| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, December 1, 2004
9:00am ET | |
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| • | ESPN This Morning Unveils Plans To Launch Wireless Phone Service In ‘05 |
| • | KCAL-Ind Inks Eight-Year Deal To Become Dodgers’ Exclusive Local Broadcaster |
| • | NASCAR Today To Announce Extension Of “In Car” Deal With iN Demand |
| • | Ebersol Family Releases First Statement Since Sunday’s Plane Crash |
| • | DC Council Gives Preliminary Approval To Ballpark Financing Package |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
ESPN TO CREATE ESPN MOBILE NATIONAL PHONE SERVICE IN 2005
ESPN this morning unveiled plans to partner with Sprint to create the first national wireless phone service specifically targeted at sports fans. The new service, called ESPN Mobile, will launch next year. ESPN Mobile will offer wireless voice service, as well as access to various sports information via streaming audio and video and other methods. ESPN Mobile will sell ESPN-branded handsets, accessories and applications. ESPN Mobile also will be responsible for billing (ESPN).
KCAL SNATCHES DODGERS LOCAL BROADCAST RIGHTS FROM KCOP
L.A.’s KCAL-Ind yesterday announced that it has signed an eight-year deal beginning with the ‘06 season to become the Dodgers’ exclusive local over-the-air broadcaster. KCAL will broadcast Angels games through the ‘05 season. FSN West 2’s cable contract with the Dodgers also runs through 2013 (THE DAILY). DAILY VARIETY reports that KCAL is “understood to be paying more than $10[M] a year” for the rights, a “healthy bump” from KCOP-Fox’ current $8M annual contract (DAILY VARIETY, 12/1).
NASCAR INKS TWO-YEAR EXTENSION WITH IN DEMAND FOR “IN CAR”
NASCAR Digital Entertainment today will announce that it has reached a two-year extension through the ’06 Nextel Cup season of its deal with iN Demand for NASCAR In Car. The multi-channel digital sports package includes seven channels of in-car camera coverage, as well as team communications and virtual dashboards. The service launched during the ’02 season (THE DAILY).
EBERSOL FAMILY ISSUES FIRST STATEMENT FOLLOWING CRASH
NBC Universal Sports & Olympics Chair Dick Ebersol’s family yesterday released the following statement regarding Sunday’s plane crash: “In the wake of this tragedy, we are touched by the overwhelming outpouring of love from people all over the world. … While our grief is unfathomable, we are so proud of our Charlie, who pulled his father from the flames. That anyone was able to survive this horrible accident is a miracle, and all of us will forever be inspired by Charlie’s courage and bravery” (NBC).
Teddy Ebersol, whose body was positively identified yesterday, volunteered at the Litchfield County Association for Retarded Citizens. Donations in his memory may be sent to the Association at the following address:
LARC Capital Campaign
In memory of Teddy Ebersol
84R Main Street
Torrington, CT 06790
Federal Tax ID# 06-6075006
Phone: 860-482-9364
MORNING BRIEFS
The DC Council yesterday gave preliminary approval to a ballpark financing package by a 6-4 vote with three abstentions. A mandatory second vote is scheduled for December 14 and “will be preceded by more debate and revisions” (WASHINGTON TIMES, 12/1).
MLB President & COO Bob DuPuy “was in Baltimore yesterday to continue negotiations with the Orioles on a deal that would financially protect them from the effects of sharing the market with the Washington Nationals” (Baltimore SUN, 12/1).
Twins President Jerry Bell yesterday said of the team’s interest in buying the Metrodome: “The Metrodome was offered to us once for a dollar. We said no. It’s not a ballpark and it never will be a ballpark” (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 12/1).
The N.Y. POST’s Page Six writes of Marv Albert, “Look for Albert to go full-time when the contract of current Nets announcer Ian Eagle expires at season’s end” (N.Y. POST, 12/1).
Sirius Satellite Radio has hired NBA analyst Bill Walton to host a weekly music program, “One More Saturday Night with Bill Walton.” The show begins Saturday and will be re-broadcast on Wednesdays (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 11/30).
The 58 Red Sox players who were voted full World Series shares received $223,620, the smallest amount for a World Series winner since ‘97 (AP, 12/1).
Martina Hingis will play in the January 31-February 6 Volvo Women’s Open in Pattaya, Thailand, “to raise money for Thai charities that help women and children who have suffered from abuse, homelessness and illness.” It will be Hingis’ first WTA event since ‘02 (USA TODAY, 12/1).
Black Coaches Association Exec Dir Floyd Keith, on three of the five Division I-A black head football coaches losing their jobs recently: "When you lose 60% out of a paltry number to start with, it doesn't send a good message" (USA TODAY, 12/1).
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
Street & Smith’s Sports Group’s Motorsports Marketing Forum begins today at the Westin New York in Times Square. NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France will deliver the keynote address. Session topics include “NASCAR & Nextel: One Year Later,” “Licensing & Merchandising,” “Nextel Cup Sponsors discuss ROI and Cost Containment” and “Value Proposition of NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck Series.” View today’s agenda.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will attend a series of meetings in Calgary with Flames execs, sponsors and season-ticket holders. Flames President & CEO Ken King estimates that as many as 500 season-ticket holders will attend (CALGARY HERALD, 12/1).
USA Track & Field will begin its annual five-day meeting at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, and the Portland OREGONIAN reported that the meeting “will include dozens of committee meetings and clinics, with agenda items as mundane as budgets and rules, to discussions about anti-doping policies” (Portland OREGONIAN, 11/29). Additionally, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Michael Johnson, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Michael Conley and Gerry Lindgren will be inducted into the National Track & Field HOF.
The NBA and its worldwide TV partners will begin airing a series of PSAs supporting World AIDS Day. The ads feature Rockets C Yao Ming and Magic Johnson. PSAs in China debuted October 14, in conjunction with the NBA China Games.
The Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will launch www.gpstpete.com and begin ticket sales for the April 3 race (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 12/1).
Comcast-Spectacor will unveil a new Web site, comcast-spectacor.com, which includes a 3D virtual tour of the Wachovia Complex.
IN OTHER NEWS….
The WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that CBS is “expected to win the November ‘sweeps’ ratings period” in the 18-49 demographic. CBS has not “earned the most-watched distinction in that group since 1980” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/1).
“JEOPARDY” CHAMP JENNINGS GOES DOWN WITH $2.5M+ IN WINNINGS
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Business & Industry.”
“Most of this firm’s 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year.”
Ken Jennings lost last night after winning 74 consecutive matches and $2,520,700. The longtime champ’s lack of sports knowledge hurt him, as he and the other contestants could not come up with the questions for the following answers in the “Pro Sports Venues” category:
For $2,000: “…And The Home of the (Atlanta) Braves”
For $1,600: “The New York Islanders’ Home Ice”
For $800: “The Detroit Red Wings’ Rink”
Jennings appeared on CBS’ “Late Show” last night where he talked about what he would do with his winnings. Jennings: “I keep hearing about these guys who blow all the money within a year or something and they don’t know where it went. I don’t want to do that.” Jennings, on his relationship with the show being on for so long: “They’ve got this very strict security where the contestants can’t hang out with anybody who knows the answers, like the host or anybody else, so they have to run a very tight ship. So I didn’t really get to go bowling with Alex (Trebeck) or anything” (“Late Show,” CBS, 11/30).
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “The holidays are one of the great times to be in New York City because everywhere you go, people really have that extra little holiday spirit. But the holidays seem like they come earlier and earlier each year. I’ll give you an example of what I’m talking about. You know the beautiful Christmas decorations on Fifth Avenue? Those are actually for next year. … I’m in the elevator and I’m listening to some Kenny G Christmas music, and so finally I said, ‘Kenny, why don’t you take the stairs?’ … The New York Mets are trying to hire Pedro Martinez from the Boston Red Sox. A $37[M] contract that they have offered him, and it’s a pretty good deal when you think about it, because with the Mets, he’ll get October off. … Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge has resigned. He’s being replaced by Conan O’Brien” (“Late Show,” CBS, 11/30).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “This is like the coldest day of the year in California. In fact it was so cold, to keep warm out at LAX, the screeners actually were sticking their hands down their own pants. It was so cold today, Scott Peterson was hoping for the electric chair. It was so cold, Ron Artest got into a fight at Starbucks just so they’d dump hot coffee on him. … Ron Artest has a rap album coming out. It’s out now. I believe he recorded it under his rap name, Bust-A Fan. … I don’t believe President Bush knows a lot about Canada. Like today, I don’t think he helped the situation when he asked to meet with their leader, Wayne Gretzky. … CBS News might be going after Matt Lauer to take over for Dan Rather, and the word is they’ve been able to offer Lauer something NBC has not been able to do: A decent haircut. … A Michigan dog has been nursing two stray kittens and today, President Bush said he’s working on an amendment to ban this” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 11/30).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Thoughts That Cross Your Mind When Traveling 190 Miles Per Hour,” read on-stage by Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch (“Late Show,” CBS, 11/30).
| 10) “Left turn, left turn, straight, left turn, left turn, straight, left turn, left turn, straight…” |
| 9) “Did I remember to TiVo ‘Desperate Housewives?’” |
| 8) “Oh yeah, the fumes are really kicking in now.” |
| 7) “Did I remember to take the supplemental liability coverage?” |
| 6) “Uh, oh, that wasn’t Powerade, that was Pennzoil.” |
| 5) “Damn, that Jeff Gordon is handsome.” |
| 4) “My crew chief Jimmy Fennig is a genius! I gotta suck up to him or else he’ll tamper with my brakes.” |
| 3) “Turn three should have a McDonald’s drive-thru.” |
| 2) “Maybe I should have put the top up.” |
| 1) “Wheeeeeee!” |
ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” host Jimmy Kimmel: “Looks like Ron Artest and his pals from the Indiana Pacers are about to get in even more trouble for that fight with the fans a couple weeks ago. Police outside Detroit say they’re planning to charge four players with assault and battery – the penalty for which could range anywhere from probation to a forcible trade to the Clippers” (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC, 11/30).
LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Notre Dame fires Ty Willingham | Packers; Browns coach Butch Davis resigns |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Notre Dame fires Ty Willingham | What’s next for Notre Dame?; Packers and Rams |
| ESPN | 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” | Notre Dame fires Ty Willingham | Spurs-Mavericks; Michigan-Georgia Tech men’s basketball |
| FSN | “I, Max” | Notre Dame fires Ty Willingham | Urban Meyer next Notre Dame head coach?; Packers QB Brett Favre |
| FSN | “BDSSP” | Notre Dame fires Ty Willingham | Chargers; Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is H&R Block?”
The K.C. BUSINESS JOURNAL reports that H&R Block has offered Ken Jennings a “lifetime of free tax planning and financial services just to show there are no hard feelings.” The services have an estimated value of $1M. The company has “given no indication that it will use Jennings in its advertising the way Subway uses Jared Fogle.” Jennings will continue his media tour today with “Good Morning America” and “Live! With Regis & Kelly” (BIZJOURNALS.com, 11/30).
Jennings, on whether he is interested in staying in the public eye: “If somebody had an idea for a commercial endorsement or speaking. So I guess I am sort of perpetuating my own lack of anonymity” (N.Y. TIMES, 12/1).
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