Newsday (Nassau Edition) from Hempstead, New York • 341

SECOND OPINIONS Pro soccer's a foreign subject Peter King's Soccer in America was most interesting. There are many solutions, he writes. But none will prove a cure. American sports fans just won't accept soccer on the same level as baseball, football and basketball. Soccer in this country appeals only to the ethnic fans.

Whenever European or South American teams play in this country more than 40,000 attend. But if two standout American teams were to play in the same stadium the attendance would prove dismal. Little League and junior soccer has lured thousands of youngsters, but after the season ends they hang up their shoes, and that's it. Youngsters, to be adept at the sport, must play on a year-round basis with the foremost coaches teaching the basics. America will never win a World Cup with a roster of American-born players.

It needs the influx of foreign players to round out a competent team. Louis DeFichy Seaford Behind American Lacrosse League By Terry Wallace Most of us have read about someone who has been falsely accused of some wrongdoing and later vindicated. We have imagined the mental turmoil that individual must have experienced knowing he was innocent yet guilty by public opinion. Recently I found myself in the same situation after Syracuse sportswriter Jeff Thorensen accused me of initiating a scam against the lacrosse world after my American Lacrosse League closed its doors. Thorensen accused me of misleading fans, players, coaches, general managers, corporate sponsors and my former partner Bruce Meierdiercks.

He relied heavily on statements made by Meierdiercks and his circle who said, "'Wallace saw a chance for a scam, a chance to make some quick money and get out," as well as statements by Meierdiercks who said, "Wallace had committed himself to a $2-million investment to insure the league for at least two years," and other statements that were totally erroneous. I first saw Thorensen's original story several days after it was published in the Syracuse Post-Standard. It had been anonymously mailed to my home. I called Thorensen and asked him why he had not contacted me for an inter- view, because the article contained over 20 misstated facts. Apparently he had sent me a certified letter, but for some reason the post office returned it to his newspaper without delivery to me.

Several days after speaking with Thorensen, Newsday ran an edited version of the article. I telephoned Mike Candel, Newsday's best writer for lacrosse, because he knew the truth about the foundation of the league and about Bruce Meierdiercks. Candel knew that Meierdiercks had been making public statements about a $2-million investment that was to be put up to run the league, but more important was the fact that he had been present at an early interview with Meierdiercks when he claimed to have "owned and taken public a chain of restaurants in the San Francisco area." Candel was as impressed as I was with Meierdiercks' admitted success. For the first nine months of my relationship with Meierdiercks I believed he was wealthy enough to contribute his share to make the league a success. Since he had the idea for the league and had spent some money beforehand, we agreed he would initially put up $32,500 and I $40,000 for startup expenses.

As more money was needed we would put up equal amounts to operate the league. Our startup funds began to run low as the playing season approached. On several occasions I suggested to Meierdiercks that we each put up more money, and after avoiding the issue he informed me that he "did not have any more money to commit to the project." After questioning him about the chain of restaurants he purported to own he replied, "They never existed, I was only a bartender in a San Francisco restaurant." Although shocked, I should have made a public. announcement and postponed the start of the league, but I was embarrassed about being fooled by him and said nothing. The season began on schedule and soon our capital ran dry.

I was being questioned by some general managers about the lack of money and about the difference in attendance and souvenir sales that was being reported, and I explained that Meierdiercks was responsible for those financial matters. I offered more money to the league in return for additional stock, but Meierdiercks would not agree, yet continued to make statements about "our com- HOLLY I MEAN LIKE VINE WAYNE WHO NEWTON GRETZ Dick Bradley Buffalo News players' paychecks. Vencak knew the predicament I was in and wanted to stage the game to keep the league alive. He was optimistic that the game would come to light. The following day, Friday, May 27, Tom Scofield, general manager of the Syracuse Spirit, phoned me and told me "it was all over, that John Pappas was not bringing his team to Syracuse and that the league had come to an On Saturday night, I received a telephone call from the vendor who had been supplying us with our T-shirts.

Meierdiercks had told him I had the shirts. I invited the vendor to my home, and after a thorough search and not finding anything the vendor suggested we go to Meierdiercks' house. Meierdiercks appeared through the window of his door acting irrationally and threatening us with a gun. It was the last time I saw Bruce Meierdiercks. After reading the Newsday article that appeared on Sunday, Aug.

1, I spent four hours with Newsday reporters John Valenti and Candel. I opened my records to them about real-estate transactions Thorensen had mentioned in his story as well as the truth surrounding myself, Bruce Meierdiercks and the American Lacrosse League. Jeff Thorensen has sent me a letter of apology and explanation of his article and has promised a new story in the Syracuse newspapers. Newsday has allowed me this opportunity to bring the truth about my ill-fated league out in the open. Terry Wallace was a partner in the American Lacrosse League.

Is Wayne the actor Wayne Gretzky is not only a great hockey player, but a pretty good actor, breaking down as he did at the news conference probably saved the Edmonton Oilers owner's life. The trade only proves once again how the fan gets shafted and always comes back for more! Philip J. Schacca West Hempstead Or is it Janet? Just one quick observation about The Trade: If Janet and Wayne wanted to be close together, why didn't Janet offer to do some dinner theater in Edmonton? Peter LaMassa Syosset The pain hasn't gone away I wince when I see the name "Los Angeles" Dodgers. The Dodgers should have always been the Brooklyn Dodgers, except for the greed of that swine Walter O'Malley, who led New York City to a baseball malaise for years, until the Mets. Irwin Spark mitment to the league for two years." After working endless hours for over 10 months I could see the collapse of the league coming fast.

On May 22, I met with Meierdiercks and the general managers of the league at their request. They wanted me to put up more money and to give the league to them. I refused because it was evident that Meierdiercks had aligned himself with those he thought might contribute money to the floundering league for little in return. The next day I began to prepare for the most important game of the season, Long Island at Syracuse. It was important because I planned it to be played between the NCAA semifinal and final games at Syracuse, and both teams were undefeated.

The game had drawn a lot of early attention in the media and I believed it would be a turning point for the league. John Pappas, general manager of the Long Island Sachems, telephoned me on Tuesday and told me he "was not bringing his team to Syracuse if I did not give them the league." I again refused and began to appoint player representatives for each team: Bob Vencak (L.I.), Tom Gundersen (N.J.), Brooks Sweet (Baltimore), Paul Fogarty (Boston) and Randy Powers (Syracuse), and called for a meeting to take place on May 29, after the Long Island-Syracuse game, at the Syracuse Hotel. In my conversation with these players, I agreed to put up more capital plus gate receipts into an account with my name and theirs on it, thus guaranteeing the payments of player salaries until I could work something out with Meierdiercks and the general managers. On Thursday morning, I realized I probably would not be seeing Meierdiercks again because I learned that he had taken all of the cash from one bank account for "expenses" and closed two other accounts pocketing $352. He had also entered the office the night before and taken our typewriter, electronic equipment, uniforms, playing equipment, ancillary items, -shirts and anything else of value.

Left with no capital to cover players' paychecks, I withdrew $5,000 from my personal account and met Long Island player representative Bob Vencak at a Farmingdale diner that evening with the cash to cover Bayside Spitting image Baseball players have the ability to solve the drought problem. Station the ballplayers, managers, coaches in drought areas and let them do what they do best "Spit!" Arnold Bellsey Valley Stream Fans are sold out I'm getting that Rodney Dangerfield feeling, "No respect." Channel 4 got me with "Heidi," now Nelson Double-crossday, Channel 9 and SportsChannel kept us from seeing Tom Seaver Day. I've been a Met fan from Day 1. They all should be ashamed, the game was sold out since January. Pro football televises sellouts.

Pete Treanor Holbrook Who can forget Kevin Mitchell? There is a large percentage of Met fans and critics who feel that the Mets' recent two-month stretch of playing .500 baseball can be traced to lack of intensity. Most of these people point to the absence of Ray Knight as the major reason the Mets are not playing with the enthusiasm they showed in 1986. They are forgetting Kevin Mitchell. Mitchell burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1986. He played well at shortstop, third base and in each of the three outfield positions.

He excelled at the plate, especially while the Mets were building a huge lead early in the season. He ended up batting .277, with 43 RBI and 12 home runs in 381 at-bats. Mitchell helped keep the team loose and he was driven by a brashness and a confidence not found in most rookies. Ray Knight has certainly been missed, but let's not forget Kevin Mitchell. The fiery Mets of '86 would never have burned so brightly without him.

Kostya Kennedy Great Neck Letters should be brief and are subject to condensation. They should include an address and telephone number. Anonymous letters are not printed. Address: Second Opinions, Newsday Sports, 235 Pinetawn Melville, NY 11747: NEWSDAY, SUNDAY, AUGUST a 8861.