July 17, 1999

Women’s Pro Soccer Can Avoid Major-League Problems

Say it ain’t so, Brandi!

Americans were thrilled when Brandi Chastain kicked the winning goal for the U.S. Olympics women’s soccer team against China for the World Cup – and amused when she snatched off her shirt to reveal her bra.

“I don’t know what came over me,” she explained later to reporters.

Nothing salacious about the caper. It effectively disguised the jiggle and topography distinctive of a lady’s anatomy.

One suspects her inspiration was the possibility of Nike dollars. The elastic bra was designed by her and manufactured by the giant sports-apparel company. Every young girl will want one.

Showing off skivvies to 90,000 screaming fans, for money, hardly depicts the Olympic amateur tradition.

The U.S. Olympic Committee, under its Operation Gold Program, is awarding the U.S. women’s national team members $120,000 ($6,000 each). They also received $750,000 ($37,500 each) from the organizing committee and $250,000 (12,500) from the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Total take: $l.12 million for the team -- $56,000 for each member.

There has been talk for years about a national soccer league, especially for women. Now may be the time – the girls of summer having captured the enthusiasm of sports fans nationwide.

Soccer has had a hard time gaining recognition in competition with baseball, football and basketball. These entrenched sport industries overlap seasons and require muscular development that women generally don’t have.

Soccer isn’t for sissies, but women have stamina and grace. These are more important than big muscles for kicking ball.

There is no room for another sport to win allegiance from the present inventory of paying customers. However, women’s soccer might attract an untapped audience – women, young girls, and disaffected couch jocks of all ages and gender.

Baseball hasn’t fully recovered from the anger of fans about a strike two years ago by over-paid players. Now, 60 professional umpires have announced they are going to resign six weeks before the end of this year’s schedule and form a cartel to set pay and assign games.

Multi-million-dollar contracts for stars; and high-priced tickets, parking and hot dogs have cooled the ardor of fans. Long seasons for baseball and basketball test everyone’s attention span. Football is moving in the same direction. Hockey is of great interest only in states where ice and snow is not a curiosity.

All sports are over-due for reforms.

Baseballs have become too “lively” – producing more home- runs, less infield action and larger stadiums. Pitchers’ mounds emphasize one-on-one duels at home plate. With a truly “level” playing field, more hits would be made -- thereby pitting batter against nine adversaries and increasing the drama. Designated hitters take away strategies of keeping or yanking pitchers as they come to bat in crucial situations.

Golf balls and clubs likewise have been engineered for distance – requiring longer courses, mandatory carts to cover the ground, and too much time. A deader ball would require more strokes and a greater reliance on club skill – but, isn’t that the fun? The only requirement of baseballs or golf balls is that they be uniform. Everything else is relative.

Basketball has too much scoring, two much running back and forth by extra-tall players. Handicapping player-heights would open the game to athletes of average height. Raising the hoop would eliminate the slam-dunk and put a premium on passing and shooting.

Tennis is edging to a loss of fan interest as a consequence of player height and arm length coupled with composite power- rackets producing aces. It is time to eliminate second serves, thus putting the ball into play rather than paralyzing receivers.

Women’s soccer has an opportunity to attract fans by avoiding professional sports problems. It needs only one change -- an adjustable goal cage set to reaches of keepers. This would avoid the temptation to recruit outsize players.

As for excessive salaries – athletes are worth what fans will pay to watch them play. It’s called the American way.

PARTING SHOTS

The baseball commissioner’s office says it can’t decide whether umpire resignations are a “threat to be ignored, or an invitation to be accepted."

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Sen. Oren Hatch, a late starter for the GOP presidential race, says he can catch up with George W. Bush if one million people will send him $36 each. Why not ask for $l million each from 36 people? The odds are better.

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Vice-president Al Gore is full of warm, fuzzy proposals. Last week he asked American children to send Beanie Babies to Kosovo kids.

By Lindsey Williams, columnist for Sun Coast Media Group newspapers