THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 20, 1997 TAG: 9702200060
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: NHL In Hampton Roads
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: 97 lines
The National Hockey League turned down Hampton Roads' bid for an expansion franchise Wednesday, saying the region's East Coast location, its lack of political unity and its relatively small size were major factors.
Hampton Roads was one of only two sites eliminated from the running for an NHL expansion team when the league's executive committee trimmed its list of candidates to six cities from eight. Hamilton, Ontario, was the other region eliminated.
The six finalists for an expected four NHL expansion teams are Atlanta, Houston, Nashville, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Oklahoma City and Columbus, Ohio. The NHL also eliminated two of the three Houston ownership groups bidding for a franchise. A Raleigh-Durham group pulled out Monday.
George Shinn, the Charlotte businessman who would have owned the team, said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman mentioned the lack of regional cooperation to him during a telephone call Wednesday afternoon. The Rhinos, as the team would have been called, were criticized by some politicians, and regional support for a downtown Norfolk arena was so weak that votes on funding were put off indefinitely.
None of that escaped notice of the NHL, Shinn said.
``He told me the lack of unity among the communities here was a factor,'' Shinn said from Charlotte. ``He told me, `You said it yourself, for it to work everyone's got to support it, and they haven't all supported it, have they?'
``There's no question it was a factor.''
During a telephone press conference, Bettman insisted there was nothing wrong with Hampton Roads or Shinn's bid. However, he said the region's TV market (40th nationally) and East Coast location worked against Hampton Roads.
``I wouldn't be looking for ghosts and shadows on this one,'' he said when asked to describe Hampton Roads' weak points. ``If we were a 32-team league with a different geographic footprint, we might be having a different conversation. It was more a question of market size and geography. We are very strong already on the East Coast. . . .
``I think the sense was that at some point, maybe way down the line, Hampton Roads might be an attractive locale for the NHL or some other pro team at the major league level. But it was clear that we weren't going to be in a position to deal with a market that size and with the characteristics that that market had at this point in time.''
Shinn reiterated his vow Wednesday to pursue purchasing and moving an existing NHL team to Hampton Roads.
``We may have lost the battle, but the war is not over,'' said Shinn, who owns the NBA Charlotte Hornets. ``I have a desire to bring an NHL team to the area in the future.
``The NHL has overlooked a great market. The area is definitely ready for major league sports. I think (the NHL) made a mistake, but I have not lost heart. I still believe we will bring major league hockey to that market.''
Tom Ward, who has led a season ticket and luxury suite sale for the Rhinos, said the news left him in shock.
``All along I was certain that we'd make the short list,'' Ward said. ``I didn't know if we'd get a franchise, but I knew we'd make the short list. I'm absolutely stunned we didn't make it.''
Much of the surprise among Rhinos officials centered around Oklahoma City making the cut. Oklahoma City is smaller than Hampton Roads and has a lower average family income.
However, NHL sources have said that Oklahoma City had an impressive lease deal that essentially would give the team the keys to a new 18,000-seat arena. The team would play rent-free and would keep all arena revenue, including revenue from other events.
Bettman said there was nothing wrong with the Hampton Roads arena deal, in which Shinn would have paid $1 million per year in rent for a proposed 20,000-seat, $143 million arena. But clearly it did not compare with the Oklahoma City deal.
``I know the building is important, but you have to put people in a building to make a franchise work,'' Ward said, noting that the Rhinos sold nearly 5,700 season tickets. In Oklahoma City, ticket sales were halted after selling less than 100. ``But there's no doubt that the deal in Oklahoma City was a huge factor in their favor.''
Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim, who has led the effort to lure a major sports team to the region, said this was simply the first step for the region to shed its label as the nation's largest market without a major sports franchise.
``I think it's fair for everyone to be disappointed,'' he said. ``But nobody should be discouraged. We came a long way in 3 1/2 months and learned a lot. A lot of good things came out of this. Next time we'll be able to make a stronger case.
``Before I do anything else, I think I'll have a good cry and drink a few beers. This hurts, this really hurts.''
KEYWORDS: NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE FRANCHISE EXPANSION ARENA