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Tampa support pleases Magic

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 15, 2001

TAMPA -- This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Marketing-wise, that is.

The Magic has wanted to expand its fan and revenue base into the Tampa Bay market, and Sunday night's preseason game at the Ice Palace -- the second of three scheduled in two years -- should go a long way in that regard.

It started with last season's Magic-Pistons preseason game at the Ice Palace, which drew 17,206. Then Orlando opened training camp at South Florida's Sun Dome last week, and team officals were pleased with the turnout for a team scrimmage Oct. 8. Then on Oct. 21, a 6 p.m. preseason game against the Clippers was moved to the Ice Palace. It had been scheduled for Mexico City, but commissioner Dave Stern canceled all international games after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "We like to do these types of things," general manager John Gabriel said. "Our exhibition game in Tampa last year was one of the best attended we've had in 10 years."

Chris D'Orso, director of ticketing sales and marketing, said another preseason game at the Ice Palace likely will be scheduled in 2002.

"From a marketing standpoint this is ideal for us," he said. "We consider this our market.'

Orlando also has bought local radio and newspaper ads, and the organization's efforts are slowly paying off. The team sold 35 10-game ticket packs at the Sun Dome scrimmage last week.

"A little more than 3,000?" D'Orso said of the Sun Dome crowd. "That's great for a preseason scrimmage."

BULL MARKET: Will Orlando train at USF next season? Gabriel said a decision has not been made, but the team was pleased with its weeklong camp at the campus.

"We've a long-time (relationship) with the University of North Florida in Jacksonville," Gabriel said. "But we had a good camp here."

A LITTLE HELP: The Magic will subsidize next week's game with the Clippers because attendance may be affected by the 1 p.m. Bucs-Steelers game at Raymond James Stadium.

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