Rapids dare to dream of conference title - Rocky Mountain News Four proposals in for a Fire soccer stadium - Chicago Daily Herald Noonan gets MLS honor - Indianapolis Star Donovan, Bocanegra, McBride finalists for U.S. Player of Year - Xinhua Net The Men In Black Are Back - DCUnited.com Favorite quote: "D.C. United - the hated, raven-shirted bogeymen of MLS" WUSA demise no knock on women's sports - Chicago Sun Times Girls say soccer loses with league's end - Milford Daily News "No soccer for anyone?" Say it ain't so - Salt Lake Tribune Women's soccer: Unfazed by WUSA folding, girls seem pumped to see world's best - Star-Ledger Women's pro sports in U.S. hit hard by loss of WUSA - San Antonio Express-News Women's pro sports find the going tough - Washington Times US women's league fold - Telegraph (UK) A Last Effort to Revive WUSA - Washington Post Crew hitting stride with dangerous duo - Cbus Dispatch Frustration gone, Kreis says he's eager to return - Dallas News Inzaghi's Goal Key for Milan - LA Times WUSA's Fate Puts Cloud Over Players - LA Times Soccer just won't sell in the U.S. - Daily Record "Here was the mistake the WUSA made, as it lost millions. Someone thought America liked soccer." (uh yeah...) Breakers' hearts all are broken - Boston Globe
Fire's stadium timeline doesn't sit too well with Bridgeview - Daily Southtown Soccer stadium funds at risk - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Soccer is to be played, not attended - Santa Rosa Press-Democrat Not all heads nodding over helmets for soccer - Baltimore Sun Don't count out women's soccer - Middletown Times Herald Record Lack of sponsors was fatal to women's league - Philadelphia Inquirer
No surprises here. The soccer-bashers are out in force, joined by those with a stake in the success of womens' sports, blaming soccer.
Revs: No worries of curtain closing: Gulati says MLS footing looks solid - Boston Herald Howard has Man U on roll - NY Daily News Soccer Insider - DFW Star-Telegram The Real Deal Is Here - Jerry Trecker Hartford Courant
Firehouse... I hope I'm wrong, but I'm beginning to get the feeling the Fire are going to stay at Soldier Field.
I hope you're wrong too-- but the atmosphere at the old Soldier Field could be great at times. I think that Wilt's comments about how great the new lease is might just be a negotiation ploy. Let's hope.
The lease is good, because the stadium's owned by the city, not the Bears. The CPD doesn't have the massive debt load that the NJSEA has, so they didn't need to gouge the Fire. (Plus, it would have been harder to sell the $300 million without the Fire's dates there; see Seattle for precedent.) And anyone who was at Reliant saw what having a narrower stadium footprint with the decks largely above each other instead of staggered backwards does for noise. NSF will rock. But AEG needs a Firehouse for DMB concerts and whatnot for their Concerts West division. Any new Firehouse isn't a soccer decision - it's an AEG one.
Chicago is, and will continue to be, a VERY hard market for Concerts West to crack, even with their own venue. Later, COZ
Re: Firehouse... According to the reports, that's more or less the correct address. KPaulson, what's up with Xinhua? You a card carrying member of the CCP?
Not really the point, is it? It's in Wilt's interests to make it sound like Soldier Field can be a long-term home for the Fire so it seems to the project communities that the Fire has a real option simply not to build a stadium at all. Was the stadium always owned by the city or was that part of the redevelopment? I mean, the lease sucked before (no concessions, merchandising, etc).
Re: Re: Firehouse... Nah-- it just shows up sometimes when there's an AP story-- I just think it's funny more than anything.
"The MLS (men's) league always had issues with money, and it was just getting on its feet," Frongillo said. "So to see them just give up on the women's league like that -- I just don't understand it, when the women's league has brought medals and honor to the U.S." Yeah, and the men just suck. Frickin' assclown.
Sounds like the Rochester stadium project is moving right on schedule. Anyone else feel like dashing off knife-weilding emails to some of these soccer bashing buffoons, only to hold back, settle down for a moment, and say, "don't worry, baby steps, day by day, not everyone will be converted" or something to that effect?
Re: Re: 9/17 Like a bad Bruce Willis movie Ms. Frongillo is blaming MLS for not saving the WUSA!?!? Sounds like she has a problem with MLS (or men in general).
Re: Re: 9/17 Like a bad Bruce Willis movie Here's an idea: the "them" in the quote refers to WUSA investors, saying that the WUSA investors shouldn't have given up so early because MLS had issues with money now and is only now, after 8 years, just getting on its feet.
Re: Re: Re: 9/17 Like a bad Bruce Willis movie Yes, after reading the article, I believe you're right. btw, where did you get that Arena quote? It's an interesting one (and I'm glad you put it in your sig).
Re: Re: Re: 9/17 Like a bad Bruce Willis movie That's exactly how I read it. Sloppy reporting. It should have read: "The MLS (men's) league always had issues with money, and it was just getting on its feet," Frongillo said. "So to see them (WUSA and/or it's investors) just give up on the women's league like that -- I just don't understand it, when the women's league has brought medals and honor to the U.S." Read that way, the point is very valid. Why on earth would WUSA's investors think they would be profitable after 3 years, when MLS -- funded by deeper pockets, and with inherently more appeal (because it's a men's sport -- don't flame me, just telling it like it is) -- isn't profitable after 8? I'm beginning to think that WWC '99 hysteria was the worst thing that could have ever happened to Women's soccer.
Re: Re: Re: 9/17 Like a bad Bruce Willis movie You may be right. Taken out of context, Frongillo's statement can be interpreted either way.
"GROUND-BREAKERS: If all the proper papers are signed by government officials this week, ground-breaking for the new MetroStars stadium in Harrison would take place next August with a 2006 opening date, GM Nick Sakiewicz said." Somewhat hopeful news, but darn it, August is far far away.....
A few more I posted on the B&M board last night ... Epitaph For a Dream - Mark Starr, Newsweek Just like Brandi in '99, WUSA loses its shirt - Tom Knott, Washington Times Women's Soccer Timeout – Christian Science Monitor (an editorial, I believe) Read Starr's piece. Just read it. The line above in the Washington Times article, I knew I'd read it somewhere but I still cringed. And what are the eds at the CS Monitor smoking! Played their cards right ... Obviously not.
At the end of the day, WUSA players, employees, investors and fans need to ask on what the league spent the 100 million large that was supposed to last FIVE years but didn't last two. Businesses have budgets for a reason and if you don't follow them, bad things usually happen. They went WAY over budget and all involved with the league, save the fans, are responsible. I don't want to hear any more whining from WUSA players and officials because if they'd spent their money better, odds are they would be playing next year.
Boy, this Harrison deal seems to have snuck up on us. Keeping my fingers crossed...though I agree with you, next August seems like a long time!
Re: Re: Re: Re: 9/17 Like a bad Bruce Willis movie Women keep kicking, rally for extra time - Maryland SunSpot