News in Brief from The Sports Business Daily

Discovery goes cycling
Discovery Communications will become the title sponsor of the Tailwind Sports-owned cycling team of Lance Armstrong, replacing the U.S. Postal Service. The team will be renamed the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team in 2005. Discovery will be a secondary sponsor and have logo placement on the USPS uniforms for the rest of 2004. Meanwhile, Armstrong will serve as an on-air personality on Discovery’s networks. Multiple reports valued the three-year deal at $10 million annually.

Albert bids farewell to MSG
Marv Albert, the radio and TV voice of the New York Knicks for 35 years, is leaving MSG Network. Albert would not reveal the reasons for his departure from Cablevision and MSG, but he told The New York Times, “We weren’t able to come to an agreement [on a contract extension], and I felt it was time to go in a different direction.”

Coke promo at Pepsi 400
Coca-Cola’s C2, the company’s new low-carb, mid-calorie cola, will have primary sponsorship of eight cars in the July 3 Pepsi 400. Eight participating Coca-Cola family drivers will wear C2 fire suits. Action Performance and Team Caliber are among licensees of C2-branded collectibles. Coca-Cola spokesman Scott Williamson said that while he believed this to be the first time Coke has served as a primary car sponsor during the Pepsi 400, the decision was “much more about the high profile of the race” and its holiday-weekend date, rather than the race’s title sponsor.

Angelos OKs Expos, sort of
Orioles owner Peter Angelos told The Associated Press that while he remains opposed to the concept, he would accept the Montreal Expos’ relocating to the Washington, D.C., area. “Unfortunately, I have no choice,” Angelos said. “Another [MLB] franchise in close proximity would result in two mediocre franchises from a competitive standpoint.”

For more, see our sister publication, The Sports Business Daily, at www.sportsbusinessdaily.com.