Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz

Chicagoland Speedway Expected To Name Paddock President
Special Master Set To Hear NFLPA's TV Contract Complaint
U.S. Sen. Udall Wants Examination Of Football Helmet Sellers
Galeski, Peter Jacobsen Sports Part Ways; No Reason Given

CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY EXPECTED TO NAME SCOTT PADDOCK PRESIDENT

Paddock Is Expected To Be Named
Chicagoland Speedway President

By Tripp Mickle, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Chicagoland Speedway today is expected to name former Gatorade Dir of Sports Marketing Scott Paddock the track's new president. Paddock replaces Craig Rust, who ran the track from June '09 to Sept. '10. Paddock spent 12 years at Gatorade before leaving last June to join the Podium Group, a European agency that specializes in athlete wealth management and sports marketing.

During Paddock's time at Gatorade, he helped negotiate the deal with ISC that gave the isotonic beverage company title sponsorship of "Gatorade Victory Lane" at 13 tracks. A series of Gatorade deals with drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman followed. ISC owns Chicagoland Speedway.


SPECIAL MASTER HEARING TODAY, BUT NO BARGAINING SCHEDULED FOR NFL, NFLPA

With two months left before the NFL CBA expires, there are no bargaining sessions scheduled between the league and the NFLPA. “There are no bargaining sessions scheduled,” NFL Senior VP/PR Greg Aiello wrote in an e-mail yesterday. “Perhaps someone is confusing bargaining sessions with Special Master sessions.” A Special Master hearing begins today and is expected to last all week. The NFLPA brought the case against the NFL last year, seeking to stop the league from receiving $4.5B in television rights money that the league will get even if there are no games played (Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal).

Chiefs LB and NFLPA Exec Committee member Mike Vrabel said, “You can say there’s a little bit of progress, a lot of progress or no progress. But is there or is there not a deal? Right now there’s not. How far are we from that? Nobody knows” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/4). But Giants Chair & Exec VP Steve Tisch said of the CBA issue, "It's on everybody's minds, and I do think there will be a deal" (N.Y. POST, 1/4).


U.S. SEN. UDALL WANTS FTC TO EXAMINE HELMET SELLING PRACTICES

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) in a letter dated today is asking the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate "misleading safety claims and deceptive practices" in the selling of new football helmets and reconditioning of used ones. Udall writes he is "troubled by misleading marketing claims by Riddell, the leading helmet maker." He adds there is "very little scientific evidence to support" some of the safety figures cited on Riddell's website (AP, 1/3).


PETER JACOBSEN SPORTS, EXEC VP & MANAGING DIR MIKE GALESKI PART WAYS

By Michael Smith, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Mike Galeski and Peter Jacobsen Sports have parted ways after more than five years. Galeski had served as the marketing and event agency’s Exec VP & Managing Dir since November '05. A spokeswoman at PJS confirmed the parting, but there was no explanation for why Galeski is no longer with the company. Before joining PJS, Galeski spent 13 years at Callaway Golf, where he was Senior VP/Sports Marketing.


MASSAGE THERAPISTS NAME JETS, FAVRE IN SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUIT

The Jets yesterday were hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit by two women who "claim they were fired after one of them complained" about text messages from former QB Brett Favre. The suit claims that the team fired massage therapists Christina Scavo and Shannon O'Toole after Scavo and her husband "blew the whistle on Favre." The suit "seeks unspecified money damages from Favre and the Jets" (N.Y. POST, 1/4).

The suit alleges that the Jets "knew full well that the locker room and training camp were a 'hot bed of sexual harassment,' but did nothing about it" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/4).


ESPN'S RON FRANKLIN APOLOGIZES FOR COMMENTS TO JEANNINE EDWARDS

ESPN college football announcer Ron Franklin "apologized Monday for comments to colleague Jeannine Edwards that got him pulled from Saturday's radio broadcast" of the Oklahoma-Connecticut Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Franklin in a statement said, "I said some things I shouldn't have and am sorry. I deserved to be taken off the Fiesta Bowl." Edwards in an e-mail yesterday said that Franklin during a Chick-fil-A Bowl production meeting called her "sweet baby" and "a--hole" (USA TODAY, 1/4).


SPEED READS….

ASB Classic Sells Out Of All The
Day Sessions During The Tournament

ASB Classic organizers confirmed that they have “sold out all of the day sessions" for the full WTA tournament in Auckland, New Zealand. The announcement came "just minutes" before Maria Sharapova stepped on court for her first round match (REUTERS, 1/3).

A sellout crowd of 18,690 attended last night's Canada-U.S. IIHF World Junior Championship semifinal at HSBC Arena in Buffalo. The crowd "had to be about three-quarters Canadian fans," as the country's national hockey team jerseys were "omnipresent in every section." Canada won 4-1 (BUFFALO NEWS, 1/4).

A crowd of 65,453 attended last night’s Discover Orange Bowl. Stanford defeated Virginia Tech 40-12 (FANHOUSE.com, 1/4).

The Packers have named Van Lanen Inc. the team's preferred print partner. Van Lanen is a commercial lithographic printer based in Bellevue, Wis. (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 1/4).

ESPN is running an ad in today’s Wall Street Journal touting coverage of tonight’s Arkansas-Ohio State Allstate Sugar Bowl, which begins at 8:00pm ET (THE DAILY).


QUICK HITS….

“If it happens next year, it’s worth looking at, in terms of the competition committee” – NFL Giants Chair & Exec VP Steve Tisch, whose team missed the playoffs despite a 10-6 record, on the 7-9 Seahawks making the playoffs for winning the NFC West (N.Y. TIMES, 1/4)

“He’s a very positive guy, and what the fans enjoy most is that he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. We’ve had a very, very tough season, and really one of the only bright spots has been Bill Walton” – NBA Kings co-Owner Joe Maloof, on Walton working as a TV and radio analyst for the team 
(SACRAMENTO BEE, 1/4).

“That regime, they were the worst; they were bad” – Dodgers Special Assistant Tommy Lasorda, on former Dodgers Managing Partner Bob Daly’s running of the team when it was owned by Fox
(L.A. TIMES, 1/4).

Dave Niehaus can never be replaced. We could bring in Vin Scully in his prime and our fans wouldn’t like him. It would be like trying to replace John Wooden at UCLA. It’s an impossible job” – Mariners President Chuck Armstrong, on replacing the team’s broadcaster, who died in November (SPORTSPRESSNORTHWEST.com, 1/3).


TWITTER ME THIS….

 

CBS Sports’ Steve Elling: “Called main PGA Tour number at headquarters in Ponte Vedra and got an answering machine. That's a first. Doesn't season begin Thurs?”

Yahoo Sports’ Greg Wyshynski: “God, the NHL is really giving this silly Guardian Project a push, aren't they? Stan Lee interview on VERSUS.”

The Big Lead’s Tyler Duffy: “Harbaugh just verbally stiff-armed Michelle Tafoya.”

Newsday’s Neil Best: “Harbaugh being annoyed w/reporters for asking about his future would be like reporters being annoyed w/Harbaugh for calling plays. Silly.”

If you see a tweet we won’t want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.


TODAY'S EVENTS….

The Muscular Dystrophy Association will host its 14th Annual Muscle Team Gala & Benefit Auction at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan. The 2011 Muscle Team includes NFL Giants, Jets, NHL Rangers and Knicks players.


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
Newsday
Philadelphia Daily News
Boston Herald

FINAL JEOPARDY!

Last night's "Final Jeopardy!" category "Pop Stars."

"He was backed by London's Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on his 2010 tour, which he called 'Symphonicity.'"

Last night's edition of "Jeopardy" featured the category "21st Century Athletes."

For $200: "One of the two NBA stars who make up Miami's new 'Big 3' along with LeBron."

For $400: "Seen here, this Belgian tennis star has won two straight U.S. Opens after a two-year retirement."

For $600: "OV-1 and Alexander the Great are two of this Washington Capitals hockey star's nicknames."

For $800: "Seen here, he excelled on 'Dancing With The Stars' and also plays a little football."

For $1000: "He hit 58 homers for the Phillies in 2006 and has the same name as the temp-turned-boss-turned-temp on 'The Office.'"


LAUGH TRACK….

THE MONOLOGUES:

CBS' David Letterman: "Holidays are over. Earlier today I put my relatives out by the curb. Here in New York City the sidewalk Santas have gone back to selling crack. … I don't know if you have been in New York City during a blizzard. It's a little different here. Whenever there's a blizzard, people gather around the radio to listen as they announce the strip club closings. … Over New Year's down in Arkansas right at midnight a thousand birds dead fall out of the sky. A thousand birds just dead, bounced right there. Nice going, Palin. That's right. She decided she'd go to Arkansas and shoot birds by the hundreds. But they won't know what happened to the birds until they get the flight recorders. … Lindsay Lohan is out of rehab. That's right. Gentlemen, start your blenders! She's been in and out of rehab so many times the cafeteria has named a sandwich after her. But I am begging you, please don't judge Lindsay Lohan until you've stumbled a mile in her shoes. … Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, you know creepy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from Iran, he's selling his car. It is a 1977 Peugeot. Selling his new car (and) I thought, 'God, 1977, that's an old, old car, isn't it?' But he claims that it still has that new dictator smell. He claims he only drove it to and from executions, so what are you going to do. … Congratulations to Jerry Brown, new governor of California, new old governor of California. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the outgoing governor, is being relocated to a primate sanctuary in Florida. … Anybody here for New Year's Eve in Times Square, anybody here? Congratulations, you cheated death. … But it's nice to see a dropping ball that has nothing to do with the Giants" ("Late Show," CBS, 1/3).

NBC's Jay Leno: "What a way to start the year, nothing but disasters in the news. Oh my God, floods in Australia, that's pretty awful. Earthquake in Chile. The Lakers here in Los Angeles. Just awful. … Congratulations to the TCU Horned Frogs. They did win 21-19. Come on, got to give them that. Horned Frogs and the Badgers. Doesn't that sound like some kind of bad breakfast special at Cracker Barrel? 'We got badgers and horned frogs, all the fixings $3.99.' With their loss yesterday, the Carolina Panthers wrapped up the No. 1 pick in the next NFL Draft. That means they could draft Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, well of course if he decides to leave college and take a huge pay cut. … Over a million people in Times Square this New Year's. You know, I think New York is just happy to see a ball drop that wasn't thrown by Eli Manning. The snow in New York, garbage has been piling up in the city. Some areas the garbage is six feet high. Give you an idea how bad it is: People from New Jersey are complaining about the smell. … A man in Washington, D.C., robbed at knifepoint for the cigarette he was smoking. Imagine that? A guy was robbed for his cigarette. It looks like President Obama is having a harder time quitting than we thought. … According to a new survey, 56% of men say they can find the G-spot in women. Here's the creepy part. That's during the TSA pat-down. Wildlife officials in Kentucky … are now trying to identify what they say is a new species of animal that somebody shot over the holidays. It's got gray skin, it's got no hair, it's completely wrinkled, so they think it they may have hit Dick Cheney. They're not sure" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 1/3).

LATE NIGHT LAUGHS:

Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert: "The worst failure of leadership of all was in Philadelphia, where because of a dusting of 30 inches of snow, the NFL postponed a Vikings-Eagles game from Sunday to Tuesday. Well, my guest tonight, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, nailed the problem in an interview with 97.5 The Fanatic." A recording of Rendell's comments was aired, with Rendell saying, "My biggest beef is this is what's happened in this country. We have become a nation of wusses." More Colbert: "Right you are, Ed, a nation of wusses. Football hasn't been a man's game since the players wore leather helmets and Notre Dame's defensive line used shillelaghs. If the Vikings and Eagles are too chicken to play in Philadelphia during a blizzard, I say let them play in Minnesota's Metrodome, preferably while this is happening." Video was shown of the Metrodome roof collapsing. Rendell appeared later in the show and said, "When they canceled that game, Stephen, not one drop of snow had fallen on Philadelphia." Colbert responded, "So football now is like school closings. … I would have just played that game and signed a snowplow as the entire defensive line" ("The Colbert Report," Comedy Central, 1/3).

Last night's Top Ten list was "Top Ten Signs Your 2011 Is Off To A Bad Start" ("Late Show," CBS, 1/3).

10) "You've already gained 40 pounds."
9) "New Year's Eve kiss was with cellmate, Chuck."
8) "Just named you the new stunt guy in Spider-Man the musical."
7) "Your car is stuck under two feet of snow and three feet of garbage."
6) "You play for the New York Giants."
5) "It's year eleven of being locked in your Y2K bunker."
4) "Already spent more time in a Mexican prison that you did in all of 2010."
3) "2011 is the year and your cholesterol."
2) "Your job title is 'Mayor of New York City.'"
1) "You're watching this."

FINAL JEOPARDY….

"Who is Sting?"

The correct responses of the "21st Century Athletes" were:

For $200: "Who are Dwyane Wade and/or Chris Bosh?"

For $400: "Who is Kim Clijsters?"

For $600: "Who is Alexander Ovechkin?"

For $800: "Who is Jason Taylor?"

For $1000: "Who is Ryan Howard?"


If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
pbounds@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

The Morning Buzz provides an early update of the news and headlines each Monday through Friday at approximately 9:00am ET. If you would like to sign up for an e-mail alert to the Morning Buzz, go to My Account and personalize your e-mail alert options.

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2011/01/04/Morning-Buzz.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2011/01/04/Morning-Buzz.aspx

CLOSE