THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 21, 1995 TAG: 9503210422
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Last week, it was Charlotte and Greensboro that announced they were jumping from the East Coast Hockey League to the American Hockey League.
This week it could be the Hampton Roads Admirals - as well as Raleigh, Richmond and South Carolina. All expect to announce within days where they'll play hockey next season.
And whether the Admirals move up could turn on how much the city of Norfolk truly wants the AHL at Scope.
Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim and other members of the City Council met with Admirals president Blake Cullen last week, urging him to move up. That's commendable, because so often in similar situations, area leaders have kept mum.
From the NFL in the 1960s to the American Basketball Association in the '70s and a proposed NASCAR track in the '80s, when area governments and the business community have been asked to step forward, Hampton Roads has taken a step back. That's why we live in the largest metropolitan area in the country without a major league sports franchise.
The AHL isn't the majors, but it's the best hockey we're going to see any time soon.
And it's going to take more than urging to move Cullen.
It's going to take a major commitment from the city.
New locker rooms and offices at Scope have been offered, and the offer is long overdue.
Also overdue is a revamping of of the Admirals' lease. Without the Admirals, Scope would be a financial basket case. The team is the building's hottest tenant. The Admirals pay 19 percent of their gate receipts (in rent and taxes) to the city. The city also keeps all parking and concessions revenues, and anyone who's waited in line for a barbecue or pretzel during an Admirals game knows that concessions rake in big bucks.
Cut the Admirals a deal on the rent and concessions.
Offer to add some seats to Scope, which has sold out for hockey 17 times in the last two seasons, and perhaps some luxury boxes.
Work with the private sector, with tax incentives or an offer of land, to bring a skating rink to Norfolk that would provide the Admirals with a training facility and would give Norfolkians a place to skate.
The Admirals don't need the same commitment it took to anchor Triple-A baseball to downtown Norfolk - a $16 million stadium. But Triple-A hockey won't come to Norfolk without the city's help.
And that help is needed quickly. Time is short. Cullen faces big risks by moving up, and he acknowledges he's struggling with his decision.
He would be leaving a comfortable, successful situation if he leaves the ECHL, where costs are low, the hockey is entertaining and he has control over his team - coach John Brophy recruits all of his players.
``We have control over the product on the ice,'' Cullen said, ``and that's one reason we've won.'' Two league championships in their first five years, to be exact.
The hockey is much better in the AHL, but at least half of players would be provided by an NHL affiliate. What if the NHL affiliate provided a lousy team? Attendance could plummet.
Moreover, Cullen remains uncertain as to the cost of jumping. His budget would rise by $750,000 to more than $2.5 million, and that means ticket prices would increase. And he fears he could be sued by the remaining ECHL teams, whose net worth would decrease if Hampton Roads left.
Staying in the ECHL is hardly a safe bet, either. Many Admirals fans have made it clear through telephone calls and letters that they want to move up. Many are counting on it.
Cullen risks a fan boycott if he stays in the ECHL. He also risks somebody putting an AHL franchise at the Hampton Coliseum - something that nearly happened a year ago.
Regardless of what happens, city officials should keep in mind that Cullen has been left in a no-win situation through no fault of his own. He didn't ask for the AHL offer, and he has been left at risk no matter what his decision. He needs a helping hand regardless of which direction he moves.
He gambled his own money - most of it borrowed from a local bank - to put a hockey franchise in Norfolk six years ago. He made hockey thrive in a city that had seen two earlier franchises go under. For that, he's owed much by the community.
Cullen, who spent 22 years as an administrator in major league baseball, is proudest of his six years in Norfolk. His franchise is more than just a business to him, it's his dearest possession.
One he won't risk without a little coaxing and a lot of help. by CNB