The MLS Fusion "have one year left to prove
professional soccer belongs in South Florida," according to
Jeff Bradley of ESPN.com, who wrote, "If they don't deliver,
they're gone, probably to a place like Rochester." A Fusion
exec said, "We've done so much market research down there
it's ridiculous. And the one thing that is clear is that
there are too many obstacles in the way. From the
oppressive heat in the summer, to the ethnic makeup of the
community to the general state of Miami-area sports fans. I
don't think it's the Fusion's fault, I simply think it's the
market." Bradley added, "If it weren't for the fact that
Ken Horowitz put $8 million into turning Lockhart Stadium
into the second-best stadium in MLS, the Fusion would
probably gone in 2001. Instead, expect the league to
announce what it is terming a rebranding." That could see
the team's name changing to "either South Florida Fusion or
Fort Lauderdale Fusion." Bradley concluded: "Soccer fans in
South Florida have not shown much interest in the club and
seem to throw out the same, tired excuses, namely, 'they
didn't reach out to the youth soccer community,' and 'they
don't do enough marketing and advertising.'" But Bradley
wrote that the soccer community knows "the team is there,"
and a new newspaper ad or commercial billboard "isn't going
to change a thing" (ESPN.com, 9/7).
