WHERE WILL REVO GO? SYRACUSE ISN'T ANSWER

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 4, 1993                   TAG: 9302040042
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
WHERE WILL REVO GO? SYRACUSE ISN'T ANSWER
The Roanoke Valley Rampage shouldn't start packing that moving van for Syracuse, N.Y., just yet.
Rampage owner Larry Revo, who a week ago appeared 99 percent sure that his club would be New York-bound for the 1993-94 East Coast Hockey League season, has run into a snag in his negotiations with Syracuse.
"I have been told by Syracuse that everything now is on hold," Revo said Wednesday. "It was a real surprise to me. I thought things had been going well. I didn't expect this."
Revo had been scheduled to meet with Syracuse officials earlier this week at the ECHL's inaugural All-Star Game in Wheeling, W.Va. But the Syracuse people didn't show, leaving Revo pondering what move to make next.
"It's a holding pattern now, I guess," Revo said. "I don't know what to think [about Syracuse]. All they told me is that it's on hold.
"This is purely a guess, but I think what's happening is that they're familiar with the American Hockey League, because they used to be in that league, but they're not at all familiar with the East Coast Hockey League. So the people who are interested in hockey there are saying, `We know about the American Hockey League, but we don't know anything about the East Coast Hockey League.' So this put this thing on hold."
If Syracuse spurns him, Revo will have to go back to the drawing board for '93-94. Vinton LancerLot owner Henry Brabham already has informed Revo that his lease will be terminated on April 1. Revo still is talking with the Roanoke Civic Center, but a move there remains, at best, a long shot.
Two possible spots left are Winston-Salem, N.C., and Huntsville, Ala.
Revo already has moved one of this season's games from Vinton to Winston-Salem, drawing 3,334 on Jan. 21, and he may take another of the Rampage's remaining 10 home dates to the 3,516-seat Coliseum Annex. Two weeks ago, Revo denied he was considering Winston-Salem as a moving option. His tune has changed now.
"I haven't ruled out anything," Revo said Wednesday.
Knoxville, another ECHL franchise looking to relocate for '93-94, has first dibs on a move to Huntsville.
\ SORRY, FOLKS: Revo said he wished to apologize to the area fans for the poor performance of this season's club. Entering tonight's game against Greensboro at the LancerLot, the Rampage (11-34-1) has lost 29 of 34 and 19 of its past 20 games.
"I'm not sure I would pay $7 [to see this team]," Revo said. "I've been amazed we've been drawing the number of people we have lately. Fourteen-hundred coming out is truly amazing to me. I expected many fewer to come out.
"Of all the things I feel badly about, the fact we haven't had a competitive team is what I feel worst about. I don't feel badly about being a proponent of hockey not being filled with fights. The criticism I get for that doesn't bother me at all. I do take full blame, though, for the fact we haven't had a competitive hockey team."
\ ALL-STAR GAME: Darren Schwartz's two goals and two assists paced the East to a 7-3 victory over the West in the inaugural ECHL All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Wheeling, W.Va. Schwartz's Wheeling teammate, Devin Edgerton had four assists for the East. Center Scott Burfoot, who joined Roanoke Valley teammate Trevor Smith on the East squad, recorded an assist.
\ QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Empty-net goals are for sissies." - Washington's Al Iafrate, who shocked fans when he dumped the puck in the corner rather than score into an empty net in the Capitals' 6-5 NHL win at Ottawa last week.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB