Women's soccer and the Women's World Cup (WWC) were
profiled by Lionel Bienvenu during the "Spotlight" on "Fox
Sports News." Bienvenu said one reason for the sport's
rising popularity is the "women play an attractive, wide-
open brand of soccer with plenty of goals. And of course it
doesn't hurt that the U.S. team is the best in the world."
WWC Senior VP/Marketing Robin Roylance: "It's intriguing to
most people. It's not your traditional American sport. It
is very much the world's sport, and we're gonna do it up
American style." U.S. G Brianna Scurry, on corporate
support of women's soccer: "They're really backing us. They
want us to do well. They want the American public to see us
play, and they want us to be well known, and they're backing
it with the dollars" (FSN, 6/22). In a front page story in
the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, Jennifer Weiner writes that Nike
"may have picked the perfect moment to align itself" with
the U.S. team and "a game that has never been more popular."
IMG Senior VP Dick Pinkham predicts an "increase" in ads
featuring female athletes once the WWC is over: "There's
lots of really talented individuals on the team, and I think
corporations are recognizing that they can use them." But
Univ. of DE Marketing Professor John Antil said the team
"just doesn't have the popularity or personalities" to move
product: "Maybe one in a thousand people could name one
woman on the World Cup soccer team" (PHILA. INQUIRER, 6/23).
In Dallas, Steve Davis writes that the U.S. Team is "full of
mature women who have won favor with the media for their
candid and cooperative ways" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/23).
HAVING A BALL: In an Op-Ed in the WALL STREET JOURNAL,
Tunku Varadarajan writes that the play during the U.S.-
Denmark opener was "of a gratifyingly high standard" and his
9-year-old "step-daughter has still not stopped talking
about her outing" at the game four days later (WALL STREET
JOURNAL, 6/23). On the "Late Show," David Letterman showed
an autographed picture of the U.S. women's team wearing
"Late Show" T-shirts. Letterman: "I find myself watching
the games, and really I'm enjoying soccer like I've never
enjoyed soccer before" ("Late Show," CBS, 6/22).
SOLDIER OF FORTUNE: In Chicago, DeSimone & Hersh write
that WWC organizers said that Soldier Field is sold out for
Thursday's double-header featuring the Brazil-Italy and
U.S.-Nigeria matches, with attendance expected to "be in the
range" of 65,000 (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/23).
