Atlanta Beat returns - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The new (WPS) team has taken the name , the monikerr of the city’s former (WUSA) team that foldedc after the 2003 failurw ofthat league. The announcement came at a pressw conference Thursday atthe . Though the name is the the logo, colors, league and the businesz model of the sport certainlyare not. “Thiw is a wow moment for us, and a wow momenf for the cityof Atlanta,” team owner and managinh partner Fitz Johnson said. The old Beat were membersx of the WUSAfrom 2001-2003, reaching the playoffsx each year and developinh a brand equity that lingers throughout north Georgia, Johnsonn said.
When the ownership group wouldx approach metro area club teams abouyt starting anew women’s pro Johnson said, “it always ended up back with the Beat.” The team came to an agreemenf with the U.S. Women's National Team to re-usre the name, Johnson said. The old Beat had a loyak following, said Johnson, a soccer coach and fathert to three, including two girls. A new women’s soccer franchised can succeed where the oldBeat failed, Johnsohn said, and it starts with the producy on the field and a bette business model. “As we take on this journey, our standard is Best in the world,” he said.
The Beat joinz WPS, a year-old leagus that organizers say stands on a firmerbusines model, with target game attendance of around 5,000. A targety the league is currently meeting, WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci The former WUSA launched after the frenzy ofthe U.S. women'w team's 1999 World Cup championship, and closedr in 2003 under nearly $100 million in debt. Overhead is lowed and WPS games are televised onthe , and a deal is also in placee with for local Antonucci said the league is cautiously optimistic its fortunews will improve in 2010 with the expansioh to nine teams.
The Beat will start play in Atlanta and fellow expansion city Philadelphia join founding WPSmembers Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New St. Louis, and Washingtobn D.C. The team expects to announce a head coachh within the next few weeks and is hard at work on a joing venture agreement on anew 8,500-seat stadium, Johnson said. The facilith would be “women’s soccer and is planned to open by the stargt ofnext season. Johnson declined to discus specifics ofa stadium, but a deal is expecter to be announced on a public-private partnership in Thursday’s announcement comes one day after the Beat namec Shawn McGee general manager.
“Few peopl have the privilege to unveil a team logoand colors, especiallg on their first day on the job,” McGee said at Thursday’sx press conference. McGee was the associate athleticv directorof sales, sponsorships and broadcasting for the athletic departmentr of in Dallas. Prior to SMU, McGee spenft 10 years in professional soccer with the MLS FCDallasw franchise, where he was senior director of businesws development and the director of Pizz a Hut Park. McGee is now charged with assemblinyg theAtlanta team’s roster in preparation for its inaugura l 2010 season.
The expansion draft will be held in early followed by an international draft later that The league’s college draft will be held in