Ratines for NCAA championships plummet
■ The men’s
championship draws a
record low number of
viewers, worrying CBS
By Howard Fendrich
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — It was not a
shining moment for CBS.
The national rating for Monday
night’s NCAA men’s basketball
tournament championship game
between Michigan State and
Florida was 14.1, the worst since
the network began airing the
event in 1982.
It represents a drop of 18 per
cent from last year’s title-game rat
ing of 17.2, the previous low.
The tournament as a whole fin
ished with an average rating of
6.4, down 6 percent from 1999’s
6.8, also the previous low mark.
It wasn’t good news for CBS,
which agreed in November to re
tain the rights for the three-week
tournament by paying $6 billion
for an 11-year contract, which
takes effect in 2003.
Michigan State’s 89-76 victory
over Florida drew a 23 share —
representing the percentage of in
use television sets tuned to a par
ticular show — down from the 27
garnered by Connecticut’s upset
of Duke a year ago.
The ratings — the percentage of
the nation’s es
timated 100.8
million TV
homes tuned to
a telecast — are
the latest in a
string of declin
ing numbers
for basketball broadcasts.
Ratings were also off this year
for the women’s NCAA tourney
on ESPN — No. 1 Connecticut’s
71-52 drubbing of No. 2 Ten
nessee in the title game showed a
19 percent decline from last year’s
final — and for the cable outfit’s
regular-season men’s college
broadcasts.
And NBC’s coverage of the
NBA has averaged a 3.5 rating
through 27 games, a 19 percent
drop from the 4.3 pulled in on av
erage by the 28 regular-season
games shown last year.
The women’s final Sunday
night drew a 3.5 national cable
rating, compared to last year’s
record 4.3. The 14 tournament
games shown on ESPN drew an
iverage rating of 1.15, a fall of 14
percent from 1999’s record 1.33,
md the second-lowest in the five
/ears the cable outfit has had the
women’s Final Four.
As with the men’s final, the
opsided nature of the women’s ti
le game did not help the ratings.
“That rating for the ‘UConn
:linic’ is sensational,” Len DeLu
:a, ESPN senior VP for program
ning development, said. “That
lumber, when there was every in
dication that it was over after the
second television timeout, shows
as that there is strong interest,
rhe numbers were steady.”
Baseball ticket prices take a whopping 11.8 percent hike
■ This season’s increase is
the largest in a decade,
with each seat an average
of $16.67 per game
By Ronald Blum
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Fans who go to
baseball’s three new ballparks
this season will leave with much
lighter wallets.
The sport’s average ticket price
went up 11.8 percent — the high
est markup in a decade — to
$16.67 this year. But that’s noth
ing compared with the increases
in Detroit, San Francisco and
Houston.
The average at Comerica Park is
$24.83, the fourth-highest in base
ball and a 103 percent jump from
the $12.23 average at Tiger Stadi
um last season, according to the
annual survey by the Team Mar
keting Report.
“When you move into a new
stadium it’s like comparing ap
ples to oranges,” Tigers
spokesman Tyler Barnes said.
“Unlike Tiger Stadium, there are
a number of premium seats. The
goal was to provide something for
all tastes and all pocketbooks.”
Those premium seats, with
waiter service, cost $50-$75 per
game, while regular seats cost $8
$30, up from $5-$25 at Tiger Sta
dium.
At Pacific Bell Park in San
Francisco, the average of $21.24,
baseball’s sixth-highest, is up 75.2
percent from the $12.12 average
last year at 3Com Park, formerly
Candlestick. The Giants’ Barry
Bonds remembered the fans in
the bleachers at the old ballpark
when he first came up.
“They can’t afford these
prices,” he said with a smile. “I’m
leaving them tickets, but I don’t
get as many as I used to.”
Houston’s Enron Field is rea
sonable by these standards. The
average there is $20.01, No. 8
among the 30 major league teams.
That’s up 50.4 percent from last
year’s average of $13.30 at the As
trodome.
“Of the three new ballparks,
our prices were the lowest,” said
John Sorrentino, the Astros’ vice
president of ticket sales. “We had
54,000 seats in the Astrodome be
cause of the expansion to take
care of the Oilers, and that would
drive the ticket price down there.
We have 42,000 seats in Enron
Field and we are still very afford
able at all levels.”
Red Sox fans will be feeling the
pinch, too. Fenway Park has the
highest average ticket price in
baseball for the fifth straight sea
son, rising 17.8 percent to $28.33
this season.
Seattle, which moved to Safeco
Field last season, is second at
$26.31, followed by the New York
Yankees at $25.94, the Tigers and
the New York Mets at $24.29.
By comparison, the Consumer
Price Index has gone up 3.2 per
cent since the start of last season.
While the CPI has gone up 25.9
percent since the start of the 1991
season, the average baseball ticket
price has increased 92.9 percent
in that period. The NFL’s average
ticket price has risen 81.0 percent
since then to $45.63, the NBA’s
81.3 percent to $48.3 7.
The survey didn’t include the
NHL until 1994. Hockey’s average
is $45.70.
NBA tickets went up 13.8 this
season, NHL tickets 6.9 percent
and NFL tickets 6.6 percent.
The Minnesota Twins have the
lowest average ticket price at
$9.33, even after a 10.3 percent
increase this year.
Call (541) 346-4343
or stop by Room 300, Erb Memorial Union
to place your ad today.
P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403
E-mail: classads@oregon. uoregon.edu
On-line edition: www.dailyemerald.com
Horoscope by Linda C. Black
TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (April 5). Use your
considerable self-confidence to make yourself
wealthy. You can do it if you don't get side
tracked by an ego hip. Overcome an old handi
cap in April. Use your energy to bring in the
bucks around May. There'll be plenty of them,
but restraint is advised. You may have to spend
on a loved one around August. Put in extra
hours in September to gain even more. Save up
so you can travel back to a favorite place in De
cember. Don't let a "friend" talk you out of youi
slash in February. Trust your own intuition and
a sweetheart's advice in March.
To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 1C
is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
ARIES (March 21 -April 19) — Today is an f
— Proceed with caution. Fulfilling a fantasj
could drain your resources. You may come up
with a way to make more money this evening
Do that, instead of spending too much, anc
you'll be much happier tomorrow.
TAURUS (April 20-May 201 — Today is a (
— You may be slightly nervous, especially i:
you're getting yelled at You're being pushed bj
a person whom you think is moving too fast
You might be right about that, too. Don't ge
shoved around. Stand your ground. Listen, thei
do what's best for you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21)—Today is a7 —
Enjoy being with friends this morning, bu
don't goof off all day. You have to get a fev
things done before the day's over. If you're no
careful, you'll have to do them at home later oi
tonight. Whatever works.
CANCER (June 22-July 22) — Today is an I
— You and a group of friends can accomplisl
great things. Get together and have a great tim
while you're solving a community problem
Actually, just getting together solves one prob
lem! A community of friends is a much safe
place to live.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Today is a 7 -
You'll feel a little more inhibited and restraine
as the day goes on. You may feel like some
body’s watching you, too. Well, if so, put on
good show. The impression you make no\
could help you get something you want later.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)—Today is a 7 —
You might talk a good friend into going for a
drive. Keep costs down by visiting relatives or
dear friends who'll feed you. Make sure your
vehicle's in good shape, however. Do the pre
ventive maintenance to avoid technical diffi
culties.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Today is a 7 —
You have a knack for fmding people who want
to buy things for you. Share your services or re
sources in exchange for something you can't af
ford. Don't just lean on the other person,
though. Make sure it's a fair deal all around.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) — Today is a 7
— You've had so much work lately that you've
hardly had a chance to take a lunch break. The
good news is you could get a bonus for being
such a hero. Others have noticed how much
you've accomplished. You're awesome! The
other good news is the worst is over.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) —Today
is an 8 — You've most likely had several fabu
lous days recently. It's just about time to get
back to work. Better stop having so much fun,
and start to get serious again. If you forget to do
something important, you could find yourself
in a world of hurt.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Today is
an 8 — A rather stressful past few days could
merge right into an enjoyable evening tonight.
Money's tight, but there's plenty of love. How
: about pulling out the board games? If the fami
i ly|s all playing together, even if you lose, you
l AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) — Today is a 6
i —You're learning quickly again today. You're
: always smart, but right now you're also cre
ative. A breakdown could lead to a break
through, too. A person who has trouble com
r municating could finally burst out with the
truth.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) — Today is an 8
1 — Do whatever you can think of to bring in
more money. Is your job big enough to grow
i into? If not, why are you still hanging around
i there? Get out and find something you can get
excited about. You're a caring, loving, great
person. You should be rich, too!
095 PERSONALS
^ Instead of
I flowers send
■ a personal.
! Only
$1.00
■ ‘One ad per coupon
| *5 line maximum
■ ‘Student ID required
I ‘Personals only Please
® ’Expires 4/28/00
JOIN THE CHOIR!
Meet new friends as you sing in
spirational songs. No auditions.
Open to all. Rehearsals are Wed
nesday 5:00-6:00 at the Wesley
Foundation. 1236 Kincaid St. Call
346-4694 for more information.
095 PERSONALS
Wesley Night Fellowship
Wednesdays at 7pm
All students welcome!
Rev. Janet Cromwell, Pastor
The Wesley Foundation
1236 Kincaid Street
105 TYPING/RESUME SERVICES
At 344-0759, ROBIN is GRAD
SCHOOL APPROVED. 20-year
thesis/dissertation background.
Term papers. Full resume service.
Editing. Laser pr. ON CAMPUS!
120 MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE
*Give Me Five!*
Run your “FOR SALE” ad (items
under $1,000) for 5 days. If the
item(s) doesn’t sell, call us at
346-4343 and we’ll run your ad
again for another 5 days FREEI
Student/Private Party Ads Only»No Refunds ^
Verna J's Boutique. Rentals/For
mals/Bridesmaids/Wedding gowns.
2644 River Road. 689-5525.
Wednesday is New Comic Day
at Emerald City Comics.
770 E. 13th. 345-2568.
ODE Classifieds.
346-4343
# a) Entertainment
b) The Emerald
c) Fun
d) All of the above
125 FURNITURE/APPLIANCES
BUY MY CRAP
waterbed, couch, coffee table, etc.
Call Chad 345-3280.
130 CARS,/TRUCKS
1994 Acura Integra. 36,700
miles. Fully loaded with phone and
sunroof. Nearly new tires. One
owner, excellent condition.
$13,499. Call 484-0944 evenings
145 COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS
Prepaid Phone Cards
398 minutes $20
4.9 cents minute!
Paper Traders at 5th St. Market
150 TV & SOUND SYSTEMS
CASHI We Buy, Sell & Service
VHS VCR's & Stereos. Thompson
Electronics, 1122 Oak, 343-9273
160 PETS & SUPPLIES
AKC Siberian Husky, 15wks 2nd
shots/wormed, male, red/ white.
$325. 484-7224. No apartments.
OWN A COMPUTER! Put it to
work! $25-$75/hour PT/FT. 1-888
396-8827. www.netmoneynow.net
HOME BASED BUSINESS, IN
TERNET, EDUCATIONAL SOFT
WARE AND WEBSITES. Call
Alicia Lee 541-343-8006 or email
alee@continet.com
190 OPPORTUNITIES
Money Making reports, manuals,
recipes with REPRINT RIGHTS.
You keep all the money. Copy for
pennies, sell for GIGANTIC
PROFITS. Sell by mail with a small
ad like this. Send for fee details.
John Moreno Publications, Box
41, Winchester, N.H. 03470
Performers wanted for the ASUO
Spring Street Faire. Musicians,
dancers, poets, comedians, pick up
an application in the ASUO Execu
tive Office, Suite 4 EMU by Monday,
April 10, 5 PM. Days of performanc
es: Thursday, 4/27 and Friday, 4/
28. Location: EMU Amphitheater.
193 INTERNSHIPS
Interns wanted to develop bsn, &
cooperative for the Kalinga tribe,.
Credit possible. Gary 744-2808.
200 WORK STUDY POSITIONS
Jobs in Campus Recycling!
Campus Recycling Now hiring work
study/ tech fee funded students for
positions beginning now.
Contact Campus Recycling at 346
1529. Leave message with a mail
ing address and phone number to
obtain application.
Teachers Aide for Olum Child De
velopment Center. Part-time posi
tions in mainstreamed early child
hood program. Serving children
from 3 mos. to school age. Flexible
hours between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00
p.m. Start at $6.50/hr. Call Jane or
Casie at 346-6586.
205 HELP WANTED
Are you connected? Internet users
needed. $500-$1500 week. PT or
FT. 1-888-661-3197. www.easy-fun
work.com.
Golly, It’s Easy to Place a Classified Ad!
Just visit 5uite 300 in the EMU and tell the friendly
Classified staff what you want.
If you can’t stop by, call 346-4343 and
they’ll take your ad over the phone.
Easy, effective, and low student rates tool What a deal!