Undeniable...

[fusionmansteve]

Today's take on the league by Jeff Rusnack, a stand up guy here in South Florida...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/sfl-rusnak28jul28.column?coll=sfla%2Dsports%2Dcol

it's sad, but true....

[Napoli_Ultra]

I can't help but wonder but after Fusion's great season, MLS really should have tried to give them another year. Perhaps having that successful run would have generated more interest for the team.

[BrianJ 22]

hello

[Felix World soccer]

Getting rid of tampa yes, getting rid of the Fusion was a no no. Oh well...

[harttbeat]

right...we really missed their tremendous fan base

[Jambon]

Wake up.

It wasn't Miami, it was Whore-witz that had to be amputated. That's the whole story, it had very little to do with the attendance thing which was definitely going in the right direction.

[harttbeat]

If you are a struggling league, there shouldn't be any sports team in Florida... ask MLB

[Sinko]

So was this writer a "fan" of the Fusion before their demise?

[harttbeat]

"Any league that loses a team as worldly and stylish as the Fusion can't possibly be better."

this guy sounds like Jack Edward to me...apparently, the stylish play didn't attract any fans in Miami or around the league... And all that stylish play didn't win you any Cup, did it?

[Stogey23]

Wait a sec, the league isn't that good because APC sits the bench on the 2nd worst team in the league and no team wanted Ian Bishop?


That doesn't make much sense.

[efren95]

As I said before: "One day the sun will shine again over Florida and the Fusion will rise up like the AVE PHOENIX..."

[fusionmansteve]

Maybe I gave some of you too much credit...here's the article translation, quite simple actually:

One league desperate for ratings, attendance, increased attention MINUS an explosive, entertaining, attacking side EQUALS a less attractive product.

Some people still think attendance was the issue. I cannot help them....never could figure out why others championed the folding of the Fusion, proclaiming 'ding dong, the dead wood's gone'--implication that the franchise was holding the league back. That's a lot of wishful thinking, and you're starting to see that it was folly, as the league has regressed somewhat (level of play, Naperville, SSS flops/inertia in several markets, no investors in sight, no Extratime, etc...) You are disturbed that the loss of this team has yet to increase the profile of this league--quite the opposite has happened.

Jeff Rusnack writes the soccer column for the Sentinel. He's just a guy that would like to see the sport thrive in the US...dissolving a team like the Fusion or Galaxy (purely example) doesn't help. That was his point.

[Goodsport]

Originally posted by Jambon
Wake up.

It wasn't Miami, it was Whore-witz that had to be amputated. That's the whole story, it had very little to do with the attendance thing which was definitely going in the right direction.

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Bingo!

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp It wasn't an attendance issue (as attendance was steadily improving in Miami over the course of last season). The Fusion was contracted because either Horowitz wanted out, or because Anchutz wanted Horowitz out (I'm not sure which of the two). :(


-G

[DavidP]

Originally posted by Goodsport


&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Bingo!

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp It wasn't an attendance issue (as attendance was steadily improving in Miami over the course of last season). The Fusion was contracted because either Horowitz wanted out, or because Anchutz wanted Horowitz out (I'm not sure which of the two). :(


-G

Well, then why didn't Anschutz buy him out? He owns most of the other teams anyway. Or was it that Horrible-witz wouldn't sell?

[trickyfool]

Getting rid of the Fusion to get rid of Horrowitz makes no sense. Horrowitz is one of the investors of SUM. If the league really wanted him out, do you think he would be in SUM?

[Nakeem 2006]

over the last 4 seasons the fusion were the most watchable team in the league. i went to match last year and it was like watching real madrid the passing was so pretty.

[ThreeApples]

Originally posted by Nakeem 2006
over the last 4 seasons the fusion were the most watchable team in the league.

No, they were only good for 1 season.

I have no problem with this article, except the Bishop stuff. The writer makes good points.

[Goodsport]

Originally posted by DavidP
Well, then why didn't Anschutz buy him out? He owns most of the other teams anyway. Or was it that Horrible-witz wouldn't sell?
Originally posted by trickyfool
Getting rid of the Fusion to get rid of Horrowitz makes no sense. Horrowitz is one of the investors of SUM. If the league really wanted him out, do you think he would be in SUM?

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp I'm not sure what went on behind the scenes there, but I'm sure there was more to the Anschutz-Horowitz feud than any of us are privy to.

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp As far as I can remember, Anchutz had just became the investor/operator of both DC United and the MetroStars prior to the contraction... perhaps at the time he didn't want to take on yet another franchise. But Horowitz was definitely the reason why the Fusion was contracted, while Tampa Bay was contracted because for some reason no one in the Tampa Bay area was willing to even run the franchise, much less become full I/O of it (not even the Glazers of the TB Bucs). :(

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp On a side-note: I don't buy the commonly-held notion that the Earthquakes would have been contracted had they not won the MLS Cup - although SVS&E decided not to become full I/O of the franchise right after the 2001 season (much of it had to do with them not even knowing who the Sharks' owners would be at the time), they still decided to this day to stay involved in running/investing in the team along with AEG (unlike with the Tampa Bay situation)... and there's no way the MLS front-office would let go of even a potential-full I/O with its foot already in the door when so many other potential investors have been scared away from investing at all with the league (either by SEM, or by the floundering economy, or whatever).

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Even if Miami had won it all, Horowitz most likely would still have wanted out (or would have been ousted out)... the only difference being that maybe Anschutz would have been a bit more willing to become I/O of the Fusion as well.


-G

[Nakeem 2006]

what I meant was that I have lived in America for only 4 years and was bored with this league exept for a few players but when I saw Fusion play last year it was first time I was truly entertained by a team. Now I watch every MLS game that I can but it's mostly because the Fusion got me into it.

[Defender]

Agree that Horowitz was the problem. His commitment/involvement with the team was minimal. Barely a working front office. An hour away from Miami. Sports in Florida do bad anyway.