| • | NHLPA Today To Present Labor Update To Player Agents In Toronto |
| • | Orange County Court Judge Today Ruling On Portion Of Angels-Anaheim Case |
| • | Flurry Of Activity Expected As NFL Free Agency Period Begins Today |
| • | Cactus League Opening Play Today Amid Expectations Of Record Ticket Sales |
| • | N.Y. Mayor Says That He Is Open To Considering Olympic Stadium In Queens |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
NHLPA EMERGES FROM TORONTO MEETINGS WITH SOLIDARITY
The NHLPA will present a CBA update to player agents today in Toronto, and the TORONTO STAR reports that NHLPA Exec Dir Bob Goodenow “emerged from two days of meetings with players yesterday with an even more intense grip over his constituents. There were some dissenting voices that were given the floor,” but sources indicated that the players “decided to close ranks and leave the talking and decision making to Goodenow and the executive committee” (TORONTO STAR, 3/2).
The NHL BOG also met yesterday in N.Y., and the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman “plans to invite the NHLPA back to the bargaining table ‘in the near future,’ although he does not plan to arrive armed with a new proposal.” Asked whether the invitation could come as early as today, Bettman said, “We haven’t ruled that in or out. We’re going to encourage them to come back to the table quickly” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 3/2).
The N.Y. TIMES reports that NHLPA President & Canucks C Trevor Linden “did not sound as eager as Bettman to resume collective bargaining.” Linden: “It’s important for both sides to take a little time to reassess. To get right back at it and start firing proposals, I’m not sure that’s the right way to do it” (N.Y. TIMES, 3/2).
L.A. JUDGE RULING ON ANGELS’ REQUEST TO DISMISS ANAHEIM SUIT
The L.A. TIMES reports that Orange County Superior Court Judge Peter Polos today will rule on the Angels’ request to dismiss three of four counts in the city of Anaheim’s complaint against the team for changing its name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Meanwhile, the California Court of Appeal yesterday gave the Angels until March 9 to “respond to [a] brief filed by the city Monday, which asks the court to overrule” Polos and “block the team from playing” under its new name (L.A. TIMES, 3/2).
FLURRY OF ACTIVITY EXPECTED AS NFL FREE AGENCY PERIOD BEGINS
USA TODAY notes that more than 300 NFL players became free agents this morning, and “with at least 10 teams projected to have $10[M] or more available under the league’s $85.5[M] salary cap, a flurry of activity is expected” (USA TODAY, 3/2).
But the N.Y. TIMES notes that the “fireworks of last year, when Philadelphia signed Jevon Kearse and acquired Terrell Owens in a complicated trade and made it to the Super Bowl, are not expected” (N.Y. TIMES, 3/2).
CACTUS LEAGUE TEAMS EXPECTING RECORD-SETTING TICKET SALES
The ARIZONA REPUBLIC reports that all 12 Cactus League teams are expecting record-setting ticket sales, as the spring-training league begins play today. Based on advance ticket sales and room reservations, tourism industry officials are “pumped about the prospects for record attendance and grand-slam profits.” The league’s economic impact is estimated at more than $200M. Cactus League VP Robert Brinton: “We’re well ahead of the [18-team] Grapefruit League on a per-game basis” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/2).
MORNING BRIEFS
N.Y. Mayor Michael Bloomberg yesterday said for the first time that he “would ‘consider’ the possibility of an Olympic stadium in Queens instead of on Manhattan’s West Side” (N.Y. POST, 3/2).
Padres President & CEO Dick Freeman yesterday released a statement in response to Padres GM Kevin Towers’ comments about suspecting players used steroids in the past. Freeman: “No one had evidence because testing of [MLB] players was subject to collective bargaining and could not be imposed unilaterally by [MLB]” (Padres).
Miami-Dade County Commissioners yesterday approved a “non-binding agreement that spells out the costs” of a $420M ballpark for the Marlins and parking garage east of the Orange Bowl (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 3/2).
Maryland Senate President Thomas Miller Jr. yesterday said that “efforts to legalize slot machine gambling in the state have stalled and that it may take an extraordinary step” by Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. “to jump-start the endeavor” (WASHINGTON POST, 3/2).
K2 yesterday reported a 75% jump in Q4 ’04 revenue to $338.9M and net income of $8.8M. For the full year, net income jumped from $11.4M in ’03 to $38.9M, and revenue increased from $718.5M to $1.2B (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/2).
Real Salt Lake yesterday announced that the U.S. Men’s World Cup Qualifier against Costa Rica will be played immediately after the June 4 MLS FC Dallas-Real Salt Lake match at Rice-Eccles Stadium (Real Salt Lake).
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 |
TODAY’S EVENTS
ESPN will televise the Nationals’ first spring training game against the Mets at 1:05pm ET.
The Red Sox will visit the White House to celebrate their World Series title, and the BOSTON HERALD reports that Red Sox Owner John Henry, Chair Tom Werner and President & CEO Larry Lucchino will also “attend a ceremony in which members of Jackie Robinson’s family will receive a Congressional Gold Medal awarded posthumously to Robinson.” The team will conclude their visit by taking the World Series trophy to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (BOSTON HERALD, 3/2).
NBC Sports will conduct a 1:30pm ET conference call to discuss the coverage of the PGA Tour “Southern Swing.” NBC Sports Exec Producer Tommy Roy and broadcasters Dan Hicks, Johnny Miller and Roger Maltbie will participate.
The Dodgers will begin selling “Think Blue” wristbands for $2 during their Grapefruit League opener at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, Florida. Proceeds will benefit the Dodgers Dream Foundation.
IN OTHER NEWS….
A Nielsen Monitor-Plus report released yesterday found that ad spending in the U.S. rose 6.3% in ’04, led by a 13.7% increase in syndicated TV ad sales. Network TV and local magazines ad sales each rose 12.2%, followed by cable TV with an 11.7% jump (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 3/2).
The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Stevens (R-AK) and U.S. House Commerce Committee Chair Joe Barton (R-TX) “want to put pay TV services under the same indecency regulations as over-the-air broadcasters, contending that viewers can’t tell the difference between the services.” Stevens does not “want the regulations to stop with the most popular tiers, either, telling reporters that HBO and other premium channels should come under the same regulations” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/2).
The annual American Association of Advertising Agencies Media Conference begins today in New Orleans, and the WALL STREET JOURNAL reports that the meeting is “bringing together more than 1,200 executives – a record figure – who buy and sell ad time and space on TV, on radio, in newspapers and in emerging media platforms such as cellphones and videogames” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/2).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Historic Quotations.”
“In 1900, Teddy Roosevelt wrote, ‘I have always been fond of the West African proverb:’ this.”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “If you came to New York City to see the artwork in Central Park – the Gates, the big Jeanne-Claude and Christo installation – they’re dismantling that project now. So the transformation begins. Central Park is returning from art project back to hellhole. ... Christo’s not done. He goes on to his next project now. He’s covering Trump Tower with Post-its. ... Russia has agreed to help Iran build a nuclear reactor, because when you think well-built nuclear reactor, you think Russia. ... Martha Stewart is getting out of prison on Sunday, and Paul and I are going to rent a van, and we’re going to go down and pick her up, and when she gets back, Martha’s first order of business is rub out the stooly who sent her up” (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/1).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “The big story here is of course the red carpet, the flashbulbs popping, the designer dresses. Yes, the Michael Jackson trial is underway! ... Today, Michael’s lawyers said they will not play the race card. Apparently, they can’t figure out what race Michael is. ... Arnold Schwarzenegger said today he has no interest in running for President. He says when he made that statement in the ‘70s predicting he would be president he was just kidding, and today President Bush said, ‘Me too.’ ... According to NBC News, our government has just intercepted a secret message sent by Osama bin Laden. This could be bin Laden’s fatal mistake: trying to e-mail Paris Hilton. ... After four years of negotiations with the city of Chicago, the Chicago Cubs are going to expand Wrigley Field and install almost 2,000 new seats. This will increase the potential number of fans who can reach out, catch a ball and keep them out of the World Series. ... Sports moron Jose Canseco’s book about steroids in baseball is the number one best-selling book in the country, and Jose says he’s totally pumped up about it” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 3/1).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Other Changes At CNN” (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/1).
| 10) “Wolf Blitzer changing his name to Blitz Wolfer.” |
| 9) “When covering a hard story, reporters ask, ‘What would Jack Daniels do?’” |
| 8) “Every Sunday it’s a ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ marathon.” |
| 7) “Reporters must make quotation marks with fingers when calling Bush ‘President.’” |
| 6) “They’re putting Lou Dobbs on steroids.” |
| 5) “Every night, one lucky viewer receives an on-air physical from Dr. Sanjay Gupta.” |
| 4) “Last 10 minutes of newscasts anchors sing hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today.” |
| 3) “Let’s just say Paula Zahn is now Paul Zahn.” |
| 2) “Changing name to CNNN.” |
| 1) “Interactive feature allows viewers to administer painful electric shock to Larry King.” |
LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | Temple coach John Chaney | Kobe Bryant-LeBron James; Boston College men’s hoops |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Kobe Bryant settling civil suit | Patriots release WR Troy Brown; John Chaney |
| ESPN | 11:00pm ET “SportsCenter” | Kobe Bryant settling civil suit | 76ers-Bucks; Pistons-Trail Blazers |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is, ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick?’”
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