The U.S. World Cup team will earn more than $415,000
each should they win the event, according to the team's CBA
with the U.S. Soccer Federation, according to Amy Shipley of
the WASHINGTON POST. If the U.S. team fails to win or even
tie any of its three first-round matches, the 22 players
will take home $35,000 each. As the U.S.'s "only unionized
national team," the U.S. soccer team "has grown into an
increasingly powerful group." By contrast, German players
would each earn "the equivalent of about" $86,000 for
winning the World Cup (WASHINGTON POST, 6/11).
NOTES: In Boston, Howard Manly reports that ESPN "has
done the impossible -- made soccer exciting to the American
fan." Manly credits ESPN for showing "close up action,"
during yesterday's opening round match between Brazil and
Scotland (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/11)....A REUTERS report says that
tickets for yesterday's opener were going for $2,500 (CBS
SportsLine, 6/11)....Although it hasn't "gone out of its way
to advertise the fact," FIFA has bought insurance for all
2.5 million World Cup ticket holders. A FIFA official: "We
had no obligation to do so, but you can do good things
without making them public" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/11)....Cup
sponsors have 48 hours before matches to inform the French
Organizing Committee of the sideline advertising billboard
they will display. In examining the sponsorship packages,
GM's Dir of Int'l Sports Communications & Sponsorships Jim
Latham said that game tickets are "the most important
aspect" of their sponsorship (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/11).
U.S. BLUES? A SACRAMENTO BEE editorial stated, "For
Americans to stand aloof from the World Cup, the greatest
global sporting event, seems no more tenable in the long run
than for the rest of the world not to learn English as the
language of business" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 6/10). In Greensboro,
Ed Hardin wrote, "Americans don't know what World Cup means,
therefore it has no meaning" (NEWS & RECORD, 6/10). On the
"Late Show," David Letterman offered his "Top Ten Ways To
Make Soccer More Exciting For Americans." Among them: 10)
Foreign countries play for the right to nuke each other; 9)
Every five seconds, goal or no goal, have that nutty Spanish
guy scream: "Gooooooooooooal"; 5) Get all them damn
foreigners off the field; 4) How 'bout some cars gettin'
smashed up real good?; 3) Lewinsky; 2) Replace ref with
Jerry Springer and let the fun begin!; 1) Less corner-
kicking, more coach-choking (CBS, 6/10).
