| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Monday, February 14, 2005
9:00am ET | |
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| • | Reggie Fowler Today To Announce That He Is Buying The Vikings |
| • | Gary Bettman Holding Meeting Today To Outline Cancellation Of ’05 Season |
| • | Cal Ripken To Pitch XM Satellite Radio In Deal To Support MLB Sponsorship |
| • | NBC Producing 64-Player Poker Tournament To Air On Four Saturdays In May |
| • | MLB Reportedly To Approve Moorad’s Minority D’Backs Ownership This Week |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
REGGIE FOWLER ACQUIRING VIKINGS FROM McCOMBS FOR $625-635M
The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS reports that Arizona entrepreneur Reggie Fowler today will announce that he has an agreement in principle to buy the Vikings from Red McCombs for as much as $635M. McCombs bought the franchise in ’98 for $246M. If approved, Fowler would become the first black owner of an NFL team (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/14).
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that Fowler is paying $625M for the club, and as general partner, Fowler “must put in 30[%] of the cash portion of the deal. He can borrow up to $125[M] from a league-controlled line of credit to finance the purchase. If the purchase price is $625[M], he needs to invest $150[M] of the remaining $500[M]” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/14).
BETTMAN TO OUTLINE THE CANCELLATION OF THE SEASON TODAY
The DETROIT NEWS cites a Rogers Sportsnet report that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman “has scheduled a meeting in New York for today to outline the cancellation of the season.” Bettman “may put off the cancellation” if NHLPA Exec Dir Bob Goodenow “produces a proposal the league believes is worth studying” (DETROIT NEWS, 2/14).
CAL RIPKEN TO PITCH XM SATELLITE RADIO IN THREE-YEAR DEAL
By Terry Lefton, Editor-at-Large, The Sports Business Daily
MLB iron man Cal Ripken Jr. has inked a three-year deal to endorse XM Satellite Radio. Ripken, who recently made appearances at the Consumer Electronics Show on behalf of XM, will help leverage the 11-year, $650M deal XM signed for exclusive MLB rights last October with print, radio and TV ads. He will be a “goodwill ambassador” for XM and also do a weekly show with his brother Billy on the dedicated MLB channel that is being formally launched by XM this week. “This relationship specifically addresses one of Cal’s initiatives, growing youth baseball,” said Steve Rosner, a partner at 16W Marketing, which signed to represent Ripken last fall. “XM’s programming gives him a platform to continue that mission” (THE DAILY).
See today’s issue of The Daily for more on the deal.
MORE EXPOSURE ON THE WAY FOR BARKLEY UNDER EXTENSION
USA TODAY reports that TNT today will announce that that it has extended NBA analyst Charles Barkley’s contract through the ’07-08 season. Turner Sports President David Levy said that he expects Barkley to “appear on TNT corporate cousins such as HBO and CNN as ‘we’re trying to expose Charles in a lot off different ways in the Time Warner family.’” HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg said that the net may integrate Barkley into “Costas Now,” a Bob Costas monthly show debuting in April (USA TODAY, 2/14).
NBC SET TO PRODUCE 64-PLAYER POKER TOURNEY IN LAS VEGAS
The LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL reports that NBC Sports today will announce plans to produce the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, a 64-player tournament at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas in March. The event will air on four consecutive Sundays in May from 12:00-1:00pm ET, concluding with a two-hour finale on May 22 from 1:00-3:00pm. A $1.5M purse is highlighted by a $500,000 check for the overall winner (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 2/14).
DAVID DUNN APPEALING BREACH OF CONTRACT DECISION AGAINST HIM
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reports that David Dunn and his Athletes First agency “will ask the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this week to overturn a $44.66[M] verdict returned against them by a jury that said Dunn breached a contract and engaged in unfair competition” with former partner Leigh Steinberg. Among other claims, Dunn’s attorneys argue that some evidence that should have been allowed at trial was not, and that the court “did not weigh the evidence correctly” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/14 issue).
TWINS APPEALING TO SMALL BUSINESSES WITH NEW TICKET PLAN
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that the Twins today will unveil the Business Advantage Pack, which is aimed at businesses that employ up to 250 people. The mini-plan is sold in six- or ten-game packages and features four seats per game, $40 worth of concession vouchers per game, a $100 gift certificate for area restaurants and a foursome of golf at a local course. The six-game packs are available for $659-827, while the ten-game packs range from $1,151 to $2,071 (Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE, 2/14).
MORNING BRIEFS
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig this week is expected to approve D’Backs CEO Jeff Moorad’s minority ownership of the franchise (EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE, 2/13). D’Backs General Partner Ken Kendrick said of the report, “I saw it, and it’s premature. We have had discussions, but we aren’t at the finish line” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 2/14).
The lawsuit brought by the former limited partners of the Expos against Marlins Owner Jeffrey Loria “was dismissed Friday when a federal judge in Miami approved an arbitration panel’s ruling” (PALM BEACH POST, 2/12).
The Nationals’ radio deal “should finally be completed this week, but there are still multiple candidates,” including Bonneville Int’l Corp., Infinity Broadcasting and Clear Channel Communications (WASHINGTON POST, 2/14).
Longtime Reds SS Barry Larkin retired yesterday and took a job as Special Assistant to the GM for the Nationals. Larkin begins work today (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 2/14).
ATTENDANCE WATCH
A new record was set at Wachovia Center on Saturday as 40,355 fans combined to attend Syracuse-Villanova men’s hoops and Magic-76ers. The previous one-day record was 40,348, set in ’97 (Comcast-Spectacor).
The crowd of 13,297 at Saturday night’s AFL Arizona Rattlers-Georgia Force game at Philips Arena was the largest in Force history (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/13).
The largest crowd to watch an ACC women’s basketball game – 17,243 – attended yesterday’s Duke-Maryland game (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 2/14).
WEEKEND RAP
The following are excerpts from the panelists’ “parting shots” on Sunday’s edition of ESPN’s “The Sports Reporters”:
- Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan: “Here’s some free advice for Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb: go visit Bill Belichick and Tom Brady this offseason. They know something you don’t, which is how to run the two-minute drill.”
- N.Y. Daily News columnist Mike Lupica: “The case against baseball, the one about performance-enhancing drugs, didn’t begin with BALCO. It really began one day during the home run summer of McGwire and Sosa in ’98, even if not nearly enough of us paid enough attention at the time. A reporter from the (AP) named Steve Wilstein saw a jar of Androstenedione ... in McGwire’s locker. Wilstein asked him about it and wrote about it because even though Andro wasn’t banned in baseball at the time -- hardly anything short of heroine and crack cocaine really was – it was banned in the NFL and the Olympics. McGwire can plead innocence from here to Cooperstown and it won’t change the fact that reasonable people know that Andro was a precursor to steroids. ... All we can do is hope that the new drug-testing policy catches every single dope who still thinks that dope is the way to get rich and famous.”
- USA Today’s Ian O’Connor: “Karl Malone and Reggie Miller have announced their retirements from the NBA without a championship ring between them but with a fairly substantial consolation prize: Olympic gold medals. Allen Iverson might someday retire without either, but the league’s leading scorer ... is proving that you don’t need to stand on the highest platform to be declared a winner. It was Iverson who gave the United States its proudest moment in Athens, this after being unfairly painted as the counter-culture face of Larry Brown’s lost cause. Iverson used that semifinal loss to Argentina as a forum to charge his teammates to represent their country the right way in a bronze medal game they would win. Now (Iverson) plays hard every NBA night.”
- ESPN’s John Saunders: “As a hockey fan, I have spent a lot of time defending or apologizing for my sport. This morning I’m not making apologies, I’m demanding them. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and (NHLPA Exec Dir) Bob Goodenow need to apologize for the sorry mess they’ve made of the NHL. ... Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow say they want to fix the game. If that’s true, than let someone else run it” (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN, 2/13).
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 |
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| Philadelphia Daily News | Newsday |
TODAY’S EVENTS
Jose Canseco’s book, “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big,” hits retail. In the book, Canseco alleges that Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez, among others, used steroids with him.
Louis Maisonave’s suit against the independent Atlantic League Newark Bears and their food concessionaire, Gourmet Services, begins in New Jersey Supreme Court. Maisonave is suing the team because he was hit in the face by a foul ball while buying a beer. Attorney Timothy Schipske, who is representing the Bears, claims that if Maisonave can sue, then “every baseball, football, hockey, soccer and basketball organization in the state” risks similar lawsuits (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 2/13).
New Era Cap will debut its new property, “EK by New Era,” and its Fall ’05 MLB and NBA 59FIFTY “All-Overs,” Lifestyle, Women’s and Children’s headwear lines at the Magic fashion show in Las Vegas.
THIS WEEK IN SISTER PUBLICATION SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL…..
This week’s cover story reports that the NFL is open to sharing teams’ local revenue.
| Also in this week’s issue: |
| • | PGA Tour fills new category with health-insurance partner Humana. |
| • | Putting NASCAR to the test in an in-depth preview of the upcoming season. |
| • | NBA touting increased attendance, but waiting for ratings to rise. |
| • | Touching base with Jim Steeg as his Super Bowl detail is done after 26 years |
| • | One-On-One with Suns minority investor and TNT NBA analyst Steve Kerr. |
IN OTHER NEWS….
This week’s cover of TIME offers “What Teachers Hate About Parents,” while NEWSWEEK examines “The Myth of the Perfect Mother.”
USA TODAY reports that Verizon has agreed to buy MCI for about $6.6B in stock and cash, “besting Qwest in a bidding contest for the USA’s No. 2 long-distance carrier.” Qwest actually offered more – $7B in stock – but “concerns over Qwest’s long-term financial stability ultimately outweighed the differential” (USA TODAY, 2/14).
REUTERS reported that Disney shareholders re-elected the BOD “at an upbeat annual meeting on Friday, a sharp turn from last year’s widespread shareholder protest.” CEO Michael Eisner, whose re-election was opposed by 45% last year, won 92.2% of the shareholder vote on Friday. President & COO Robert Iger, who is widely thought to be the leading candidate to replace Eisner, won 94.6% of the vote (REUTERS, 2/12).
The 47th annual Grammy Awards were distributed last night at Staples Center in L.A. The following details select winners. View the entire list of winners.
| CATEGORY | WINNER | TITLE |
| Record of the Year | Here We Go Again | Ray Charles & Norah Jones |
| Album of the Year | Genius Loves Company | Ray Charles & Various Artists |
| Song of the Year | John Mayer | Daughters |
| Best New Artist | Maroon 5 | n/a |
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Friday night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “1930s Movies.”
“This film that originally hit the big screen in 1930 was re-released soon after the German invasion of Poland.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “It’s the end of Fashion Week. Monday is the beginning of the annual dog show. Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got bitches coming and going. ... The Westminster Kennel Club show every year is at Madison Square Garden. Usually, the only thing that rolls and plays dead at the Garden are the Knicks. Last year at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, there was a huge scandal and you hate when a lovely event like this is tainted by scandal, but it was just awful. They disqualified a Yorkshire terrier when it turned out to be a blow-dried rat. ... Tomorrow is Lincoln’s birthday, and in honor of Lincoln’s birthday, the hookers in Times Square will be passing out stove-pipe condoms. ... Martha Stewart, while she’s in lock-up, has signed an enormous deal with NBC to do a Donald Trump kind of show. It’s her own version of ‘The Apprentice,’ and I was thinking, ‘Donald Trump? I knew if she was in prison she’d start hanging around with a bad crowd’” (“Late Show,” CBS, 2/11).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “We are now the official wedding planners for Charles and Camilla. I am so excited. As you know Prince Charles will marry his longtime girlfriend, Camilla Bowles. They’re getting married on April 8th. But Camilla Parker Bowles will not be called queen. That title of course is reserved for Prince Edward. ... I believe Charles first met Camilla at a polo match in the early ‘70s. Back then, Charles was a rugged-looking young man, and so was Camilla. ... A 4.2 earthquake occurred in Arkansas. Over 200 cars fell off their blocks. In fact, they said they haven’t seen this many people dive under a desk since Clinton was governor. ... In his book, Jose Canseco says he injected Mark McGwire with steroids ‘too many times to count.’ But in his interview with Mike Wallace he said it was only twice. So apparently, doing steroids not only shrinks your genitals, it shrinks your brain as well. … Karl Malone announced his retirement from the Lakers today. He said he wants to spend more time with Kobe’s family” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 2/11).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Friday’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Signs You’re In A Bad Relationship,” read on-stage by ten N.Y.-area divorce attorneys (“Late Show,” CBS, 2/11).
| 10) “You call her ‘sweetie’; she calls you ‘that guy whose food I’m poisoning.’” |
| 9) “You share the same prison cell.” |
| 8) “I’m sleeping with your wife.” |
| 7) “Your husband comes home with a new dress for you and another one for himself.” |
| 6) “You sleep in separate beds, in separate rooms, in separate houses, in separate states.” |
| 5) “He has spent the last three-and-a-half years fleeing from cave to cave in the mountainous region of Tora Bora.” |
| 4) “She watches ‘Desperate Housewives’ for ideas on how to cheat.” |
| 3) “Your spouse is late for your anniversary because ‘the gay bar didn’t have a clock.’” |
| 2) “Her response to your marriage proposal: ‘I guess.’” |
| 1) “You married Star Jones.” |
SUNDAY NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
ESPN’s 1:00am ET edition of “SportsCenter” led with Lakers-Cavaliers, followed by UNC-UConn and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that the estimated $45.3M debut of Sony’s “Hitch,” starring Will Smith, is the largest ever for a romantic comedy and a Valentine’s weekend best. The estimated total for the top 12 films is $107.5M, an 18% increase over last year’s comparable weekend. The total for all films is forecast to be in the mid-$120M range, up from last year’s $112M (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/14).
| Title | Weekend | Cumulative |
| “Hitch” | $45.3M | $45.3M |
| “Boogeyman” | $10.8M | $33.3M |
| “Are We There Yet?” | $8.5M | $61.5M |
| “Million Dollar Baby” | $7.6M | $45.1M |
| “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie” | $6.0M | $6.0M |
| “The Wedding Date” | $5.6M | $19.5M |
| “Hide and Seek” | $5.6M | $43.6M |
| “Sideways” | $4.8M | $53.1M |
| “The Aviator” | $4.6M | $82.3M |
| “Meet the Fockers” | $3.4M | $269.9M |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What was ‘All Quiet on the Western Front?’”
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