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Update: the videos are rolling in!

The first #SaveWPS video! Ellen Help us #SaveWPS by @CristianoLove7

Great #SaveWPS video by Lauren, age 15

HopeOnTheSolo's Plea to #SaveWPS

#SaveWPS by 93AmyT

#SaveWPS and Save my Dream by Ellie, age 13

#SaveWPS by @KristinLloyd3

@anngaff's #SaveWPS video 

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Save WPS: A grassroots movement to save the Women's Professional Soccer league

The following letter is adapted with permission from Amy Maestri's blog.

Time for a pop quiz:

1. Do you love good competition?
2. Do you enjoy watching a group of people extraordinarily good at what they do?
3. Do you want to support American athletic leagues?
4. Do you enjoy breathing oxygen?
5. Do you respect people dedicating their lives to becoming the best in the world at their profession?
6. Do you have eyes and ears?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, it is a scientific fact that you should love Women’s Professional Soccer. Because let’s be honest…at a WPS game you get to witness good competition, with extraordinary athletes, in an American league, while breathing oxygen, respecting the athletes on the field for their hard work, and you do all this by watching and listening with your eyes and ears. See? It all connects.

Women’s Professional Soccer is unfortunately in a very tough situation right now. They have less than two weeks to find another owner for a team in order to not lose its sanctioning by U.S. Soccer. The fact is we have an extremely underrated and under-publicized league and it needs to be saved. It is the best league in the world with the best players in the world.

What is missing? No one knows the league exists outside of its cult following. Many, many brilliant TV shows have gone off the air after a few seasons because although critics can’t stop raving over a show, it doesn’t get the ratings it needs to stay afloat. Don’t let the WPS become Arrested Development. The WPS is just that; critically acclaimed but not enough viewers…yet.

In men’s soccer, when you look at an international level we definitely jumped on the train a little late. While we were eating hotdogs watching guys run around in circles and swat at a ball at baseball games, the rest of the world was playing soccer. But when you look at the women’s side, we have an edge. We have the number one ranked international team in the world, and we have the best professional league for talent in the world as well. If we throw away the opportunity to continue that legacy here; it would be a sad day.

Not only do we have American heroes from the Women’s World Cup like Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan and Lauren Cheney. But we also have international players like Kelly Smith, Christine Sinclair and many more. On top of that we have young players who are making moves and proving they are forces to be reckoned with also, like Brittany Bock, Meghan Klingenburg, Christen Press and Casey Noguiera to name a few. The talent is there. There is no disputing that. But unfortunately it’s not that simple.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Amy suggested at the end of her blog that a Super Committee should be formed to save the WPS. Well, we are forming it. It's all of us - the fans. This is what we are going to do:

Objective: Convince Ellen DeGeneres and Rachel Maddow to buy a 6th WPS Team

How we're going to do it: Make 500+ #SaveWPS video statements

Specifically, this is what YOU need to do:

1. Record a video of yourself telling Ellen DeGeneres and/or Rachel Maddow why they should #SaveWPS. The video should be NO LONGER than 15 seconds.
2. Upload the video to YouTube, making sure to include #SaveWPS in the title of the video.
3. Tell us where your video is by posting in the comments below, tweeting at us on Twitter (@womentalksports) or post on our Facebook wall. We want to know who helped #SaveWPS.
4. Use Social Media to tell everyone to watch your video, making sure to use #SaveWPS when you mention it on Twitter.
5. Tell Ellen and Maddow - on Twitter: (@TheEllenShow and @Maddow) and on Facebook: Ellen, Maddow.
6. Tell everyone else to do what you did. Email your friends, post on Facebook, Tweet (be sure to use the #SaveWPS hashtag), shout it down the hallways, write #SaveWPS on your forehead, write it on your car windows with a bar of soap...you get the drift.
7. Tell More People. Send them to this page.

Why Ellen Degeneres and Rachel Maddow? They are known for their support of the USWNT during the Women's World Cup, they are both super cool and yeah, they have money and a TV show. And the WPS needs money and exposure! It would be an incredible act of belief in women's sports for someone like Ellen or Maddow to back a team. We believe in THEM to see the massive potential of a women's pro soccer league AND how dedicated the fans are to help #SaveWPS.

Hope Solo on Ellen:

Megan Rapinoe, Ali Krieger, Heather O'Reilly and Lori Lindsey on the Rachel Maddow Show:

This league is a powerful force of athletes who are not only talented and skilled but also smart and excellent role models for kids everywhere. So unless you want your 13 year old to stop trying to become the next Abby Wambach because her dreams were dashed by this league folding and instead focus her attention on becoming the next Snooki; I suggest you start backing the WPS and women’s soccer in this country.

Sincerely,

@AnnGaff
@Gillian_E_Dubbs
@HopeSoloSwag
@KristinLloyd3
@Lauren_Arrabito

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• Soccer
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