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espnW.com-NewWPSbossJenniferO'Sullivanreadyforkickoffhttp://espn.go.com!espnw/more-sportsI7119158!priJ
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espnW.com:
MoreSports
Wednesday,October19,2011
NewWPSbossJenniferO'Sullivanreadyforkickoff
ByBeauDure
JenniferPogorelecO'Sullivandidn'tgrowupplayingsoccer,norhassheheldaleadershiprolewithasoccerteamororganization.YetthenewCEOofWomen'sProfessionalSoccerhasrelevantexperiencetodrawupon.SheworkedfortheArenaFootballLeaguewhenitfaceddifficulttimes,withatinystaffandownerspullingindifferentdirections.AfewmonthsafterO'SullivanstartedattheAFL,theindoorfootballleaguecalledoffthe2009seasonanddeclaredbankruptcy.Theemployeesweredismissedandtopbossesquit."Ibecameoneofthelasttworemainingemployees,"saidO'Sullivan,whowastheleague'svicepresidentoflegalandlaboraffairs.SheworkedoutofaNewYorkofficewhileanotheremployeeworkedoutofChicago,stickingwiththeleagueuntiltheassetsweresoldandtheleaguewasrelaunchedoutofanofficeinTulsa,Okla.ComparedtotheAFL'syearofinactionandbankruptcy,theWPSpictureenteringitsfourthseasonseemsdownrightrosy.Andyetalittlefamiliar.Thefrontofficeismostlyvirtual,andownersarestillseekingthebestwayforward.O'SullivansoughttheWPSpositionforthechallengeofworkingthroughcomplexissuesandhavingahandinallaspectsofleaguebusiness."WhatIlovedaboutmyjobattheArenaFootballLeaguewasbeinginvolvedinallaspectsoftheArenaFootballLeaguebusiness,"O'Sullivansaid."...TheNFLhastheirlaborlawyersandIP[intellectualproperty]lawyers--everyoneisverysiloedinthebiggerleaguesinwhattheyfocuson.AttheArenaFootballLeague,wedidn'thavethatluxury,soyougetthrownintoeverything.Weworkedineveryaspectoftheleague'sbusiness."
"
There'stremendousopportunitytobeapartofsomethinggreaterandlarger--topromotesoccerinthiscountry,topromotewomen'ssoccer,toprovideaplacefortheseverytalentedwomentoplayisimportant.
"--JenniferO'Sullivan
Andshe'swillingtogothroughitagain?"I'mwillingtogothroughitagain,"O'Sullivansaidwithalaugh."There'stremendousopportunitytobea
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espnW.com-NewWPSbossJenniferO'Sullivanreadyforkickoffhttp://espn.go.comlespnwImore-sportsI7119158/print
partofsomething.greaterandlarger--topromotesoccer
in
thiscountry,topromote
women's.soccer,
toprovideaplacefortheseverytalentedwomentoplayisimportant."It'sextremelyimportanttoprovidethatinspirationalandaspirationalboostforyoungwomeninthiscountry."ButO'Sullivandidn'tcometoWPStoimposetheAFLIMLSbusinessmodel.ShehasnotyetspokentoMLScommissionerDonGarber,whoasformerheadofNFLEuropesharesO'Sullivan'sbackgroundinnontraditionalfootball,thoughshehopestoshareideassoon.Fornow,O'Sullivanistacklinghernewchallengeoutofahomeoffice,occasionallycheckinginattheNewJerseyofficesofWPSteamSkyBlue.WPS,bornintheBayArea,wentwithoutaphysicalofficelastyear,andO'Sullivanexpectstotravelagoodbittocheckinwithteamsandfans."Withinthenextyearorso,I'dliketoestablishsomephysicalspaceforus,particularlyhereontheEastCoast,whichIthinkmakesmoresenseforusbeingthatweareprimarilyanEastCoastleague,"O'Sullivansaid."Ithinkwe'llretainsomepresenceontheWestCoast,aswell."WestCoastfans,though,willlikelyneedtowaitatleastanotheryeartohaveateam.Thebulkofexpansiontalkhasshiftedfrom2012to2013,thoughO'Sullivanandtheownersareholdingthedooropenalittlelongerfornextseason."There'sanoutsidechancethatmaybeonegroupmaybeabletocomein,"O'Sullivansaid."Buttherearealotofmovingpartswhenyou'retalkingaboutbringinganexpansionteamin.We'reoperatingunderacompressedtimeframeinordertobepreparedfor2012."ThatexpansionwouldmostlikelybeinConnecticut.TerryFoley,formergeneralmanagerofthePhiladelphiaIndependence,announcedMonday.onhisTwitterfeedthathehasacceptedatechnicaldirectorpositionwithanewConnecticutfranchise,"assumingtheyjoinWPSin2012."IndependenceownerDavidHalstead,reachedbytextmessage,ravedaboutFoleybutcouldn'tyetconfirmthatConnecticutexpansionwasadonedeal."Theyareastrongcandidate,butweareworkingwiththegrouptoconfirmentry,"Halsteadsaid.Evenwithoutexpansion,O'Sullivanexpectstheleaguetocontinuewiththesixteamsithadin2011.ThatincludesmagicJackandownerDanBorislow,whofeudedwiththeleagueandwenttocourtoveraproposaltobeginterminationproceedings."Danverymuchwantstobeapartnerinthisleague,"O'Sullivansaid."We'reworkingwith
him
onaninternalresolutionofissuesthattookplacethispastseasonandworkingtowardabetterunderstandingofhowoursixownerscanworktogetherforthebettermentoftheleaguegoingforward."TheotheroffseasonquestionmarkhasbeenBoston,whichhasbeensearchingforanewmajorityinvestor.Whiletheteamhasnotannouncedaresolution,ithasproceededwithnormaloffseasonbusiness,sellingseasonticketsandre-signingplayers.Lastyear,thesixWPSteamstookseveraldifferentapproachestotheirbusiness.BorislowandmagicJackwerethemostextremeexample,devotingverylittletomarketingandsigningasmuchtalentaspossible.LikeBorislow,theexpansionWesternNewYorkFlashloadedupontalentedplayersandprominentlyadvertisedtheowner'sprimarybusiness:Sahlen's,ameatcompanyknownmostlyforhot
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Borislow ExhibitF
espnW story (mine) on new WPS CEO Jennifer O’Sullivan, used in Borislow motion to establish that O’Sullivan had stated publicly that the league was working to resolve dispute with him, Oct. 19
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