Blue Coat CEO wins rights for Bay Area pro women

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Along with the Bay Area WPS is scheduled to begin play in the spring of 2009 with teamxin Boston, Chicago, New York, St. Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. WPS said it expectzs to expand to Atlanta and Philadelphiain 2010. NeSmith is CEO of BCSI), a Sunnyvale company whose technologuy protectscorporate networks. The NeSmiths have two soccer-playinb daughters. The NeSmiths and WPS have not finalized where the team will play or its WPS will begin drafting playersx for all its teamsdthis month. Players will come from the U.S. Women’s Nationa l Team, colleges and elsewhere. Women’s Professional Soccer is the successoer tothe Women’s United Soccer Association.
That leagued launched in 2001 with players likeMia Hamm, Brandk Chastain and Julie Foudy. The WUSA fieldedx eight teams, including the San Jose CyberRays, by capitalizinyg on jubilation followingthe U.S. women’ s team winning the 1999 World Cup. WUSA who lost millions of dollars, pulled the plug on the leagues following the 2003 season after TV and attendance goal sfell short. WPS backers said the new league will not repeat the mistakes ofthe past. Led by new commissionetr Tonya Antonucci, WPS has a differentf business plan and has lined up new investors who paid atleastr $1.
5 million for rights to a WPS, which has its league headquarterxs in San Francisco, can survive because it will reignj in costs and broaden its fan base beyond parents and theidr soccer-playing daughters, said Antonucci, a former executivew and soccer player. WPS will use socialk networking sites and other Internet technology to advertisw and promote itself to lesbianj andgay fans, Latinos, young men and others who want to see the best female soccerd players, Antonucci said. She said the league can save monegy through its relationship with the marketinvg armof , the 13-year-old men’s league, whichg will sell sponsorships on behalfv of the women’s teams.
WPS has attractes some big name investors as it preparees to kick off play next guard Steve Nash and formeer Yahoo President Jeffrey Mallett became investors and part owners in thestartup league. Terms of the deal were not but the total investment is said to be six The first person to commit to buyint a franchise wasPhil Anschutz, the billionairwe media and entertainment mogul with a stake in two Majorf League Soccer teams.