THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 14, 1997 TAG: 9701140203
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SERIES: NHL In Hampton Roads
SOURCE: Tom Robinson
LENGTH: 65 lines
NEW YORK - One of the hot words here at the NHL expansion meetings is ``sexy.'' Meaning that George Shinn, if he really wants his Hampton Roads Rhinos to score, should dispatch exotic dancers upon the expansion committee before bursting in today to close the deal?
Actually, reports say the NHL is hot for new cities that will broaden its national ``footprint,'' while being ``sexy'' enough to spark excitement beyond the expansion market itself.
On both counts, Hampton Roads walks on wobbly heels.
As we know, Hampton Roads takes baby steps with little, tiny feet, befitting one of the country's quietest regions of 1-million-plus people. Its selection in these sweepstakes would produce a very unsexy ``Hampton what?!'' groan from the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam. God bless America's lust for TV and sports marketing cash.
If you believe the media-room scuttlebutt, Shinn's chances to pull another Charlotte out of his hat start at ``you gotta be kidding.'' But there are those who think the odds could reach up to the ``you know, he might have a chance if . . .'' range.
``If'' is one more loaded word. What follows it usually relates to whether the NHL, which has never officially said it would expand, decides to add four teams by 2000 instead of two.
As more and more applicants parade by the expansion committee without arena deals, it looks as if it actually could come down to St. Paul, Minn., Hampton Roads and Raleigh for a fourth franchise.
As Shinn promised, ownership and arena apparently are foremost on the minds of the NHL's nine-member expansion committee. Chuck Watson, one of three bidders from Houston, said the committee asked nothing about season-ticket or luxury-suite sales but was most interested in his investment group and arena arrangement.
Aside from Atlanta and Houston, who most people think are locks, the groups with ``quality ownership and existing facilities may have the upper hand,'' Watson said.
That puts Nashville, Tenn., with its new arena in a decent light for No. 3, and it lends Shinn more credence for No. 4. The 40th-ranked TV market hurts, but Shinn represents ownership know-how, and his arena deal-in-principle is more than most contenders can boast.
A long Monday of expansion talk at a Manhattan hotel told me this. It also told me who really has no chance at all. The Maloof boys from New Mexico, who are bidding for Houston, have no chance at all.
When the two self-described ``sports enthusiasts'' walked in and started nattering about how they were Houston's best choice, in part because they weren't ``entangled in lawsuits'' like their Houston competitors, it was like a bad CFL dream starring young Lonie Glieberman - who was, of course, entangled in lawsuits.
Among other reasons, Houston's soap opera is interesting because one of the two other bidders is Rockets owner Leslie Alexander, a clipped-talking New Yorker with a manner that says, ``Cross me. I dare you.'' Alexander is suing the genteel Watson, owner of the minor-league Aeros hockey team, over Watson's control over the lease at The Summit.
Anyway, somebody from Houston still should emerge with a team. Atlanta's in with Ted Turner. Then there is hot Nashville. Shinn? Clearly, Hampton Roads' chances improve today if Shinn walks tall and somehow manages to leave a sexy footprint.
Something Gucci, perhaps.
KEYWORDS: NHL FRANCHISE ARENA