THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 6, 1996 TAG: 9601060391
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
A group of Texas and Louisiana investors purchased the Canadian Football League's Birmingham Barracudas Friday and will move the team to Shreveport, La., The Shreveport Times reported in today's editions.
The purchase by the Ark-La-Tex Football Association investment group apparently will produce a financial windfall for the CFL Pirates, who moved from Shreveport to Hampton Roads in November.
The Pirates still own the Independence Stadium lease, for which the Barracudas and city of Shreveport must negotiate a settlement.
Shreveport had claimed the Pirates owed $1.37 million for moving to Hampton Roads, including $370,000 for improvements made by the city to the stadium and a $1 million rebate of sponsorship funds provided by the city to the Pirates.
The $1 million claim was sharply disputed by the Pirates, who provided the media copies of their agreement with the city that showed repayment of the $1 million wasn't required.
The Pirates have acknowledged owing $191,000 for stadium improvements. But with a new CFL team in town, Pirates president Lonie Glieberman said his team owes Shreveport nothing.
``They've gotten what they've wanted and they've suffered no damage,'' Glieberman said. ``We lost $7 million (in two seasons). We're the ones who were damaged.''
And not just financially. City officials and business leaders in Shreveport have roasted Glieberman and the Pirates unmercifully in recent months. That continued Friday when Shreveport City Couniclman Phil Serio said: ``Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a team here that people actually liked the owners?''
Responded Glieberman: ``I'm disappointed in so many of the things said about us because I always trusted the people there and enjoyed working with them. I didn't expect a lot of those things to be said about us.''
He then made a mock reference to Shreveport's recently-issued invitation for the Pirates to return to Shreveport, a legal maneuver intended not to bring back the team, but to try to force the Pirates to pay $1 million.
``This is sending a mixed signal. We thought they wanted us to come back and play,'' he said.
``I hope this team succeeds in Shreveport,'' he added. ``One thing's for sure, they can't blame me if it fails this time.'' by CNB