Closing Bell, July 11, 2006

PIRATES TO HOST 77^TH MLB ALL-STAR GAME TONIGHT AT PNC PARK

The Pirates will host the 77th MLB All-Star Game tonight at PNC Park, with Fox beginning its coverage at 8:00pm ET. As a lead-in to the game, FSN will air “The All-Star Game Red Carpet Show Presented by Chevrolet” from 7:00-8:00pm.  Fox’ pre-game activities will be hosted by Jeanne Zelasko and Kevin Kennedy.  Joe Buck will provide the play-by-play with Tim McCarver as analyst, a record 15th time in the All-Star booth for McCarver (THE DAILY).

Carrie Underwood will sing the national anthem, and Chuck Tanner, who managed the Pirates to their ‘79 World Series title, will throw out the first pitch (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/11).

The game is sold out, with tickets ranging from $125-285.  StubHub PR Dir Sean Pate said that “hundreds of tickets were bought” through the company’s Web site at an average of $736 a ticket (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/11).

Beginning in the sixth inning, fans will be able to vote for the Ted Williams MVP Award via the Monster 2006 All-Star Game MVP Vote on MLB.com.  Fan voting will count for 20%, with the remaining 80% coming on-site from broadcast rights holders Fox Sports, ESPN Radio and MLB Int’l, in addition to the official scorers (MLBAM).

Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh GM Joe Kane said that he expects the city’s hotels will take in $12-15M “in direct spending from the All-Star festivities” (PITTSBURGH BUSINESS TIMES, 7/7 issue).

Meanwhile, Reds COO John Allen said that team “is putting out feelers” for a bid to host the game in ’09 (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 7/11).

COLUMNISTS SOUND OFF ON FORMAT OF MLB ALL-STAR GAME

With MLB continuing to have the All-Star Game determine which league has home-field advantage in the World Series, a format introduced in ’03, several columnists address the concept:

The BOSTON GLOBE’s Dan Shaughnessy said the players do not take the game’s stakes “seriously,” adding Red Sox LF Manny Ramirez “just blows the thing off and nobody even cares” (“Jim Rome Is Burning,” ESPN, 7/10).

The PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE’s Bob Smizik writes, “Despite all the talk, it’s just another exhibition game.  It’s almost as important, if not as important, to get everyone in the game as it is to win” (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/11).

The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE’s Jim Souhan writes MLB Commissioner Bud Selig “has tried to make the All-Star Game relevant, but it already was” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBNUNE, 7/11).

NBC, CBS, ESPN2 SET TO ANNOUNCE U.S. OPEN SERIES COVERAGE

By John Ourand, Staff Writer

NBC, CBS and ESPN2 will combine to offer 115 hours of coverage for the '06 U.S. Open Series this summer, the networks will announce during a press event tonight.  The Tennis Channel will cover another 150 hours of the series, which starts July 17 in Indianapolis.  ESPN2, which will carry the finals of all five tournaments on Sundays at 3:00pm ET, will move its "Tennis GameDay" desk on-site for each tournament.  The channel also plans to reduce its commercial breaks by 33%, opting for player profiles and athlete vignettes.  ESPN, meanwhile, plans additional coverage on ESPN Deportes. 

Lever 2000 has signed on as the lead sponsor for the series.

JAMES BLAKE, NIKE PARTNER TO LAUNCH “J-BLOCK” CHARITY PROGRAM

ATPer James Blake today launched a nationwide charitable program, based on his “J-Block” fan support network, to benefit the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation.  Blake and Nike are partnering to develop a line of “J-Block” merchandise that will be sold in markets where Blake competes during the U.S. Open Series.  All proceeds will go to the foundation, which supports local tennis programs in the Series’ host cities (IMG).

N.Y. AGENCY APPROVES $1.58B IN FINANCING FOR METS’, YANKEES’ BALLPARKS

N.Y.’s Industrial Development Agency has approved $1.58B in “tax-exempt and taxable financing” for the Mets’ and Yankees’ new ballparks.  The deal is contingent upon the IRS “approving the issuance of tax-exempt bonds for most of the financing.”  The Yankees will get about $920M in low-interest tax-exempt bonds and $25M in taxable bonds, while the Mets will get $528M in tax-exempt bonds and $104M in taxable bonds (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/11).

SPEED READS….

The Italian National Olympic Committee today announced that Rome will not bid for the 2016 Olympics (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 7/11).

FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee member Juergen Kiessling “shot himself in the head hours after the tournament ended” on Sunday, but “survived his apparent suicide attempt.”  Kiessling remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries (REUTERS, 7/11).

The NBA and Stats LLC today formally announced a multi-year deal making the company the official real-time data partner of the NBA, WNBA and NBA D-League.  Stats will distribute the leagues’ statistical information to broadcast, print and online outlets throughout the year.  The deal was first reported in SportsBusiness Journal (THE DAILY).

Warner Home Video, NHL Release Hurricanes DVD

Allen & Co., the firm brokering the sale of the Penguins, is “analyzing and verifying” recent bids for the team and could pare the number of bidders down as early as this week (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/11).

Warner Home Video, the NHL and NHL Productions today released “2005-2006 Stanley Cup Champions,” a DVD featuring highlights of the Hurricanes’ season and Stanley Cup championship (THE DAILY).

Jim Rome has renewed his contract with Premiere Radio Networks (PRN) for the company to continue syndicating the “The Jim Rome Show.”  Rome originally signed with PRN in ’96 (PRN).

The USGA will allow MacKinzie Kline, who has a congenital heart defect, “to use a cart at next week’s U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship and next month’s U.S. Women’s Amateur.”  Kline’s petition was initially denied “because she had not included her condition on her entry form” (USA TODAY, 7/11).

QUICK HITS….

“When the people here in this country are thinking about soccer, why not have them think about soccer in their neighborhood?” – MLS Commissioner Don Garber, on why the league does not suspend play during the FIFA World Cup (“Cold Pizza, ESPN2, 7/11).

“People say, ‘Why don’t you spend more money on marketing?’ I’d rather spend that money on players – Beckham, Ronaldo, Zidane … That’s a much better way to market the league” – MLS and SUM Senior VP/Marketing & Communications Dan Courtemanche, on the most effective way to market the league (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/11).

“In Philadelphia, if you finish third, you get fired” – PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER columnist Bob Ford, on whether there would be the same kind of celebration in the U.S. as there was in Berlin after Germany’s third-place FIFA World Cup finish (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 7/11).

“I guess we’re being punished because we have too many strong players.  When you have a cap system, you are going to have movement” – Senators GM John Muckler, on the new NHL CBA forcing teams to trade talented players (OTTAWA SUN, 7/11).

“Now if they can just mix in a little personality, they might be on to something” – ESPN’s Jim Rome, on the rivalry between ATPers Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (“Jim Rome Is Burning,” ESPN, 7/10).

“We haven’t forgotten how to produce tennis stars or forgotten how to maintain tennis stardom: We’ve forgotten how to do both” – USA TODAY columnist Ian O’Connor, on the declining success of U.S. tennis players (USA TODAY, 7/11).

ARTICLES OF INTEREST….

The N.Y. DAILY NEWS’ Mike Lupica writes, “If it were someone else but [Giants LF] Barry Bonds with all these home runs … you know they would have changed the rules to get him to this All-Star Game tonight, aching knees or not” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS).

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s Randy Williams writes of Hollywood agencies’ entrance into sports business, “It has set up a fierce competition with traditional reps and created a big-money, off-the-field rivalry not seen in athletics since the NFL battled the AFL” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER).

Also:

•          PNC Park an example of major changes in ballparks since Camden Yards.
•          MLB All-Stars say there is no reason the Pirates cannot be competitive.
•          Japanese player competes without pay in Golden Baseball League.
•          Soccer must re-work its image, rules before 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

See the Articles of Interest section for more sports business-related links.

IN OTHER NEWS….

A group of int’l media agencies have formed a jointly-owned company, Columbus Media Int’l, that will allow the independent agencies “to pitch multinational accounts against” firms such as Carat and OMD Worldwide.  The 13 agencies involved in the venture, including Quebec-based Cossette Media, N.Y.-based Horizon Media and London-based BLM Media, have billings of US$4.2B (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 7/11).

CHANNEL SURF….

Skateboarder Tony Hawk will appear on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” at 11:30pm ET.

Lance Armstrong will appear on NBC’s “The Tonight Show” at 11:35pm ET.

Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander will appear on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”  The show is featuring a different athlete each night this week.

HEADLINERS….

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

CLOSING STAT: HARRIS POLL ON FAVORITE MLB TEAMS

For the fourth consecutive year, the Yankees earned the title of favorite MLB team, according to a recently released Harris Poll.  The following are results from a nationwide poll of 2,351 U.S. adults, 884 of whom follow Major League Baseball. The poll was conducted online by Harris Interactive from July 12-18, 2005.  Rankings for ’05 are presented as well (Harris Poll).

NOTES & QUOTES FROM THIS DAY IN SBD HISTORY….

2005
The IOC votes to cut baseball and softball from the Olympics beginning in 2012.  U.S. softball team member Jennie Finch: “It makes no sense to me. Look at the TV ratings. Look at the attendance. Look at the number of countries competing and the media coverage.”

2001
The NFL announces an Internet marketing partnership with CBS, AOL and SportsLine.com in a deal said to be valued at $110M in cash and $200M-plus in promotional value over five years, a major increase from the previous three-year, $10M deal with ESPN Internet Group.  An NFL source: "The avenues to promote NFL.com become very, very powerful now.”

1996
Spurs ownership rejects a $120M bid for the team from the Maloof family and also elects Peter Holt as Chair, replacing Robert McDermott, who resigns once the Maloof bid is turned down. 

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

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