ITEM ONE:

NFL WAS ON THE CLOCK & NO. 1 PICK OF SPORTS FANS

CARSON PALMER by the Bengals, and the NFL Draft by the fans.  Those were the top two picks last weekend as the NFL unofficially opened its 2003 season with its draft of college players.  And were the fans ever ready!  A total of 29 million  people watched all or part of the two-day coverage on ESPN.  That’s 3.6 million more viewers than last year.  The draft – an offseason NFL event, remember – out-pulled all in-season sports events on television over the weekend, including the NBA and NHL playoffs.  On both cable and over-the-air TV, the NFL Draft outranked the aforementioned playoffs as well as a NASCAR race and PGA golf tournament.  “Even with the increase in ESPN’s hours of coverage (rather than splitting the telecast with ESPN2),” said ESPN’s MIKE SOLTYS, “the audience improved substantially, punctuating the amazing popularity of the NFL Draft.”

ITEM TWO:

NFL CLUBS GIVE WHERE THEY DO…AND DON’T…LIVE 

The draft is over.  Minicamps are imminent.  NFL clubs are busy.  Off the field, too.  Take the DETROIT LIONS.  They recently donated $28,000 worth of fitness equipment to the police department of Oakland County, Michigan, base of their former headquarters.  “Right now, we’ve got a nice workout room,” said Oakland Sheriff MICHAEL BOUCHARD.  “But with the new equipment, it’s going to be a great workout room”……In Louisiana, the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, continuing their steps to bring economy-boosting sports and entertainment events to the state, have secured a July 13 pre-World Cup soccer match between the USA Women’s National Team and Brazil.  “This helps focus international attention on our city,” says New Orleans Mayor RAY NAGIN.  “We greatly appreciate the Saints’ efforts in helping our economy”……and the BALTIMORE RAVENS are reaching all the way to Florida to help the community.  Ravens safety COREY FULLER, born in Tallahassee, this Monday (May 5) will visit a correctional complex in Coleman, Florida as part of an outreach program to help prisoners.  As part of “GRIP” (Growing Responsibility & Integrity in Prison), Fuller will speak to young inmates on making the most of a second chance and preparing for life outside prison.  “I want those men to know that we are all human, that everyone makes mistakes, and that they still have a second chance to do something positive after their release,” says Fuller, who has a degree in criminology and child development from Florida State.  

ITEM THREE:

EVERYBODY LOVES THE NFL

NFL football on television continues to cross over between diverse backgrounds.  In the fourth quarter of 2002, for instance, ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football was the lone program to rank among prime-time television’s top 10 shows in Hispanic (sixth), African-American (eighth) and white households (10th).  Among all programming (not solely prime-time), the FOX NFL Sunday national game was the only program to rank among the top 10 in each of those audiences.  The FOX national game ranked fifth in white and African-American households, and sixth in Hispanic households.