Closing Bell, July 24, 2003

ROCKETS’ ARENA TO FEATURE “TUNDRA ZONE,” TOYOTA SHOWROOM

Toyota today announced a multi-year agreement with the Rockets, Comets and Clutch City Sports & Entertainment for the naming rights of the new downtown arena, to be called the Toyota Center. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, regional distributor Gulf States Toyota and the Houston Power Team Dealers officials joined Rockets President & CEO George Postolos for the announcement. The new arena will feature the “Tundra Zone,” a double-size suite for Toyota customers in which an actual Tundra will be placed. Additionally, Toyota will place an automobile showroom on the main concourse. Toyota Motor Sales, USA Corporate Marketing Manager Deborah Wahl Meyer said that this is the first time Toyota has named an arena. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed (Toyota).

REEBOK CREDITS JERSEYS AND RETRO SHOES FOR PROFIT INCREASE

Reebok Int’l today reported Q2 ’03 earnings, and the BOSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL notes that the company said its profit “rose 4.2[%] on higher sales of licensed sports jerseys and retro-style shoes.” Net income rose to $25.6M from $24.6M in the year earlier period, while sales increased 12% to $802.6M “on favorable international currency exchanges and higher demand for classic-styled shoes.” But analysts noted that Reebok “may have difficulty increasing sales as a glut of inventory at retailers such as Kohl’s Corp. hurt orders at competitors,” including Nike (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/24). As of presstime, shares of Reebok were down $0.18, or 0.53%, to $33.82.

SPORTSLINE TODAY REPORTS Q2 ’03 EARNINGS; LOSSES NARROW

SportsLine today reported Q2 ’03 earnings, and CBS MarketWatch notes that the company said its net loss was cut to $12.8M from the net loss of $16.3M in the year-before quarter. Total revenue “from continuing operations for the second quarter was $8.8[M], compared with the $8.9[M] from continuing operations in the same period a year ago, which consisted of $7.3[M] in cash revenue and $1.6[M] in barter revenue. The company had no barter revenue in the just-finished quarter” (CBS MarketWatch, 7/24). As of presstime, shares of SportsLine were down $0.10, or 4.26%, to $2.25.

GREATER HARTFORD OPEN TO BE RENAMED BUICK CHAMPIONSHIP

The PGA Tour, the Greater Hartford Jaycees and Buick today officially announced a three-year deal whereby Buick becomes the title sponsor of the Greater Hartford Open, beginning with next year’s event. The name of the tournament will change to the Buick Championship. The event is the fourth PGA Tour event title-sponsored by Buick. Under the deal, the Greater Hartford Jaycees will have the flexibility to involve other local and national sponsors (GHO).

BUZZER BEATERS

ESPN today announced that CBS Sports college football analyst Craig James has signed a multi-year deal to return to ESPN, where he worked as a studio analyst from ’91-96. James will serve as an analyst on ESPN2’s Saturday primetime telecasts (ESPN).

The Portland OREGONIAN reports that OR-based window and door manufacturer Jeld-Wen has signed a three-year deal to sponsor PGA Tour player Ben Crane, who “will wear Jeld-Wen’s logo on the left chest of his shirts.” Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal “continues Jeld-Wen’s strong move into golf sponsorship, which includes being title sponsor” of the Champions Tour’s Tradition (Portland OREGONIAN, 7/24).

The National Lacrosse League today announced the relocation of the former NJ Storm franchise to Anaheim and the Arrowhead Pond. The Arrowhead Pond is owned and operated by Ogden Facility Management Corporation, which will retain an ownership stake in the franchise. The management staff at Arrowhead Pond will oversee the business, marketing and day-to-day operations of the team, which will receive a new name and logo (NLL).

USA TODAY notes that Greece’s plan “to increase the number of licensed brothels in time for the 2004 Athens Olympics has angered a group of Nordic and Baltic cabinet ministers for gender equality.” In a joint letter, the ministers wrote, “It is with indignation and surprise that we have learned that Greece plans to increase brothel activities” (USA TODAY, 7/24).

MLS today announced that Kathy Carter has been named Soccer United Marketing Exec VP/Business Development. Carter, who most recently was AEG VP/Sales & Marketing, returns to MLS where she once served as VP/Corporate Marketing (MLS).

Minnesota Sports & Entertainment today announced that it has named Tom Garrity as President of the AHL Houston Aeros, the Wild’s top affil. Garrity most recently served as President of the AHL Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (MS&E).

Giants TE Jeremy Shockey is interviewed in the August issue of “GQ,” which hits newsstands today. Shockey, on endorsements: “It’s New York. It’s such an easy thing, an easy profit to make.” On the league office: “If my sock goes down, I get fined $5,000. They’re trying to make everybody look the same and act the same, and it sucks. We make so much money for those guys upstairs, and they’re fining us for my jersey coming out in the back? It’s just ridiculous” (“GQ,” 8/03 issue).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

CBS SportsLine noted that the direct phone number of Jets GM Terry Bradway “was mistakenly printed in Newsday in a Jets section pointing out how fans can get training camp information. Bradway was bombed with calls and now says he’ll have to change his number.” Bradway: “That first morning I must have had 27 hang ups in the first hour” (CBS SportsLine, 7/23).

TONIGHT’S EVENTS

The Chicago Chapter of the National Sports Marketing Network will host a panel discussion, “An Olympian Effort: Sales and Marketing of the Games,” from 6:00-9:00pm CT at the W Hotel Lakeshore. The Daily’s Editor-at-Large Terry Lefton will moderate a panel that includes Frankel VP/Sports & Entertainment Marketing Jeannie Goldstein, McDonald’s Senior Dir of U.S. Sports Marketing John Lewicki, Edelman Sports & Entertainment Marketing Olympic Consultant Mike Moran and IMG/NYC President, Olympic Sales & Marketing Rob Prazmak.

RadioTennis.com will host a live Webcast of Andre Agassi’s World TeamTennis debut at 7:15pm PT. Agassi’s Sacramento Capitals will host the K.C. Explorers at the Sunrise Mall in Sacramento.

AVP Tour players Kerri Walsh, Casey Jennings and Matt Fuerbringer will appear at the Meadowlands Boardwalk, a Jersey shore re-creation in the Giants Stadium parking lot, from 4:00-7:00pm ET, prior to the Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band concert.

The Magic Johnson Foundation’s “A Midsummer Night’s Magic” annual event will begin with a silent auction reception and awards dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel from 6:30-9:30pm PT. The weekend will continue through Sunday with “Magic’s Comedy Slam,” “Magic’s Harlem Nights” and “Magic’s Celebrity and All-Star Charity Game” at Staples Center, which features NBA veterans taking on NBA rookies.

CHANNEL SURFING

ESPN2 will air “The Sports Reporters Primetime” at 7:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air WNBA Fever-Mystics at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN2 will air the Swimming & Diving World Championships at 10:00pm ET.

ESPN Classic’s “SportsCentury” will profile Jim Thorpe at 8:00pm ET.

ESPN’s “Outside The Lines Nightly” will examine O.J. Simpson, Mike Tyson and Pete Rose, whose legacies are obscured by what many perceive as notorious off-field behavior, at midnight ET. The program will also look at how Ravens LB Ray Lewis is trying to restore his image.

NBA Kings co-Owners Joe and Gavin Maloof will be featured on Fox’ “The Pulse” at 9:00pm ET.

Astros 1B Jeff Bagwell, Chicago Sun-Times movie reviewer Richard Roeper and actor John Leguizamo are scheduled to appear on FSN’s “BDSSP.”

BET’s “Maad Sports Profiles” will feature Flames RW Jarome Iginla and motorcycle drag racer Rickey Gadson at 11:00pm ET.

British Open champion Ben Curtis will be on CBS’ “Late Show” with David Letterman at 11:35pm ET.

U.S. national softball P Jennie Finch will be on CBS’ “The Late Late Show” with Craig Kilborn at 12:35am ET.

A&E’s “Biography” will profile Ron Howard at 8:00pm ET.

E!’s “True Hollywood Story” will profile Shannen Doherty at 8:00pm ET.

VH1 continues its “200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons” with Nos. 80-61 at 9:00pm ET and 60-41 at 10:00pm ET.

HEADLINERS

Here are tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:

TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST

USA TODAY’s Christine Brennan writes, “Have you noticed what has been happening to your sports section this summer? You pick it up and you think you’ve grabbed the wrong part of the newspaper. You look at a headline and you swear you’ve taken the front news section by mistake. … There was a time when the sports section was our escape from the real world. Now, it’s simply a mirror” (USA TODAY).

The CINCINNATI ENQUIRER’s Cliff Peale profiles PSI 20/20 Promotions, and writes, “Moving into the sports merchandising field only four years ago, the company now provides promotional products for more than three dozen sports teams and has signed contracts topping $30[M] in the next three years.” CEO Forrest Fairley: “We’re constantly trying to find the next bobblehead. We’re doing more than just selling a trinket and trash product” (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER).

See The Daily Insider’s Articles Of Interest for more sports business-related links.

TODAY’S TEASER…

Sports Business: Which MLS team has experienced the largest increase in average attendance this season?

1. L.A. Galaxy
2. Colorado Rapids
3. K.C. Wizards
4. New England Revolution

IN OTHER NEWS…

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that in Hollywood’s “most aggressive attempt to dissuade people from pirating movies on the Internet,” the studios, networks and motion picture theaters “will roll out a series of trailers and TV commercials with antitheft messages.” The campaign begins tonight with an “unprecedented television ‘roadblock’ on more than 35 network and cable outlets, with each network donating 30 seconds in the first primetime break.” On Friday, every major exhibitor will donate time to play daily trailers on all screens in more than 5,000 U.S. theaters (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 7/23).

The SAN JOSE BUSINESS JOURNAL reports that a Yahoo-commissioned study by Harris Interactive and Teenage Research Unlimited shows that the Internet “has surpassed television in overall time spent with media to become the primary medium of choice” among teenagers and young adults. The average week for the group “includes 16.7 hours online (excluding e-mail); 13.6 hours watching TV; 12 hours listening to the radio; 7.7 hours talking on the phone; and six hours reading books and magazines, not including school work.” The study polled more than 2,500 teens and young adults, ages 13-24 (BIZJOURNALS.com, 7/24).

The Portland OREGONIAN reports that Columbia Sportswear “plans to build a $40[M] distribution center in the Midwest to help accommodate the company’s growth.” The new center – whose location has not been revealed – “will primarily handle Columbia’s expanding business in shoes and boots” (Portland OREGONIAN, 7/24).

THE DAILY STAT: BILLBOARD CHARTS

The following lists Billboard Magazine’s top-selling CDs for the week ending July 20 (BILLBOARD.com, 7/24):

…TODAY’S ANSWER

The Wizards are averaging 15,273 fans through eight home games, a 24.6% increase over last year’s average of 12,255.

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

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