THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 9, 1995 TAG: 9512080005
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
The Pirates football team has failed in two cities, remains plagued by overdue debts and belongs to the Canadian Football League, most of whose American teams have proved short-lived.
But, hey, nothing's perfect.
Here are two reasons why welcoming the Pirates is a gamble worth taking:
The team's coming would entail relatively small financial risk for the region. The team has asked the city of Norfolk to pay $400,000 to renovate Old Dominion University's 59-year-old Foreman Field. The team promises to repay the money within two years - maybe even one - through taxes on ticket sales, concessions and novelties.
With the stakes relatively low, area cities could practice cooperating as they tried to make the Pirates a success. Art Collins, administrator of the Sports Authority of Hampton Roads and executive director of the Hampton Roads Planning Commission, said, ``If nothing else, it would be an exercise in seeing how regional cooperation could work - a test run for the big leagues some day.''
The Pirates first Hampton Roads home would be Norfolk, but Foreman Field is too small for a long-term arrangement and too hard for Peninsula residents to reach. Norfolk has no site suitable for a big-time football stadium. If the Pirates proved successful, or if their success drew a National Football League team here, a stadium would be built elsewhere in the region, presumably Virginia Beach, Chesapeake or Suffolk.
Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim says his support for the football team hinges on its obtaining regional support from the beginning, including money. Regional support is logical, Fraim said, because (1) the team's stay in Norfolk will be temporary, (2) Foreman Field is state-owned, and (3) the team will prosper only if fans come from across the region.
The operative word, here, is ``region.'' Without that word, there will be no big-time sports in Hampton Roads.
For regional officials considering whether to embrace the Pirates, Jan. 1 is a key date. Lonie Glieberman, the Pirates' president, has said the team will pay all its debts in Shreveport by then, even though Louisiana bankruptcy laws might allow it to leave the state without doing so. ``We've sent a letter to everyone, saying we'll pay by Jan. 1,'' Glieberman said. If the Pirates make good on that promise, local decision makers can have increased confidence in the team's management. If the promise is broken, second thoughts are in order.
One fact cannot be ignored: The CFL is a first-tier league in Canada but a second-tier league in America, so the Pirates will receive scant national exposure. Bad publicity is possible. Shreveport, La., the Pirates previous home, regrets extending the welcome mat, since a ``too-small'' tag has been tied to that city in the wake of the Pirates' failure there.
Unquestionably, Hampton Roads, with 1.5 million residents, is large enough to support professional sports. Minor-league hockey, in the form of the Hampton Roads Admirals, has grabbed thousands of fans by the heart. The Norfolk Tides draw well and have the best ball park in the minors. If the Pirates prosper, the region could become more attractive to the big leagues.
If Hampton Roads were asked to spend $50 million or more to build a stadium for the the Pirates now, the easy and proper response would be a rapid, ``No way.''
But again, the risks are small; the opportunity for regional cooperation, great. If the team pays its bills and gains regional support, it could be a welcome addition to the area. And, just maybe, a stepping stone to bigger things. by CNB