TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2005
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3B
NFL
NFL negotiates network switch
BY DAVE GOLDBERG THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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NEW YORK — "Monday Night Football," a television institution that in over 55 years has helped transform the NFL into a prime-time ratings draw, is leaving ABC and moving to ESPN beginning with the 2006 season.
The new broadcast deal also brings the NFL to NBC for the first time in six years. The network gets the Sunday night package — which the league now considers its marquee television showcase — and will employ a flexible scheduling model.
"In the current media environment, Sunday is now the better night for our prime-time broadcast package," commissioner Paul Tagliabue said yesterday.
The move to ESPN, which currently broadcasts Sunday night games, keeps the Monday Night Football brand within the umbrella of The Disney Company. Disney owns both ESPN and ABC.
After the coming season.
NBC will start its Sunday broadcasts with a pregame show at 7 p.m. Eastern time; games will begin at 8:15. The network plans to use a flexible scheduling model that in the last seven weeks, allowing it to shift afternoon games to prime time to ensure more meaningful games are shown on national TV.
ABC, which reshaped sports broadcasting by turning the NFL into a prime-time ratings draw, will be the only major network not to carry it. "Monday Night Football" has been a pillar of ABC since it began in 1970, when Howard Cosell anchored the show that now stands as the second-longest running prime time network series, trailing CBS's "60 Minutes" by two years.
The Monday night move to basic cable, which includes an earlier start time of 8:40 p.m., is expected to cost ESPN — which previously broadcast Sunday night games — $1.1 billion a year over eight years, two sources familiar with the deals told The Associated
*Press* on condition of anonymity.
*tv.*
NBC will get the Sunday night package for $600 million a year over six years, according to the sources. The network will also get the Super Bowl in 2009 and 2012 as part of the deal.
"A great deal with the NFL is the best deal you can get in television," said NBC sports chairman Dick Ebersol, who said NBC only began negotiating with the NFL last Friday after ABC, which had the option on the prime-time broadcasts until Oct. 31, relinquished it after talks with the league.
He said the network hasn't started working on finding anchors for the Sunday night broadcast. "We're celebrating for a day. Then I'm sure we'll get a lot of calls."
Last month, Tagliabue said during the NFL meetings in Hawaii that the Monday night move was a strong possibility. ^aBC, which has been losing money on the package despite high ratings had been balking at the NFL asking price.
NBC has been struggling in prime-time this season, and even risks an unprecedented fall into fourth place in the ratings. ABC's newfound ratings strength with "Desperate Housewives" on Sunday nights has been particularly damaging. NBC says it will devote its entire Sunday night prime-time lineup to the NFL.
CBS and Fox already have agreed to pay a total of $8 billion over six years for the rights to Sunday afternoon games.
The NFL is still considering an eight game late-season package of Thursday and Saturday night games on cable and satellite. Tagliabue has said the NFL's own new network could show some or all of those games.
The NFL will continue to show all cable games on free, over-the air television in home markets. That means that local stations will carry ESPN's Monday night games in the cities of the teams involved.
Associated Press Writer David Bauder also contributed to this report.
CYCLING
Armstrong to retire after one last Tour de France
BY CHARLES ODOM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Lance Armstrong will retire from professional cycling after this summer's Tour de France, ending one of the greatest sports careers.
"Ultimately, athletes have to retire ... the body doesn't just keep going and going," Armstrong said.
The 33-year-old Texan will attempt to win his record seventh straight Tour de France in July. Before Armstrong, Miguel Indurain of Spain held the record with five-straight Tour de France victories.
John Bazemore/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Eddy Merckx of Belgium and Bernard Hinault and Jacques Anquetil of France are the only other riders with Tour de France races victories overall.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong announces at yesterday's news conference in Augusta, Ga., he will retire from the sport after this year's Tour de France. Armstrong's six consecutive Tour de France titles and his recovery from testicular cancer have made him a superstar in the sport and an international celebrity.
Armstrong's streak of six straight titles and his inspirational recovery from testicular cancer have made him a superstar in the sport and an international celebrity.
Armstrong's possible retirement plans had become the focus of growing speculation. In recent months he spoke that he wanted to spend more time with his three children and on his campaign against cancer.
Armstrong says he is "100 percent committed" to his decision to retire and that he will not be participating in any other races after July 24 - the scheduled end of the Tour de France.
The announcement came last night before Armstrong's six day, 648-mile event he began today as a training tool for the Tour de France.
His new two-year contract to
race for the Discovery Channel team requires he compete in just one more Tour de France.
to try," he said. "It's my ambition to win and also a little bit of my job to win."
He has said previously if he retired he would amplify his high-profile role as a cancer survivor.
"I was fortunate to win six times. Can I win again this year? I'm not sure, but I'm going
Relays
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world really excited."
The Kansas Relays were close to folding several years ago. The event was canceled in 1998 and 1999. Weaver said many residents felt as though the relays were done, but after some track and field alumni made some noise about raising money to renovate Memorial Stadium, the event returned with success in 2000.
"The passion that people have for the Kansas Relays has been tremendous," Weaver said. "There are so many people that come into my office every week to volunteer to help out."
On top of impacting the University, the Kansas Relays have an economic impact of more than $4 million.
"That's a tremendous benefit to all the local businesses here." Weaver said. "It also benefits the community with the tax dollars that are brought in based on all that revenue."
The relays start on Thursday night and continue through Saturday, culminating with the Gold Zone in the afternoon.
"It's a great bragging point for the city of Lawrence." Weaver said. "It's a great point of pride for the University."
Hodges said he didn't realize how big this event was until he came to the University after winning his event the year before at the Kansas Relays as a high school senior.
"We put this huge meet on, tons of people come in, it's a big deal and everyone talks about it," he said. "It's such a tradition, and it's really nice to be a part of that. This is pretty much as big as it gets."
- Weinstein is an Overland Park senior in English.
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Half-Price Tickets for KU Students!*
Available at Lied Center, University Theatre, and SUA Ticket Offices.
A FREE Concert at the
University of Kansas Edwards Campus
Regnier Hall Auditorium
Enjoy the musical talents of Down Beat magazine's Student Music Award winner for Best Classical Instrumental Chamber Music Group.
KU Saxophone Quartets I & II Friday, April 22-7:30 p.m.
Edwards Campus,
Regnier Hall Auditorium
12600 Quivira Rd. Overland Park
2.5 miles south of I-435
off the Quivira Rd. exit
Ping Chong's
Native Voices – Secret History
Thursday,* Friday* & Saturday*
April 28-30, 2005 - 7:30 p.m.
Theatrical performance based on personal stories/experiences of Native Americans and Alaska Natives in the Lawrence community, highlighted through this oral history project.
Carly Blemmel
In conjunction with Saturday's performance...
Summit III - Building a Better Community, Bridging Cultures; The Native American Experience
Saturday, April 30, 1:30 Leder Center
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