THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 12, 1995 TAG: 9510120477
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 121 lines
A Canadian Football League team once again has Hampton Roads on its short list as a potential home. But unlike other CFL flirtations in recent years, the lack of a suitable stadium might not be an automatic deal-killer.
Bernie Glieberman, owner of the league's Shreveport (La.) Pirates, has visited business and political leaders twice in the last two months to discuss relocating his team, which is struggling financially. Glieberman has proposed playing next season at Foreman Field, the aging 25,400-seat stadium on the Old Dominion University campus, and has asked that the region's cities combine to build a larger stadium.
But sources in Shreveport, who asked not to be identified, say Glieberman might move his franchise to Norfolk even without the promise of a new stadium. Glieberman apparently thinks he would draw better at Foreman Field than in Shreveport, which is the CFL's smallest market and worst draw.
Officials have told him a new stadium is a long shot unless the CFL undergoes some drastic changes - particularly the signing of a national TV contract with CBS.
Glieberman, who declined comment, stands to lose $2.5 million this season, the Baltimore Sun reported. His Pirates are averaging 12,627 per game, though paid attendance is less than 10,000 per game. CFL teams need to attract roughly 17,000 to 20,000 paid admissions per game to break even.
Pirates representatives say they need to sell 10,000 season tickets for next season to remain in Shreveport, but tickets are moving slowly.
Glieberman also is considering Milwaukee and Columbus, Ohio, though a source in Shreveport said he prefers Hampton Roads because the other cities have major professional or college football teams nearby. Hampton Roads, with about 1.6 million people, is the largest metropolitan area in the nation without a major sports franchise and has no Division I-A college football team within 100 miles.
This is the third time a group has approached area officials about the CFL. Both previous efforts were scuttled because of Foreman Field's limited seating capacity and aging facilities. Foreman Field opened in 1936.
Dan Lynch of ABC Radio in New York led a group that made a well-publicized visit to Hampton Roads in summer 1993.
Bill Collins, a Northern Virginia businessman who recently bid to purchase the Pittsburgh Pirates and bring them to Washington, visited Norfolk more than a year ago and toured Foreman Field.
Foreman Field is not long enough for a regulation CFL playing field, which is 110 yards, plus another 25 yards for each end zone. ODU officials have said they will not alter the stadium. However, the CFL made an exception for the playing field in Las Vegas, which is smaller than Foreman Field.
Hampton Roads officials won't say much about the negotiations with Glieberman.
``It's premature to say much right now,'' said Jeff Sias, director of sports promotions for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, who has met with Glieberman. ``We'd like to see a CFL team here and hopefully it will happen.
Added Mo Whitlow, a former Portsmouth city councilman and a member of the Sports Authority of Hampton Roads who met with Glieberman: ``I was impressed with the candor of the Shreveport group. They were very honest in their analysis of where the CFL is today and where it could be in the future.
``But certainly, there were no commitments from either side.''
Area officials apparently would be more inclined to build a stadium if the CFL lands a national contract with CBS.
``If the CFL were to get a major television contract, then this league becomes very intriguing,'' Whitlow said.
Memphis Mad Dogs owner Fred Smith, founder of Federal Express, is attempting to persuade CBS to televise CFL games weekly and to become part-owner of the league.
CBS lost its long contract to broadcast NFL games more than a year ago to the upstart FOX Network. CBS' Sunday ratings have been abysmal ever since.
The league is also contemplating expansion into major markets, such as Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando and Portland, Ore., to make it more attractive to CBS. Houston could be another likely site if the NFL Oilers move to Nashville, Tenn. The league has U.S. franchises in Baltimore, San Antonio and Birmingham, Ala., in addition to Shreveport and Memphis.
The CFL might also make major rules changes to accommodate U.S. fans and CBS. The league, for example, might exempt three players per team from its salary cap instead of one, as is the case now. The intent would be to attract three name players, possibly from the NFL, to each franchise.
Reducing the size of the playing field from 110 yards to 100 and moving the start of the season from July to late August also have been proposed.
CFL commissioner Larry W. Smith said the league ``is very interested in the Norfolk area.''
``If you were to build a facility there, we would love to be there,'' he said. ``It's a great market, and I hear it's a beautiful area. We know that it's the largest (American) market without a (major sports) team.''
Smith said Baltimore owner Jim Speros has been urging the CFL to expand into Virginia. Speros has sent CFL officials demographic information on Hampton Roads, which he considers likely to become Baltimore's archrival if it joins the league, Smith said.
Speros could not be reached for comment.
The CFL has experienced mixed results in its expansion to U.S. markets. Baltimore is averaging 29,783 per home game at Memorial Stadium, but the Stallions' attendance is down from last season.
Memphis (14,636), San Antonio (16,919) and Birmingham (17,497) have been disappointed by their average attendance, especially in recent weeks. Birmingham has attracted three consecutive gates of less than 7,000. The Sacramento and Las Vegas franchises shut down after the 1994 season.
Most Canadian cities, including Edmonton (32,567) and Calgary (27,182), draw well. ILLUSTRATION: Color file photo
Shreveport owner Bernie Glieberman has proposed playing next season
at Foreman Field, the aging 25,400-seat stadium on the Old Dominion
University campus, and has asked that the region's cities combine to
build a larger stadium.
by CNB