RIP Athletica

Discussion in 'Saint Louis Athletica' started by defensewins, May 27, 2010.

  1. defensewins

    defensewins Member

    Nov 15, 1999
  2. danigirl9

    danigirl9 New Member

    May 3, 2008
    Philadelphia
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    Men's side survives while the women's side folds. Sexism at its best.
     
  3. ForeverLOST108

    ForeverLOST108 Member+

    Jan 23, 2010
    Orlando
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Does STL not realize that shutting down the Athletica would jeopardize the entire league's survival? I mean, come on, the men's team is brand new this year.. it wouldn't be as big of a loss if they were cut instead. But, I'm assuming the salaries on Athletica were too high.
     
  4. sisterluke

    sisterluke Member

    Sep 27, 2008
    Los Angeles,CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Sol
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Im sorry I apologize for bringing politics into this and I'm not knowledgeable on the business side of things.

    The whole idea that a women's professional team is wiped out to make more room for some minor men's team is sexist and unfair. The United States is supposed to be progressive country and it still seems very backwards to me regarding these issues.

    Why are you cutting out a team that has probably some of the best female players in the world for a Division II mens team(no offense to them)?

    I'm sorry but this really irks me, I loved this team so much and while I was a LA SOL fan, I don't want any more teams to be wiped out.

    As a LA SOL fan I feel all of the STL fans pain today.

    To have this happen during the middle of the season too is very unfortunate. Where are all the players supposed to do now?
     
  5. Sport Billy

    Sport Billy Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 25, 2006
    I think this is the beginning of the end for WPS.
    They've now lost their two best franchises.
     
  6. carolinablue_cchs07

    carolinablue_cchs07 New Member

    Sep 12, 2005
    Murray, KY
    Club:
    Pali Blues
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    not only 2 of the best teams, but this cuts a midwestern team. I'm from Kentucky, dangit. St Louis is 4 hours from me-- my closest WPS team. Chicago is 8-ish. Atlanta is about 6. I'm a soccer fan and what do I have?... nothing. Thank you, whoever-is-truly-at-fault-here, for chopping a top-tier (WORLDWIDE top-tier) women's team to keep around a bottom-rung men's team. It IS sexist-- I agree. It ticks me off.
     
  7. kool-aide

    kool-aide Member+

    Feb 1, 2002
    a van by the river
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Athletica was sacrificed so that there could be a men's team in Saint Louis. How else to read this news? The team that was cheaper to run (I do not believe the salaries for the Athletica were more than the ACSTL team--look at their roster) was shut down. It sucks big time.
     
  8. danigirl9

    danigirl9 New Member

    May 3, 2008
    Philadelphia
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    RT @richardfarley What I'd heard: there were 3-4 AC St. Louis signings (players, staff) that exceeded the entire Athletica payroll.
     
  9. Sport Billy

    Sport Billy Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 25, 2006
    Stop with the "sexist" crap - it's pure business.

    It sucks I agree, but business people make decisions like this based on $$$ and potential $$$.
     
  10. danigirl9

    danigirl9 New Member

    May 3, 2008
    Philadelphia
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    I don't see how it's "pure business" to fold a pre-existing team in favor of a new team that gets the same amount of attendance and yet costs at least 3x as much.
     
  11. sjsocrfan

    sjsocrfan New Member

    Jul 30, 2009
    Club:
    FC Gold Pride
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This news just makes me want to cry. I am so disappointed in the whole process--how could the men survive while they let the Athletica fold??
     
  12. Eleanor

    Eleanor New Member

    Oct 4, 2008
    Wow. Is this true? Okay, in order for the league to survive (and continue to get my money) it is time to cut drastically back on foreign players on every team. Do you think any of them are getting the bottom pay? I don't. And with fewer teams there needs to be more room for quality U.S. players. This makes me really sad.
     
  13. kool-aide

    kool-aide Member+

    Feb 1, 2002
    a van by the river
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sport Billy, look I get what your saying. Except in this case, you are wrong. Pure business does not keep open a D2 men's team with serious cost overruns and bloated salaries. ACSTL costs 3 times as much to run than the Athletica cost. D2 teams have come and gone with a great deal of frequency because there is very little to no profit in it. Even less when the team can't control costs.
     
  14. Mattymags811

    Mattymags811 Member

    Aug 18, 2006
    Attleboro, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Plus, the "potential" doesn't exist for AC St. louis. MLS will want nothing to do with Portsmouth USA and they shouldn't. At least Saputo has real money.
     
  15. ChefJim27

    ChefJim27 Member

    Feb 9, 2008
    I want to offer my condolences. As far as the sexism argument goes, I can't accept that this was anything but a buisness decision. Unfortunately, I think this development says that the market that might have existed in 2000 for Pro Women's Soccer has suffered a devaluation in 2010. I wish that this league was the success that we all hoped, but considering the financial situation of the WNBA, a league in a sport multiple times as popular in the USA, the eventual demise of WPS, sooner rather than later, is on its way. Sorry.
     
  16. Sport Billy

    Sport Billy Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 25, 2006
    Do you seriously think a business person is going to chose a team that has less future potential simply over gender?
     
  17. demunb

    demunb Member

    Feb 23, 2007
    Crystal City, MO
    Club:
    St. Louis Lions
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm very sorry that this has happened. Its bad for St. Louis soccer- period. Also, don't assume that AC STL will survive. They may be able to last a little longer because of the NASL bond, but I think its too early for AC STL fans to celebrate. I'm not celebrating anything and I don't think we're "safe".
     
  18. carolinablue_cchs07

    carolinablue_cchs07 New Member

    Sep 12, 2005
    Murray, KY
    Club:
    Pali Blues
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    it's obvious you can't see it, Sport Billy. you wouldn't recognize it if it bit you in the rear. read what they're saying. your ACSTL team costs MORE. and THEY are chosen over the BETTER PERFORMING women's team.
     
  19. defensewins

    defensewins Member

    Nov 15, 1999
  20. Sport Billy

    Sport Billy Moderator
    Staff Member

    May 25, 2006
    Here's what Timmerman said:

    "Each league would have to decide to put up the money to keep the teams going. US Soccer may have chosen to put up the money for AC St. Louis, but the WPS may not have wanted to do the same for the Athletica."

    In the long run, it probably doesn't matter because I don't see either team playing in 2011.

    But Cooper is not going to chose based on gender. It's been reported that Athletica lost $2 million last year. AC may be losing more, I don't know. But Cooper is deeply involved with both. I'm guessing the decision was not made based on teams but rather leagues and that he believes the NASL/USl has a better chance of survival than the WPS.
     
  21. Seph

    Seph Member

    Dec 2, 2004
    St. Louis, Mo., USA
    Club:
    St. Louis Lions
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The men's team draws more fans despite a year's head-start for the women's team.

    It's really sad that the Athletica are going away. I have good friends who are season ticket holders and I feel really bad for them, but people are still finding out the men's team exist and they already out-draw the women.
     
  22. danigirl9

    danigirl9 New Member

    May 3, 2008
    Philadelphia
    Club:
    Philadelphia Independence
    I don't think they're sitting in the office plotting ways to screw over women, no.

    But I do think that they were fundamentally more concerned about the men's side from the beginning, and it showed in the lack of effort that was put into the Athletica this year. And then, when it came down to decision-making time, they chose the side that they preferred--i.e., the men's side. And I believe that that fundamental indifference toward the women's side is clear-cut sexism.
     
  23. MRAD12

    MRAD12 Member+

    Jun 10, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    This is sad, very sad.
     
  24. ley82

    ley82 New Member

    Sep 25, 2008
    I'm a LA Sol fan and i feel your pain. To be honest, after what happen to the Sol i kind of expected this. I was heart broken when this happen to the WUSA and now I can see it happeninig to the WPS. I want to hear the League now say the same BS crap the said about loosing the Sol. "Well in the long run its good we lost the Sol cause it make the league a lot more better" can we say BULL SHIT.....

    I have been slowly detaching my self from this league
     
  25. defensewins

    defensewins Member

    Nov 15, 1999
    That may be so, Seph, but when you put the Athletica on the back burner, there may be a reason for some of that. See the link in my previous post. Sounds the men's team did its share of financial ruin.
     

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