by Dennis Freeland
oth mayors brought presents for Oilers
owner Bud Adams. Tireless promoter Pepper Rodgers was there to make sense
of the proceedings. And what seemed like dozens of
account coordinators from Walker and Associates were on hand to well, they
were there for something. A front wall of the temporary stage in
the corner of the north endzone fell twice during the proceedings. And then
the first question at the "press conference" came from a Memphis
moving executive wondering if he could help the team with its transportation.
Why would an NFL team wanting to win the hearts and minds of Memphis sports fans rush through an introductory press conference/autograph session after months of prolonged negotiations with Houston, Nashville, and Memphis? Wouldn't it have made more sense to plan the event a little better, provide some advance publicity, turn out a crowd? The event last Friday afternoon left the impression, once again, that this city is just an afterthought to the Oilers. And Oilers owner Adams did nothing to make anyone think differently.
To say Adams was ill-prepared for his first Memphis appearance would be a gross understatement. He called the head of city government "Mayor Harrison" and later couldn't even introduce one of two Oiler players on the dais. I know Kevin Donnalley is an offensive lineman, but he has started for the past five years on Adams' team. Bud should know his name.
Later, in a one-on-one interview with WREC sports director Dave Woloshin, Adams revised history, claiming that Memphis did not go without a vote when the NFL owners cast their expansion ballots in 1993:
Woloshin: Memphis did not receive one vote during expansion --
Adams: What are you saying "not one vote"? You don't have the whole story.
Wolshin: Tell me.
Adams: No, you're the reporter, you ought to check it out and you'll find out what the real story is.
Woloshin: Are you saying there was a vote for Memphis?
Adams: I mean Memphis could have had a vote in there. They weren't thrown out right at the very beginning. Check it out.
Woloshin: As far as I can recall, when the final votes were cast, there was not one vote cast for the city of Memphis, and I think that does weigh on the psyche of the football fans in Memphis.
Adams: No, no. I don't want to get into it. One of these days I will sit down with you and explain the whole thing.
Later in the same interview Adams told Woloshin that the Nashville private seat license (PSL) campaign had not reached its target. "They still are about $25 million short of what they wanted," Adams said. "I guaranteed seven and a half million myself."
Jenny Hannon, executive director of the Nashville Sports Council, says the TENNFL PSL campaign actually came up $12 million short. That amount was made up by Adams and several Nashville banks and other corporations. A total of 45,000 PSLs were sold at prices ranging from $500 to $4,500 each. When completed, the new stadium in Nashville will seat 65,000. Up to 60,000 PSLs could have been sold.
The Sports Council, which was established in 1992, has agreed to sell the remaining PSLs according to Hannon. "There are 15,000 PSLs still to sell and we feel very confident that we will be able to sell them," Hannon says, pointing out that Charlotte faced a similar circumstance as they built their new NFL stadium.
On Tuesday Wisconsin businessman Craig Leipold announced his intention to bring a National Hockey League expansion franchise to Nashville. Will Middle Tennessee ticket-buyers and corporate sponsors be able to support both professional football and hockey teams? Hannon is optimistic. "I'm thrilled that the NHL is coming," she says. "Today, at least, I'm not concerned."
So perhaps we can forgive Bud if he seems a little distracted these days. He has tickets to sell in two cities and in one he is facing competition he probably never thought he would see this deep in the Sunbelt.
Frease Out as Portland Coach
After going 0-14 during the regular season last year and starting the 1997 Arena Football League campaign 1-5, head coach Don Frease of the Portland Forest Dragons was relieved of his coaching duties last week. Frease, who coached the team in 1995 and 1996 when they were known as the Memphis Pharaohs, will remain as the team's general manager. The Forest Dragons are dead last in scoring offense and second from last in scoring defense in the AFL. The team's average attendance is 9,287 through its first five games. The team averaged 7,715 during two years at The Pyramid.
Notes
Yes, that was former Tiger quarterback Joe Borich behind the Utah Jazz bench during the playoff series with the Chicago Bulls. Borich sat with the Jazz courtesy of Apex athletic shoe company, which has an endorsement deal with 1997 MVP Karl Malone. Borich, who works in Philadelphia as a sales rep for Apex, held various positions with the Jazz during his teen years in Salt Lake City. He developed a lasting friendship with Malone during that time. The Mailman often invites Joe for visits to Malone's Louisiana ranch. Maybe the Oilers should let CVB president Kevin Kane sell their Memphis tickets for them. Kane says he sold 70 season tickets within one hour after the Oilers press conference last Friday. He says they were "basically just friends wanting to sit together." Former Channel 13 sports anchor Ron Savage is working in sales at WREC-AM 600.