From: rcampb@cac.washington.edu (Russ Campbell)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: Re: US Soccer Development
Date: 14 Apr 92 16:21:00 GMT
Organization: U.W. Information Systems

In article <15938@bunny.GTE.COM>, andy@rocky.gte.com (Andy Busa) writes:
> that you misunderstood what I said about the APSL.  It is a fine league
> for the amount of money that they spend on it but you can't expect a league
> to draw 1st rate crowds (ie. sports fans, not just soccer fans) if you
> don't put 1st rate money into it.  Believe me when I tell you that the
> Boston Graden is full of people who aren't real big basketball fans but
> are there just because it is the place to be.  Thats what happened at the
> US game here last year and I think that's what will happen again this year.
> We need a pro league that can be publisized be the press.  Without that, 
> there is no league.  I am am sad to say that if the USSF starts a league
> where the press will deem it semi pro, it is doomed to failure. But if
> the USSF gets some owners with some money and try to build a league of
> AMERICANS with two or three foreigners per team (see Japan) I think that
> it has a good chance of succeding.  According to Rothenburg, there is not
> one owner in the APSL who would have enough money to sustain a pro level
> team.
 
Andy, 

Hopefully you read my last post on this topic.  The last thing we need is
another NASL disaster.  It will take at least 5 years to build enough
attendance to support even a small pro league.  The league in Japan is
being built by the corporations, all of which can afford to lose money for
many many years before they'll give up on the sport.  The only company in
the US with that level of commitment to soccer is Anheiser-Busch which I
wouldn't be surprized to see start up a team in St. Louis in the next few
years.  This means the remaining teams in a league here have to be
supported by a few dedicated, wealthy individuals.  This is happening very
slowly which is good.  The Japanese league, being capitalized at the top
level, may have the problem the NASL had with no underlying support.  On
the other hand it, from my experience living there, won't have much
competition in the way of professional level sports.  As to the opinion
you attribute to Rothenburg about the ability of owners in the APSL to
sustain a pro level club - he's referring to a European style first
division level club.  We've only got one club that may come close to that
level of competitiveness - the Blackhawks.  That was the reason the
decision to put off establishing a first division level group of clubs was
made.  The lower divisions must be built first and allow the cream to rise
before creating a top division.  The goal is 1995.  Personally I think it
will not happen until 97 or 98 if we're to establish a pro league with
multiple divisions and promotion/relegation system.

These are of course just my opinions but I really don't want to watch
another glitzy, highly publicized league get established and then destroy
itself due to lack of underlying support structure.  Once was enough.  I
was heart-broken when the Sounders folded, followed shortly by the entire
NASL.  I really don't want to see it happen again.  Relegation to a lower
division I could handle but please not the total collapse of another league.

-russ