Today's take on the league by Jeff Rusnack, a stand up guy here in South Florida... http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/sfl-rusnak28jul28.column?coll=sfla-sports-col it's sad, but true....
I can't help but wonder but after Fusion's great season, MLS really should have tried to give them another year. Perhaps having that successful run would have generated more interest for the team.
Wake up. It wasn't Miami, it was Whore-witz that had to be amputated. That's the whole story, it had very little to do with the attendance thing which was definitely going in the right direction.
"Any league that loses a team as worldly and stylish as the Fusion can't possibly be better." this guy sounds like Jack Edward to me...apparently, the stylish play didn't attract any fans in Miami or around the league... And all that stylish play didn't win you any Cup, did it?
Wait a sec, the league isn't that good because APC sits the bench on the 2nd worst team in the league and no team wanted Ian Bishop? That doesn't make much sense.
As I said before: "One day the sun will shine again over Florida and the Fusion will rise up like the AVE PHOENIX..."
Maybe I gave some of you too much credit...here's the article translation, quite simple actually: One league desperate for ratings, attendance, increased attention MINUS an explosive, entertaining, attacking side EQUALS a less attractive product. Some people still think attendance was the issue. I cannot help them....never could figure out why others championed the folding of the Fusion, proclaiming 'ding dong, the dead wood's gone'--implication that the franchise was holding the league back. That's a lot of wishful thinking, and you're starting to see that it was folly, as the league has regressed somewhat (level of play, Naperville, SSS flops/inertia in several markets, no investors in sight, no Extratime, etc...) You are disturbed that the loss of this team has yet to increase the profile of this league--quite the opposite has happened. Jeff Rusnack writes the soccer column for the Sentinel. He's just a guy that would like to see the sport thrive in the US...dissolving a team like the Fusion or Galaxy (purely example) doesn't help. That was his point.
      Bingo!       It wasn't an attendance issue (as attendance was steadily improving in Miami over the course of last season). The Fusion was contracted because either Horowitz wanted out, or because Anchutz wanted Horowitz out (I'm not sure which of the two). -G
Well, then why didn't Anschutz buy him out? He owns most of the other teams anyway. Or was it that Horrible-witz wouldn't sell?
Getting rid of the Fusion to get rid of Horrowitz makes no sense. Horrowitz is one of the investors of SUM. If the league really wanted him out, do you think he would be in SUM?
over the last 4 seasons the fusion were the most watchable team in the league. i went to match last year and it was like watching real madrid the passing was so pretty.
No, they were only good for 1 season. I have no problem with this article, except the Bishop stuff. The writer makes good points.
      I'm not sure what went on behind the scenes there, but I'm sure there was more to the Anschutz-Horowitz feud than any of us are privy to.       As far as I can remember, Anchutz had just became the investor/operator of both DC United and the MetroStars prior to the contraction... perhaps at the time he didn't want to take on yet another franchise. But Horowitz was definitely the reason why the Fusion was contracted, while Tampa Bay was contracted because for some reason no one in the Tampa Bay area was willing to even run the franchise, much less become full I/O of it (not even the Glazers of the TB Bucs).       On a side-note: I don't buy the commonly-held notion that the Earthquakes would have been contracted had they not won the MLS Cup - although SVS&E decided not to become full I/O of the franchise right after the 2001 season (much of it had to do with them not even knowing who the Sharks' owners would be at the time), they still decided to this day to stay involved in running/investing in the team along with AEG (unlike with the Tampa Bay situation)... and there's no way the MLS front-office would let go of even a potential-full I/O with its foot already in the door when so many other potential investors have been scared away from investing at all with the league (either by SEM, or by the floundering economy, or whatever).       Even if Miami had won it all, Horowitz most likely would still have wanted out (or would have been ousted out)... the only difference being that maybe Anschutz would have been a bit more willing to become I/O of the Fusion as well. -G
what I meant was that I have lived in America for only 4 years and was bored with this league exept for a few players but when I saw Fusion play last year it was first time I was truly entertained by a team. Now I watch every MLS game that I can but it's mostly because the Fusion got me into it.
Agree that Horowitz was the problem. His commitment/involvement with the team was minimal. Barely a working front office. An hour away from Miami. Sports in Florida do bad anyway.
The dude is full of s h i t. Since Miami was the best team the league as ever seen and all those "best" players - Rimando, Marshall, Dunseth, Llamosa, Mastroeni, McKinley, Rooney, Chacon, Serna, Preki, Henderson - are scattered around the league wouldn't the league have a higher level of play. Throw in Ralston, Diallo, Barclay, Curtis, Addo, Denton, McCarty, Quill, and Adin Brown from Tampa and there are 20 players giving eight teams better starters and reserves - making them and the level of play better than it was last year. Imagine how bad NE would be without Llamosa, Rooney or Ralston. Imagine if Clavijo/Nicol knew how to manage and played Chacon? What about Wasington without Rimando in goal? They would be worse than Tampa Bay from last season. The level of play has improved - drastically! Dallas is a better passing team this year (maybe better than Miami from last season) and they didn't pick up any Tampa Bay or Miami players. Well they did Bonseu who was replaced by McCarty and Dunseth. Mr. Nakeem 2006, I guess you didn't watch San Jose last year did you? They were a better passing team than Miami and part of the reason, along with other sides doing the same, you are STILL watching MLS games. The level of play is much better than last year. Oh, Rusnak is also wrong about another thing - Preki isn't leading the league in assists. Is he even watching the league? Last time I checked, Ralston was leading MLS in assists (total, primary and secondary). Is MLS better off financially? I would think so. They dumped a league run club which was draining well needed cash. The revenue that Miami and Tampa Bay was generating wasn't/isn't there to offset that. Horowitz was also losing money too. Sure he is still an investor in MLS, but he is not liable for cash-calls. This means he won't lose anymore than he has already invested, unlike Hunt, Kraft and Anchutz.
I wish Miami was still around, but they never did anything for me. They were kind of like Julia Roberts for me. People say she is pretty and she kinda is - she just doesn't do it for me. I don't miss Miami. I do miss having a 12 team league, though.
It is my understanding that Horrorwiz turned down offers from Anschutz and Interforever. In the end, however, MLS thought it better to shove the Fusion up his ass. Why? Horrorwiz couldn't afford to pay the league cash calls and so wanted to get bought out. He miscalculated, however by trying to green-mail Anschutz and MLS (hence the embarassing leaks coming out of the Fusion front office). Anschutz and MLS realized they were getting played and did what billionaires do when someone tries to eff with 'em- they let the Fusion fold even though the Fusion were viable and other investors were willing to put their chips in. So the team and fans got screwed because of Hororrwiz' attempt to jack up MLS. They got screwed even though Fusion attendance was up 49% over the season and better than KC or San Jose. The team and fans got screwed even though Doug Hamilton brought in over 1 million dollars in corporate dollars in 2001. http://www.mlsnet.com/content/02/la0114hamilton.html And the team and fans got screwed even though Lockhart was leased for free and entitled Horrorwiz to sell the naming rights. In any event, Jeff Rusnak really pushed MLS and the Fusion. He got screwed too and knows it.
The supporters were the only ones to lose in this deal. The league has, and probably will still, get bad pub for having to contract. This would be the other negative. But then again, when has MLS really received good pub?