THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 9, 1995 TAG: 9511090517
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Canadian Football League commissioner Larry Smith on Wednesday called T.J. Morgan's prospects of securing a 1996 expansion franchise by the league's Dec. 1 deadline ``very distant.''
Morgan, president and owner of the Hampton Roads Sharks semi-pro team, announced a season ticket drive Tuesday.
``If there is any chance of succeeding, he must have a lease, financial backing, strong support from the business community and a solid core of ticket holders,'' Smith said.
Morgan countered that the December deadline likely won't stand. ``I can only say what I've been told by a lot of people around the league, that anything is possible in the CFL.''
Morgan's ticket drive rivals a bid by the financially ailing Shreveport (La.) Pirates to move to the region next season. Shreveport coach Forrest Gregg said that Pirates president Lonie Glieberman will begin his ticket drive on Tuesday.
``It's important to understand that I cannot prevent people from trying to obtain a CFL franchise,'' Smith said. ``(Morgan) wants to compete, and I can't stop anyone from joining in this competition.''
However, Smith said, the work of Morgan's group could be for naught.
``Our deadline is Dec. 1,'' Smith said. ``It's already Nov. 8. I would suggest to you that . . . '96 is a very distant possibility as far as his group is concerned.''
Glieberman faces a similar deadline. CFL officials are expecting him to tell them where he will play his 1996 season by Nov. 30. However, Morgan's group faces several significant hurdles that Glieberman, because he has an existing franchise, does not.
Smith said Morgan has yet to ante up the $100,000 nonrefundable CFL expansion application fee, nor has he made an application for an expansion franchise.
Morgan has declined requests from The Virginian-Pilot to provide details of his group's investors because, he said, the CFL would not allow it. But Smith said the league has no such restrictions.
``I have never said anything to him about not revealing names of his investors,'' Smith said. ``He's free to do anything he wants in that regard.''
Morgan, a Virginia Beach chiropractor, said, ``I don't see why this is such a big deal'' and disputed figures provided by the CFL that indicate he must have $10 million in the bank - $3 million for the expansion fee and $7 in operating monies - to obtain a franchise.
``I'm an investor,'' Morgan said. ``(Sharks executive vice president) Garland Payne is an investor.''
Morgan said he had talked with officials from other CFL teams to look at budget figures.
``This game does not require a half a million dollars (in the bank) to play,'' Morgan said. ``You'd be amazed at how inexpensively it can be done. A break-even budget is $4.5 million. Some people (in the CFL) would laugh at that, but perhaps they don't spend as judiciously as we do.''
Morgan said his ticket sale ``is going well. We've sold a lot of tickets already.'' He said he doesn't yet have numbers on sales, but added he will soon begin advertising by radio.
Morgan acknowledged that he, like Smith, is worried about having two ticket drives at once, but said that won't stop his group.
``If I see high numbers on both sides, I won't be concerned,'' he said. ``If I see low numbers on both sides, then I will be concerned.''
Glieberman lamented the rift between the Pirates and the Sharks. He said Morgan declined repeated requests to meet or speak by phone.
``The sad thing is that we would have liked to have had a positive relationship with the Sharks,'' he said. ``The best way to succeed in life and in business is to do a good job and not bring down others.''
Sharks officials said Tuesday that they would be satisfied if their ticket sale succeeds in driving Glieberman elsewhere.
Morgan, who declined to respond to Glieberman's comments, said he is considering both Old Dominion's Foreman Field and a proposed 30,000-seat stadium at Norfolk State as potential playing sites. Norfolk State officials acknowledge having been in contact with Morgan.
Old Dominion athletic director Jim Jarrett issued a no comment through sports information director Carol Hudson. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
T.J. Morgan, Shark's owner
Lonie Glieberman, Pirates President
by CNB