How important are the next three games?

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp That rumor is false. Miami was not contracted because of its attendance numbers as many have alluded to and some still do (in 2001, the team actually reached a fairly respectable average of 11,177) - the organization was contracted because Ken Horowitz no longer wanted to invest in the Fusion (though whether it was because of losing money to Single-Entity or whatever, I'm not sure), and he got into a fight with Philip Anschutz over it.

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp So even if Miami had won that double-overtime Game 3 semifinal against San Jose, the Earthquakes would not have been contracted. At best, maybe Anschutz would've taken over the Fusion and the league would've kept Tampa Bay alive... but then again maybe not, as none of us are truly aware of the full details in the Horowitz-Anschutz tussle.

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Chivas wants its own expansion team (solidly confirmed) while Club America apparently wants an existing MLS team (simply rumor at this point). In neither case does that necessarily imply a move or a dissolution.

1. Actually, no it's not... Dallas' is. One can bring up the Burn's current stadium situation, but one can also bring up the myriad reasons discussed ad naseum of why Quakes have had such low attendance for the last three years. Either way, it's funny how no one ever mentions Kansas City's attendance, which overall has been far worse than San Jose's while having a much more solid organization and a more consistently-winning team for all those years (1999 was KC's only really-bad season... several years after they've cemented a solid relationship with its fans and with the KC sports market). Even in 2001 and 2002 (the years that KC's attendance finally overtook SJ's), they've only averaged a little over a thousand more. Of course, it probably helps them that their owner has a sweetheart deal with Arrowhead Stadium... otherwise, they probably would've been "moved or dissolved" a long time ago, right?

2. The ownership situation since 1996 has also been discussed here ad naseum, but bare in mind that as a shrewd businessman (how else could he have become a multi-billionaire?), Philip Anschutz and AEG wouldn't have kept the Earthquakes here only out of the kindness of his own heart (would that be good business?). He also seems to understand how well the team drew decently its early years, how much the team and the market has been screwed over time and time again since, as well as the Bay Area situation (economic and otherwise) - yet the Quakes are still here, have finally started raising its attendance the last several home games and are taking season-ticket deposits for 2004. As a matter of fact, it looks like the front-office will be the first here to be open and active during the offseason since the 1999-2000 offseason... I guess we'll finally get to see whether the SJ front-office can kick it up and greatly-increase its season-ticket sales such as KC did in the last offseason (always the most crucial time for season-ticket sales/renewals) to raise its attendance significantly for 2003.

3. Pretty much all the MLS teams initially started in bad stadium situations (except Kansas City, financially-speaking), and some still are - word has it that Colorado, the MetroStars, and DC are still paying through the nose for using their current stadiums. They've reportedly been looking for better stadium situations within their current markets (Denver has already been confirmed to get its own stadium in the near future, and Harrison, NJ has all but been assured to be the Metros' new home as well), as are Chicago and, yes, San Jose.

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp No offense, but the above is merely paranoid speculation even if the Quakes don't go on to win the cup.


&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp GO EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G