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NO LATE-GAME RALEIGH; SABATES WITHDRAWS NHL EXPANSION BID

          Charlotte businessman Felix Sabates withdrew his bid
     for an NHL expansion team in Raleigh yesterday, "accusing
     arena authority leaders of using him as a pawn and city
     officials of not cooperating," according to Alexander &
     Williams in the Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER.  Sabates, who said
     he had spent nearly $700,000 in pursuing a franchise, had
     contended the hockey effort was used as a "ploy" to complete
     the funding for the new arena and give the N.C. State Univ.
     basketball team a new home.  Sabates, in a faxed letter to
     the Centennial Authority: "We frankly question your motives
     for initially inviting our ownership group into the
     process."  Raleigh Mayor Tom Fetzer:  "The people of Raleigh
     should be proud that it's the one place in the U.S. that
     stood up to a pro sports owner and said 'No, we won't build
     you a $150M arena, let you run it and take all the profits
     from it'" (Raleigh NEWS & OBSERVER, 2/18).      
          SHINN'S GAIN?  Hornets Owner George Shinn thinks
     Sabates' action "increases his chances of winning a team for
     Norfolk, VA," according to Rick Bonnell in the CHARLOTTE
     OBSERVER.  Shinn: "That's one less city vying for a
     franchise, and it's the closest one to us.  Raleigh was
     Shinn's first choice as a city for the NHL.  Shinn:  "What
     happened to him is exactly what I feared -- that they kept
     putting me off on a lease" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/18).

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