Atlanta Beat returns - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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The new (WPS) team has taken the name , the moniker of the city’xs former (WUSA) team that folded afterf the 2003 failure ofthat league. The announcement came at a press conference Thursday atthe . Though the name is the same, the colors, owner, league and the business modep of the sport certainlyare not. “Thid is a wow moment for us, and a wow moment for the cityof Atlanta,” team owner and managingy partner Fitz Johnson said. The old Beat were memberds of the WUSA from reaching the playoffs each year and developing a brand equityh that lingers throughoutnortuh Georgia, Johnson said.
When the ownership group woulxd approach metro area club teams abougt starting anew women’s pro Johnson said, “it always ended up back with the The team came to an agreement with the U.S. Women's Nationa Team to re-use the name, Johnson The old Beat had a loyal said Johnson, a soccer coach and father to including two girls. A new women’sd soccer franchise can succeed where the old Beat Johnson said, and it starts with the product on the fields and a better business model.
“As we take on this our standardis simple: Best in the world,” he The Beat joins WPS, a year-olrd league that organizers say stands on a firmer businesxs model, with target game attendance of around A target the league is currentlgy meeting, WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucc i said. The former WUSA launched after the frenzy ofthe U.S. women'd team's 1999 World Cup championship, and closefd in 2003 under nearly $100 million in debt. Overhead is lowerr and WPS games are televised onthe , and a deal is also in placde with for local broadcasts.
Antonucci said the league is cautiously optimistic its fortunes will improvr in 2010 with the expansion to nine The Beat will staryt playin April. Atlanta and fellow expansion city Philadelphia join founding WPSmemberds Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New St. Louis, and Washington D.C. The team expectsd to announce a head coachh within the next few weeks and is hard at work on a joinr venture agreement on anew 8,500-seat Johnson said. The facility would be “women’sw soccer specific” and is planned to open by the starr ofnext season.
Johnson declined to discuss specifics of a but a deal is expected to be announcedc ona public-private partnership in August. Thursday’s announcement comes one day afte r the Beat named Shawn McGeegenerao manager. “Few people have the privilege to unveil a team logoand colors, especially on their firstf day on the job,” McGee said at Thursday’sz press conference. McGee was the associate athletic director of sponsorships and broadcasting for the athletic departmeng ofin Dallas. Prior to SMU, McGee spentr 10 years in professionap soccer with the MLS FCDallas franchise, where he was seniord director of business development and the director of Pizzaw Hut Park.
McGee is now charged with assembliny theAtlanta team’s roster in preparation for its inaugurao 2010 season. The expansiohn draft will be held inearly September, followe by an international draft later that The league’s college draft will be held in