THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 20, 1995 TAG: 9512200553
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 139 lines
Hoping to end speculation that the CFL Pirates might not pay their bills in their former home, team owner Bernie Glieberman said Tuesday night that all debts in Shreveport, La., will be paid this week.
``I'm going to send Lonie a check tomorrow,'' Glieberman said of his son, Lonie Glieberman, the Pirates' president. Lonie Glieberman said checks will be cut and mailed to Shreveport vendors this week.
The issue is an important one for Hampton Roads area government and business leaders, who say the Pirates must pay their debts in Shreveport if they are to be accepted in Hampton Roads.
The Canadian Football League team owes approximately $200,000 to about a dozen vendors, including $80,000 to Highland Hospital. Lonie Glieberman has repeatedly said all vendors will be paid by Jan. 1, but that was called into question Tuesday when a letter from a team attorney was obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.
Shreveport attorney Mark E. Gilliam, who represents the Pirates in Louisiana, pledged in a letter to Shreveport City Attorney Jerald J. Jones to pay all vendors by April 1, not Jan. 1.
Bernie Glieberman said the intent was always to pay by Jan. 1, and that paying immediately would end any speculation to the contrary.
``We gave (Norfolk mayor Paul Fraim) our word that we would pay everyone by the first, and we're going to show that we keep our word,'' said Bernie Glieberman by phone from his suburban Detroit home. ``There's been speculation we don't keep our word, that we don't pay our bills.
``We paid our bills in Ottawa. We're going to pay our bills in Shreveport. We will pay our bills in Norfolk.''
The Gliebermans owned a CFL franchise in Ottawa for two seasons, sold that team, then bought an expansion franchise and moved it to Shreveport in 1994. After losing an estimated $7 million in two seasons, the Pirates have relocated to Hampton Roads and are in the midst of a season-ticket sale.
Bernie Glieberman said the April 1 deadline mentioned in the letter was not an attempt to postpone making payments.
``We did that in case there was some nickel-and-dime vendor we missed,'' he said. ``We were just protecting ourselves. What if we missed someone by mistake? The intent was always to pay by the first.''
Among the creditors are a radio station that broadcast Pirates games, printing companies and food vendors.
The city of Shreveport is also seeking $1.35 million from the Pirates, most of which the team says it does not owe.
The city is asking for $350,000 for stadium renovation costs and to compensate the city for breaking the stadium lease.
The City Council has passed a resolution asking for repayment of $1 million that it paid to the Pirates to compensate them for losses last season. Mayor Bo Williams has yet to sign the resolution. If he does, the matter is expected to land in court.
Bernie Glieberman said he was told months ago by Williams and other officials that the city would not seek the $1 million. His agreement to pay vendors by Jan. 1 was predicated on that promise.
The Pirates lost about $3.5 million last season, and losses have been paid for by funds from the Glieberman construction businesses.
``My vendors had no control whether the council voted or not,'' Bernie Glieberman said. ``Why should I make them a victim of that?
``Even though part of our agreement was not to enact the $1 million, we'll pay our vendors because it's the right thing to do.
``We gave them our word, we gave the mayor of Norfolk our word. When we met with him, he told me, `If you want to come here, please do one thing for me, please pay those bills by the first of the year.'
``We're going to do that.''
Shreveport apparently is closer to getting a CFL team to replace the Pirates. The Shreveport Times reports that a group of East Texas investors will make a bid to purchase the Birmingham Barracuadas and move them to Shreveport.
In an effort to end speculation that the CFL Pirates might not pay their bills in their former home, team owner Bernie Glieberman said Tuesday night that all debts in Shreveport, La., will be paid this week.
``I'm going to send Lonie a check tomorrow,'' Glieberman said of his son, Lonie Glieberman, the Pirates president. Lonie Glieberman said checks will be cut and mailed to Shreveport vendors this week.
The issue is an important one for Hampton Roads area government and business leaders, who say the Pirates must pay their debts in Shreveport if they are to be accepted in Hampton Roads.
The Canadian Football League team owes approximtely $200,000 to about a dozen vendors, including $80,000 to Highland Hospital. Lonie Glieberman has repeatedly said all vendors will be paid by Jan. 1, but that was called into question Tuesday when a letter from a team attorney was obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.
Shreveport attorney Mark E. Gilliam, who represents the Pirates in Louisiana, pledged in a letter to Shreveport City Attorney Jerald J. Jones to pay all vendors by April 1, not Jan. 1.
Bernie Glieberman said the intent was always to pay by Jan. 1, and that paying immediately would end any speculation to the contrary.
``We gave (Norfolk mayor Paul Fraim) our word that we would pay everyone by the first, and we're going to show that we keep our word,'' said Bernie Glieberman by phone from his suburban Detroit home. ``There's been speculation we don't keep our word, that we don't pay our bills.
``We paid our bills in Ottawa. We're going to pay our bills in Shreveport. We will pay our bills in Norfolk.''
The Gliebermans owned a CFL franchise in Ottawa for two seasons, sold that team, then bought an expansion franchise and moved it to Shreveport in 1994. After losing an estimated $7 million in two seasons, the Pirates have relocated to Hampton Roads and are in the midst of a season-ticket sale.
Bernie Glieberman said the April 1 deadline mentioned in the letter was not an attempt to postpone making payments.
``We did that in case there was some nickel-and- dime vendor we missed,'' he said. ``We were just protecting ourselves. What if we missed someone by mistake? The intent was always to pay by the first.''
Among the creditors are a radio station that broadcast Pirates games, printing companies and food vendors.
The city of Shreveport is also seeking $1.35 million from the Pirates, most of which the team says it does not owe. The city is asking for $350,000 for stadium renovation costs and to compensate the city for breaking the stadium lease.
The City Council has passed a resolution asking for repayment of $1 million that it paid to the Pirates to compensate them for losses last season. Mayor Bo Williams has yet to sign the resolution. If he does, the matter is expected to land in court.
Bernie Glieberman said he was told months ago by Williams and other officials that the city would not seek the $1 million. His agreement to pay vendors by Jan. 1 was predicated on that promise.
The Pirates lost about $3.5 million last season, and losses have been paid for by funds from the Glieberman construction businesses.
``My vendors had no control whether the council voted or not,'' Bernie Glieberman said. ``Why should I make them a victim of that?
``Even though part of our agreement was not to enact the $1 million, we'll pay our vendors because it's the right thing to do.
``We gave them our word, we gave the mayor of Norfolk our word. When we met with him, he told me, `If you want to come here, please do one thing for me, please pay those bills by the first of the year.'
``We're going to do that.''
Shreveport apparently is one step closer toward getting a CFL team to replace the Pirates. The Shreveport Times reports that a group of East Texas investors will soon make a bid to purchase the Birmingham Barracuadas and move them to Shreveport. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
BERNIE GLIEBERMAN
by CNB