THE DAILY each Friday offers our take on the performances over the past week of people and entities in sports business. Here are this week's newsmakers:
WIN: WINNIPEG -- The NHL returns to The Peg for the first time since the Jets left for Phoenix prior to the '96-97 season as True North Sports & Entertainment finalizes a deal to purchase the Thrashers and move them north of the border for next season. The new ownership group, locally respected and brimming with cash, is already seeing success with Winnipeg fans, with 4,170 making season-ticket commitments on the first two days of an exclusive pre-sale. Hockey never played well in the cluttered Atlanta sports landscape, particularly with apathetic ownership, and there is no denying that the NHL will now be Winnipeg's crown jewel.
LOSE: OHIO STATE -- The Buckeyes athletic department is hit hard this week with the resignation of football coach JIM TRESSEL amid a flurry of allegations against the program and players. The coach's downfall gets national coverage with a cover story in SI this week, adding insult to injury for one of the stalwart programs of college sports. While the NCAA continues investigating the school for other issues of noncompliance and improper benefits, one has to believe looming penalties against the program could lead to some dark days in Columbus.
DRAW: INDYCAR -- The open-wheel racing series is coming off one of the most memorable finishes in the 100-year history of the Indianapolis 500 as DAN WHELDON captures his second Borg-Warner Trophy after rookie J.R. HILDEBRAND hits the wall on the final turn of the race. The gregarious and stylish Wheldon would be a natural for IndyCar to put in the forefront of its marketing for the remainder of the season, but Indy is the only race in which Wheldon is currently scheduled to appear. Also, while the Indy 500 sees a jump in ratings, it will have to wait longer than normal to capitalize, as an extra week was put into the schedule this year for the follow-up race.
