London Lightning owner tapping into Edge success

The St. John’s Edge were busy with a couple of signings this week, including a former NBL Canada champion, national team member and Marquette University star, along with a seven-footer who was an NBA draft pick.

What hasn’t been making news, but is nonetheless noteworthy — not to mention headscratching — is some juicy news gathered here at Tely Sports Central: that London Lightning owner Vito Frijia has obtained a piece of the Edge.

The Telegram has learned John Graham, the Toronto promoter who helped land the NBL Canada team and bring it to St. John’s before an unceremonious breakup with Edge owners, has sold his ownership share — believed to be only about five per cent — to Frijia, whose Lightning have won the league championship the last two years.

Neither Frijia nor Rob Sabbagh, one of the Edge owners, was in a rush to return phone calls this week.

One question I wouldn’t mind getting answered is this: how in the name of basketballs can the owner of one team be permitted to purchase a share — small as it may be — of another team, in the same league?

Seems rather odd, don’t you think?

Or maybe it’s just me.

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Angus Barrett was saying over the phone this week that most folks don’t know how much work Dee Murphy did for the preservation of sports history in the province, particularly with his nominations for various Halls of Fame.

Now, let’s be honest here (and Dee, I think, would chuckle at this one): his resumés tended, at times, to stretch the truth a little, but there’s no denying the important role he played in submitting nominations.

There aren’t enough people out there doing as much.

Just out of curiosity, I’d love to know the total number of Hall of Famers who were nominated by Dee.

I said it about Duey Fitzgerald, who died just two weeks ago, and I’ll say it about Dee: there’ll never be another like him.

Their deaths mark the end of an era in St. John’s and Newfoundland sports.

See NOBODY, page B10