As Dreamers Do Part Deux

[OldNavy1988]

Entertainment News for Early October 2006

Hey there, it's "Rogie" Bear? Touchstone Pictures is supposedly planning a live action/CGI hybrid Yogi Bear movie with hopes of convincing Seth Rogen to voice the titular role.
- Access Hollywood

James Cameron of New Line and Rob Reiner of Paramount each co-sign the dotted line, paving the way for the proposed Friday the 13th remake and a possible sequel to 2003's Freddy vs. Jason crossover.
- E! News

Bally's Worlds of Wonder set to undergo more than $85 million USD in renovations as the park's license for select properties owned by Golden Harvest of America expires on January 1, 2010, after which Golden Harvest and its twin studio New Line Cinema will each partner with Peacock Parks.
- The Las Vegas Review Journal

Bally enters negotiations with Tokyo lawmakers as they look to open a Japanese Worlds of Wonder as early as 2011.
- NHK

The Sports Page
Nickelodeon's NFL Slimetime kicks off to positive reviews. The launch comes as Saints special teamer Steve Gleason was given a green slime shower after being named MVP of the Saints' Monday Night victory over the Falcons on September 25.
- ESPN

Could the Virginia Rhinos be sold? When the erstwhile Whalers moved from Hartford in 1997, the team was supposed to only play temporarily at the Scope in Norfolk while a newer arena could be built to NHL standards. Since then, the proposed arena was never built due to backlash from environmental groups over the arena being planned for wetlands protected by the state government. On the ice, the Rhinos hoped they could draw crowds throughout the state, only to see said fans flock to DC to see a young Alex Ovechkin instead. What lies ahead for the troubled Rhinos? Their lease with the Scope was supposed to run for only three years while they waited for an arena that never came. Now, the Rhinos are in a year-to-year situation while they try to make things work in a cramped market. Off the ice, general partner Peter Karmanos has been in and out of court battling his co-owners over the direction of the franchise. Could a buyer be found to keep the Rhinos in Virginia? That remains to be seen. Meanwhile, there's talk of the club being sold to an out-of-towner like Tom Benson (New Orleans), Mark Cuban (Dallas), Mark Chipman (Winnipeg), Jim Irsay (Indianapolis), Clark Hunt (Kansas City), Merritt Paulson (Portland), Larry H. Miller (Salt Lake) or Jerry Colangelo (Phoenix).
- The Hockey News

The 2006 World Series could be the last carried by Fox (Disney) for a while if CBS (CBS Discovery), NBC (Peacock), UPN (Microsoft), SBC (Saban) or ABC (Henson) can outbid Fox for their portion of the MLB TV contract, which also includes the All-Star Game and Saturday afternoon national telecasts. Meanwhile, MLB is reviewing cable bids from FX (Disney), ESPN (Henson), WB Sports (TimeWarner; formerly Warner Golf), Turner Sports (Turner), USA Network (Peacock), Odyssey (Microsoft) and The Hub (Bally). Currently, ESPN holds the rights to the Sunday and Wednesday night national telecasts. Should Fox and ESPN fail to extend their current deals, MLB's new TV partners will alternate coverage of the National and American League Championship series, taking turns in odd and even years.
- ESPN

 

[OldNavy1988]

SBC's first Wednesday Night Hockey telecast of 2006-07 begins with archive footage from the October 8, 1980, Kings/Rangers matchup

MUSIC: David Shire's "Manhattan Skyline" plays over an exterior shot of Madison Square Garden at night.

Voiceover by Jim Gordon, on loan from the MSG channel: "The Standard Broadcasting Company is proud to present the premiere telecast of NHL Wednesday Night Hockey!"

Cross dissolve to an interior shot of the ice rink as both teams finish warmups. A graphic of the team logos is soon superimposed over the same shot.

Jim Gordon (VO): "Tonight from Madison Square Garden, it's the Los Angeles Kings versus the New York Rangers. Tonight's game is brought to you by Budweiser: Hockey fans, this Bud's for you; By Allstate Insurance Companies: You're in good hands with Allstate and by Sears: Collect official merchandise of your favorite NHL team exclusively at Sears locations nationwide!"

Announcers' on-camera intro:

Jim Gordon: "Good evening, everyone, I'm Jim Gordon along with Bill Chadwick. Welcome to what promises to be a weekly showcase of the best of the National Hockey League..."

Later in the game:

Jim Gordon (VO): "This copyrighted telecast is presented by authority of the National Hockey League. It is intended solely for the non-commercial, private use of our audience. All rights to this telecast are reserved and any publication, retransmission or other use of the descriptions and accounts of this game without the express written consent of the National Hockey League is prohibited."

*The ref gives Marcel Dionne the signal to attempt the penalty shot*

Gordon (VO): "Here comes Dionne with a chance to tie the game with a penalty shot...Saved by Davidson and the game is over!"

*Buzzer sounds and the teams skate to their locker rooms*

Gordon (VO): "The Rangers, before our national television audience, hold on to defeat the Kings 3 to 2!!!"

*Fade to black*

Mike Emrick (VO): "Thanks to you the fans, the classic theme is back by popular demand!"

*Manhattan Skyline starts back up over modern-day graphics*

*Cross dissolve to present-day Edmonton, outside Rexall Place as the theme continues*

Mike Emrick (VO): "This was the scene moments ago when the Oilers unveiled their 2006 Stanley Cup Championship banner..."​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Treehouse of Horror XVII
First aired on Fox on October 5, 2006

This year's Amusing Tombstones: The Weinstein Administration, The Jacksonville Jaguars, MyNetworkTV, The Virginia Rhinos, Saturday Night Live, KMFDM

Notes
On October 8 during halftime of Fox's Sunday Night game between the Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders, aka Brady vs. Belichick, viewers got to see an early teaser for The Simpsons Movie, which comes out in the summer of 2007.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Entertainment News for Mid-October 2006

Many years after Hanna-Barbera's Smurfs series had ended, Henson regains the North American rights to the property, which had reverted to the estate of Peyo after the creator's death nearly 14 years ago.
- Variety

Troma, home of the Toxic Avenger, agrees to a VHS reissue deal of its library with B-Kind, the B-movie alternative to Hollywood-supported Limited Run.
- The Minneapolis Star-Tribune

As Lloyd Kaufman hops on the B-Kind bandwagon, Charlie Band follows suit. Band founded Meda Home Entertainment at the birth of VHS, named after his first wife. That label, whose name was later modified to Media Home Entertainment when sold to Heron Communications, has since been sold to Bally, who merged it with HBO Cannon Video to form what is now Luxor Pictures Home Entertainment.
- The Los Angeles Times

Luxor says they will revive the Hi-Tops Video label for future Limited Run reissues of Garfield and other family IP's.
- Billboard

B-Kind enters negotiations with Warner Bros. on VHS reissue rights for Roger Corman's New World and Grand Diamond catalog.
- The Hollywood Reporter

The Sports Page
The lameduck Jacksonville Jaguars officially unveiled their new name and logo during the second intermission of the Blues' home opener against the Milwuakee Admirals (A rivalry sometimes called the Beer Brawl). Approved earlier in the week by new NFL Commissioner Amy Trask, the Jaguars will take the field in their new city as...

Spoiler

The St. Louis Sorcerers, a name that loosely pays homage to Disney's Riverfront Square, which has been a popular tourist destination since it opened the same year as the Gateway Arch. Under a free-of-charge license from Disney, the Sorcerers' new logo is based on the Yen Sid character who first appeared in the 1940 film Fantasia. The Sorcerer name got 75% of the vote in a contest held last month by our publication.

- The St. Louis Post-Dispatch

 

[OldNavy1988]

Casino Royale
Released by United Artists on October 20, 2006

Produced by EON Productions

Based on the book by Ian Fleming

Opening song: "You Know my Name" by Chris Cornell

Cast and Crew
Same as OTL

Notes
- Just like OTL, the 007 franchise went dormant for a while as Turner sought a successor to Pierce Brosnan in the title role. Daniel Craig's performance received high critical praise for having reinvented a character many thought grew stale.
- After years of trying, Turner finally acquired the film rights to the Casino Royale book after it had changed multiple hands since 1955.
- Turner has also acquired the rights to the 1967 parody version, which was originally produced by Charles K. Feldman and released by Columbia.
- At the Casino Royale premiere in Atlanta, Turner executive Stan Kasten, who watches over the Hammers, Hawks and Flames, was approached by a Journal-Constitution beat writer who wanted to know if he'd be interested in becoming deputy commissioner under Larry Lucchino at MLB.
- Daniel Craig will return as Bond for at least two more films on the strength of Casino Royale's box office success.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

The Departed
Released on October 20, 2006 by Warner Bros.

Cast and Crew
Same as OTL​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Where will the Sorcerers play next year?

As the Jacksonville Jaguars' transformation into the St. Louis Sorcerers has been confirmed to be a done deal, there's still a lot of work to be done.

The Dome at America's Center (below) has been home to the WLAF Stallions since 1996, originally opening under the name Trans World Dome.

Now that the move has been approved by the NFL for the 2007 season, the Convention and Visitors Commission which owns the dome has immediately begun work on bringing the facility up to NFL standards.

The upgrades will be:
- An overhauled sound system with new Fantasound speakers.
- New locker rooms.
- New LED ribbons.
- The new scoreboards will move from the middle level of the seating bowl to a central structure hoisted above the 50 yard line (Like Jerry World IOTL).
- Reinforcement of the ceiling to support said center-hung scoreboard.
- By moving from endzone scoreboards to a center-hung structure at the 50, that will open up space for more luxury boxes or club seats.
- A new glass exterior to allow more natural light.
- A new outdoor, standing room only courtyard (Think Jurassic Park/Maple Leaf Square in Toronto IOTL).​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Moments after the Boston Red Sox swept the Hollywood Stars in Anaheim to win the World Series on October 26, 2006, Matt Vasgersian bid a tearful farewell.

Tim McCarver (MLB on Fox Analyst)
"We don't have baseball at Fox anymore, but we have the memories. Tonight, I think, is bittersweet for all of us."

Matt Vasgersian (MLB on Fox Play by Play)
"Bittersweet indeed, Tim. While I personally didn't like how we'd have to pre-empt The Simpsons or the Magical World of Disney for weeknight postseason games, I think the fans who grew up watching baseball on Fox are certainly gonna miss the flavor we brought to every broadcast. Reminiscent of how ABC has handled Monday Night Football or like SBC still does with Wednesday Night Hockey, I think our entire crew did a great job the last ten years bringing the best of baseball to the entire country. Canada too.

*a tear drops from Matt's cheek*

Vasgersian
"Chip?"

Chip Caray (MLB on Fox Studio Host)
"Matt and Tim thank you very much."

Tony Gwynn, Sr. (MLB on Fox Studio Analyst)
"When a network loses a major sports property like Major League Baseball has been for Fox throughout the years, it's almost like when you graduate high school and you and all your old friends go their separate ways. On the other hand, the league's new partners next season, whomever they may be, best of luck to them."

Chip Caray
"And as we say goodbye, we'd like to take one last moment to look back at the last decade of baseball moments that we've had the privilege to bring to your living room. For Matt Vasgersian, for Tim McCarver, Tony Gwynn and Pam Oliver, I'm Chip Caray. Farewell from Anaheim."

*Clips from past MLB on Fox moments accompanied by Celine Dion's "My Heart will Go On"*

Gary Thorne (archive audio from Game 7 of the 1998 World Series):
"Nagy needs one more strike to win it for Cleveland. The 2-2...HIGH FLY BALL...DEEP RIGHT...GOODBYE...HOME RUN...TONY GWYNN...SAN DIEGO...THE DREAM HAS COME TRUE!!!!"

Thorne again (2001 World Series; Game 7)
"The pitch to Gonzalez...A FLOATER TO CENTER! THE DIAMONDBACKS ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!"

Matt Vasgersian (2004 World Series)
"3-2 to Lankford. The pitch by Foulke...STRUCK HIM OUT! RED SOX FANS HAVE LONGED TO HEAR IT! THE CURSE IS REVERSED! SANTA MARIA!"

Tony Gwynn (archived audio from a post-game interview after the '98 World Series)
"What we've accomplished together...will endure forever..."

One last overhead shot of Anaheim Stadium as cars slowly crawl out of the parking lot.

*GRAPHIC: (C) 2006 Office of the Commissioner of Baseball. All Rights Reserved.*​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Monster House
Released on October 28, 2006 by Columbia Pictures.

Produced by
Amblin Entertainment
Columbia-TriStar Imageworks

Notes
ITTL, Monster House is the first completely CGI film produced by Columbia-TriStar Imageworks, the special effects arm of CBS. The second will be Stuart Little 3, which will be released next summer.
- Open Season, which Columbia released IOTL, will instead be released Christmas Day by Luxor with animation produced by Dream Quest Images.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

The Marine
Released by Universal Pictures through Peacock Releasing on November 10, 2006

Produced by AEW Studios

Cast and Crew
Same as OTL

Notes
At the premiere of The Marine at Universal Studios Florida, it was confirmed that John Cena will indeed play the title role in Popeye the Sailor Man, which will be released in the summer of 2008.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Thanksgiving 2006 Movies

The Prestige
Released by Luxor Pictures.
Produced in association with Syncopy.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Released by Universal Pictures through Peacock Releasing.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Bonkers 2
Released by Walt Disney Pictures on November 24, 2006

Produced in association with Amblin Entertainment and Legendary Multimedia

Live Action Directed by
Robert Zemeckis

Animation Directed by
Sir Daniel Abbott

Executive Producers
Rachel Stone-Abbott
Steven Spielberg
Thomas Tull

Main Cast
John Goodman as Lucky Piquel
Danny DeVito as Gloomy the Clown
Jennifer Aniston as Miranda Wright
Dakota Fanning as Marylin Piquel
Patricia Richardson as Dyl Piquel
Richard Portnow as Chief Kanifky
Ron Perlman as Sgt. Francis Q. Grating
Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant's Ghost

Cartoon Voices
Jim Cummings as Bonkers D. Bobcat, Pete
Jeff Bennett as Jitters A. Dog
Frank Welker as Fall Apart Rabbit
Charles Fleischer as Roger Rabbit and Benny the Cab
Dan Castellaneta as Baby Huey and Katnip
Maurice LaMarche as Herman the Mouse
Lou Hirsch as Baby Herman
Bill Farmer as Goofy
Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse
Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
Eric Bauza as Giggles the Frog/Gagzilla

Synopsis:
Failed stand up comic Gloomy the Clown (Danny DeVito) has stolen the Humorizer to suck out a toon's sense of humor and make himself seem funnier. Now it's up to Bonkers and Lucky to solve the case, but not before Gloomy overloads the device, turning his henchman Giggles the Frog into Gagzilla. Basically, an expanded adaptation of the OTL episode The Toon that Ate Hollywood.​

Legal Stuff in the End Credits
Garfield, The Mask and Shezow related characters used with permission from Dark Horse Comics.

Characters from Tiny Toon Adventures, Taz-Mania, Animaniacs and Freakazoid used with permission from Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

Hanna-Barbera, Nicktoons and Pixar characters used with permission from The Jim Henson Company.

MGM, Tex Avery, DePatie-Freleng, Filmation and Ruby-Spears characters used with permission from Turner Broadcasting System.

Strange Magic characters and DC Superheroes used with permission from Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.

My Little Pony used with permission from Hasbro, Inc.

Super Mario Bros. used with permission from Nintendo of America.

Alvin and the Chipmunks, Slimer, Sonic the Hedgehog, Wallace and Gromit and Arthur used with permission from Paramount Pictures Corporation.

Big Nate used with permission from Peacock Animation and the Andrews McMeel Syndicate.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Entertainment News for Late November 2006

Tales from the Neighborhood, Big Nate revival exceed expectations for Peacock Animation.
- Variety

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith finalize their divorce.
- The Hollywood Reporter

Mid-terms: Democrats and Reformers gain seats in both chambers, but can all three parties come together when President D'Alesandro makes her Supreme Court nomination after the resignation of Justice Scalia?
- The Washington Post

Just a few months after Weinstein and Bush both resigned, Nancy D'Alesandro will be added to Disney's Hall of Presidents in April of 2007.
- The Orlando Sentinel

CBS salutes Charles Schulz on his 84th birthday with a digitally remastered broadcast of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.
- TV Guide

Scott Steiner completes 150 hours of community service as part of his sentence for the "Big Poppa Poop" incident.
- The Tennessean

The Sports Page
@WB18 @stratonapba @TheMatthew25 @mrcubfan415
Excerpt from the pregame show before the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints from the Louisiana Superdome. Aired on November 30, 2006 on the USA Network.

*Music: David Robidoux's "Run to the Playoffs"*

Brad Nessler: "Now, let's join Bob Costas at the 50 yard line. He's with Gus St. Pierre."

Bob Costas: "Thank you, Brad. Gus, welcome home again. You were here this past September for an emotional homecoming for the Saints organization. Tonight, as you celebrate your 29th birthday, the franchise has welcomed you back here with a very special surprise on the rafters..."

*Existing banners displayed on the Superdome's ceiling include: David Dixon, Tom Dempsey, Archie Manning, Pete Maravich, Jim Finks, Rickey Jackson and Eddie Robinson. Next to those, a new banner is unveiled. It reads: "Dave Karp, #11, portrayed by New Orleans' own Gus St. Pierre in the Mighty Ducks film series."*

 

[OldNavy1988]

@Marco Incognito
Right. But the Democrats and Reformers will need better candidates for 2016 should Dan Schneider, Phil Anschutz or even Bob Weinstein try to run for the GOP.

Entertainment News for Early December 2006

Peacock's stock price gets a 40% boost thanks to improved NBC SatAm ratings and optimism for MLB's return to the network.
- The Wall Street Journal

President D'Alesandro says it's too soon to decide if she'll run for a full term.
- The Washington Post

With the Fox network having lost the rights to the NHL and Major League Baseball in the last two and a half years, Disney shareholders push for a vote of no confidence for embattled network chairman David Hill.
- The New York Times

R. Kelly's child pornography case, which ended in mistrial last year, will be retried in federal court.
- The Chicago Tribune

Will Smith must sell off many personal assets as part of his divorce settlement with Jada Pinkett.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Sports Page
Odyssey sees a spike in new cable subscribers as that network adds MLB to its schedule.
- The Sporting News

With Miami voters striking out the Marlins' ballpark ballot measure during the mid-terms, Vancouver, Nashville or Las Vegas may become the team's new home.
- SportsCenter

Governor elect Charlie Crist (Ref-FL): "We've already lost the Jaguars and I'll make damn sure no outsider tries to steal the Marlins or any other sports franchise from our state. You can be sure of that!"
- The Tallahassee Democrat

Mitt Romney (Ref-UT), who was instrumental in helping Salt Lake City land the 2002 Winter Olympics, announces he will sell his minority interest in the Rocky Mountain Extreme of the WLAF to part-owner Larry H. Miller as Romney lays out plans to run for public office.
- The Salt Lake Tribune

After one report was dismissed as a hoax, the City of Jacksonville once again makes overtures to the Canadian Football League for a possible expansion franchise to replace the outgoing NFL Jaguars.
- The Florida Times-Union

 

[OldNavy1988]

This Just In...

Disney has agreed to an extension to its current multimedia deal with NASCAR for the next eight years. Under the terms of the extension, Disney's networks Fox, FX, SpeedVision and Fox Sports National (FS1 IOTL) will share the rights with WB Sports (Formerly Warner Golf) and ESPN. The contract will be divvied up as follows:

- Fox will be the exclusive home to the Daytona 500. UPN will carry WLAF games scheduled for the same Sunday.
- WB Sports and FX will carry most Limited Run Series (OTL Busch/Xfiity series) races on Saturdays, including the inaugural MySpace 400 on FX.
- FX, FSN and Speed will each take turns with Atari Cup Series (OTL Winston/Nextel series) races in the months of June and July.
- ESPN will carry the Craftsman Truck series.

The Hollywood Reporter; December 16, 2006

 

[OldNavy1988]

Super Bowl Winners as of 2006
ITTL, the AFL-NFL Merger was delayed because Pete Rozell tried for a few years to absorb the CFL but went three-and-out thanks to a steady defense by Ottawa lawmakers. ABC started Monday Night Football the same year as OTL, alternating between AFL and NFL matchups while slowly incorporating interleague play.

Prior to the 1976 season, the winners of an AFL/NFL playoff faced the CFL's Grey Cup winner in what was known as the Gold Cup.

TTL's Super Bowl trophy is named the John Madden trophy, after Madden led the Raiders to two straight Super Bowl wins.

I (1977; Los Angeles): Oakland Raiders over Minnesota Vikings
II (1978; New Orleans): Oakland Raiders over Los Angeles Rams
III (1979; Miami): Pittsburgh Steelers over Dallas Cowboys
IV (1980; Los Angeles): Pittsburgh Steelers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
V (1980; New Orleans): San Diego Chargers over Dallas Cowboys
VI (1982; Detroit): San Francisco 49ers over San Diego Chargers
VII (1983; Los Angeles): Washington Heroes over Miami Dolphins
VIII (1984; Tampa): Los Angeles Raiders over Washington Heroes
IX (1985; Palo Alto): San Francisco 49ers over Miami Dolphins (ABC's first Super Bowl)
X (1986; New Orleans): Chicago Bears over New England Patriots
XI (1987; Los Angeles): New York Giants over Denver Broncos
XII (1988; San Diego): Washington Heroes over Cleveland Browns
XIII (1989; Miami): San Francisco 49ers over Cincinnati Bengals (SBC's first and only Super Bowl until 2002; NBC regained the AFC from SBC from 1990-97)
XIV (1990; New Orleans): San Francisco 49ers over Cleveland Browns
XV (1991; Tampa): Buffalo Bills over New York Giants (Norwood missed the first kick, but the Giants were called for 12 men. Norwood got a second chance and didn't miss)
XVI (1992; Minneapolis): Buffalo Bills over Detroit Lions
XVII (1993; Los Angeles): Dallas Cowboys over Houston Oilers
XVIII (1994; Atlanta): Miami Dolphins over San Francisco 49ers (That's right! Marino got a ring ITTL!)
XIX (1995; Miami): San Francisco 49ers over Pittsburgh Steelers
XX (1996; Phoenix): Cleveland Browns over Dallas Cowboys
XXI (1997; New Orleans): Carolina Panthers over Jacksonville Jaguars (Fox's first Super Bowl)
XXII (1998; San Diego): Denver Broncos over Green Bay Packers (NBC's last Super Bowl ITTL)
XXIII (1999; Miami): Minnesota Vikings over Denver Broncos
XXIV (2000; Atlanta): Los Angeles Rams over Houston Oilers
XXV (2001; Tampa): Los Angeles Rams over Indianapolis Colts
XXVI (2002; New Orleans): Los Angeles Rams over Indianapolis Colts (SBC's first Super Bowl since regaining the AFC from NBC)
XXVII (2003; San Diego): Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Las Vegas Raiders
XXVIII (2004; Houston): Houston Oilers over Los Angeles Rams
XXIX (2005; Jacksonville): Philadelphia Eagles over Pittsburgh Steelers
XXX (2006; Detroit): Las Vegas Raiders over Atlanta Falcons

 

[OldNavy1988]

Sports Franchise Bankruptcies as of 2006

1952:
St. Louis Cardinals (MLB) Almost left when then-owner Fred Saigh got in trouble with the IRS. Anheuser-Busch stepped up to the plate to save the team from a possible move to Houston, where their AAA affiliate was playing at the time. Gussie Busch's purchase sent the Cards' then-landlords, the American League Browns, off to Baltimore where they became the Orioles.

Boston Braves (MLB). Then-owner Lou Perini realized the Braves would keep bleeding money if they stayed in Boston. Unable to compete with the Red Sox, the Braves moved to Milwaukee during spring training of 1953. Since then, the Braves moved to Atlanta in 1966 and renamed the Hammers in 1997.

Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) on two occasions. The first was in 1975. The second in 1998 after which Mario Lemieux bought the team with help from the Rooney family.

1995:
Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and San Diego Chargers (NFL), both of whom were owned at the time by the notorious Bruce McNall. McNall's conviction set in motion the Chargers' salary cap woes for the rest of the decade when the NFL sold the club back to the Hilton hotel conglomerate. In 2003, citing failing health, Barron Hilton handed the Chargers to granddaughter Paris. In turn, Paris's tenure turned out to be an embarrassment to the NFL, so much so that then-Commissioner Paul Tagliabue forced Paris to sell the team in 2004 to Casey Wasserman. As for the Kings, Michael Eisner, then head of The Jim Henson Company, acquired half of the team in tandem with real estate developer Ed Roski.

2003:
Buffalo Sabres after the arrest of then-owner John Rigas. The team has since been sold to Tom Golisano.

2005:
Jacksonville Jaguars (NFL). Right in the middle of when Stan Kroenke tried to convince the Saints to permanently leave New Orleans amid Hurricane Katrina. The Saints returned to a rebuilding New Orleans while Jags owner Wayne Weaver defaulted on loans he took out for the expansion fee he agreed to pay in 1993. Kroenke has since bought the Jags and is in the process of moving the team to St. Louis, where they will be reborn as the Sorcerers.

2006:
Virginia Rhinos (NHL). They moved from Hartford with the goal of getting a new arena which never came. Since 1997, the Rhinos have been in a purgatory of sorts at the aging Scope in Norfolk. The novelty of Virginia having its own team has pretty much worn off since the nearby Washington Capitals have steadily improved with hot forward Alex Ovechkin. Evgeni Malkin spent his first three years with the Rhinos before asking for a trade, going to the LA Kings in exchange for a few AHL prospects to be named later.

The Rhinos have now been acquired by Mark Cuban, who owns the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA.

Portland Breakers (WLAF). Representing the Rose City since 1984, the Breakers have split their home games between the Delta Dome and Civic Stadium. Merritt Paulson has now been indicted for tax evasion and stands accused of covering up the sexual coercion of the club's cheerleaders. Steve Ballmer, Chris Hanson, Phil Knight and Liberty Media have each been named as potential buyers.

 

[OldNavy1988]

Chateau St. Pierre
Encinitas, California
December 21, 2006

Reese Witherspoon
"Gus, you got a package from FedEx. It's from Daphne."

Gus St. Pierre
"Merci beaucoup, cher." [Thanks, honey.]

***Inside is the January 2007 edition of Animation Magazine. On the cover is Blanche Boudreaux, wearing the Torch Lady robe with a Saints/Drew Brees jersey underneath. She holds the torch with her right hand. In her left hand is a sketchpad with a drawing of Zelda. The cover's text reads: "Blanche Boudreaux: The new rising star at Columbia-TriStar Animation!"***

"C'est genial!" [This is awesome!!!]

Meanwhile in Hollywood...

Bruce Timm (Head of Columbia-TriStar Animation)
"Has Gus seen your magazine cover?"

Blanche Boudreaux (Animator at Nelvana)
"Oui. My soeur ainee [older sister] mailed it to him today. In fact, he called me during my lunch break to tell me how happy he was to see me on there."
​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Early to Mid December 2006 Movies

Happy Feet
Released by Warner Bros.
Animation produced by Animal Logic

Deck the Halls
A Walt Disney Pictures/20th Century-Fox dual-branded release thru Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Produced in association with Legendary Multimedia

Deja Vu
Released by 20th Century-Fox
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films and Dark Castle Entertainment
At the premiere, Denzel Washington (above) was asked if he'd come back to play the Black Panther in another film, he said he'd prefer to hand the role to someone younger.

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Released by New Line Cinema
Animated sequences produced by Raymond Spum

With the way this film fell on its face, this is will likely be as good as it gets for what's left of Ray Spum's career.

Turistas
Released by Hyperion Pictures
NOTE: Most OTL Fox Atomic titles will be released under the Hyperion banner ITTL.

Charlotte's Web
Released by Paramount Pictures
A live action remake of EB White's book, which Paramount had already adapted once before with Hanna-Barbera in 1973.

Dreamgirls
Released by DreamWorks SKG through Peacock Releasing.

The Pursuit of Happyness
Released by Columbia Pictures

We Are Marshall
Released by RKO Radio Pictures through Peacock Releasing.

Letters from Iwo Jima
Released by Warner Bros.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Christmas Day 2006 Movies

Night at the Museum
A Disney/Fox dual-branded release

Rocky Balboa
Released by United Artists

Sly's reality series The Contender airs Wednesday nights on TNT.​