WUSA today.

Is this a trick question?

Of course it wouldn't be here today.

Pretty much the same as MLS would not have launched in 1996 if the WC was not here in 1994.

Andy

 

Actually the WWC 99 was too far removed from the start of the WUSA to have the kind of effect that, it seems, many people expected.

I think that without the WWC 99 the WUSA or something much like it would have come into being the year it did or the next BUT there might not have been the over hype and the over expectations and the over expenditures that are plaguing the WUSA now.

The excessive hype from WWC 99 caused the league to allow itself to be effectively bled dry by a lot of their various providers of services. From the poor WUSA web developers to the misapplication of TV money it seems that every one of the "partners" that the WUSA has developed has taken MUCH more than they provided and the WUSA has let them get away with it. Why? Because, for a large part, of the mistaken believe that the WWC audience equates to an audience for the WUSA.

Yes, much/most of the WUSA fan base was part, a VERY small part, of the WWC attendees but most of the WWC attendees had and
have absolutely NO interest in any domestic or foreign league, players, or teams. They are/were people that were caught up in an event and the fact that it happened to be soccer was secondary.

This begs the larger question, will another WWC here, if we truly get it, help the WUSA?

If the WUSA sits back and waits for the WWC to build its audience without aggressively attacking the opportunity then the WWC will be little more than a blip on women’s soccer radar. But, if the WUSA goes out and makes sure that it is promoted heavily in the WWC build up and that it aggressively presents itself at every chance and that ALL the WUSA players are made aware of the need and use TV interviews etc. to mention their team and the WUSA then there could be a LARGE positive impact.

Sitting back and relying on others to make the WUSA work will NOT work. Continuing to use the traditional methods will not work. Saying "Just wait it will get better" is the recipe for failure.

The WUSA can use this as a chance to get their fan base to where it needs to be but just using the high priced advertising firm of "Dewy, Cheatem, and Howe" (or whoever the WUSA uses) to get it all done will just make that firm richer and do little for the WUSA.

The WUSA can benefit from the WWC windfall or they can continue down their current road and quietly fold after one more year. The WWC, if here, will give the WUSA one more year. There are at least enough fools with money for one more year with the WWC hype factored in. To become viable the WUSA MUST learn to market itself or get extraordinarily lucky.

 

Wow, I could not disagree more.

You do realize that it was the ratings from WWC 99 that lured most of the start up money into the league?

With out the ratings and success of the US womens team, there is no way any sain person could see major investors coming out of the blue to fund a professional league.

Where did you expect the money to come from to fund even a minor Major league like WUSA if WWC 99 never happened?

Andy

 

But wasn't John Hendricks involved in starting up the National Soccer Alliance (I guess you could call that venture a precursor to the WUSA) after the 1996 Olys?

 

Exactly my point.

A rich guy like Hendricks who seemed to want to do something in the sport was not able to get it off the ground.

It was not until AFTER WC99 did other people with money come in to help launch WUSA.

No one is ever going to convince me that the same level/money of WUSA would have been launched with out the WWC in 1999 being the success it was.

Andy