THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 16, 1996 TAG: 9610160578
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 119 lines
George Shinn, owner of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, has met twice with area mayors and business leaders to discuss purchasing a National Hockey League expansion team for Hampton Roads.
Shinn's interest could provide a hurdle to one of the major stumbling blocks in the area's uphill climb for an NHL franchise: a financial backer wealthy enough to buy a team.
However, Hampton Roads has competition for Shinn's NHL affections. Shinn also is exploring Raleigh-Durham as a prospective site.
NHL officials have not announced an expansion timetable, but it is widely believed the league will add at least two teams in December. Raleigh will apply for one of those franchises, but Hampton Roads will not.
Hampton Roads officials say they are waiting on what is expected to be further NHL expansion in two years. Area officials say that means it would be at least four years before an NHL team could play in Hampton Roads.
Shinn has met twice with Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim, who represents the Hampton Roads Partnership in discussions with prospective sports owners. The partnership is made up of political, business, educational and military leaders from the region.
Fraim confirmed Shinn has been to Hampton Roads, but declined comment on whether they discussed an NHL franchise.
``The only thing I can say is that he came here at my request to offer advice and consultation on the prospects of Hampton Roads being a viable market for professional sports,'' Fraim said. ``I'm encouraged by our discussions.''
Shinn confirmed he has met with local officials, but said the talks were preliminary. His top priority, he told The Charlotte Observer, is to reach an agreement with the city of Charlotte to construct a new downtown arena for the Hornets.
Asked if he would pursue an NHL franchise in Hampton Roads or Raleigh after the arena issue is settled, he said: ``That's a good question. I'm a businessman. I'd pursue it if it makes sense.''
Shinn said he became interested in Hampton Roads after a short discussion last spring with Pat Robertson in Virginia Beach. They talked briefly in Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network studios after Shinn was interviewed on The 700 Club.
Shinn said Robertson took him aside and said he was interested in building an arena and an amusement park on CBN property. He asked if Shinn would help Hampton Roads in locating an NBA franchise there.
Sources say the amusement park proposal has since been put on hold, but Shinn returned to Hampton Roads last June to meet with local officials in downtown Norfolk.
Among those attending the meeting, say sources, were Fraim, Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, then-Newport News Mayor Barry DuVal (now head of the Hampton Roads Partnership), CBN president and CEO Michael Little and Norfolk attorney Vincent J. Mastracco Jr.
Last week Shinn made another trip to Hampton Roads.
Shinn acknowledged Tuesday he has had several discussions with NHL commissioner Gary M. Bettman about Hampton Roads and Raleigh.
Shinn is not considering Charlotte as a location. NHL officials are lukewarm about the city because it already has the Hornets and NFL Panthers. NHL officials believe that corporate and ticket dollars are already stretched too thin there. Shinn said he agrees that Charlotte probably isn't ready for the NHL.
Shinn will be in Hampton Roads Dec. 11 to speak at the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting at the Founders Inn and Conference Center at CBN.
The Hockey News reports that the NHL's four primary expansion targets are Atlanta, Houston, Nashville and Portland, Ore. Houston, Nashville and Oklahoma City have applied for franchises.
Hampton Roads, with 1.6 million residents, is the nation's largest metropolitan area without a major sports franchise.
The Raleigh-Durham area has 978,000 residents and three major universities - North Carolina, Duke and N.C. State - meaning it has more competition for the sports dollar than Hampton Roads.
However, Raleigh has the edge over Hampton Roads in demographics:
At No. 30, Raleigh is the nation's top television market without a major sports franchise. Hampton Roads is No. 38.
Raleigh is more affluent, with a median income of $18,652, according to the 1996 Rand McNally Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide. The median income in Hampton Roads is $15,592.
Raleigh has more large corporations than Hampton Roads, considered a key component to making an arena work.
Plus, Raleigh and N.C. State have announced they will build an arena seating more than 20,000 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. Hampton Roads officials have been discussing a 20,000-seat arena since January, but have squabbled over how to hire a consultant to do an arena study.
Although Hampton Roads has supported the minor-league Admirals well, the NHL has the most expensive average ticket price of the big four professional sports.
Tickets in Hartford, Conn., a market similar in size to Hampton Roads, range from $25-$50 and average about $34. In Tampa Bay, a market whose annual income is about the same as Hampton Roads, tickets range from $15.75 to $66.75 and average about $32.
In a recent speech to the Norfolk Sports Club, Fraim said the region can afford $35 tickets.
``San Antonio is well below our household median income and they support the (NBA) Spurs,'' he said. ``New Orleans and Jacksonville have lower median household incomes. Buffalo's income and population are lower than ours and they have football and hockey.''
Until recently, it appeared most business and political leaders in Hampton Roads preferred the NBA to the NHL. Robert M. Smithwick, then director of economic development for Norfolk, led a group of city officials who met with NBA commissioner David Stern late last year. Stern said he was impressed with the Hampton Roads market and urged the group to pursue an NBA franchise.
However, Fraim has been hinting in public meetings that he was talking to potential ownership groups and that the focus had shifted to hockey.
``We're on their radar screens,'' he said of the NHL and NBA at last month's meeting of the Sports Authority of Hampton Roads. ``They know who we are. We've talked with them and they like our market.'' MEMO: INSIDE
Hampton Roads has a lot of catching up to do if if [sic] hopes to land
an NHL franchise/C2
Comparison of major NHL expansion candidates/C2 ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
George Shinn had discussions with local officials and NHL
commissioner Gary Bettman. by CNB