2 down, 6 to go

[Evan]

http://www.misl.net:16080/news/?cat=1&id=4171

Thursday Sep 22, 2005

The Major Indoor Soccer held its 2005 Dispersal Draft today for players of the Cleveland Force and Kansas City Comets. The League announced on Wednesday, September 21, that its Management Committee has placed Kansas City and Cleveland on inactive status for the 2005-06 season.

As per League Policy, the MISL will held a Dispersal Draft via teleconference with all teams for the allocation of players formerly belonging to the Kansas City and Cleveland. Teams selected players according to their winning percentage from the 2004-05 season. Selection order is based on the lowest winning percentage selecting first and the best winning percentage selecting last.

So long Comets, See ya later Force!!

*sigh* i dont know where the league has to go from here. I'm more worried then I have been in a while

[Dilbert]

Wow. Im shocked about Cleveland. They were just in the MISL championship and poof now they are gone. Im not sure if the future Newark and Detroit teams will ever have the chance to play.

[Mac the Knife]

Can't say I'm surprised; the whole league has been on somewhat shaky ground since it made the NPSL/MISL transition.

Maybe there's a silver lining in this. Perhaps the St. Louis franchise relocates to Cleveland to replace the Force, thereby creating...

The Cleveland Steamers.

[NJTank]

The MISL is still around? I recall it used to be on ESPN in the days before they had real sports.

[Mac the Knife]

The MISL is still around? I recall it used to be on ESPN in the days before they had real sports.

Same name; different league.

THIS MISL started as the AISA in 1984, then became the NPSL, then eventually became the MISL. They seem to bury one name's reputation, then sprout up anew with a new name, new team nicknames (the Force were the Cleveland Crunch, the Comets the Kansas City Ambush, I believe), etc.

I give 'em another 2-3 years, tops.

[Ez Street]

Yeah, the Comets are wiating for a proposed Overlan Park arena to be built. They are hoping a smaller arena in the Burbs will be better for building a fan base. Kemper Arena is now empty once again.

It's a shame. I saw the Comets (used to be Attack) and the Wichita Wings play at Landon Arena in Topeka. It was fun, I though It would be cool to have a team here.

[slapshot]

The MISL is still around? I recall it used to be on ESPN in the days before they had real sports.

Real Sports like Poker?

[Mac the Knife]

Yeah, the Comets are wiating for a proposed Overlan Park arena to be built. They are hoping a smaller arena in the Burbs will be better for building a fan base. Kemper Arena is now empty once again.

It's a shame. I saw the Comets (used to be Attack) and the Wichita Wings play at Landon Arena in Topeka. It was fun, I though It would be cool to have a team here.

Attack, yes. That's correct. I had them confused with the Tulsa Ambush of the NPSL days.

Sadly the fact is that indoor soccer is a fringe sport that spends a little more like a minor league one. The league has a salary cap of (I think) $ 1.2 million. Hell, I'll bet most teams don't see that much in revenue over the course of half a season. How can you survive doing that?

Pay the guys $500/game. An extra $100 if you win. Keep tickets under $10, no matter where in the arena. That way 2,500 in attendance on average doesn't break you, and with 5,000 you're making dough.

[yh]

Attack, yes. That's correct. I had them confused with the Tulsa Ambush of the NPSL days.

Later to become the St. Louis Ambush, 1995 NPSL Champions - the only indoor soccer title indoor soccer hotbed St. Louis has ever won.

I'm a veteran of the original MISL days. Back then the league really thought it had a shot at taking on hockey for the #4 spot on the pro sports ladder. They marketed well, had teams in good markets and, for the most part, had good uniform and logo packages. Problem is, most of the committed owners burned through too much cash trying to promote their game and the league imploded. Not unlike the USFL, the MISL committed to the short term, hoping that a huge early presence would create a self-sustaining entity. Too much money went into marketing and promotions and there was nothing left for player development. Eventually the talent level dropped way off when players found better paying gigs elsewhere and there was nobody of comparable talent to replace them. Most of the MISL owners were not prepared to commit to the long term and teams dropped off at a precipitous rate.

I think there is a market for pro indoor soccer in the US and I think it's conceivable that the MISL can bounce back (no pun intended) and develop into a 16-24 team league, but they've got to be realistic and commit to their position as a "minor league style" operation, playing in traditionally second tier markets and/or facilities and being content with being an affordable family sport that's never going to grab any share of what the NBA and NHL have in the way of national exposure.

[NJTank]

The MISL is still around? I recall it used to be on ESPN in the days before they had real sports.

Real Sports like Poker?

Well that would also be before ESPN became a joke of fake TV Sports and 24/7 Stuart Scott.

Bring back the NEwlywed game for Teammates I need to have the dry heaves.

[FirearmofMutiny]

All I know about the MISL: The Milwaukee Wave.

[Dilbert]

With Kansas City out, the closest team to the California Cougars will be St.Louis

[SEMOSTLfan]

i have fond memeories of the STL ambush in the mid 90's with the likes of darryl doran, jamie swanner, joe reineger and mark moser. ive never been huge soccer fan but i followed the ambush religiously. it was very entertaining and i went to games often at the savvis center. however the newest version of the steamers havent really taken off in popularity as the ambush did. I guess its a lack of money but they just arent marketed as heavily in the community and a lot of people dont even know they exist.