THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 6, 1996 TAG: 9611060602
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 64 lines
Hampton Roads will claim a key victory in its competition with Raleigh for an NHL team today when sports consultant Max Muhleman defects to the region.
Muhleman, who was supposed to mastermind Raleigh's bid for the NHL, will be hired today by George Shinn, sources say. Shinn, who owns the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, has applied to bring an expansion NHL franchise to Hampton Roads.
Muhleman was hired by Raleigh last month on a contract that expired Tuesday night. One of his first moves in Raleigh was to attempt to persuade Shinn, who was then negotiating with Hampton Roads, to deal only with Raleigh.
He was briefly successful, but Shinn withdrew from Raleigh's effort last Thursday, just hours before officials there announced Charlotte businessman Felix Sabates had applied for an expansion franchise for Raleigh.
There are nine candidates for what is expected to be no more than four expansion teams. NHL officials acknowledge both Raleigh and Hampton Roads won't get franchises since they are located just 190 miles from each other.
Muhleman could be the key to two of the most pressing concerns for regional hockey proponents: working out an arena deal and obtaining a franchise. Muhleman will negotiate an arena deal with the partnership and will choreograph the 45-minute pitch Shinn is expected to make to the NHL later this month.
Muhleman's impressive track record includes a role landing five franchises. Shinn hired him in the mid-1980s to bring an NBA franchise to Charlotte, and stunned most experts by finishing first among 11 applicants.
His other efforts were NFL-related: bringing the Carolina Panthers to Charlotte and moving the Rams from Los Angeles to St. Louis, the Ravens (Browns) from Cleveland to Baltimore, and the Oilers from Houston to Nashville.
Shinn declined comment on Muhleman, but in previous interviews heaped praise upon him.
``Without Max, there would be no Hornets and no Panthers - period,'' Shinn told the Raleigh News and Observer last month. ``He may be the best sports marketing guy in the country.''
Panthers owner Jerry Richardson has had similar praise.
``He built and marketed a compelling case for league expansion into the Carolinas,'' he told the Charlotte Observer. ``Because of his vision, eloquence and passion, Max has earned a prominent place in the hearts of all Panthers fans.''
Muhleman, based in Charlotte, could not be reached for comment.
Shinn, meanwhile, delivered a proposal Tuesday morning to the Hampton Roads Partnership on how costs for a proposed arena would be divided between the Rhinos and the region's cities.
Partnership president Barry DuVal said he received the proposal and passed it on to the partnership's financial experts.
DuVal said the partnership has hired Chris Dunlavey of Brailsford & Dunlavey of Washington, D.C., a financial consulting firm. The partnership also hired prominent attorney Kenneth L. Shropshire of Philadelphia. Shropshire, a published authority on composing arena deals, teaches at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
DuVal declined comment on Shinn's proposal, but said partnership officials will respond in a day or two. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Max Muhleman
George Shinn by CNB