Morning Buzz, March 24, 2005

Morning Buzz will not publish tomorrow or Monday in observance of Good Friday and Easter.
It will return Tuesday, March 29.

ANOTHER CANCELLATION FOR NHL: WORD ON DRAFT COULD COME TODAY

The L.A. TIMES cites an NHL source as saying that the league “will cancel its June draft, with the announcement coming as soon as today, and will replace it with a scaled-down version” after a new CBA is in place. The source said that the league and its 30 teams were “unwilling to spend deposit money on hotel and meeting rooms in Ottawa considering the slim likelihood” that a deal with the NHLPA could be reached in time. The draft will be held “once an agreement is approved and will be conducted using a teleconference call and electronic selections” (L.A. TIMES, 3/24).

NAVRATILOVA SET TO ANNOUNCE DEAL WITH GAY TRAVEL COMPANY

The N.Y. TIMES reports that today at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, Martina Navratilova will be introduced as a spokesperson for Olivia, “a travel company that creates vacations for gay women.” Navratilova's six-figure, one-year deal “follows Olivia's signing a year ago of the golfer Rosie Jones, who, in coordination with the endorsement, announced that she was gay” in a N.Y. Times article. Navratilova: "This is the first deal I've gotten because I am gay. Hallelujah" (N.Y. TIMES, 3/24).

PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP TEES OFF TODAY WITH SOME INTERESTING BROADCAST WRINKLES

The PGA Tour’s Players Championship begins today at Sawgrass, with ESPN offering first- and second-round coverage from 12:00-6:00pm Thursday and Friday, respectively, and NBC airing the third round from 2:00-6:00pm Saturday and the fourth round from 1:30-6:30pm Sunday. ESPN’s “SportsCenter” will also broadcast from the tournament this weekend. Additionally, PGATour.com is again offering coverage of every shot at the 17^th today and tomorrow. For the first time, ESPN Classic will simulcast PGATour.com’s coverage of the hole (THE DAILY).

ESPN, NBC Utilizing Cable Cam

Coverage on both ESPN and NBC will include Cable Cam on Sawgrass’ 17^th hole, which features the famed island green. USA TODAY writes that NBC, which is producing ESPN’s coverage, will “have at least 10 cameras trained on No. 17,” including one on a “100-foot crane and a slow-motion camera on a tiny island alongside the green” (USA TODAY, 3/24).

NBC Sports Exec Producer Tommy Roy, on Cable Cam: “The perspective that you get when you actually get some movement into the shot, you can really get an idea how big, or in this case, how small the green is” (NBC).

USA TODAY runs a special eight-page section on The Players Championship, and advertisers include tournament sponsors UBS and PricewaterhouseCoopers, as well as the Hawaii Tourism Authority (THE DAILY).

UNIV. OF MINNESOTA TO ANNOUNCE TCF FINANCIAL AS NAMING-RIGHTS SPONSOR

The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports that a deal for TCF Financial to become the naming-rights sponsor of a new Univ. of Minnesota football stadium is expected to be announced today. TCF is “expected to commit about” $35M for a 25-year deal. Meanwhile, under legislation approved yesterday by a state Senate committee, Minnesota taxpayers would contribute $7M annually for 25 years toward the facility. The payments would begin in July ’07, “and only if the university secures financing from other sources for at least” $141M, or 60%, of the $235M project (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/24).

MORNING BRIEFS

Nationals TV broadcasts are “the only unresolved part of a financial package” proposed by MLB to the Orioles for relocating a team into their market. Orioles attorney Alan Rifkin: “We continue to make progress. We’ve adjourned for the night. We will be meeting first thing [Thursday] morning” (WASHINGTON POST, 3/24).

Minnesota Sen. Dick Day today will hold a news conference to “unveil a proposal affecting the sale” of the Vikings to Reggie Fowler (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/24).

Rev. Al Sharpton yesterday joined “a long list of prominent black Democrats supporting” the West Side stadium project. Sharpton believes that N.Y.’s construction industry has “excluded black contractors and workers from major projects – a pattern the Jets organization has vowed to reverse if it builds its stadium” (N.Y. TIMES, 3/24).

Developers are expected today to break ground on the $1.3B Xanadu project at the Meadowlands (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 3/24).

The Office Depot Center yesterday officially named its new theatre the Sinatra Theatre presented by Office Depot (Office Depot Center).

B.C. Place in Vancouver, home of the CFL B.C. Lions, will replace its 12-year-old AstroTurf with FieldTurf (THE DAILY).

Bobcats F Emeka Okafor today will launch his CSTV Online-produced Web site, www.oka4.com, with a charity auction of a signed, game-worn NCAA Final Four jersey from last year’s tournament. Proceeds will benefit the Charlotte Chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters (Excel Sports Management).

The Pacers last night honored Robyn Williams as the team’s 10 millionth guest to Conseco Fieldhouse, and Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh presented Williams “with a replica team jersey that had the number 10 and the word ‘Million’ on the back” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/24).

In yesterday’s Closing Bell, THE DAILY mischaracterized a Chicago Tribune report on the White Sox radio rights negotiations. The Tribune did not cite a team source for the piece (THE DAILY).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

Nuggets coach George Karl wore a ’75-76 retro team jersey during a game against the Wizards on Tuesday night, and NBA VP/Communications Tim Frank indicated that the league is “reviewing Karl’s attire and any possible action could come as soon as today.”  Karl: “If I do get fined, I think it was worth it, just being part of the team [which also wore the jerseys]. I think I’ve been a little tight lately” (ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 3/24).   

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 begin the inaugural Thailand X Games Cup at Huamak Indoor Stadium in Bangkok. A portion of the proceeds will benefit tsunami relief efforts.

Bed, Bath & Beyond President & CEO Steven Temares, Women’s Health Resource Center President & CEO Amy Niles and NASDAQ CEO of Global Funds John Jacobs will preside over the ceremonial opening at the NASDAQ MarketSite in N.Y. to commemorate the start of the NASDAQ-100 Open.

IN OTHER NEWS….

REUTERS reports that Coca-Cola yesterday announced “a shake-up of its global marketing and advertising managers” with Coca-Cola Asia President Mary Minnick leading a new unit “overseeing marketing, innovation and strategic growth.” Coca-Cola CMO Chuck Fruit and Chief Innovation R&D Officer Danny Strickland will report to Minnick (REUTERS, 3/24).

The L.A. TIMES notes that Disney CEO Michael Eisner Tuesday during a Q&A with investors “called Disney President Robert Iger, who takes over as CEO on October 1, his ‘boss’ and described himself as the ‘junior partner.’” Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen said that the “transition has already taken place” and described the session as a “passing of the torch of sorts” (L.A. TIMES, 3/24).

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Major League Baseball"

“The team names of these two expansion clubs start with the same three letters: One might catch the other.”

LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES:

CBS’ David Letterman: “You know what is exciting, the circus is in N.Y. We have a lot of circus people with us tonight. They parade the big circus elephants right through Manhattan, and I have to tell you, New Yorkers just aren’t impressed by that. We got rats that big. Here’s an interesting fact, elephants can’t breath through the trunk. Did you know that? Neither can mob informants on their way to New Jersey. The circus will be at Madison Square Garden, and you know, I was thinking: if I want to see clowns at the Garden, I will just go to a Knicks game. Ladies and gentlemen, here is some fascinating news from the world of motion pictures: Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal have been named the greatest on-screen couple of all-time. Quite an honor. Paul and I placed fourth. Here is a programming note: Sunday night, CBS had a TV movie; it was called “Spring Break: Shark Attack.” So here’s what happens: a bunch of bikini-clad co-eds are attacked by sharks. I tell you, that is why this the Tiffany network. The shark attack movie was such a hit that CBS is planning a new movie in which a hurricane hits Hooters. This just in: Saddam Hussein wants his trial moved to Los Angeles. Robert Blake was acquitted in Los Angeles, and they talked with OJ Simpson after the trial. OJ Simpson said of Robert Blake, ‘That guy gives me the willies’” (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/23).

NBC’s Jay Leno: “As you know, millions of Americans are on spring break right now, but enough about the Lakers. How many here are on spring break? Now be honest, did you plan on staying here this long or can you just not afford gas to go back home. Three dollars a gallon in parts of Los Angeles. In fact, today in Malibu, I saw Mel Gibson praying he could turn water into unleaded. … Robert Blake sat down with Barbara Walters again for an interview. Did you see that? Blake at first did not want to do an interview; he tried to get a stuntman to do the interview for him and wound up doing it himself. In fact, Robert Blake thanked Barbara Walters for being nice to him. Of course she was nice to him, she knows what happens to women he doesn’t like. Blake is still out there looking for acting jobs. Did you hear this news today? He could be the new host of Elimadate. As you know, Michael Jackson was late for court again this week. Two people helping him walk into the building; he’s constantly crying and walking stiffly. I think he’s going through menopause. Michael Jackson also says that he is having trouble breathing. Well duh, that’s what happens when you cut your nose off” (“Tonight Show,” NBC, 3/23).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:

Last night’s Top Ten list was “Top Ten Slogans For The Breast Enlargement Gum” (“Late Show,” CBS, 3/23).

LAST NIGHT’S TV MONITOR

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

“What are the Mariners and Marlins?”

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