The Houston Hotshots organization (Houston's indoor, professional, soccer team) has ceased operations, and it's staff has been released. Did anyone notice? Has anyone seen them play? http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/816610 Feb. 6, 2001, 11:32PM Citing a lack of support, Hotshots shut down By BRIAN McTAGGART -- Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle Hotshots owner Giorgio Borlenghi said Tuesday the city's professional indoor soccer team has ceased operations while it looks for a group of investors to assume majority ownership of the franchise. Borlenghi, who wants to maintain a minority interest in the team he founded in 1994, said the Hotshots' poor performance at the turnstiles the last two seasons forced him to rethink the viability of soccer in Houston. "After the last couple of seasons, we have come to the conclusion that there is not sufficient interest in the city of Houston for a professional soccer team," he said. "So we need to re-evaluate if it's worth our time. For the time being, we decided we're not going to play next season, and we'll try to evaluate our options and what is best for the team." Borlenghi's decision came as a surprise to World Indoor Soccer League president Gordon Jago, who issued a news release Tuesday that detailed Borlenghi's plans to find additional ownership -- or even possibly relocate the team -- but didn't mention the possibility of the Hotshots not playing. "I'm surprised at that because there's been no statement to me that they would not play this season," Jago said. "He knows that we are attempting to bring possible partners to him, and we're working on a tight time frame because we want to get our schedule done by March 1. If we're able to bring the group to him with the right finances, then we would certainly want to continue. "We are making an effort at this stage to play 2001 in Houston, and that's the league's responsibility. The only thing I can interpret from his statement is if we don't produce fellow investors, (the Hotshots) will not play this season." Borlenghi hopes new ownership will be able to help promote the financially strapped franchise and bring in new sponsors in an effort to put more fans in the seats. "The point is if there are more owners and more people involved at the ownership level they have a vested interest in helping the team with the media and with the sponsors and with the (youth) soccer clubs," he said. "I think the conditions would be to find additional individuals ready to become involved in the ownership so they can become involved with the promotion of this team in Houston. "But it would also require more interest on the part of other entities, including the youth soccer clubs and companies that can be sponsors." Although the WISL holds out hope the Hotshots will be on the field when the 2001 seasons begins this summer, Borlenghi was firm in saying the Hotshots would not play this year. That decision also came as a surprise to forward Clint Regier, who was named the WISL's Rookie of the Year last season. "I didn't even know that," he said. "I heard they were having a team for sure. What I was last told was they found investors. I came back to Oklahoma City just waiting for them to try to negotiate a deal for me and start preseason. I wanted to play in Houston because I knew the people, the organization and the city, but if that's not the case I'll play somewhere else." The Hotshots' attendance was last in the seven-team WISL last season at an average of 2,887. The Dallas Sidekicks led the league in attendance, averaging 7,500 at Reunion Arena. "The interest in the last two years has really not been there," said Borlenghi, who is president and owner of Interfin, a Houston-based real estate development company. "So one has to ask himself, `What are we doing here?' If there is no interest, we all like to do things that make sense, and if it doesn't make sense you can't just force it. "In the last two years, not only has our attendance went down but our sponsors showed less interest and the media really showed no interest whatsoever. So it becomes difficult to justify doing something if you don't have proof what you're doing is of interest to anybody." Jago said the league is in preliminary talks with another investment group, but didn't want to give specifics. He hopes to get someone to purchase an interest in the team with the idea of bringing the Hotshots back this season. "If we're able to bring a group to the table, I don't think for one minute he would not want them to continue this year," he said. "We've got everything in place, that's the beauty of it all. We are in talks and we're hoping we can put it together very, very soon." The Hotshots played for four seasons (1994-1997) in the now-defunct Continental Indoor Soccer League and lost in the championship finals in 1996 and 1997. The CISL folded shortly after the Hotshots departed and, after a year's hiatus, the Hotshots resurfaced in the World Indoor Soccer League in 1999. The Hotshots, who moved from Compaq Center (formerly The Summit) to Reliant Arena (formerly Astroarena) before the 1998 season, went 7-17 and finished in seventh place in the WISL in 1999 before going 10-14 and finishing in fourth place last season. The Hotshots lost 5-3 in a one-game playoff to St. Louis in the first round of the playoffs. "I think the Hotshots were a great addition to the sports scene," Borlenghi said. "I am really happy with the work we have done in the community. When I introduced this franchise seven years ago, I remember saying my major interest was in helping promote the sport that I am very familiar with being from Italy. "I think we have done that, and I am very happy and proud of all we have accomplished. If the youth soccer community is not willing and ready to support a team indoor or outdoor, then it would be very difficult for a team to justify its existence. If the soccer community doesn't support you, it's going to be very difficult for the team to make it in the long run. We have played six seasons and are delighted with that. We had a lot of fun and now we need to move on." Borlenghi said he has released his front office staff, including general manager Darrell Rogers. "I think we've done things as well as we could, as professionally as we could, and hopefully one day if the right conditions and right group of people come about, we might again play a role in soccer in Houston," Borlenghi said. "I certainly leave the door open." ------------------ Stay Cool...
