How Will WPS, Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, Rapinoe & All Continue Without MagicJack?

In a two-sentence press release earlier today (Oct. 27, 2011) Women's Professional Soccer announced their decision to terminate the magicJack franchise.

For those who don't know, magicJack is the former Washington Freedom franchise. The Freedom is a club that has survived more than a decade through three leagues, but was finally purchased and moved out of the Capital Region by Dan Borislow, the owner of magicJack, the Internet phone company.  

Borislow started making his bed with WPS almost from the first day he took over the franchise. He waited until the last minute to announce his plans to move the franchise to South Florida, leaving the DC fans in the dark.

He played his home games in a stadium that did not meet WPS minimum standards, refused to fulfill WPS contracts with sponsors, refused to hire any team employees except players, to the point of attempting to coach the club himself, until he was suspended. 

Borislow spent most of the season suspended due to his ongoing refusal to comply with league policies, as fines and penalties continued to accumulate. He is quoted as saying he was losing too much money on the team to pay for anything not absolutely essential to play the games. 

Borislow's approach is vexing, since he created the best roster of native grown talent, including seven members of the U.S. Women's National Team, yet wouldn't pay a trainer. When his players needed help taping an ankle, they had to depend on the generosity and sportspersonship of their opponents.

Once Borislow was suspended, he designated player/coaches, with World Cup star Abby Wambach finishing the season in that role.

No doubt the WPS front office was holding their breath that magicJack would not win the league championship, so that the commissioner would not have to share the podium with Borislow and congratulate him.

It came close enough, as his team made it to the semi-finals and played Philadelphia close for much of that match before finally succumbing. 

The announcement of the franchise's termination offers no detail at all, but one can speculate that Borislow continued to refuse to cooperate and the league felt they had no choice but to shut him down.

What will happen next is of great importance to the future of the league. It is unlikely that the league will be viable without at least a sixth franchise. The question then is, does WPS have an expansion club in the wings?

Will they transfer the roster of magicJack to a putative new franchisee? Will there be yet another downsizing draft by which the other clubs in the league can select the displaced magicJack players?

Is this the opening Western New York Flash owner Joe Sahlen has been waiting for to bring Rochester native Wambach home to play?

At this point, we can only wonder about the questions. There are no clear answers and not even enough information on which to speculate.

One would hope that perhaps the Chicago Red Stars, who suspended league activity last season but did not withdraw, might be able to acquire the magicJack roster and resume operations.

The Red Stars have a good organization and a great fan base. In a smaller, more affordable venue, they should be able to make a go.