WPS Team MagicJack Terminated By WPS Board Of Governors

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Soccerojdoj
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WPS Team MagicJack Terminated By WPS Board Of Governors

Post by Soccerojdoj » Mon Oct 31, 2011 3:44 am

This termination of the 2011 semi-final contender MagicJack does not have the same impact in the Florida sports community as a story like "LaBron James Has A Hangnail! (Oh, The Humanity!!)". But it does raise questions about the reasons for the termination. Rumors of several disputes between MagicJack and WPS officials have people like me asking if MagicJ had too many long distance calls of dispute with the league to the point that the WPS decided to hang it up on the team. Perhaps MagicJ decided to disconnect their relationship with the WPS and the league could'nt find an investment group that would ensure the teams' stability for the 2012 season. The "termination" could be a smokescreen to avoid hearing the dirty word no womens soccer group likes to hear--that's right, the B word (No, not *****) Bankruptcy. There seems to be lots of questions with very few answers at this time.

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Post by robster2001 » Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:23 pm

First, you're getting a yellow card for bad punmanship. :)

The apparent reason for the termination of MagicJack FC is really simple - the owner is a raving nutter who refused to promote the team, cooperate with the league, or even hire a coach. He basically bought the Washington Freedom franchise in order to have a personal play-toy. WPS can't afford that luxury right now.

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Post by Pounder » Tue Nov 01, 2011 4:51 am

The owner is a raging nutter.

However, WPS was prepared to carry on with Dan Borislow. It's not like there wasn't a philosophy at play... no promotion, no game ops, practically no service to fans or media or community, just throw every last cent into player contracts. Interesting tactic if you can get people to notice.

The thing that tipped the scales, if a USA Today journalist on Twitter is to be believed...

...someone wants to put a team in Connecticut.
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MajicJack termination

Post by sportsaddressbible » Sat Nov 05, 2011 11:39 pm


Another problem with leagues like the WPS is having single-entity ownership or one owner for the league selling operating rights, the way the MLS is on some of its teams.

One owner of a league controls everything unlike a commissioner who basically is an employee to the team's owners.

Is this the death knell to WPS? Down to 5 teams, no real tv contract, teams not drawing fantastic, etc.

A shame, as some of the best women's soccer talent in the world plays in these leagues.

Need some major sponsorship and in economic timeslike these, fringe leagues suffer.

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Things are getting real messy now

Post by nksports » Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:37 pm


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Post by robster2001 » Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:40 am

I wouldn't be surprised if the current WPS disbands and reorganizes under a new name to get as far away from the deranged Borislow as possible. The fact that it could also restart their financial situation would be a bonus.

If WPS wasn't able to make inroads after the 2011 Women's World Cup, they never will on their own. The reality is that women's soccer isn't going to work in the USA above club level unless MLS adopts it and finds teams willing to support women's teams as part of their overall product. Even then, the last couple of decades have proven that American sports fans are aggressively apathetic toward women's sports, in general.

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Post by preeths » Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:17 pm

Here's one player's report of what playing under Borislow's regime was like. Prepare to get a little creeped out:
http://www.pitchsidereport.com/2012/01/ ... #more-2804

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Post by robster2001 » Sat May 19, 2012 3:19 am

Bringing this thread back from the dead to note that WPS threw in the towel tonight.

http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/story/ ... ee-seasons

Reading between the lines, it appears that the end of the league may be part of the settlement of the magicJack FC lawsuit.

It's likely that what I wrote back in January will be the only way out for women's soccer -- if MLS doesn't adopt women's soccer in North America, it has no top-level future.

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