Allen's new gig at WUSA came from connections at headhunter Spencer Stuart, which had recently helped her land a spot on the board at Tyson Foods. Allen refused to relocate her family from Colorado and uproot her son, a junior in high school. It's a hectic schedule, one that's likely to get even more so as the inaugural season approaches. One of the most pressing issues is ticket sales. Its business plan calls for an average of 6,500 attendees per game this season.
Sports fans are fickle.
If a TV viewer sees empty stands, the message is, 'This is not the place to be,' and they'll switch the channel. The league will likely get some marketing help from its investors, who can plug WUSA and its local team on their cable systems. Major League Soccer, the professional men's league, barely reaches that level after being around for five years. Goals come infrequently, the rules are complicated, and because the action is so fast-paced and dispersed, it's hard for camera operators to capture the most meaningful moments. Gatorade, for one, is still talking to WUSA about potential sponsorships but hasn't signed on yet.