The area I live in has a highly successful minor league hockey team, the Hampton Roads Admirals in the East Coast Hockey League. Coach is John Brophy, who used to coach the Maple Leafs. Anywhere, when the Admirals began 3 or 4 years ago, they considered the men's and women's basketball programs at Old Dominion University in Norfolk as "competition" for fans. Now, with the Admirals drawing anywhere from 6500 to a sellout 9500 fans at Scope in Norfolk, I'm told that the owner of the team, former major league baseball executive Blake Cullen, has suggested to ODU that it should capitalize on the hockey enthusiasm in the area by establishing a major college hockey program at the school. I haven't seen the article in the Norfolk newspaper that someone told me about, but it was all over one of the sports talk shows on Tuesday. Most comments, from callers and from the host, were negative especially since there's a faction that wants ODU to start football. I was in the car listening to the talk show, and one fellow called in to complain that the team "would have to fly to Minnesota or North Dakota every other week" or something like that. Anyway, I suspect the comment was made off-the-cuff and nothing will come of it, but I'll keep my eye out for any information. -- |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--| | Lynn Burke | | Internet: [log in to unmask] Compuserve: 71041,314 | |--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|