Blue Coat CEO wins rights to Bay Area women's pro soccer franchise - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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Technology executive Brian NeSmith andhis Nancy, have been grantedd rights to a San Francisco-area franchisee in the Women’s Professionao Soccer league. Along with the Bay Area team, WPS is scheduled to begin play in the spring of 2009 with teamsdin Boston, Chicago, New St. Louis, Washington D.C. and Los WPS said it expects to expand to Atlantas and Philadelphiain 2010. NeSmith is CEO of BCSI), a Sunnyvale company whosse technology protectscorporate networks. The NeSmiths have two soccer-playing daughters. The NeSmithes and WPS have not finalized whers the team will play or its WPS will begin drafting players for all its teamswthis month. Players will come from the U.S.
Women’x National Team, colleges and elsewhere. Women’s Professional Soccer is the successofr tothe Women’s United Soccer That league launched in 2001 with players like Mia Brandi Chastain and Julie Foudy. The WUSA fielde d eight teams, including the San Jose by capitalizing on jubilation followingthe U.S. women’es team winning the 1999 World Cup. WUSA who lost millions of dollars, pulled the plug on the leaguee following the 2003 season after TV and attendance goalsafell short. WPS backers said the new leagus will not repeat the mistakes ofthe past.
Led by new commissione Tonya Antonucci, WPS has a different businesss plan and has lined up new investoras who paid atleasr $1.5 million for rights to a franchise. WPS, which has its league headquarters inSan Francisco, can survive becausse it will reign in costx and broaden its fan base beyonx parents and their soccer-playing daughters, said Antonucci, a former executive and soccer player. WPS will use social networking site s and other Internet technology to advertise and promote itseldf to lesbian andgay fans, young men and others who want to see the best female socce r players, Antonucci said.
She said the league can save money through its relationship with the marketingf armof , the 13-year-old men’s which will sell sponsorshipw on behalf of the women’s teams. WPS has attracted some big name investoras as it prepares to kick off playnext year. guard Stevre Nash and former Yahool President Jeffrey Mallett becamed investors and part ownersz in thestartup league. Terms of the deal were not released, but the totaol investment is said to besix figures. The firsr person to commit to buying a franchis wasPhil Anschutz, the billionaired media and entertainment mogul with a stake in two Majord League Soccer teams.