| | The Daily Insider
Morning News & Headlines
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
9:00am ET | |
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| • | IOC Evaluation Commission Today Scouting Finance Portions Of N.Y.'s Bid |
| • | NFL And NFLPA Today To Meet Over CBA; Deal Unlikely To Occur By March 2 |
| • | Washington Lawmakers Introducing Bill Today To Finance KeyArena Expansion |
| • | Coalition Of ManU Fans Tonight Holding Anti-Glazer March At Old Trafford |
| • | Bud Selig Approves Former Agent Jeff Moorad’s Minority Investment In D’Backs |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
EVALUTION COMMISSION SCOUTING “CORNERSTONE” OF NYC2012 BID
The IOC Evaluation Commission begins the fourth day of its five-day tour of N.Y., and NEWSDAY reports that the Commission today “will take up the budget and finance portion” of N.Y.’s bid to host the 2012 Olympics, “delving into a mammoth, detailed proposal that includes a $7.5[B] construction budget and revenue estimates of $3[B].” NYC2012 execs call the budget “the cornerstone to our bid” (NEWSDAY, 2/23).
The Commission tonight will take in performances by Savion Glover and Wynton Marsalis at Jazz at Lincoln Center (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/23).
NFL AND NFLPA UNLIKELY TO REACH CBA EXTENSION BY MARCH 2
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reported that the NFL and NFLPA will meet today, continuing a process that both sides “expect will eventually extend the current [CBA],” which expires after the ’07 season, until 2011 (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/20).
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL reports that there is “enough of a gap between what the union wants and what the league will give that it’s unlikely the two sides will agree on a deal by March 2,” the date the free agency signing period begins and the last date to get a labor deal that would go into effect before the ’05 season (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 2/21 issue).
Meanwhile, the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS reports that despite the team’s uncertain ownership status, the Vikings are "willing to spend for good value.” Vikings VP/Football Operations Rob Brzezinski: “When we want to make significant transactions, we run them through [Red McCombs]. That’s the way we’ve done it in the past, and that’s what we’re instructed to do this year.” McCombs has agreed to sell the franchise to Reggie Fowler (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/23).
BONDS SOUNDS OFF IN RARE INTERVIEW SESSION WITH THE MEDIA
Giants LF Barry Bonds yesterday held a rare question-and-answer session with media, and USA TODAY notes that Bonds “was greeted in the stadium parking lot by about 50 fans, seven TV satellite trucks, a dozen TV cameras and a throng of more than 100 reporters and photographers.” During the session, Bonds said that he thinks “fans would celebrate with him if he surpassed Hank Aaron’s record of 755 career homers.” Giants Media Relations Manager Jim Moorehead said that Bonds would not answer questions about steroids, “but that didn’t stop reporters from asking them” (USA TODAY, 2/23).
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS notes that “any question that included the word ‘grand jury’ or ‘testimony’ met a slow, silent shake of the head. And there were several questions about his testimony before the federal grand jury investigating the BALCO steroid-trafficking scandal in December 2003” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/23).
View a full transcript of the session.
LAWMAKERS INTRODUCING BILL TO FINANCE KEYARENA EXPANSION
The SEATTLE TIMES reports that at the request of the Sonics and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, a trio of Washington state lawmakers “will introduce legislation today that would finance a $205[M] expansion of KeyArena and provide millions more for King County arts programs by extending several taxes now used to pay construction debt on Qwest and Safeco Fields.” The revenues would first be available to KeyArena and arts programs in 2013, when Safeco Field debt is retired (SEATTLE TIMES, 2/23).
MANU FANS HOLDING ANTI-GLAZER PROTEST PRIOR TO TONIGHT’S GAME
The MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS notes that a coalition of Manchester United fans, including Shareholders United, tonight will protest Malcolm Glazer’s attempt to buy the team prior to ManU’s game against AC Milan at Old Trafford. The protests “include warnings to club sponsors that there will be a boycott of their products if the American assumes control” (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 2/23).
MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES CLOSE TO DECIDING ON SLOTS BILL
The Baltimore SUN reports that the Maryland House of Delegates today will vote on a bill that would “authorize 9,500 slot machines at four locations in Anne Arundel, Dorchester, Frederick and Harford counties. The machines would generate about $1[B] yearly. The state’s portion, about $330[M] a year, would be dedicated to school construction.” No track owners would be guaranteed a slots license under the plan, and only Laurel Park “would be permitted to bid for a license.” Full House approval, "which could come Friday, would set the stage for negotiations with the Senate" (Baltimore SUN, 2/23).
MORNING BRIEFS
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig recently approved former agent Jeff Moorad’s bid to become a minority investor in the D’Backs (Mult.).
Gaylord Entertainment and the Predators yesterday settled a legal dispute, ending Gaylord’s 20-year, $80M naming-rights deal for the team’s arena. It also ends Gaylord’s minority ownership stake in the franchise. Under the deal, Gaylord will pay the team $4M in cash and $1M plus interest for five years when the NHL resumes playing (Predators).
As CBS “stands no chance of winning” the February sweeps, the net has “decided to yank valuable original episodes out of the final Monday of the sweeps – February 28 – to deploy them against the 90-minute premiere” of NBC’s “The Contender” on March 7. NBC also plans to air the reality show once in the “E.R.” time slot on March 10, and CBS has saved an original “Without A Trace” for that night (WASHINGTON POST, 2/23).
The Seahawks have hired Falcons Assistant GM Tim Ruskell as their President, and will announce the deal today (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 2/23).
SBC Communications has extended its title sponsorship of the Cotton Bowl. The company, which will announce the deal today, began the partnership in ’96 and later extended the deal through the ’06 game (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 2/23).
Emmis Communications CEO and former Mariners Owner Jeff Smulyan, on the possibility of him owning the Nationals: “Right now I’d call it a remote possibility. It’s a long shot, for sure” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 2/23).
ESPN’s Peter Gammons, on Red Sox fever at spring training: “It’s a huge business. Trying to get a hotel room within 30 miles of Ft. Myers right now is impossible. Red Sox Nation is nuts. … The Red Sox’ top ticket in spring training is $44 and they’re sold out” (ESPNews, 2/22).
NHL Panthers Holdings President Jordan Zimmerman yesterday said that he "sees no risk ‘opening with replacement players’ and believes some players would ‘absolutely’ cross the picket line” (MIAMI HERALD, 2/23).
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
ABC Sports & ESPN President George Bodenheimer, ESPNU VP & GM Burke Magnus and anchor Mike Hall will participate in an 11:30am ET conference call to discuss the March 4 launch of ESPNU.
The Canadian government today “will announce a [C$20M] increase over last year’s contribution of [C$120M] to Sport Canada in the federal budget.” The Canadian Olympic Committee had hoped for C$30M (CP, 2/23).
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft and wife Myra will participate in the “grand re-opening” of the Kraft Family stadium in Jerusalem after a $500,000 artificial turf installation. The facility hosts the city’s 70-team flag football program (BOSTON HERALD, 2/22).
The Buccaneers will begin demolition of the Tampa Bay Center mall at 9:00am ET in preparation for the construction of the club’s new training facility.
Bobcats President & COO Ed Tapscott at 11:00am ET will unveil the scoreboard and center display for the team’s new arena at the Charlotte Convention Center.
The PCL will go before the Portland City Council “seeking a one-year extension on its operating agreement at PGE Park.” During the session, Portland entrepreneur Hal Saltzman will “speak out against the PCL’s intended sale of the [Portland] Beavers to a group put together by Art Savage, owner of the league’s Sacramento RiverCats” (PORTLAND TRIBUNE, 2/18 issue).
Knicks F Kurt Thomas will ring the NYSE Opening Bell at 9:30am ET to celebrate the kickoff of his fifth annual Investment Challenge. Thomas will be joined by Securities Industry Association Exec VP Donald Kittell and Merrill Lynch First VP & Head of Global Philanthropy Eddy Bayardelle.
Red Sox 1B Kevin Millar, Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins and Blue Jays CF Vernon Wells will film PSAs promoting MLB’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The World Poker Tour will host a celebrity Texas Hold 'em invitational at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California. Football HOFer Deacon Jones and actors Ed Asner, James Woods, Marilu Henner, Mimi Rogers and Ray Romano, among others, will participate (L.A. TIMES, 2/23).
Anna Kournikova will appear in a Miami-Dade County courtroom to “ask a judge for a restraining order against a homeless man police charged with stalking her last month” (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 2/23).
WEEI-AM will name former Boston Globe writer and "I, Max" contributor Michael Holley its midday show co-host with Dale Arnold. Arnold for the past three years has teamed with Bob Neumeier on the “Dale and Neumy” show (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/23).
IN OTHER NEWS….
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that a U.S. Appeals Court panel yesterday “accused the FCC of making a power grab when it issued a rule requiring that electronic devices include copyright-protection technology designed to prevent digitally broadcast movies, sports shows and other programs from being illegally distributed over the Internet” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 2/23).
The N.Y. POST reports that the Magazine Publishers of America is “kicking off a massive $40[M], three-year ad campaign,” via Fallon, N.Y., that will include some ads that “gently spoof the people who say print is dead by putting together mock covers that will be on magazines 100 years into the future.” The faux covers “will be wrapped around several thousand issues that go out to people on the comp list, including ad agencies and media personalities.” Sports Illustrated's faux cover will read, “Hell Freezes Over. Cubs Win 2105 World Series” (N.Y. POST, 2/23).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Political Geography.”
“The two island nations that are official members of the G-8 (Group of Eight).”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “Just a reminder: what happens in the balcony stays in the balcony. ... Tonight’s show is not clothing optional. There’s a restaurant here in New York City, and if you want to, you can go to the restaurant and have dinner naked. If I want to eat dinner naked I’ll stay at home! The name of the restaurant is Wendy’s. I was thinking about the concept of naked dinner. I can’t talk a woman into getting undressed after dinner ... Here’s a sure sign that spring is just around the corner: Martha Stewart gets out of prison in two weeks. God, I just hope she can make it on the outside. ... President Bush, by the way, is on his European tour. He has a four-day trip to Belgium, Slovakia, Belarus and several other places he can’t pronounce” (“Late Show,” CBS, 2/22).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “It’s rained so much, women in Beverly Hills are getting breast implants just so they float better. It is so damp today, Prince Charles’ fiancé still has that wet dog smell. ... We’ve had 32 inches of rain. Oh my God, has anybody seen Gary Coleman? In fact, Hollywood is so flooded today, I saw a hooker standing on a traffic island yelling, ‘Land ho!’ ... Paris Hilton had her Sidekick hacked. They put her address book, her e-mails, her pictures and her diary on the Internet. In fact, we pulled some of it off. Here are some of the entries. ‘June 30, 2004: Today on ‘Simple Life,’ worked in gas station. Refilled air in my head. November 1, 2004: Asked to host ‘Saturday Night Live.’ Must ask what day it’s on.’ ... Admitted steroid user Jason Giambi got a warm welcome from the Yankee fans today when he showed up for spring training. Fans gave him a standing ovation despite his admission that he used steroids. I just hope this doesn’t give him a big head … again” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 2/22).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Messages Left On Paris Hilton’s Cell Phone” (“Late Show,” CBS, 2/22).
| 10) “You probably don’t remember me, but we had sex about three weeks ago.” |
| 9) “Consider switching to Verizon, we rarely let hackers steal your personal information.” |
| 8) “So this is the second most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you.” |
| 7) “Uh yes, I’d like to book a room for next Wednesday night at the Detroit Hilton.” |
| 6) “It’s Bill Clinton. I’ve been meaning to call you for some time.” |
| 5) “Hey, it’s Pauly Shore – thanks for getting my name in the newspaper.” |
| 4) “Sorry I missed you, you must be at work...just kidding.” |
| 3) “Hi, it’s Christo. Wanna get freaky in Central Park ?” |
| 2) “You have a collect call from Dave Letterman. Will you accept?” |
| 1) “Is there anything of yours not on the Internet?” |
LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Yankees 1B Jason Giambi | Kansas losing three games in a row; Seahawks re-sign Matt Hasselbeck |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Giants LF Barry Bonds | Jose Canseco possibly taking a lie detector test on PPV; Kansas |
| ESPN | 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” | Oklahoma State-Nebraska | Giants LF Barry Bonds; Heat-Bulls |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“Who are Great Britain and Japan?”
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
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