THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150225
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CARL FINCKE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
It appears that Hampton Roads, at last, has its Canadian Football League franchise. Whew.
Tuesday's whirlwind episode of ``As the CFL Turns'' began with a 10:10 a.m. announcement by Lonie Glieberman, president of the Shreveport (La.) Pirates, that he was moving his franchise to Hampton Roads - no matter what.
Previously, Glieberman had said the team would need to sell 15,000 season tickets here to make the move work. But with the ticket requirement removed, it looked like smooth sailing for the Pirates' switch to Hampton Roads.
Enter Jim Speros, owner of the CFL's Baltimore Stallions. On Monday, Speros told The Virginian-Pilot that he was seriously considering moving the Stallions to Hampton Roads. The same day, he told The Washington Post he planned to keep the team in Baltimore the next three years.
Tuesday morning, Speros said the Pirates could not move to Hampton Roads because he had the CFL's territorial rights to the area. Later Tuesday morning, he met in Baltimore with T.J. Morgan, owner of the Hampton Roads Sharks semi-pro team. They explored the possibility of Morgan helping operate a Stallions franchise in Hampton Roads.
Blindsided by another challenge - last week, Morgan was bidding for an area CFL expansion franchise - Glieberman and his father, Bernie, owner of the Pirates, spent the better part of Tuesday afternoon on the phone with CFL officials.
By early Tuesday evening, the CFL had determined that Speros had no territorial rights to Hampton Roads and that the market belonged to the Gliebermans.
So, apparently, the Pirates belong to Hampton Roads. But there could be more plot twists ahead. The Pirates still do not have formal CFL approval, and they have not signed a lease for Norfolk's Foreman Field.
Stay tuned. MEMO: Staff writer Harry Minium contributed to this report.
Complete coverage in Sports, C1
ILLUSTRATION: Shreveport Pirates President Lonie Glieberman said Tuesday he'll
move his team to Hampton Roads - no matter what.
Jim Speros, owner of the CFL's Baltimore Stallions, claimed
territorial rights here, but league officials disagreed.
by CNB