Update: From Philadelphia – “The accusation that the franchise offered $6,000 to a WNT member for the year is completely false. The Independence has been in talks with WNT members and none of them have been offered the amount put forward by Dan Borislow’s statement.”
Original post: The dispute between magicJack owner Dan Borislow and Women’s Professional Soccer could have an impact beyond the courtroom. Over the weekend, U.S. Soccer decided not to sanction WPS as a Division I league next season — for now. U.S. Soccer says it’ll give WPS 15 days to expand from its current five teams to six.
Two ways to read that decision:
1. USSF will sanction WPS but wants to give it a little more time to nail down a deal for an expansion team. No point in sanctioning five right now if there’s a significant chance of having six instead.
2. USSF has given WPS an ultimatum — get a sixth team, or you’re not Division I.
The latter would be a major problem. If WPS isn’t a sanctioned Division I league, there’s no way U.S. national team players would participate. (They’re already hesitating to sign up for next year, multiple sources have said.)
A sanctioned Division II league really wouldn’t make a lot of sense. Why have only five pro teams in a league when they could just as easily join one of the existing pro-am leagues (WPSL or W-League)?
Another option: Just take a year off, given the fact that the Olympics will pose a major conflict in the first place (assuming the USA qualifies, which is not a safe assumption). Perhaps teams could play a brief exhibition season, which would provide a nice change of pace from residency and friendlies — which also cost U.S. Soccer a considerable sum of money.
No one has raised that option in public, though Borislow suggests a one-year hiatus below. But WPS and USSF aren’t saying anything in public right now. They’ve made it clear that they prefer to keep their discussions private.
That’s not the Dan Borislow way. The following statement includes a few substantive disagreements over the direction of the league — how much to pay players, how much emphasis to put on U.S. national team players and so forth. It also includes a few petty insults of a few of the league’s officials.
I feel compelled to point out that some of the things stipulated here are not verified. The accusations that the league “extorted” and “stole” from magicJack without due process will be argued in court, unless the parties settle before that date. We don’t know CEO Jennifer O’Sullivan’s compensation or Philadelphia’s contract offers.
Several league officials have been contacted for comment. They may choose not to comment because litigation is pending, and if they choose not to speak, their silence should not interpreted as acceptance that the following statement is accurate.
With all those disclaimers out of the way, here is Dan Borislow’s statement.
The 10 reasons the WPS is Dead and the only possible life support
1. The Governors thought they were bigger than the rest of organized soccer. They never follow rules including the USSF rules. The Governors and their coaches oversize egos thought they could have a successful league without the best US National team players. They have no idea it’s all about these players.
2. They hire “yes” CEO’s who cannot control their constant misbehavior and bad decisions, therefore there is no checks and balances.
3. Mike Stoller and the Boston Breakers are a solid pair, but they will never close their investors to keep the team alive after the league stole the magicJack team without due process. Who could ever give somebody money knowing the other side has a history of stealing it after extorting the investor for even more money?
4. After the owners find out what the teams want to pay Women, they will bail on the team and the league. I believe the owners of NJ haven’t a clue of what their Governor is doing. I do not believe a person who owns Bed, Bath and Beyond can support a league who wants to pay Women close to what the average income is in the poverty line. These Women would be better of on welfare in many cases. Recently Philadelphia offered a US WNT player $6,000.00 for the year.
5. The proposed pay schedule would have an inexperienced CEO of the league get paid more than what the whole starting team of the US Womens National team get paid. The CEO will make almost as much as what Atlanta wants to pay all their players combined.
6. The league hasn’t an idea of what the product should be. To me ,it is so obvious when we saw Abby’s name being chanted so loud at AWAY games. These games are like rock concerts, where they are just looking for the best performance from World Wide stars. Most teams believe the league can prosper without these type of players. They believe a competitive game is the key. The fans can care less. They want to see Abby, Hope, Christie, Meg and Shannon.
7. The league grossly miscalculated almost every important decision. They first extorted and stole money from magicJack and then when that didn’t work, they seized the team without due process, never thinking they needed a sixth team to be certified a Division 1 team when they are supposed to have 8 teams. They actually think our best WNT players will degrade themselves and play in a Division 2 league without pay. The best players look to endorsements to make a fair living. Who wants a Division 2 player endorsing their product? Injure themselves for what?
8.The league will lose it’s litigation with magicJack and the only chance it had was to listen to us about what the product should be and how to build it. It takes an investment to build something good. They want to pay a worse than worthless CEO and most of the other league leaders, but they dont want to pay the players. What kind of professional sports league is this? It reminds me of the NBA who pays their leader $20 Million a year? are you kidding me and where are they now? Part of the whole problem of the NBA is what this one person makes. But at least he does not get paid more than a whole team does. They will lose the litigation because they are wrong and think they are above the law, the USSF and the players.
9. The league never realized they were in a crisis situation. They thought once they had magicJack save the league, that they would use us as a place holder until they found another sucker who would bow to their demands. I begged and pleaded with the Governors to act like they were in a crisis situation, but like most Bankruptcy situations, the owners don’t know they are dead even after they are sitting in Bankruptcy court. It’s will be a remake of the “Night of the Living Dead”
10. The league is represented by one of the the dumbest lawyer’s, Pam Fulmer who is actually involved in the conspiracy to attempt to destroy magicJack. The league has three Governors who couldn’t run a lemonade stand. They have coaches who couldn’t train Lassie to bark. I genuinely feel sorry for Boston and New York who wanted to put on a great show and willing to make the investment to do so.
magicJack believes to save the league, the WPS needs a whole new management team, lawyers, business plan which includes wanting to pay the real Pros real money. All the players would have to become free agents again. The league should ask for a one year hiatus from the USSF and get its act together during that time, including getting owners who can afford to make the proper investment. With the Olympics and all the current controversy, it can never be a successful year for the league. Philadelphia and Atlanta must be replaced for they will never understand what will make this league succesful. New Jersey needs to replace it’s Governor. A reporter said that the players should potentially play this season for the betterment of women’s soccer. This notion is ridiculous, for all of the Women in the world, they should seek some form of equality when they are the most successful soccer team in the US and one of the most succesful -Men or Women-in the World. This league is not good as it stands,it needs a major overhaul. Just because the great majority thinks something is right,doesn’t make it right. Some of the greatest tragedies in the World were premised on that line of thinking. It takes a lot more courage to do something different than the rest of the crowd, but it doesn’t take any courage if it is the ethical thing to do.
Albert Einstein quote:
A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?
Duresport.com 
There is one thing I’ve agreed with Borislow about all along…WPS should foster preparation of the USWNT for WC and Olympic competition.
The fact that he continues to troll in petty insults and thinks that Stern’s salary has anything to really do with the NBA labor situation shows just how he’s impossible to take seriously.
The question I want to see answered by him or anyone (and will probably get me branded in a negative fashion) is why does women’s soccer deserve to be a full-time job for everyone involved? Same question goes for team handball or freestyle wrestling. Just because some people are good at an athletic exploit does not mean a larger group deserves to make a comfortable living at it.
Maybe the market will only bear consistent financials for a Division II league. He says the league “needs a major overhaul.” Maybe that is as a series of regionally-based Division II leagues which could eventually spawn a national Division I league.
We’ve watched two iterations of a Division I league have trouble gaining consistent ground even with success at the WNT level. Maybe the two aren’t completely inter-connected. Maybe women’s soccer is not something a large number of people itch to see on a regular basis. It doesn’t make people dumb or corrupt. It just might means a Division I league which pays high salaries in a large country an economic impossibility.
Brian is right about him being impossible to take seriously, which is a shame because I do think he has some valid points. I admittedly thought terminating MJ was a good idea for the league to try and move forward, but they should’ve been in conversation with USSF before doing so. And I feel like this is an increasingly minority opinion, but I do think the involvement of the USWNT players is important for the league’s success.
At this point a hiatus almost seems like it’d be a good idea for everyone to get on the same page, but I fear it’d kill any momentum for expansion, and thus the league itself. So I’m crossing my fingers that CT ends up working out.
I hate to admit it, but I generally agree with a lot of his arguments and ideas. I wish he wouldn’t use name-calling and so many assumptions and exaggerations, though. Unfortunately because of his condescending tone et al, people will not take him seriously. Dan, get a PR person!
I agree that the league is also at fault here and it also has to do with their hubris. He is completely on point with #6: the importance of the USWNT players. I love all the players in the WPS but the league’s success and popularity are due to the USWNT being on the field (with certain exceptions such as Kai and Marta). The USWNT are hot right now and you have to leverage the individual stars’ popularity or you have nothing. The diehards care more about quality of play but the average/majority of fans want to see their favorite player(s) play. As a result, you have to pay them well and not collude with other owners to all pay them little. I personally would not want to support a league that treats their employees with such disrespect (in terms of wages).
At least his statement isn’t a rambling, incoherent mess this time. But, I really wish as so many other do here that he would leave out the petty personal insults of others. Stick to the FACTS, not opinions and you are more credible. But the facts need to actually be facts not made up information that Philly then comes in and debunks, of course unless we see proof its a he said/she said situation.
Interesting that he never mentions Sahlen and WNY yet again
I feel like Dan Borislow is currently having an evil laugh session
How can you pay employees who are available for 1/3 of the year a full salary ? Especially when they are getting compensation from another employer.
Yes, the average fan who attends 1 game each year still to see the USWNT players, part of that is because they still think Mia Hamm is on the USWNT.. is that the basis for growing a fanbase?
It takes time to build up a REAL fan base, it’s harder in Womens sports
Fans that will come to many games and buy season tickets
There are so many things Dan points to that are false
THe USWNT and USSF should serve the WPS and keep it going, if they have to take less pay to ensure the rest of the team gets a little more, so be it.
This team is stagnant without the WPS, without a league, ABBY, BOXX, SAUERBRUNN, Neaher, Rapinoe and Mitts would not be on the team
Abby, only made the team in 2003 because she paired well with Mia… she was considered on the bublble before the 2003 season
Boxx play in WUSA got her named to the 2003 roster UNCAPPED
Now that they are tenured on the USWNT, they want more that they are owed… suggest a gate split with the stars… X amount of dallards for every 50 people over the season average… That way when the crowds come they get paid more, and not when the crowds stay aray
BTW – He wants Philly and Atlanta gone because they are the ones leading the charge with salary caps
Thank you Brian and Soccerdad. I am a player and do not see a division 2 league as an insult. There are many players who understand that it IS ONLY A WOMENS LEAGUE and NOT a womens rights movement. We should not be treated special and have to make all these changes. We should have some option to play, get a fair salary ( not Dans idea of a fair salary- although he only cares about WNT) and be able to work another job while growing the league. When we have the support and recources to go Div 1, then we can talk about doingso.
Some people need to get off their high horses. It seems that Dan should just invest in WNT and work on getting a support group for them solely.
The WNTers may be popular now, but the league would run a risk by relying on them. The surge of interest following this past WWC is going to fade eventually.
Too, the fans who mostly want to see Abby are the kind of fans who’ll show up once to see her and get her autograph, not come back for every home game the entire season.
“THe USWNT and USSF should serve the WPS and keep it going, if they have to take less pay to ensure the rest of the team gets a little more, so be it.”
It’s ridiculously easy to tell people who are really good at what they do exactly what they should do from a spot on the couch.
As I always say, we expect pro athletes to put their own happiness aside in favor of ours, and then we call THEM selfish if they don’t do it.
Beau: Irony that your google AdSense is running a magicJack advertisement?
I was going to say I never see the magicJack ad, but when I came back to comment — there it was!
“THe USWNT and USSF should serve the WPS and keep it going, if they have to take less pay to ensure the rest of the team gets a little more, so be it.”
I think it is in the best interest of USSF to help keep WPS alive; otherwise, they will have to keep fully funding the WNT, which will in keep losing ground to other teams from countries with profesional leagues, since having a profesional league allows for better player development.
@Mariafrts: “I think it is in the best interest of USSF to help keep WPS alive; otherwise, they will have to keep fully funding the WNT, which will in keep losing ground to other teams from countries with profesional leagues, since having a profesional league allows for better player development.”
Kate Margraf counters this argument by saying USSF would save n the long term by doing pretty much nothing for the USWNT between the 2012 Olys and the prep for the 2015 WWC. She gives her experience post-WUSA & 2004 Olys (post 2004 ‘victory’ tour) as evidence. She brought the wood in twitter last night. Me thinks she could actually bring more wood but is holding back a little.
How does Kate’s argument counter the previous argument? She says “short-term thinking seems to be driving the ship,” and I don’t take that as a compliment. She goes on: “residency with 40 players, or camps just can’t cut it anymore. technically, tactically, etc. against teams playing year round.”
Sorry I was unclear. I read Margraf’s later tweet:
“my fear is what happened in ’05 after we won, NOTHING was even thought or scheduled for the USWNT. isn’t that cheaper than dealing w/a league”
as saying there is historical precedent for USSF not spending much money on the USWNT btwn ’12 Olys & ’15 WWC and therefore having WPS or not won’t really impact their spending b/c they won’t have residency then so no big checks and just paying the 22 or so on full year contracts. There won’t be residency in the in btwn times.
USSF doesn’t spend on adult women’s development anyway. And with 2 known retirements (Boxx & Rampone) coming, I’m guessing they won’t grant potential new players year long contracts right away. So that’s a bit more savings.
“How does Kate’s argument counter the previous argument? She says “short-term thinking seems to be driving the ship,” and I don’t take that as a compliment. She goes on: “residency with 40 players, or camps just can’t cut it anymore. technically, tactically, etc. against teams playing year round.”
“my fear is what happened in ’05 after we won, NOTHING was even thought or scheduled for the USWNT. isn’t that cheaper than dealing w/a league”
“as saying there is historical precedent for USSF not spending much money on the USWNT btwn ’12 Olys & ’15 WWC and therefore having WPS or not won’t really impact their spending b/c they won’t have residency then so no big checks and just paying the 22 or so on full year contracts. There won’t be residency in the in btwn times.”
“USSF doesn’t spend on adult women’s development anyway. And with 2 known retirements (Boxx & Rampone) coming, I’m guessing they won’t grant potential new players year long contracts right away. So that’s a bit more savings.”
And what has happened as a result of this “short term thinking” Kate is talking about? The gap between the top team (US) and the rest of the world is closing. Without a professional league, the US will just start losing its place in women’s soccer, because like she said, ” residency or camps won’t cut it anymore” competing with other teams that benefit from having one
I think we’re in agreement. I think there needs to be a pro league here (and a USWNT coach that refreshes the team w/ new talent from that league but I digress). Residency will not get it done on the international level. Playing games every week has got to be the way.
USSF and the many youth organizations make money off girls soccer (look at the participation rates & the costs of clubs/tournaments/etc). Yet, aside from the top 22-30 players, they put none of that back into development of adult women’s soccer.
“there needs to be a pro league here (and a USWNT coach that refreshes the team w/ new talent from that league”
Totally agree!