Fusion Owner Ken Horowitz, GM Doug Hamilton, coach Ray
Hudson and MLS Commissioner Don Garber discussed the state
of soccer in South FL at a "Town Meeting" yesterday in
Hollywood, FL, according to Dave Brousseau of the Ft.
Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, who wrote that the marketing of the
Fusion "was the major topic of discussion." Horowitz said
that the team has spent $1M in advertising, started a
political campaign last November "to embody the community"
and has "targeted specific" communities for the "grassroots"
of the game. The location of the team's games at Lockhart
Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale and the team's nickname were also
"highlighted" in the meeting. Horowitz and Garber "both
agreed the issue of [possibly] changing" the team's name to
the Florida Fusion "would be followed by further
discussion." Garber, on South FL: "We believe this is a
great soccer market. There is no reason for us not to have
more people come to Fusion games. We're puzzled and not
sure why soccer isn't more attractive" (Ft. Lauderdale SUN-
SENTINEL, 5/25). In Palm Beach, Hal Habib, noting about 60
people attended the meeting, writes that the "message" is
that the team isn't moving, but they "need to get a move-
on." FL Int'l Univ. men's soccer coach Karl Kremser told
the team at yesterday's meeting: "You've made a lot of
mistakes and alienated every segment of the soccer
population you could have. If I represent the rest of the
soccer population, I understand why there's a lack of
interest in the Miami Fusion" (PALM BEACH POST, 5/25).
HOMEWARD BOUND: WUSA yesterday assigned 19 players from
the U.S. Women's World Cup soccer team to the league's eight
charter teams, mostly close to their hometowns. Acting WUSA
President Lee Berke said that the players "were asked to
give their top three choices," and WUSA then allocated the
players to "achieve a 'competitive balance.'" In Boston,
Susan Bickelhaupt notes that each team has an $800,000
salary cap, and Berke said the players agreed to "multiyear
commitments" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/25). Mia Hamm, who will play
for the DC franchise, said that she "realizes she will have
major marketing responsibilities as the centerpiece" of the
team. Hamm: "If the question is, 'Am I going to shine the
spotlight on myself,' the answer is 'no.' But I also know
when it's important to go out and do the promotional stuff,
and if one player needs to do it more than another, I
understand that" (WASHINGTON POST, 5/25).
