Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Sunday
Women's United Soccer Association Shuts Down
Aired September 21, 2003 - 11:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A big sports spectacular kicks off in about an hour. The U.S. takes on Sweden at the women's world cup finals. The match takes place at Robert F. Kennedy stadium, known as RFK, in the nation's capital, and CNN's Patti Davis is there as the excitement builds, and players have a lot on their minds.
PATTI DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They certainly do. I can tell you, so do the fans. All morning long you've seen a lot of young girls here. Throwing around the soccer ball, kicking it around in the parking lot here at RFK. A lot of excitement about this big game. The U.S. is the defending champion in the women's world cup. As you said, they take on Sweden in about an hour.
The excitement here mixed with a lot of sadness, because the Women's United Soccer Association and its eight teams announced it was suspending operations last week due to about a $20 million shortfall. We're joined by Jim Moorhouse, who is a spokesman for U.S. Soccer.
What happened? Why did that WUSA fold?
JIM MOORHOUSE, SPOKESMAN, U.S. SOCCER: Certainly, it is a sad time for the professional side of the game, for the league to falter at this juncture. And really it comes down to lack of investors at this point, they felt like they needed to suspend operations and look forward.
DAVIS: Not only that, but attendance, I understand, wasn't that great.
MOORHOUSE: Attendance was about what they had budgeted. 8,000 to 10,000 range. That was their first season attendance, and dipped into the 6,000 range. But ticket sales is not what drives a pro- sports bottom line. It is investor dollars and sponsor dollars. That's the kind of thing you need to navigate that territory.
DAVIS: Thanks, Jim.
We have heard that the players are getting e-mails from young girls and others saying, listen, we'll hold bake sales, we'll give you our life savings. One girl said, I have $80. Will that help get this U.S. League back on the road?
But basically as Jim said, what they need is corporate sponsors. They're hoping maybe a big win here again at the world cup might revive that league. Sean, back to you.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Patti Davis, I don't think you'd see that kind of support for Major League Baseball nowadays.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 21, 2003 - 11:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: A big sports spectacular kicks off in about an hour. The U.S. takes on Sweden at the women's world cup finals. The match takes place at Robert F. Kennedy stadium, known as RFK, in the nation's capital, and CNN's Patti Davis is there as the excitement builds, and players have a lot on their minds.
PATTI DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They certainly do. I can tell you, so do the fans. All morning long you've seen a lot of young girls here. Throwing around the soccer ball, kicking it around in the parking lot here at RFK. A lot of excitement about this big game. The U.S. is the defending champion in the women's world cup. As you said, they take on Sweden in about an hour.
The excitement here mixed with a lot of sadness, because the Women's United Soccer Association and its eight teams announced it was suspending operations last week due to about a $20 million shortfall. We're joined by Jim Moorhouse, who is a spokesman for U.S. Soccer.
What happened? Why did that WUSA fold?
JIM MOORHOUSE, SPOKESMAN, U.S. SOCCER: Certainly, it is a sad time for the professional side of the game, for the league to falter at this juncture. And really it comes down to lack of investors at this point, they felt like they needed to suspend operations and look forward.
DAVIS: Not only that, but attendance, I understand, wasn't that great.
MOORHOUSE: Attendance was about what they had budgeted. 8,000 to 10,000 range. That was their first season attendance, and dipped into the 6,000 range. But ticket sales is not what drives a pro- sports bottom line. It is investor dollars and sponsor dollars. That's the kind of thing you need to navigate that territory.
DAVIS: Thanks, Jim.
We have heard that the players are getting e-mails from young girls and others saying, listen, we'll hold bake sales, we'll give you our life savings. One girl said, I have $80. Will that help get this U.S. League back on the road?
But basically as Jim said, what they need is corporate sponsors. They're hoping maybe a big win here again at the world cup might revive that league. Sean, back to you.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: OK. Patti Davis, I don't think you'd see that kind of support for Major League Baseball nowadays.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
