Auction-Rate Securities Market Collapse Impacting How NFL Stadiums Are Being Financed

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Disgraced NBA Referee Donaghy Bet on 100 Games He Worked
Published 5/17/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
Tim Donaghy, the disgraced former NBA referee bet on over 100 games he worked, according to federal prosecutors. As reported by the New York Daily News: "The government's investigation revealed that Donaghy provided picks for anywhere from 30 to 40 games for each of those three seasons," Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Goldberg said in a letter filed Friday in Brooklyn Federal Court. No one has alleged that Donaghy threw any of the contests he both worked and bet on, but Donaghy has admitted that his actions compromised the integrity of the game. Donaghy plead guilty to passing along insider ...

ESPN Insider, David Thorpe Explains Why He Thinks J.J. Redick Can Be a Starting Shooting Guard for a Playoff Team
Published 5/19/2008 by David Friedman at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
J.J. Redick wants the Orlando Magic to either significantly expand his playing time or else trade him to a team that will do so. Magic General Manager Otis Smith counters, "We do think he’s a pretty good player, but he’s a backup 2 (shooting guard)." Last year, David Thorpe wrote (ESPN Insider subscription required), "I've always believed Redick could become a starter for a playoff team, and he appears to be moving along that path now." I have written several pieces disagreeing with Thorpe's contention that Redick is capable of being a starting shooting guard for a ...

USA’s "Miracle on Ice" Voted Top Ice Hockey Story of the Century
Published 5/19/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Hockey :: Business of Sports Network
The International Ice Hockey Federation has announced that Team USA’s “Miracle On Ice” win over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics as the top hockey story of the past 100 years. As reported by The AP: Speaking at a special dinner which was hosted by the IIHF to honour the moment, former USA national team member Mark Johnson said Saturday that he never imagined at the time what their victory would mean to his country and international hockey. "You couldn't fantasize us beating the Russians and then 48 hours later we were at the White House having lunch with the president," said Johnson, ...

NBC Sees 14% Ratings Increase for Stanley Cup Conference Finals
Published 5/20/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Hockey :: Business of Sports Network
NBC’s Sports Saturday and Sunday’s coverage of the Stanley Cup Conference Finals saw a 14 percent ratings increase from the year prior according to Nielsen Media Research. The games combined to post a 1.6 overnight HH rating and a 4 share. As reported by Mediaweek: Saturday's broadcast of Game 5 between the Dallas Stars and ...

TNT and Yellowbook Enter Sponsorship Agreement. Ties Television and Online Offerings
Published 5/20/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
Turner Network Television (TNT) announced today it will partner with Yellowbook, for a unique multiplatform promotion during TNT’s online and exclusive on-air coverage of the NBA Western Conference Finals. The promotion, Yellowbook’s Future Faces, will include a series of features on TNT and the network’s broadband channel TNT OverTime on NBA.com that will highlight the young, up and coming stars of the NBA such as Lakers players Ronny Turiaf and Jordan Farmar, Hornets forward Julian Wright and Celtics guard Rajon Rondo. ...

SEE IT: Steve Nash's "Sixty Million Dollar Man" Nike "Trash Talk" Shoe Ad
Published 5/20/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
The following is Steve Nash's new Nike ad for the "Trash Talk" shoe, which uses recycled materials. Nash produced, directed, and stars in the ad that also stars Amare Stoudemire and Raja Bell. Hilarious take on the Six Millon Dollar Man.  ...

XM Satellite Radio To Carry 3 Different Broadcasts of Every Stanley Cup Final Game
Published 5/20/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Hockey :: Business of Sports Network
XM Satellite Radio will carry three different broadcasts of every game of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Final as the Detroit Red Wings take on the Pittsburgh Penguins starting May 24th at 8 pm ET. Hockey fans nationwide can hear the Pittsburgh Penguins broadcast, the Detroit Red Wings broadcast, and the NHL Radio broadcast for every game live on XM. The XM channel guide for the Stanley Cup Final is online at http://www.xmradio.com/nhl. The NHL broadcast of the Stanley Cup Final will air on XM Channel 204, the home team broadcast will air on XM Channel 205 along with the away team broadcast on XM Channel 206. "The NHL is proud to partner with XM ...

Howard Schultz Claims Clay Bennett Breached Sonics Sale Contract
Published 5/22/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
Former SuperSonics owner and Starbucks Corp. chairman Howard Schultz has amended his lawsuit against Clay Bennett and the group that purchased the Sonics saying that they breached the contract on the sale of the franchise by not making an effort to keep the Sonics in Seattle. As reported by The AP: "Mr. Bennett wrote to Mr. Schultz that 'it is our desire to have the Sonics ... continue their existence in the Greater Seattle Area' and specifically denied any 'intention to move or relocate the team," Schultz's latest filing said. "That statement was false from the moment it was made. ... They were willing to lie, and did lie, ...

TNT Sees Slam Dunk Ratings for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals
Published 5/22/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
TNT started its exclusive Western Conference Finals Game #1 coverage with exceedingly high ratings, delivering a 4.1 US rating and 4,615,000 households. The game, which featured a come from behind 89-85 win for the #1 seeded Los Angeles Lakers over the defending NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs, delivered a 51% increase over TNT’s Eastern Conference Finals Game #1 last year between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons (2.7 US rating), and a 36% increase over the 2007 Western Conference Finals Game #1 match up between the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs on ABC.  TNT's coverage of Game #1 of the Western Conference beat ABC, NBC, CBS and the ...

NBA, Cal Expo Agree to Explore New Arena Deal for Kings
Published 5/23/2008 by Nick Kappel at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
Cal Expo, the site of California’s annual state fair, has reached an agreement with the NBA to explore the possibility of a new arena deal for the Sacramento Kings. As reported by Mary Lynne Vellinga of the Sacramento Bee:  With NBA Commissioner David Stern smiling on, the Cal Expo board Wednesday voted unanimously to approve a document that defines its courtship with the league for the next 180 days. The two parties will work together on a conceptual plan for how the 360-acre site might accommodate a new arena for the Kings, a revamped fairground and a development profitable enough to pay for both. ...

Class-Action Lawsuit Against TicketMaster and the NCAA Filed Today Over Non-Refundable "Lottery" Fees
Published 5/23/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
Ticketmaster and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) were hit with a class-action lawsuit today, claiming the two organizations violated racketeering laws by forcing ticket purchasers to pay a non-refundable fee to enter what the lawsuit claims is an illegal lottery for the right to purchase tickets to high-profile sporting events including college basketball tournament games. "The NCAA and Ticketmaster have come up with a scheme that would make a Vegas bookie blush," said Rob Carey, partner at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, and the attorney representing the named plaintiff. "We will show that this NCAA practice has illegally taken ...

NBA D-League's Erie Franchise Unveils New Name and Logo - Erie BayHawks
Published 5/24/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Basketball :: Part of the Business of Sports Network
The NBA Development League’s Erie franchise, which is set to begin play in 2008-09, today announced it would be known as the BayHawks. Majority owner and Managing Partner Steve Demetriou and lead local Owner Owen J. McCormick were on hand for the announcement of the name and the unveiling of both primary and secondary logos for the BayHawks franchise. “This team is going to be something special for the citizens of Erie,” said Demetriou. “We’re going to deliver great family entertainment and a high level of competitive basketball, and we now have a great name and logo to go along with that.”  Named for Erie landmark Presque Isle Bay and the hawks ...

Fish Market in Pittsburgh Refusing to Sell Octopus to Red Wings Fans
Published 5/24/2008 by Maury Brown at The Biz of Hockey :: Business of Sports Network
Any Red Wing fans looking to throw octopus on the ice after a goal by Detroit during Stanley Cup Finals games in Pittsburgh better not be looking to make purchases at Wholey’s Fish Market in the Motor City as the market has said, “No” to any fans wearing Red Wing jerseys or have an accent that might tip them off that you’re possibly from the Detroit area. As reported by the Detroit Free Press: Dan Wholey, owner of Wholey’s Fish Market in Pittsburgh’s warehouse section known as the Strip District, said he’ll decline the sale of octopus to anyone in Red Wings gear next week. He’ll also listen for Midwestern accents and ...