| Afternoon News & Headlines |
| • | Players Are Expected To Question Bob Goodenow As They Gather In Toronto |
| • | Global Spectrum Inks Jimmy Buffett To Play Two Dates At Citizens Bank Park |
| • | Bruce Ratner Says Nets Are “More Likely” To Move To Brooklyn In ’08-09 |
| • | Vijay Singh-Titled Videogame In The Works As Ubisoft Targets Sports Titles |
| • | Penn’s Wharton School Of Business Establishes Sports Business Initiative |
| • | Buzzer Beaters/Tonight’s Events/Channel Surfing/In Other News/The Daily Stat |
GOODENOW TO FACE THE MUSIC AS PLAYERS CONVENE IN TORONTO
The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL notes that the NHLPA tonight will begin a two-day meeting with roughly 150 players, marking the first meeting the union has had with its constituents since early November. The union will also meet with player agents on Wednesday for the first time since November 17. The NHL BOG will gather tomorrow in N.Y. to discuss plans for next season (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 2/28).
The TORONTO SUN notes that the players want to know NHLPA Exec Dir Bob Goodenow’s “rationale in giving in on a salary cap, on top of a 24% salary rollback, and then offering to lower the cap figure from $52[M] to $49[M] and possibly to $45[M]. If the union leadership was willing to compromise, they will ask, why couldn’t this dance have been performed in the autumn?” (TORONTO SUN, 2/28).
The N.Y. POST reports that “splinter groups who are widely thought to have tried to initiate side talks with the league, players such as Jeremy Roenick and Chris Pronger, are expected to have to explain themselves or be branded Benedict Arnolds” (N.Y. POST, 2/28).
Meanwhile, Penguins Owner Mario Lemieux said this weekend of the NHL labor situation, “I think a deal has to be reached in a couple of months. After that, you start losing sponsorships. People start spending money elsewhere. … People find other things to do” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 2/27).
RATNER SAYS NETS ARE “MORE LIKELY” TO MOVE TO BROOKLYN IN ’08-09
During a conference call formally announcing the addition of Marv Albert to YES Network’s broadcast team as a play-by-play announcer for Nets games, Nets Owner Bruce Ratner said that the team “probably wouldn’t move to Brooklyn, New York, until the 2008-09 season, a year later than originally planned.” Ratner: “We still can get there by 2007-08, but I think ‘08-09 is more likely” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 2/28).
BLOOMBERG NEWS notes that Albert “left the Knicks last June after he was criticized by” Cablevision President & CEO James Dolan for criticizing the team on the air. But Ratner does not plan to interfere with Albert’s game calling, saying, “I would never do that. I believe in people taking their own initiative” (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 2/28).
PARROTHEADS TO DESCEND UPON PHILLY FOR TWO BUFFETT SHOWS
By Don Muret, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
Global Spectrum has booked Jimmy Buffett to perform two concerts August 25 and 27 at the Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park. It marks the first time the ballpark will host a national act on the field since it opened in April, said Comcast-Spectacor VP/PR Ike Richman. Global Spectrum helps the Phillies manage the ballpark, and concert tickets will be sold through Global subsidiary New Era Tickets. The Cubs are negotiating with city officials to approve a pair of Buffett shows at Wrigley Field over Labor Day weekend. Buffett performed at Fenway Park last year (THE DAILY).
ESPN.COM DEBUTS POKER CLUB, WITH PLANS FOR OTHER MEDIUMS
ESPN.com today began ESPN Poker Club, a multifaceted initiative that will stretch across ESPN Wireless, ESPN Books and ESPN Enterprises, the company’s brand extension and business development arm, with a free online poker game. The first 11 weeks of play on ESPN.com will be devoted to the Degree All-In Poker Challenge, with the tournament winner earning a seat in the ‘05 World Series of Poker (ESPN).
PENN’S WHARTON SCHOOL ESTABLISHES SPORTS BUSINESS INITIATIVE
The Wharton School of the Univ. of Pennsylvania today announced the establishment of the Wharton Sports Business Initiative (WSBI), which partners business leaders and faculty to educate students on sports business. The WSBI will include executive education programs, a sports consulting practicum, company visits, independent study projects, mentoring, a speaker series, conferences, forums and networking opportunities. The WSBI’s first conference will be the April 28-29 “Turning Pro Young? The Business of Early Entry into Professional Sports” forum on the school’s campus (Wharton School).
HENKEL SIGNS SPONSORSHIP DEAL FOR NASCAR BUSCH SERIES CAR
Henkel today announced a deal with Brewco Motorsports to serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 66 Busch Series Ford for five races this season. The deal also includes associate sponsorshp for 23 races. Henkel will utilize several of its brands, such as Renuzit, Armour Star, Dep Sport, Purex, Loctite and Duck, throughout the sponsorship. Henkel's Loctite brand will continue its associate sponsorship of Robert Yates Racing's No. 38 Nextel Cup Ford (Henkel).
BUZZER BEATERS
Ubisoft today unveiled plans to launch a series of sports videogames as it has acquired Microsoft Game Studios’ sports assets, including the technologies in NHL Rivals, NFL Fever and NBA Inside Drive. Ubisoft also has inked a licensing agreement with golfer Vijay Singh to produce a Singh-titled videogame (Ubisoft).
Fox Soccer Channel today announced that New York-based Brighton Entertainment will produce and package “Fox Soccer USA,” a half-hour series covering soccer fashion, music and technology that is set to debut on the net in April (Fox Soccer Channel).
Gateway Int’l Raceway today announced that the ’05 T.R. Hughes Homebuilders concert series will include John Michael Montgomery and Chris Cagle in sessions following NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Busch Series events (Gateway Int’l Raceway).
NOW HEAR THIS
The following are notable quotes from today’s news:
- As Ford is paying PGA Tour players to play with company execs this week prior to the Ford Championship at Doral, Wachovia Championship Tournament Dir and incoming PGA Tour Tournaments Association President Kym Hougham said, “This has certainly created a buzz among tournament directors” (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 2/27). Read the full story.
TONIGHT’S EVENTS
Warner Home Video will host a private screening of “Super Bowl XXXIX Champions,” which hits retail tomorrow on DVD, at Loews Theater Boston Commons at 7:30pm ET.
CHANNEL SURFING
ESPN will air NCAA basketball: Pittsburgh-Boston College at 7:00pm ET; Oklahoma-Texas at 9:00pm and New Mexico-UNLV at midnight.
NBA TV will air Lakers-Knicks at 7:30pm ET.
U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will discuss MLB’s steroid policy on FSN’s “Head to Head with James Brown” at 9:00pm ET.
ESPN2 will air figure skating: Four Continents Championships at 10:00pm ET.
Extreme sports athlete Jay Quinlan will appear on CBS’ “Late Show” at 11:35pm ET.
Red Sox P David Wells will appear on “BDSSP.”
HEADLINERS
Here are tonight’s headline guests on the following talk shows:
| “Late Show” | The Rock |
| “The Tonight Show” | Roger Ebert & Richard Roeper |
| “The Late Late Show” | Amy Brenneman |
| “Late Night” | Jay-Z (r) |
| “Jimmy Kimmel Live” | Christina Ricci |
TODAY’S ARTICLES OF INTEREST
The L.A. TIMES’ Bill Plaschke writes of Giants LF Barry Bonds’ press conference upon his arrival to spring training, “Welcome to Barry Bonds spring quake, the beginning of the final months of the most difficult athletic feat of his career, pursuing Babe [Ruth] and Hank [Aaron] while running from BALCO. Bonds arrived at the Giants’ camp this week 11 homers shy of Ruth, 52 homers shy of Aaron, and three bricks shy of a load” (L.A. TIMES). Plaschke speaks extensively with Giants Owner Peter Magowan in the article.
The Baltimore SUN’s Ed Waldman writes of Orioles 1B Rafael Palmeiro pursuing a libel lawsuit against Jose Canseco, “Not only would the Orioles slugger have to prove that what Canseco wrote in his new book … isn’t true, but he’d also have to show, among other things, that Canseco knew it was false and that he was damaged by what was written.” Attorney Robert Lystad: “It’s not unwinnable, but it would be an uphill battle” (Baltimore SUN).
See The Daily Insider’s Articles of Interest section for more sports business-related links.
THE DAILY STAT: N.Y. TIMES BESTSELLING NONFICTION
The following presents best selling nonfiction books for the week ending February 19 (NYTIMES.com, 2/28):
| RK | HARDCOVER NONFICTION |
| 1) | JUICED, Jose Canseco (Harper Collins/Regan Books) |
| 2) | BLINK, Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown) |
| 3) | MEN IN BLACK, Mark Levin (Regnery) |
| 4) | AMERICA, Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin & David Javerbaum (Warner) |
| 5) | COLLAPSE, Jared Diamond (Viking) |
| 6) | GOD’S POLITICS, Jim Wallis (Harper San Francisco) |
| 7) | DISNEYWAR, James Stewart (Simon & Schuster) |
| 8) | SECRETS & MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD, Sylvia Browne (Hay House) |
| 9) | 102 MINUTES, Jim Dwyer & Kevin Flynn (Times Books/Holt) |
| 10) | WITNESS, Amber Frey (Regan Books/Harper Collins) |
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please let us know at:
dailyinsider@sportsbusinessdaily.com
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