Continental Indoor Soccer League

The Splash may be alive for the playoffs, but the franchise's future is on tenuous ground. The Continental Indoor Soccer League seized the Splash on Monday, removing the local ownership group from control of the daily operations and leaving the team's small front-office staff unemployed and the principal owner holding a sizable debt. The league cited a "failure to meet financial obligations" as the reason for terminating the franchise rights that were held by Anaheim Splash, Inc.

The Continental Indoor Soccer League, whose franchise owners met Monday to determine a course of action for the 1998 season, decided Tuesday to call the whole thing off. Ron Weinstein, the league's founder and commissioner, announced the 5-year-old league would cease operations after losing four of its 11 franchises. Since the CISL season ended in October, the league has seized franchise rights to the Anaheim Splash, Houston Hotshots and Portland Pride for faulty ownership.

Ron Weinstein, founder and commissioner of the Continental Indoor Soccer League, announced Tuesday that the 5-year-old league would cease operation. Since the 1997 season ended in October, the 11-team league has lost four franchises. The Portland Pride, Houston Hotshots and Dallas Sidekicks withdrew from the league, and the Anaheim Splash's franchise rights were seized.

The president of the World Indoor Soccer League said Wednesday the second-year league expects to add two teams next month for the 2000 season, and is negotiating with only two cities, Anaheim and San Diego. The one obstacle facing the unnamed Anaheim ownership group appears to be a lease agreement with the Arrowhead Pond that will provide favorable weekend dates during the summer.

The Splash has played with a soft deadline throughout the week in hopes of finding a buyer for the Continental Indoor Soccer League team, but the league finally changed the sport to hardball on Friday. The CISL sent a letter to team governor Brad Mayne, notifying him that the team had entered into default. The league will take over the Anaheim franchise rights within 30 days unless the team posts a $200,000 letter of credit.

Deadlines have meant little the last 3 1/2 weeks as the Continental Indoor Soccer League has continued trying to save the Splash. And so, while timing has been an issue throughout that period--there was too little time to get a deal done because of approaching deadlines, according to league and team officials--it will be at least another week before the Splash's fate is determined. At least two entities are pursuing a deal to save the franchise.

Continental Indoor Soccer League officials on Thursday put off a decision on the Splash franchise until next week, setting the stage for weekend negotiations between a potential buyer and Ogden Facilities Management Corp., the company that previously owned the team and hopes to maintain a partnership. "If the [board of] governors didn't feel [the two potential buyers] were legitimate, I'm sure we wouldn't be talking about it," league spokeswoman Liz Miller said.

More than two months after the Splash was supposed to put up or shut down, the team is open for business--again. The Continental Indoor Soccer League board of governors is expected to ratify the transfer of ownership rights to Arizona businessman Bill Williams, paving the way for the team's third season at the Pond. Williams said he's hopeful of having a 10-year lease to play at the Pond by Wednesday, and a front-office staff within 10 days.

The Continental Indoor Soccer League's Board of Governors, who were expected to approve the sale of the team to Arizona businessman Bill Williams on Thursday, delayed a formal vote while it awaits further documentation from Williams. "We're waiting on a certain document before the sale is finalized," said a league official who spoke on condition of anonymity, "but the sale will be finalized."

The Continental Indoor Soccer League announced Tuesday that Bill Williams had been approved as owner of the Splash and that the league will revive its two-division format this season. Commissioner Ron Weinstein said Williams, an Arizona businessman, was approved at the Board of Governors meeting Thursday in Las Vegas, contrary to reports from a league official. The Splash also returns to the Western Division, which it won in 1994. It won the Southern Division, one of three, last season.