Why the Fusion folded

[BulaJacket]

What, from the locals perspective was the reason they folded?
MLS?, Ken Horowitz? Local area and economy? or the fans themselves?
I'm curious.

[Stuart]

I would just say that the operator didn't have the deep pockets necessary to support a team for the long haul.

[soccer4sFlorida]

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=22742

I did not want to touch this one, AGAIN but if you care go trough
this forum, and you see lots of opinions.

My opinion is … single entity did not suit Horrorbitch to well, yes he did not
Have the deep pockets…. But MLS, could of done more here… they kept
San Jose alive for years, Dallas, Colorado… etc
We deserve minimum the same respect, if not more.

The truth about contraction is in Garber/MLS cronies & Horrorbitch’s heads..
The “misunderstanding and lies” between the I/O and the league, was
partly responsible……and less the fans, and the venue LockhartSSS..
Single entity … does not work for all


Fusion2001 where are you ???

http://www.soflastrikers.com/forums/

[Paul. A]

I know this has been talked about before and I admit I don't know all the reASONS but did the unfortunate demise of the Fusion bring down Tampa also. For one there would have been an odd number of teams.

[Mike T]

My point of view pretty much with all of the above.

Horowitz realized he didn't have the deep pockets, but wanted to make the most out of his investment. Hold on to his risky investment and just ride the wave on the heals of the big boys. Which directly lead to the franchise' demise. Had he completely "let go" he probably should have/could have accepted the deal from AEG and sold the club at a loss of 2 mil... he bought the club for an outrageous 20mil(4X more than prior clubs just 2-3 years before).

From the fans point of veiw they were unjustly left out in the dust with all this business mumbo-jumbo. While they weren't inocent either, the Fusion did have a poor attendence record. However the attendence was certainly on the upswing and the stadium deal was among the cheapest in the league. It was not well placed geographically, but it was a SSS none-the-less.

The biggest dagger shoved against he fans was, as Stuart put it, the feeling of disrepect the fans FELT, and still feel. Why is it that we get our fair shair. I'm sure attendence would have increased significantly in Lockhart that following season.

S.Florida fans feel frustated because of this. Why is it that KC, Colorado, Dallas and especially San Jose get all these breaks even though for many of these first 5 to 6 season (or their entire history in case of San Jose) all these teams also had poor attendence records similar to the Fusion if not worse. Yet they have had a longer break and we've see what eventually can happen (with the exception of San Jose). Colorado I believe was among the attendence leaders and KC while still mediocre has made a hugh turn for the positive and Dallas is about the get a new SSS. Contraction should not have been considered until at least the end of the 2003 season. A market has to be given its fair chance before giving up on it completly. TB needed more time to find a better deal or owner and Miami with 2 less seasons than most other teams needed its time to demonstate it can also be a leading MLS franchise.

As for Paul's opinion thats were I disagree. I believe it was TB that brought down the Fusion. The league was even more frustraded with the Glazer's stadium deal, no owner and declining attendences... when they combined that with Howowitz troubles they just decided to give up on Florida altogether.

Had MLS waited 'till 2003(and lost more $$ to the Glazer's) MLS would have probably closed the Mutiny and San Jose...at least based on concrete numbers, double the seasons the Fusion had (eight) and lack of improvement dispite all the reason's for the oposite(winning a title, having a couple of major US all-stars including Donavan...San Jose may be the lone true team that "deserves" contration.

Maybe the Fusion lost more than a game that last playoff game against San Jose, ironically. I think, regardless of what others think, it would have been unthinkable for MLS to contract the Fusion less than 3 months after winning the league's prize chamipionship and being it most exiting team. San Jose would have propably been the other team or they would have stalled on contraction at least anothe year. To have contracted the league champion would have cost the league its credibility. Something prescious for such a young league.

PS:On a separate note, single entity did not work for Horowitz as mentioned by Soccer4sFL. However single entity does have its purpose for which I understand. It a trasitional business plan which allows for gernal stability at the prices of lesser direct control for the I/O. However, its well know, single-entity is not truly ment to be permanent once the game becomes solidified and more profitable in this nation.

[chichi]

I didn't want to touch this one, it's just too frustrating thinking about it. I agree with MikeT, he's got it all down. The Fusion should have survived, The league screwed that one up.

I went to that last playoff game against San Jose thinking the Fusion would beat them, but it wasn't our day. It seemed everything was against us those days, the ref's, the League, Horrowitz... to think that was the second to last time I put my Fusion Kit on. (The last was at the Rally to save the team)

Now nobody wants a team here. Most people on these boards were brainwashed to think the Fusion was a burden to the league, even Garber said "the Fans" didn't support the team... thats BS! We were the closest to making a profit and attendance was up almost 50%! They needed to get rid of Horrowitz and Tampa, thats what it came down to. So the rest is history...

[soccer4sFlorida]

yes

they made a big BOOO-BOOO
and it will catch up with them, because they
want to expand...and 3 of the exsisting markets,
draw under 10 K and a couple with no growth
in site... will be ineresting to watch the
MLS "evolution" expansion .... without
more contraction, or move ... we shall
see...


Garber sucks, and lies, he is got no clue or
he predends to have no clue... about
s. florida

For sure that A-hole Horrorbitch had to go.
he is no good for soccer...

I predict ... sooner or later they will anounce
(MLS) that .. they have "interst" out of
S. Florida... all thay need is one more
stumble...

[AndyMead]

Originally posted by soccer4sFlorida
For sure that A-hole Horrorbitch had to go.
he is no good for soccer...


Yeah, folks that are willing to lose 90% of their personal fortunes on soccer teams are people that suck. :rolleyes:

[Bill Archer]

Originally posted by AndyMead
Yeah, folks that are willing to lose 90% of their personal fortunes on soccer teams are people that suck. :rolleyes:

Hell yes, look at Andy. The man continues to publish even though it means sending the cats out to forage the neighbors trash cans for food.

Do him a favor and subscribe to his rag. In return we'll send you a picture of Andy and four times a year you'll also get a personal letter from him telling you how he's doing.

As for Horowitz, it's easy to blame him for what happened, and certainly it was he himself who pulled the plug. Moreover, it was his cheapness and abysmal management which prevented them from reaching their full potential. The pity is that they finally had a team in place the final year, with competent dedicated people who understood what they were doing on the field and off.

But again, the fault for not bothering to get decent management prior to that falls squarely in his lap.

Bottom line, he bought into a pile of crap and rosy projections that were, well, let's say optimistic at best (and baldfaced lies at worst). He certainly didn't expect that, three years out, he'd still be coming out of pocket to prop up teams like San Jose. It just was too expensive, and it finally dawned on him that it wasn't going to get any better real soon.

[soccer4sFlorida]

yes Bill ... you are correct

I said from the beginning 2 years ago that Horrobitch, is by far not the “guiltiest”
He just was not the “right” one…. MLS sold him more than they ever could
deliver, or handle.
After all, he did spend a ton of money to bring a team here … he probably
in this entire picture, did the great in bringing MLS at Lockhart.
But !!! if the offers he had to sell the team,
where true, and the news of the offers were running in the Sun-Sentinel,
at that time… why the heck dint he SELL.
Maybe that is the biggest problem I a have with Horrorbitch.

What enrages me about this deal gone back, Garber blaming the
local fans… which in today’s MLS… is downright stupid, considering
“attendance” is not at a all time high, and some teams, look downright
heading for the $hitter.

Yes, with no one taking responsibility, the question remains.. who is
to blame.. MLS.. which sold a paper tiger, and just “Contracting” it 4 years after ?
Horowitz, for buying it and let it crap out ?
Poor management from the start, both by MLS and the Fusion ?
or the Fans ? I been there for 4 years, and seen the potential… FANS
respond the sam, here as in NY, San Jose, Chicago, Dallas.
or anywhere in any sport, the more you give them, the more they come.
You give them crap, and mismanagement, they respond, you give them
or try to improve on the product… and they respond to that .
Every action has a reaction … 11,200 fans in the last season, was just
the begging… unfortunately the end, also.

[UxSxAxfooty]

Colorado led league attendance last year and Mr. Phil calls it home.

San Jose has Landon Donovan.

[Mike T]

soccer4sFlorida,

I just have to comment about a couple of points you make in your last post.

I'd quit putting so much enphasis on Garber. Garber is generally a good guy, in my opionion. Remember Garber inherited Horowitz from that idiot Doug Logan. He was just placed in a bad postion at the wrong time... as you have mentioned he probably made a mistake regarding the fusion. However, its pointless MLS and Garber are not going to go out and say, "OK .S. Florida you are right and we're sincerely sorry." its useless and rdiculous to think such a thing.

In hindsight I'm sure even they can't avoid the obvious in what you mentioned. The Fusion disappeard not in 4 year as you stated.. they may have played 4 seasons but existed but only 3 years1998 to 2001...incredibly unfair for S.Florida fans or any aspiring Futbol community.

Also, one team that has been given nealy all opportunites to succeed and only seems to be retracting instead is San Jose. They have a very good team with several major US star, have won a championship and have a decent small stadium. Yet their fans and the community has not responed in double the season's the Fusion had, eight!! San Jose truly deserves contraction or a move north to Portland or Seattle.

KC, Colorado, and even Dallas has improved (Dallas' numbers are lower this year but this is a trastional year in that they are playing in a trasitional facility with max. capacity for 12k that sucks.)

[soccer4sFlorida]

Yes I agree with you Mike..
I did say my sole opinion, maybe other feel the same,
in regards to Garber… in my simplistic opinion, he is
to blame partially for the demise of the beloved Fusion
a) he just did not have the insight or the experience, or
the vision, for the potential of this market, and had, and has
a novice approach on … attendance.. thinking that, as you
mention… a place like San Jose will be great… that will never
happen.. under same circumstances as San Jose, this area
will always come ahead.
b) he blamed the fans here, and continued to do so, which
costing us precious time, and value… for future investment in
the area, for a pro team.

We need to write to the friggin bureaucrats, in Broward and
Miami-Dade, specifically the Mayors, and ask them…
What are they doing about attracting soccer to this community ??

or are they there just to pass more bills, write
more codes, and just suck more money out
of the local tax payers.

Fusion2001


http://www.soflastrikers.com/forums/

[adolescent]

this thread is going to make my weep. Those blue kits, the cool air on saturday nights sitting behind the goals, the stadium food, the tailgating, the pretty passing from Preki to Serna, the quotes from Ray Hudson in the Herald, the drive off Biscayne/US1 to Commercial boulevard, the get togethers at the Tudor Inn, starting of 10-1-1 in 2001. BRING BACK THE FUSION.

Instead of questioning this all we should all brainstorm and figure out a way to bring the Fusion back to South Florida.

[soccer4sFlorida]

all we need, is to lure in an investor :)

http://www.soflastrikers.com/forums/

BUT .... most important for TODAY, is to have the local Fusion/Strikers Fans club GROW..

[krolpolski]

It was all Ted's fault.

[river]

Originally posted by soccer4sFlorida
yes Bill ... you are correct

I said from the beginning 2 years ago that Horrobitch, is by far not the “guiltiest”
He just was not the “right” one…. MLS sold him more than they ever could
deliver, or handle.....

Derrrr!

Horowitz was an idiot for getting into something he knew nothing about.
However, It was the morons at MLS that got Horrorwitz into the game and then made another blunder with the stupid decision of placing a totally proven idiot to manage their affairs..
Of course I'm referring to Mr. Garber.

Go USL!

[river]

Originally posted by Mike T
soccer4sFlorida,

I just have to comment about a couple of points you make in your last post.

I'd quit putting so much enphasis on Garber. Garber is generally a good guy, in my opionion. Remember Garber inherited Horowitz from that idiot Doug Logan. ....

With all due respect MikeT..it was Garber that said the Fusion contracted because they didn't not have a fan base.

That was an outright lie or if we give him the benefeit of doubt he is an idiot that has no business being in that position. No one in that position should be burning bridges.

[soccer4sFlorida]

http://www.olympvs.com/Service1.htm

US bureau of statistics ranked the Metro corridor, 6th largest, in US with
5.2 million people living in the 65 mille stretch called “Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Miami Beach”
Metro … but it includes West Palm Beach… The officials in West Palm are fuming
over the name which obviously…. excluded them ??

and we have a SSS….

Did any one see the Fusion ?

http://www.soflastrikers.com/forums/index.php?

Fusion failed because Stupidity and Ignorance joined ranks and, decided
to meet at Lockhart

[Mike T]

I did point out that Garber is "generally" a good guy and a good commisioner. However as we all agree here, he messed up in vanishing the Fusion instead of San Jose. Point is, its more apparent now, that MLS was most likely desprite to cut cost particularly in TB and an "other team" When the Fusion lost that semifinal and Horowitz called it quits the Fusion seem the most logical choice at that time. While Garber did make some highly inappriopriate statements regarding the S.Florida market I think even he would have to re-evalute such a statement when even sorry teams like KC and Colorado have improved significantly given more time.

Its obvious to all... though it does hurt us when the commisioner does make such statements... that S.Florida's soccer fans weren't given a fair chance to demostrate their passion for the game and just when the game was about to explode they snatched it away from us.

Come to think of it. Now that we have seen such positive inprovements in a couple of MLS team attendences given a fair chance... Fusion fans SHOULD demand an appology from the commisioner and have him admit that the fans were certainly not at fault with the demise of the fusion... that they weren't given a fair stake and that the fusions should be resussitated in the near future.