THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150358
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
The Shreveport Pirates unexpectedly announced Tuesday that they are moving their Canadian Football League team to Hampton Roads. And in spite of an 11th-hour bid by league rival Baltimore to block their path, it appears the Pirates will play next season at Foreman Field.
``We've relocated to Hampton Roads,'' team president Lonie Glieberman said at a press conference at the Omni Hotel, ostensibly held to announce a season-ticket drive to test the waters in Hampton Roads.
The Pirates were planning to wait out the eight-week ticket sale before announcing their intention to play in Norfolk. But their hand was forced by Baltimore Stallions owner Jim Speros, who said Monday that he, too, was interested in moving to Hampton Roads.
On Tuesday Speros challenged the Pirates' announcement, claiming that ``I own the rights to that marketplace in my franchise agreement, which gives me rights to all of Maryland, Virginia and Washington.''
``That's my territory,'' Speros said. ``The Gliebermans have to go through me. I will be down there next week to meet with people in the Norfolk area. I'm still interested in that market.''
He met Tuesday morning with T.J. Morgan, owner of the Hampton Roads Sharks semi-pro team, who was interested in working with Speros if he came to Norfolk.
But by Tuesday night, CFL officials had researched the Stallions' franchise agreement and determined that Speros does not have territorial rights in Hampton Roads.
Bernie Glieberman, the Pirates' owner and father of Lonie, said CFL general counsel John Tory called him in Orlando, Fla., where he is attending a builders' convention.
``We talked to Mr. Tory, and he told us, `You're there and Mr. Speros has no rights to that area,' '' Bernie Glieberman said. ``We've sent a letter to the CFL saying we're relocating and have been told this is our territory.''
Tory could not be reached for comment, but a source at the CFL office confirmed that Tory had told Glieberman that the Stallions have no territorial rights to Norfolk.
Tory, a Toronto lawyer and a powerful member of Canada's Conservative Party, told Glieberman that the Stallions own the CFL rights to territory extending 150 miles from Baltimore. Norfolk is 210 miles from Baltimore.
CFL commissioner Larry Smith was attempting to reach Speros late Tuesday to inform him of the league's decision and to urge him to drop any claims on Hampton Roads, the source said.
The Toronto Globe and Mail also reports the CFL has determined that the Stallions have no territorial rights to Norfolk.
Bernie Glieberman said the CFL's board of governors will confirm his team's rights to Hampton Roads at a meeting later this week in Regina, Saskatchewan, where Baltimore will meet Calgary in the Grey Cup championship game Sunday.
``The league is not going to let him block us any further,'' Bernie Glieberman said. ``It's no secret that we've intended to move to Norfolk for some time.
``I am completely dumbfounded by (Speros') actions. This has come up a dozen times at least, with Jim Speros present. We told him months ago we were interested in this market. We told him (last week) on a telephone conference call that we're already there (in Hampton Roads).
``Not once did he mention anything about territorial rights. If he owned the rights to Norfolk, wouldn't he have said something to us?
``This is unbelievable. I thought I knew Jim Speros. I thought he was an honorable guy, someone I could trust and deal with.''
Speros was unavailable for comment late Tuesday.
As late as 9 a.m. Tuesday, the Pirates were planning to announce only a season-ticket drive at their press conference. But then Lonie Glieberman, coach Forrest Gregg, executive vice president Bill Haase, and Jeff Sias and Rick Kiefner of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce huddled to mull a change of heart.
With Sias and Kiefner acting only as observers, Haase apparently changed Glieberman's mind when he said: ``We're asking fans to make a commitment to us. Perhaps we should go ahead and make a commitment to them.''
Following a quick call to his father, Glieberman called Doug Sorensen, the team's attorney, and had him fax a letter to the CFL office announcing the team's decision to relocate to Hampton Roads.
The group then emerged at 10:10 a.m. to make their announcement.
Glieberman's pronouncement was so casual that many reporters missed it.
``They don't get it yet. You need to say it again,'' Pirates quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver penned in a short note to Haase during the press conference.
Glieberman then made it clear.
``We have an office here, we're selling tickets, we're ready to roll,'' he said. ``We've been in love with this market since our first visit here. There are 1.5 million people here and no major-league professional teams. We're confident there's a real hunger here for a professional football team.
``We're flattered that Baltimore was interested in this market. It shows we've made a good decision. But they're not coming to Hampton Roads. There's already a team here.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
The Virginian-Pilot
"We have an office here, we're selling tickets, we're ready to
roll," Pirates president Lonie Glieberman, said at Tuesday's press
conference.
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
The Virginian-Pilot
Head coach Forrest Gregg, an NFL Hall of Famer, was among the
Pirates officials on hand Tuesday.
by CNB