THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601190293
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Editor's Column
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Portsmouth Mayor Gloria Webb endorses the statement issued by Virginia Beach City Councilman W.W. Harrison Jr. concerning the desire of a Canadian Football League team to relocate in Norfolk.
Harrison said: ``Thank you for your interest in our community, but we have higher aspirations.''
Webb said, ``I was pleased to hear the way that was expressed. I think it shows what we can do by working together.''
My question is: What have we done?
Along with most of the area sports enthusiasts, I have watched from the outside as Lonie Glieberman attempted to relocate his CFL team from Shreveport, La., to Hampton Roads.
With both Norfolk and Virginia Beach announcing they would not fund the $400,000 for needed renovations of Foreman Field and Old Dominion University then saying it would not lease the stadium to Glieberman, it would seem the Pirates will have to look elsewhere.
My personal opinion is that both parties - the Pirates and the Norfolk city officials - could have handled all of this in a much better fashion.
I did sit in on the formation of the Norfolk Neptunes when they were organized to play in the Continental Football League.
The first meeting was a disaster. Proper input came at the second meeting and the team was born. The demise of the Neptunes came from a collapse of the other teams in the league. The local team had a larger following than any sports team has ever had here.
I was shocked when George Hughes, a former Norfolk City Councilman and a coach with the Neptunes through most of their years, told me he had not even been approached by Glieberman or the Pirates. Here's a man who still has NFL connections through his years as a player and connections with the city. Hughes even has plans that were drawn up for a proposed stadium when there was talk about making a bid for an NFL team here.
Did you know Norfolk once stood fifth on a list of cities under consideration for expansion teams in the NFL? And teams that ranked behind Norfolk now have teams?
Glieberman even had to be told Webb was Portsmouth's mayor when she tendered him a question at Monday's Sports Club meeting. He should have been a visitor to her office, as well as the offices of the mayors in all area cities, when he first looked over Hampton Roads last November.
It seems to me the area cities are closing the door to Glieberman's team without complete examination.
It is ridiculous to say a failure by this team would hamper future efforts to bring a major league pro basketball or hockey team to Hampton Roads.
About 2,700 or so citizens of the area have purchased season tickets already to watch a sight-unseen football team.
Bill Knowles, the former athletic director at Western Branch, bought a pair.
``I would be in favor of giving them a chance,'' said Knowles. ``Some of the Canadian Football League rules sound exciting to me. I think I would enjoy the opportunity to have it here.''
Knowles feels Norfolk would have endorsed a move here by the Baltimore Stallions, the Grey Cup champions who are looking for a new home. Yet Jim Speros, the owner, certainly hasn't the money that the Gliebermans have.
Of all the hundreds of words written about this, I was most impressed by a statement from Forrest Gregg, the NFL Hall of Famer who will coach the team. Said Gregg: ``We've all been looking forward to having a great season in Hampton Roads. But in order for us to be here, I think somebody has to want us.''
Maybe the Pirates could take a one-year sabbatical from the CFL and all the problems could be worked out.
I may have been the only person to see every game played by the original Norfolk Neptunes. I never had more fun in my life. by CNB