Quietly, MISL All-Star Game Tiptoes Into Town

The Super Bowl this ain’t.

For one thing, Joe Average Citizen can actually buy a ticket to the Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star game, where the best from the East will meet the best from the West Wednesday night at 7:45 in the San Diego Sports Arena.

Show us someone scalping tickets to this game and we’ll show you someone who isn’t going to be designing rockets for NASA any time in the near future. Hey, the thing isn’t even sold out yet.

It all started two years ago, when Socker owner Ron Fowler bid for the game and the other MISL owners chose San Diego over Kansas City. Either of the two previous all-star games would probably have been in San Diego if the MISL hadn’t decided that other franchises were in need of the extra revenue. The Los Angeles Lazers, which folded after last season, hosted in 1988 and the Dallas Sidekicks, who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last season, hosted last year’s game.

Once the game site was secure, Lora Clark, who has worked in the Sockers’ front office on and off for the past five years, was named all-star game coordinator. Clark began planning Oct. 1 and hasn’t exactly had an abundance of leisure time ever since.

“I told my kids they wouldn’t see me for two weeks, the week before (the game) and the week during,” she said. “There are a lot of last-minute details.”

Assisting in this production are Randy Bernstein, the Sockers’ vice president, Tim Latta, director of broadcasting and media services, Jim Moorhouse, media services assistant, Holli Traeumer, director of public relations, and Nele Berner, an executive assistant.

Here’s a sample of what these people go through:

TRANSPORTATION

This is the biggest headache, says Clark. You have to make sure Dallas forward Tatu isn’t standing around wondering whether “de plane, de plane” will arrive in time to hook up with “de bus, de bus” to take him to “de hotel, de hotel.”

As she does for regular season games, Berner arranged all air transportation. The players are scheduled to arrive at about the same time on Monday, and members of the Sockers’ booster club will pitch in with ground transportation to and from hotels and the different activities.

MEDIA SERVICES

Remember, regular-season duties don’t come to a halt during all-star week. On top of putting out a program for the all-star game, Latta and Moorhouse have to produce programs and media releases for Friday’s and Saturday’s home games against Baltimore and St. Louis. Latta is also involved with the production of the radio and television spots, handling the commercial advertisers through the Prime Ticket Network and producing team highlight films.

Days off have become a distant memory.

“Maybe,” Latta says, “I’ll take a half day next Monday and die.”

Moorhouse is the statistics specialist. Ask about an all-star player, he’ll come up with something like: “He leads the league in goals scored on Tuesday night games when the temperature outside is between 55 and 60 degrees and the concession stand has run out of licorice whips.”

GENERAL AWARENESS

The MISL All-Star game isn’t a whole lot easier to sell than a regular-season game. Most people know nothing about the sport. And most don’t care.

So that’s why when you call the Sockers and ask for Traeumer, the receptionist usually says: “Holli’s on her line right now; would you care to hold?” A bit of advice: While you’re holding, don’t hold your breath. She’s usually on for quite a while, trying to talk somebody into writing about the sport, or talking about it on the radio or even just dropping by a game and checking it out.

“Basically being a pest,” she says.

Out of the office, things aren’t any less hectic. Tuesday, for instance, Traeumer will be at Sun-Up San Diego with all-star coaches Ron Newman and Kenny Cooper and players Scott Manning and Brian Quinn from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Then, from 9:15 a.m. to 11 a.m., she’ll be at P.M. Magazine with Branko Segota. By 11:15 a.m., Traeumer is with ESPN’s Roy Firestone shooting a segment for Inside San Diego. And then, she’ll race back to the media luncheon at 11:30 a.m.

SUPER SKILLS

From his days as vice president of sales for the Clippers, Bernstein is familiar with the interest surrounding skill competition. So he set out to come up with something similar at the MISL All-Star game.

In lieu of slam dunks and three-point shots, soccer players will compete Tuesday night in a five-category competition: soccer head tennis, juggling and control, execution of speed and stamina, shooting for accuracy and shooting for power.

Perhaps the toughest part for Bernstein was convincing the stars to participate.

“Some of the big-name guys weren’t so sure of their skills and were reluctant to possibly embarrass themselves in front of their peers,” Bernstein says. “These people have a lot of pride. They don’t want to get into something that’s going to diminish their popularity.”

Maybe that’s why Tatu won’t compete. No comment from the Sidekicks’ front office. Tatu just won’t compete.

Tacoma’s Preki was reluctant, Bernstein says, but Segota talked him into it.

The overall winner will receive $2,500, the runner-up $1,000, and third-place finisher $500. The winner in each category will receive $200.

THE LITTLE THINGS

Players’ names won’t be sewn onto the backs of jerseys until Monday. That way, if a player drops out, which three have already, it saves the trouble and expense of having to get another jersey and do more sewing.

The numbers are already on. Anybody who is a late replacement has to put his ego on hold and use the same number as the guy who cancelled.

Only in the MISL.

ALL-STAR SCHEDULE

MONDAY

--End-of-day party at La Pavillion at the Town and Country Hotel in Mission Valley, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Free admission.

TUESDAY

--All-Star Media Luncheon, no host cocktails beginning at 11:30 a.m. Lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. Entertainment: ESPN’s Roy Firestone, team introductions, coach speeches. Admission: $35.

--Junior Sockers’ Photo Session, 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. “Feets of Magic” club members free, parents $3.

--Super Skills Competition, 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Admission: $3.

--End-of-day party at the Islands in the Hanalei Hotel, 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Free admission.

WEDNESDAY

--MISL All-Star Game, 7:45 p.m. Admission: $15, $12.50 and $10.

--Grand Finale celebration at the La Jolla Marriott, 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Admission: $25. Entertainment: Dr. Feelgood and the Interns of Love. (Motown).