LEAVITT TO LAUNCH OLYMPIC LEGACY COLLECTION

The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that UT Gov. Mike Leavitt and state history officials this afternoon "will announce the creation of the Utah Olympic Legacy Collection, amassing memorabilia and artifacts" from the '02 Winter Games. The items will be used in "displays, exhibits and available to the public for research projects." Representatives from the city, the SLOC as well as execs from Roots and Coca-Cola, will be on hand for the 1:30pm MT announcement (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 4/22).

TICKETS STILL REMAIN IN OTTAWA FOR TONIGHT'S PLAYOFF GAME

The Toronto GLOBE & MAIL reports that as of yesterday, 1,400 tickets for tonight's Flyers-Senators Game 3 remain available, and 2,400 for Game 4 on Wednesday. The ticket situation was "so worrisome" that on Friday, Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli, who is also an "unabashed Senators fan, called a news conference to tell fans they should buy up the remaining tickets" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 4/22). The OTTAWA SUN notes that the Senators "have sold out every home playoff game thus far in their modern history." Yesterday, about 500 tickets were sold for tonight's game (OTTAWA SUN, 4/22).

ASTROS BREAK GROUND DOWN IN KISSIMMEE, FL

The HOUSTON CHRONICLE reports that the Astros will host a groundbreaking ceremony today at their spring training complex in Kissimmee, FL. The $18.4M project includes "a face lift to Osceola County Stadium, expanded major-league clubhouse and weightlifting facilities and new minor-league complex. An adjacent facility to host the Osceola County Fair and Rodeo also will be built as part of the expansion/renovation project." Work on the complex is scheduled for completion in February '03 (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 4/22).

ROUSH UPGRADED TO SERIOUS AFTER FRIDAY'S PLANE CRASH

The CHARLOTTE OBSERVER reports that the news on NASCAR Team Owner Jack Roush "grew more encouraging Sunday as he was upgraded from critical to serious condition at University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital." Roush, who is recovering from injuries suffered in a plane crash Friday evening, "had broken bones in his left leg repaired Saturday" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/22). Roush Racing President Geoff Smith said that Roush had surgery "to put rods and plates in his left leg and ankle." Smith said that Roush "is hooked to a respirator but can respond to questions by squeezing his hands and shaking his head" (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 4/22). Roush's head injury "remains the greatest source of concern" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 4/22). There are also "significant worries about infection during the next few days" (WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL, 4/22).

LOUISVILLE DELAYS PLANS FOR ATHLETIC FEE ON STUDENTS

The Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL reports that Univ. of Louisville President John Shumaker "today will ask the school's board of trustees to table a motion to impose a $125-per-semester athletic fee on full-time students." The university will instead form a committee "to examine the idea of a student fee to support the university's athletic programs, with the hope of coming up with a new proposal to present to trustees next month" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 4/22).

STERN SUPPORTS SEVEN-GAME FORMAT, IF PLAYERS AGREE

The DETROIT NEWS reports that NBA Commissioner David Stern "made his first appearance at The Palace in five years Sunday" to present the Defensive Player of the Year trophy to Pistons F Ben Wallace, and spoke of changing the first round of the NBA Playoffs to a best-of-seven format: "We will go to a seven-game format next season if we can get the players to agree to it. I would like for it to happen. We have the space, as you well know, and it would result in a substantial additional sum for the TV networks and for basketball-related income, of which the players get 55 percent" (DETROIT NEWS, 4/22).

A LIGHTER BUZZ

Canadian figure skating pair Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, who "spent the week in New York taping commercials, are expected to return home this week and lay out their future at a major press conference." Expectations are that the two will "headline a major tour to be staged primarily in the fall" (EDMONTON SUN, 4/22).

The DETROIT FREE PRESS reports that Sunday night's playing of the Canadian national anthem "O Canada" prior to the start of the Raptors-Pistons playoff game "drew a stream of boos from some in the sold-out crowd – which included about a thousand Raptors fans waving Canadian flags." Later in the game, the crowd chanted "USA, USA!" Pistons G/F Jerry Stackhouse, on the fans' actions: "That was a little distasteful" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/22).

ATTENDANCE WATCH: The contraction-targeted Expos sit in first place in the NL East after taking three of four games from the Mets this weekend. The series drew a total of 35,929 to Olympic Stadium for an average of 8,982 per game. The 11,672 on Sunday was the Expos' highest attendance since 34,351 fans attended Opening Day on April 2. The Montreal GAZETTE reports that a "sizable portion of the crowd was made up of Mets fans in from the northeastern U.S.," but Expos supporters "made their presence felt" (Montreal GAZETTE, 4/22).

An estimated crowd of 15,000 attended the IRL's debut at Nazareth Speedway on Sunday. Attendance at last year's Nazareth CART race "was slightly less than yesterday's" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 4/22). Meanwhile, NASCAR's Winston Cup series was in AL this weekend, and yesterday's Aaron's 499 at the Talladega Superspeedway drew a crowd estimated at 170,000, called the largest ever by track officials (BIRMINGHAM NEWS, 4/22).

The White Sox hosted 500 dogs in bleacher seats for Saturday's Dog Day promotion during the Tigers-White Sox game. White Sox Senior VP/Marketing Rob Gallas: "We usually hold this in the summer, but it's more comfortable for them in the spring" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/20).

Ravens Owner Art Modell, who suffered a mild heart attack last week, missed his first NFL draft in 42 years as an NFL team owner but "still made his presence known with a call to local reporters" Saturday. Modell, who was to be released today after undergoing one more test at Johns Hopkins Hospital, said, "I am feeling better" (Baltimore SUN, 4/21).

TODAY'S EVENTS

Bill Russell will be chatting live on NBA.com on Monday at 2:00pm ET (THE DAILY).

EARNINGS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are this week's confirmed earnings announcements for sports-business related companies (THE DAILY).

IN OTHER NEWS….

The cover of this week's TIME profiles next month's release of "Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones" under the headline "Yoda Strikes Back." This week's cover of NEWSWEEK examines businesses outside of Silicon Valley who are advancing technologically under the headline "Companies of the Future" (THE DAILY).

USA TODAY reports that the PR business is "in a serious slump," as a report to be released today by the Council of Public Relations Firms "cautiously predicts 4% to 7% growth in 2002." The top three PR agencies, according to their global '01 revenue, are Weber Shandwick Worldwide, Fleishman-Hillard and Hill & Knowlton (USA TODAY, 4/22).

CBS "will announce this week that it has agreed to a deal that will keep Craig Kilborn, its late-night follow-up host to David Letterman, in place for two more years" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/22).

The N.Y. TIMES reports that Madison Avenue execs "heard more tough talk, challenging the industry to remake itself to reach higher, as the 2002 Management Conference of the American Association of Advertising Agencies concluded" on Saturday in Dana Point, CA (N.Y. TIMES, 4/22).

FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION

Friday's "Final Jeopardy!" category was "Geography."

"Alphabetically, it's the first country on the alphabetically first continent."

LAUGH TRACK

THE MONOLOGUES: NBC's Jay Leno: "The arrest of Robert Blake really puts the Fox network in a bind. Who are they going to get to fight Joey Buttafuco next month on celebrity boxing? That thing was all set to go. ... The Pope, as you know, has called all U.S. Cardinals back to the Vatican. He's going to have Italy's top soccer coach lecture them. I believe the topic is, 'How to do your job without using your hands.' ... Sportscaster Marv Albert is recovering from injuries after his limousine hit a stalled donut truck on the highway. ... He's going to be OK. But everybody of course here at NBC is very concerned. Katie Couric wanted to know if Marv was OK. Matt Lauer wanted to know if the limo driver was OK. And Al Roker wanted to know, 'How are the donuts? Are they damaged? Are the donuts bruised?'" ("The Tonight Show," NBC, 4/19).

SUNDAY NIGHT'S TV MONITOR

ESPN's "SportsCenter" began at 11:20pm ET following "Sunday Night Baseball" and led with Trail Blazers-Lakers.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER notes that the weekend box office was "way up over last year's same frame, thanks largely to the breakout success" of Universal's "The Scorpion King." The top 12 films this weekend earned an estimated $93.1M, "shattering last year's $67.5 million mark," and The Rock's "King" set a new April opening-weekend record (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 4/22).

FINAL JEOPARDY ANSWER

"What is Algeria?"

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