Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 25, 1995 TAG: 9501260068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GREENSBORO, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Mobile officially becomes the 19th ECHL member, the 12th below the Mason-Dixon line.
On a day when the ECHL talked enlargement, the largest expansion occurred on the waiting list to get into the eight-year-old league.
Mobile's was the only expansion bid approved during the second and final day of the board of governors' meetings, but four other cities were told they would be considered for league membership in 1995-96.
Of the five locales giving their sales pitches, only the Mobile ownership group had a sure place to play next season.
The other cities represented - Louisville, Pensacola, Fla., Evansville, Ind., and Columbia, S.C. - paid the $200,000 down payment on a franchise, but none had a lease for a playing facility in hand.
The remaining expansion applicants will be considered again for league membership, possible during the league's spring meetings in May. The league could have as many as four new teams playing next season.
``We told people, `Unless you walk into our meeting with a lease in your hands, we can't approve your prospective franchise,''' said Patrick Kelly, commissioner of the ECHL. ``We still feel strongly that the other groups will come through.''
The Mobile group is headed by New York entrepreneur Eric Margenau, who should be a familiar name to Roanoke Valley sporting observers. A year ago, Margenau was engaged in an ill-fated attempt to purchase the Salem Buccaneers Class A Carolina League baseball franchise from Kelvin Bowles.
Although Bowles and Margenau agreed in principle on the deal, the Salem City Council (fearing the possibly unsettling effects of an out-of-town owner) refused to transfer the lease of antiquated and city-owned Municipal Field from Bowles to Margenau.
That decision killed the deal.
``I have no comment on any of that,'' said Margenau, when asked if he still harbored ill feelings regarding his dealings with Salem. ``I can't say anything that would be of any value to you about that. Nothing you could print, anyway.''
Margenau owns two minor-league baseball teams - the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Wizards of the Midwest League and the Columbia, S.C.-based Capital City Bombers of the Class A South Atlantic League.
Mobile, which has not decided on a team nickname, will play in the Mobile Civic Center, which will seat approximately 8,600 spectators for hockey.
The Mobile group will pay the league a $1 million expansion fee, $200,000 of which was paid up front Tuesday.
``We've been working on this for two or three years, so it's great to see it come through,'' said Margenau.
In other league matters decided Tuesday, the ECHL announced that Tallahassee will host the league all-star game in 1995-96, and Charlotte will be the host in 1996-97. It is the first time the league has picked an all-star venue more than one year in advance.
The league also gave the go-ahead to its marketing committee to negotiate league-wide merchandising rights with NHL properties, a move designed to make enhance the ECHL's visibility with consumers of hockey paraphernalia.
by CNB