I heard rumors it would happen but did not think it would be so soon or so random! I am definitely really upset! Other professional athletes are getting paid millions to be the worst role models ever! Donate your millions to saving the league where the real athletes play!
This is truly sad news!!! What will Marci Miller do now?? i will so miss her!! as i will miss the whole BEAT team. Thank God the other Atlanta Team is still around; worst season on record for them but at least they will be here next season; they are even planning a venue of some sort in the future. Does this mean the W-League will come back??? i mean maybe we can keep most of the players here in Atlanta on the W-League team?? That would be good right?? God i Hope So! WAR BEAT!! WAR MARCI MILLER!! WAR BANG!!
You do realize that i blame it on the fact that y'all didn't select BANG as the mascot; he would have made the difference i think!! Sorry i couldn't help myself! BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG
This is a tragic day. Lots of people, even men, worked hard to make the WUSA happen. Lots of people, including men like myself, were avid fans, and are at a loss right now. I was a fond follower of Cindy, and never met her, but exchanged waves with her as she warmed up for the US-Scotland match last year and I proudly wore my Beat #12 jersey. Seeing her in person will stick with me until I pass on. I did meet several other WUSA players, though, and they all were extremely nice, even in the face of the occasional people that didn't seem to much care, except they wanted an autograph. They all seemed to really like their job, and like the fans as well as we liked them. I'm very confident that a good evaluation of the WUSA's corporate failures will ensue, and that a new PRO league will come about in the next few years, but it'll sure have a different complexion. Mia Hamm, while still good, is up there in age. She's been pretty much THE face of the league, though. I wonder if that will wind up happening again when Mia retires. Somehow I doubt it,and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. The new league will have to publicize many of its players well , not just one "Mia". Also, I wonder what is going to happen to the W-League. I suppose this could be a boon to it. But it would have to restructure massively to become a paid league, thus killing a lot of franchises. Same with the WPSL, but more so. Lastly, I worry for Cindy. I hope this isn't the end of her club career. I know this isn't it for her national team matches, but I wish so badly that an immediate successor to the WUSA were in place. But good things take time. Lets hope the next league has its sponsorship and other issues together better. Hang in there, Cindy (and the rest of the Beat). We love you.
I wish people like Mel and Callie and all the other "under Dogs" really got to show their stuff! on and off the field!!!!! It was a true honour to know these people and watch them play... I have been blessed in so many ways, but truly God went out of his way to bring these people in my life!!! The whole Beat inculding families, staff, and the other volunteers have a speical place in my heart and soul!!!!
This is truly sad news. My wife and I were even intending on planning our U.S. trip next spring around a weekend Beat match in Atlanta. It will be interesting to hear that the "causes" are? Some people complained that the players were not being paid enough, but if the league isn't making money.... Also a shame, the Beat will go into the history books as having the best ever record in the history of the league, but never having wona Founder's Cup. Sad, sad, sad. I still have my shirts, videos, magnets, autographs and the memories. With all of that, will the league truly be dead. Here's hoping for a successor to the WUSA and having a franchise in Atlanta.
Oh my heart. I loved cheering this team. I wish we had known that the semi-final was our last game ever. However, if any game was going to be the Beat's final game in Atlanta, I'm glad that one was it! I'll forever remember embracing fellow fans as we won that game in an exceptional, "edge of your seat" style! Thank you Beat for giving me an escape from work and for giving me some of the best memories ever! I've made some really good friends by following this team and I'm thankful for the three seasons we all had together. I had hoped for at least one more season, but alas that was not meant to be. I'm really going to miss cheering for the Beat! My thoughts are with the players and all the staff of each team. They will have to start polishing off the resume's and looking for other career paths. We as fans are heart broken, but we still have our lives intact and have our jobs. I feel for these people who now have the daunting task of searching for other employment. Let's all try to keep in touch!!
Aieeeeeeeeeeee..... moan, moan, moan..... what great players, what a great team. What great three years. We were (are) the best. I hope the troops wind up with great coaching jobs in some colleges here and there. They brought class to the game. Aieeeeeeeeeeeeeee.....
Well, where should we do that? I suppose that the powers that be will close down the WUSA forums at some point.
I am absolutely crushed. I thought that the league had received a stay of execution for at least one more year. I really enjoyed watching this team and it was fun trash talkin' with y'all. My prayers go out to the team and personel as they move on to their next challenge. The one thing I don't understand is the timing of the announcement. Could this be anymore devastating to our players right before the WWC. The finances truely must have been bad. Maybe Uncle Phil will step in and save the day (grasping desparately at straws.....on knees praying). Thanks for the wonderful memories Beatniks............. (there is no smilie to adequately show my sorrow)
It's with Tears that I echo the posts of everyone on this thread.To the Team,employees and hard core fans I enjoyed every minute of every game.It was a great pleasure in knowing you and am devastated at the news that it's all over( had already placed my Season Ticket order for next season).You are fantastic people and I totally hate that we will not be there next year.Thanks to wonderful people I met at the games ( section 116-you rocked ) to the Best and loudest Fans in the League a Huge Thanks.THE BEAT will ALWAYS LIVE if only in our Hearts and Memories.You ARE the BEST.
Guys, I'm just as sad about this and grateful for the players and all who made the league possible as you (even though I root from far away)... but it's not over. Get your pens and paper and start writing letters to big companies... tell 'em how much of a tradgety this is and how great it'd be if they'd sponsor it. Get word out that this league can not and will not go down without a fight. Not only by the players, but by us fans as well. I love this team and all players of the WUSA ( ) too much to see it go down without shedding some blood for it to stay afloat. Visit this link and email Christy... http://hometown.aol.com/cew55585/myhomepage/club.html SAVE THE WUSA!
Piper's right! We got two of the eight title sponsors that we needed to pull off the 2004 season. We need six more...write McDonald's, Coca Cola, Nike...Adidas...Oprah...Bill Gates!! Write anyone that has enough money (2.5 million) to be a title sponsor! Dani and I were talking a few minutes ago and it may be the announcement came now in order to use the WWC to get the other sponsor's needed. I'm going to email Christy and see if we can all somehow work this out! I hope you will join us!! Let's all pull together and see this through!! WAR WUSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What an incredible loss. This one hurts. But like others who have posted, I'm grateful for the memories and the friendships. I'm grateful to have the chance see such gifted athletes live out their dreams on the soccer pitch. I'm grateful to the WUSA family (employees and fans) for giving it their all. I will honestly miss this team. I will miss Charmaine's passion, Marci's determination, Sawa's magic touch, Nancy's fight, Kylie's hustle...players past and present I will miss them. I will even miss Stone's rants. I am sadden that I will not see more of Marigol, Crumpton and Gaston. Best of luck to all. So to the Bill Gates, Phil Knights, Doug Dafts of corporate USA - SAVE OUR LEAGUE, SAVE OUR TEAM, SAVE OUR DREAMS!
Good on you all, Bari, Huss, etc. Lately I've seen a lot of hostility towards the women's soccer movement, in the form of news columns, letters to the editor, etc., but somehow I see this rising from the ashes in some form in 2004, and back to a proper league in 2005 if not 2004. Thanks for keeping this open.