| • | TD Banknorth Today To Announce Naming-Rights Deal For FleetCenter |
| • | XM Satellite Radio Today To Announce Multiyear Partnership With IRL |
| • | New MLB Drug-Testing Policy, With Harsher Penalties, Takes Effect Today |
| • | General Mills Today To Unveil Wheaties-, Total-Branded Multivitamins |
| • | ESPN’s Jim Gray To Be Today Honored With Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame |
| • | Morning Briefs/In Other News/Laugh Track/TV Monitor/Final Jeopardy! |
TD BANKNORTH TO ANNOUNCE FLEETCENTER NAMING-RIGHTS DEAL
The BOSTON GLOBE reports Maine-based TD Banknorth today will announce a $6M-per-year deal to take over naming rights to the FleetCenter, which will likely be renamed the TD Banknorth Center. The deal does not include sponsorship of either of the building’s primary tenants, the Bruins and Celtics, though TD Banknorth does sponsor the Bruins through a separate agreement for $1M per year. Citizens Financial Group is the Celtics’ banking sponsor (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/3).
XM TO BECOME SATELLITE RADIO PARTNER OF IRL IN MULTIYEAR DEAL
By Scott Warfield, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
The IRL and XM Satellite Radio today will announce a multiyear agreement that makes XM the exclusive satellite radio partner of the IRL. Industry sources said the deal is in the mid-seven figures annually. XM will begin broadcasting IRL races live and nationwide beginning with Sunday’s Toyota Indy 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Extreme XM, or Channel 152. For more, see today’s issue of THE DAILY.
NEW MLB DRUG-TESTING POLICY TAKES EFFECT TODAY
USA TODAY notes MLB’s new drug-testing policy takes effect today, under which a computer randomly selects the players to be tested and the tests are administered by an outside group. Players will be suspended for 10 days for the first positive test, 30 days for the second positive test, 60 days for the third positive test and a year for the fourth positive test (USA TODAY, 3/3).
Dodgers 2B Jeff Kent, on the new policy: “I still don’t think it’s good enough. ... I’m disappointed with [MLB] and the [MLBPA] for not implementing a plan that is completely solid. We need to prove to the fans that there’s no question baseball should be clean and is clean, and we’re not sending the right message with this policy” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/3).
But Red Sox CF Johnny Damon said of the policy, “I think it’s great for baseball” (BOSTON HERALD, 3/3).
GENERAL MILLS PLANNING WHEATIES, TOTAL MULTIVITAMINS
USA TODAY reports General Mills today will announce plans for Wheaties Multivitamins and Total Multivitamins, which will be produced by Leiner Health Products. General Mills has signed former MLBer Ozzie Smith, U.S. women’s national soccer team member Brandi Chastain and former NASCAR driver Richard Petty to appear in online “don’t forget to take your vitamins” reminders. General Mills Dir of Licensing Pam Kermisch said athletes’ faces will not appear on Wheaties vitamin bottles at this time, but said, “The brand represents championship moments” (USA TODAY, 3/3).
MORNING BRIEFS
Boston-based Bain Capital Partners LLC and Game Plan Int’l during Tuesday’s NHL BOG meeting offered to purchase all 30 teams for $3.5B. A source said that “no subsequent discussions between the league and the two companies were scheduled” (TORONTO STAR, 3/3).
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and House Republicans yesterday said that they “would try to revive some legislation,” including the financing proposal for a Colts stadium, “that died because they didn’t make the midnight [Tuesday] deadline for passing bills out of their house of origin” due to the boycott staged by House Democrats (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/3).
The Finish Line reported Q4 ’05 net sales of $361.4M, up 18% from $305.3M in the year-ago period. For FY ’05, net sales were $1.17B, up 18% from $985.9M in ’04, marking the first time the company has reached the $1B mark. Comparable-store sales were up 8% in Q4 ’05 and 9% in FY ’05 (The Finish Line).
Florida state Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera yesterday filed a House Bill “aimed at securing a $60[M] state sales tax rebate” for the Marlins’ proposed ballpark (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 3/3).
Pacers F Ron Artest, on his meeting with NBA Commissioner David Stern in N.Y. on Monday: “I just wanted to sort of introduce myself. I had never talked to him. I just wanted to let him know who I am” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/3).
Developer Shaya Boymelgreen is moving ahead with plans for a hotel, as well as office and residential space, in the center of Nets Owner Bruce Ratner’s $2.5B Atlantic Yards project (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/3).
ATTENDANCE WATCH
Syracuse Univ. this season will lead all NCAA basketball teams in attendance with an average of 22,978 fans per game, marking the first time since ’95 that the Univ. of Kentucky has not led in attendance (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 3/3).
The Swedish Elite League, which featured more than 50 NHLers on its 12 teams, set an attendance record this season with 1.86 million fans, up 8.4% from last season (AP, 3/2).
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
Jockey Stewart Elliott, who rode Smarty Jones to victories in the ’04 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, will appear before a judge for a preliminary hearing on immigration charges. Elliott, who is a Canadian citizen, was arrested Tuesday at JFK Int’l Airport in N.Y. after authorities found that he had been convicted of aggravated assault in ’01. Non-U.S. citizens with felony convictions can be deported from the country (USA TODAY, 3/3).
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court will hear oral arguments in a lawsuit filed by Neil Pakett, who “lost some of his vision after he was beaned by a foul ball” during a June 25, 2001, Phillies game at Veterans Stadium. Pakett initially sued the Phillies and the city of Philadelphia, and after a Philadelphia Common Pleas judge dismissed the Phillies from the case in October, Pakett appealed to the Commonwealth Court (AP, 2/5).
The IRL at a news conference at DC’s Union Station will announce that its IndyCar Series will use ethanol-blended fuels beginning next year, with 100-percent ethanol fuels to follow in ’07 (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/3).
ESPN will conduct a 12:30pm ET conference call to discuss its coverage of the upcoming Davis Cup match with Croatia. Davis Cup Captain & ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe and John McEnroe, who will serve as an ESPN analyst for the Davis Cup, will participate.
ESPN’s Jim Gray will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during an 11:30am PT ceremony that will feature Raiders Owner Al Davis, CNN’s Larry King and former Dolphins coach Don Shula.
IN OTHER NEWS….
The N.Y. TIMES reports Cablevision Chair Charles Dolan is revamping Cablevision’s BOD in a move that “appears to be aimed at adding directors who are friendly to [him] and his dream of building Voom, the high-definition television service.” Liberty Media Chair John Malone, former Viacom & Universal Studios Chair Frank Biondi Jr., former Citizens Communications CEO Dr. Leonard Tow and former ITT CEO Rand Araskog will replace retiring Cablevision execs William Bell and Sheila Mahony, Quadrangle Group Founder & Managing Partner Steven Rattner and the late John Tatta on the BOD (N.Y. TIMES, 3/3).
The Advertising Bureau reported that Internet advertising revenue in the U.S. increased 24% to an estimated $2.7[B] in Q4 ’04, which was a record for any quarter since data began being tracked in ‘96. Total online ad spending for ’04 reached an estimated $9.6B, a 32% increase from the year-ago period (N.Y. TIMES, 3/3).
FINAL JEOPARDY!
Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Detective Fiction."
“‘Grand Master Villiers de I’lsled’Adam had’ this made ‘by Turkish slaves in the castle of St. Angelo.’”
LAUGH TRACK
THE MONOLOGUES:
CBS’ David Letterman: “We’ve got a lot of folks visiting from out of town, or as I call them, out-of-towners. New York City cabs now are equipped with computers. They’re getting computer screens in the cabs. That’s amazing when you think about it. It’s nice to know that your cab driver can now receive e-mail from Al Qaeda. ... I was in a cab this morning on my way to work, and my cab driver had one of those new computers and he had dialed up a Web site. I think the Web site was ‘Women Without Burkas.’ ... According to a new survey, 52% of Americans at one time or another have posed naked for photographs. I tried it one time, and they kicked me right out of the DMV. ... The CIA says now that they have intercepted a message from Osama Bin Laden, and they know that it’s authentic because the letter “i” in the message are all dotted with hearts. ... Fishermen in Nantucket have caught a 22-pound lobster. The next sound you will hear will be Kirstie Alley’s beeper going off. ... Jennifer Lopez was in town yesterday. She was down in Times Square signing autographs and it was funny. During the autograph signing session, a New York City police officer walked up to her ass and said, ‘Okay, break it up’” (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/2).
NBC’s Jay Leno: “It’s raining again here in (L.A.), but they are having huge snowstorms back East. In fact, in New England, so many schools are closed a lot of kids are forced to have phone sex with their teachers. In fact, it’s so cold in Boston they actually moved Ted Williams outside. ... Opening arguments have begun in the Michael Jackson trial, and the prosecution for some reason today ripped into Jude Law. ... Michael Jackson claims that his partners would sleep in the bed while he slept on the floor. It’s the same arrangement the Clintons have. ... Kobe Bryant has settled out of court with his accuser. I’m glad he did it before it turned into a circus. She filed that civil lawsuit against him and he settled out of court with cash. He gave her cash, plus 15% for room service. ... In a recent interview, singer Bob Dylan called today’s musicians amateurs. I think he said amateurs. He might have said acrobats. It’s Bob Dylan. I’m not sure what he said” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 3/2).
LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:
TOP TEN: Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Reasons I Love Racing.” The list was read on-stage by IRL driver Buddy Rice, who drives for Rahal Letterman Racing (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/2).
| 10) “It’s way more exciting than my previous job, running an unlicensed daycare.” |
| 9) “When I win, 12 guys who smell like rubber and methanol run over and hug me.” |
| 8) “Winning takes guts, determination and my lucky underpants.” |
| 7) “All the motor oil I can drink.” |
| 6) “Anything over 200 miles an hour I start making noises like a kitty! Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow.” |
| 5) “Just so my neighbors know who they’re dealing with, when I mow the lawn I wear my helmet.” |
| 4) “Switch the ‘R’ and the ‘C’ in ‘racing’ and you get ‘caring.’” |
| 3) “All the excitement of driving like a New York City cab driver without the risk of getting shot.” |
| 2) “Between the G-forces and the fumes, I get a good buzz.” |
| 1) “In racing, Jose Canseco doesn’t stick your ass with a needle.” |
LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR
| Net | Show | Lead | Next Items |
| ESPN | “Around The Horn” | NFL free agency period | ACC overrated?; 76ers with Allen Iverson and Chris Webber |
| ESPN | “PTI” | Patriots QB Tom Brady | Blazers firing Maurice Cheeks; Pistons |
| ESPN | “SportsCenter” | Georgia Tech-Wake Forest | NC State-Virginia; ACC teams in the NCAA tournament |
FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER
“What is the Maltese Falcon?”
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