroft has resigned. He didn’t want to resign, but the Bush White House felt he was just too liberal. I guess he figured once New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey was gone, his job was done. … There’s talk of Hillary Clinton (running for president) in 2008 and, of course, Bill’s very excited about it. He calls her campaign, the Polar Express. … The NFL season is now half over unless you’re a Miami Dolphin fan, and then it’s completely over. (Dolphins head coach) Dave Wannstedt resigned, quit. Actually, he tried to throw in the towel last week, but it was intercepted. His heart’s not in it I think. He said today it was time to resign when he began leaving the games early to beat the traffic” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 11/9).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Good Things About Being A 57-year-old First-Time Mother” (“Late Show,” CBS, 11/9).
| 10) “Baby screaming? Turn down the volume on your hearing aid.” |
| 9) “Sweet 2-for-1 deal on strained peas.” |
| 8) “Bottle of Lipitor makes great rattle.” |
| 7) “Somebody drooled on the sofa? Blame it on baby!” |
| 6) “Nothing will put your baby to sleep quicker than a bedtime story from the AARP newsletter.” |
| 5) “Don’t have to worry about costly college tuition because you’ll be dead.” |
| 4) “Able to calm crying baby with soothing hum of your pacemaker.” |
| 3) “57? You’re just a kid…provided you’re a redwood tree or one of those giant turtles.” |
| 2) “When child asks where babies come from, you can honestly say you don’t remember.” |
| 1) “People are already saying, ‘At least you’re not 70 like Letterman.’” |
LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt | Colts Defense; Jets QB Chad Pennington |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Dave Wannstedt | Maurice Clarett; Rams coach Mike Martz |
| ESPN | “SportsCenter” | Pacers-T’Wolves | Astros P Roger Clemens; Wizards-Heat |
| FSN | “I, Max” | Maurice Clarett | Dave Wannstedt; Colts |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Roger Clemens | Maurice Clarett; Dave Wannstedt |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is Dublin?”
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