THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603080740
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
There are reasons why attendance at Hampton Roads Admirals games has dropped recently: A glut of early season home games, a recent losing streak, some schedule juggling resulting from an ice show and the snowed-out game Feb. 3, even an avalanche of televised college basketball games.
But just 4,781 watched Wednesday night's win over Mobile. That was the second-smallest crowd of the season - and the fourth time in the last seven games attendance has been less than 5,000. Admirals president Blake Cullen wonders if a 20,000-seat arena that hasn't yet been built and a potential NHL team that hasn't even been identified hasn't caused his team to be undervalued.
``There's a vague perception now that we're a major-league market,'' Cullen said Thursday. ``I'm afraid there's a bit of dissatisfaction with this level and I don't know what that's affecting. I mean, we won four out of five. We'll hopefully finish third. But the other night, there's a guy screaming at me, `You're a bunch of ------- losers.' ''
Cullen adds that perhaps his team is a victim of its own success.
``We're champions, won more games than any team in the league, second-highest winning percentage of any team in the league, no one's won more championships,'' he said.''
Cullen says reduced media coverage of his team, brought on by the hoopla surrounding the potential move here of a CFL franchise, also has hurt his gate.
``But more than the coverage is the idea that, all of a sudden, we're big time and nothing else is going to satisfy us,'' he said. ``I guess it sounds petty, but I just hope people aren't dissatisfied with what they have here - the Tides, Old Dominion basketball, the Admirals.''
INJURY REPORT: Goalie Mike Torchia, who left Wednesday's game between the first and second periods after a bout of dizziness in the locker room, was examined by team physician Dr. Edward Hanna Thursday and pronounced fit.
Torchia, who has a history of an irregular heartbeat, underwent an EKG and was cleared to continue playing.
The incident is being blamed on Torchia's unorthodox pregame strategy Wednesday. Instead of eating a pregame meal, Torchia drank several cups of coffee. Already slightly dehydrated from a lingering case of the flu, and fatigued from facing 21 first-period shots, Torchia was too sick to continue.
However, Torchia should be available for Saturday night's game at Raleigh. Sergei Voronov (broken finger) should be ready to play Saturday or Sunday, when the Admirals are home against Roanoke. And defenseman Chris Phelps (broken jaw) should be ready in a week. by CNB