ITEM ONE:

SEASON’S HERE!  TV GUIDE KICKS IT OFF WITH ZANY POLL

At least half of America can’t wait for next Thursday when the NFL kicks off its 2003 season in Washington, DC.  AEROSMITH, MARY J. BLIGE, ARETHA FRANKLIN, GOOD CHARLOTTE and BRITNEY SPEARS will perform as part of “NFL Kickoff Live From The National Mall Presented by Pepsi Vanilla.”  The show will be  witnessed by thousands of military personnel at The Mall and across America on ABC-TV from 8:00-9:00 PM ET before the Washington Redskins host the New York Jets at 9:00 PM on ABC.  To salute NFL kickoff, TV Guide created a national cover of Super Bowl rivals WARREN SAPP of Tampa Bay and RICH GANNON of Oakland, and 14 regional covers featuring NFL players.  The magazine also conducted a poll asking some zany questions.  Some of the results:  Half of Americans consider themselves football fans……76 percent say they raise their voice at least once each game……34 percent would like to see VINCE LOMBARDI on a new $3 bill……13 percent believe that the only players who should be allowed to perform end-zone dances are those who can actually dance……and 91 percent say they like it “when different teams compete in the Super Bowl each year.”  No problem there.  A team has not repeated in Super Bowl since the Denver Broncos in 1997-98. 

ITEM TWO:

TEXANS RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE

The HOUSTON TEXANS, the NFL’s expansion team of 2002, have been named winners of the coveted PRISM Award.  The honor, given by the University of Massachusetts-Amherst’s Sports Management Department and the Sports Business Daily, recognizes excellence in five organizational categories: strategic planning, innovative marketing, community relations, customer service and employee relations.  “The Texans stood out for their planning and ability to incorporate their overall mission into all facets of their operations,” said UMass assistant professor STEVE MC KELVEY.  Texans owner BOB MC NAIR says that the team’s focus from the day it was awarded its NFL franchise in 1999 was on the quality of its operations.  “We set an ambitious objective of creating the most valuable, most respected sports team in the world,” says  McNair.  “It is great to have achieved so much so quickly.”                

ITEM THREE:

COLLEGES STARTING SEASON IN NEW STADIUMS

The new stadium phenomenon sweeping the country is helping college football.  This Saturday, the University of Connecticut, which joins the Big East next year, kicks off its season against Indiana in spanking-new, 40,000-seat Rentschler Field.  “This reflects the university’s increased investment in its overall athletic programs, including football,” says UConn’s corporate affairs manager KEN DE LISA.  On September 6, Temple University will open its home season at the new Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles.  On September 13, Western Connecticut State University debuts its new Westside Stadium in Danbury, Connecticut.  And at West Point, New York, the U.S. Military Academy will kick off its season on September 6 against UConn in a renovated Michie Stadium with a new press box and sky boxes.  That goes along with a new $26 million training facility.