New DC United Website

[Rjbatzler]

Looks like we're in for a change...

D.C. United will join two other MLS teams in breaking ranks from the league’s digital platform in favor of developing and maintaining its own, independent Web site.
The move, which is awaiting board and commissioner approval, highlights a growing impatience among MLS teams as the league continues to develop a digital strategy for the future.
.....
United will join the New England Revolution and Colorado Rapids as the only teams that operate Web sites independently of the league. Unlike the NBA, NHL and MLB, which require teams to use a common Web platform, MLS has offered clubs the chance to use a common platform or operate independently.
In many ways, it’s not a surprise that D.C. United is choosing to go its own way. One of its owners, Will Chang, is invested in a variety of digital companies, including Clubspaces, Real Time Matrix and Bling Software.
The club is building out a staff of five to eight employees to develop and manage the site. It hired a new head of digital operations, Mark McClure, from NavigationArts, a digital consulting company based in MacLean, Va. Other hires will include a senior developer, database manager and sponsorship salesperson.


I like the news, I'm tired of the MLS site and if Behind the Badge is any indication, it should be well run.

[Rjbatzler]

oops, forgot the link. :o

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/60216

[Lowecifer]

Well, this designer finds this news to be a rare bright spot in DC United news lately.

Current MLS platform?

http://failblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/fb42.jpg

[Bolivianfuego]

Damn, cool idea! I like that we are choosing to go this route, instead of seeing the boring MLS platform, we can now have cool flash videos maybe, real nice website interface too!

More proof that DC United is all about being bigger than the MLS, and expanding its brand.

[sitruc]

Somewhat unrelated, when did MLSNet change what is shown at the top of their site? DC is DCU, Salt Lake is RSL and Toronto is TOR. The rest are shown as the city/region they represent except for FC Dallas and Chivas USA(understandable) which get their name.

[Sundevil9]

Lowecifer's right, this is the one bright spot of good news over the last few weeks.

I guess Kyle's going to have minions as he develops the DC United online empire, hopefully they can have their own online store, too.

[Barbara]

Thank god. I cannot stand the current design. MLSnet is almost unreadable.

[garbaggio]

Looks like we're in for a change...


I like the news, I'm tired of the MLS site and if Behind the Badge is any indication, it should be well run.

I just hope this doesn't mean we got relegated out of MLS.

[gocaps]

MLS' website is really bad, but New England's is actually worse. Colorado, on the other hand, did a nice job with theirs IMO.

I hope (and assume) we'll get it right.

[StagsUnited72]

The guy they hired designed the Behindthebadge.com blog for the team. I am pretty sure they posted about this on the blog last week. I remember them posting the job opps for this.

Here's the link from the DC United blog about all this which was posted there on 9/24/08.
http://www.behindthebadge.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?search=website&IncludeBlogs=1

[Andi the Hobbit]

Thank god. I cannot stand the current design. MLSnet is almost unreadable.

I agree with Alice. The only way I get to know about DCU is in these forums and the MLSnet, MLSnet is just lifeless.

[Publius]

Perhaps they'll start listing home teams first on the scheduling matchups.

[DCU Merchandise]

hopefully they can have their own online store

This is one of the first priorities!

[RedAndBlack]

This is one of the first priorities!

Awesome!!!!

[asitis]

This is one of the first priorities!

What I'd love to see are team stats in all competitions. This year we will have played 17 games (maybe more) in addition to our 30 game league schedule. I'd love to see the numbers for those games included, or at least available.

asitis

[Sundevil9]

This is one of the first priorities!

That makes two bits of good news!

Now if you can just roll that momentum over to the players......

[Troy G]

Awesome!!!!

I agree: Awesome!

[DC06]

This is one of the first priorities!

HALLELUJAH!

[Stan Collins]

Somewhat unrelated, when did MLSNet change what is shown at the top of their site? DC is DCU, Salt Lake is RSL and Toronto is TOR. The rest are shown as the city/region they represent except for FC Dallas and Chivas USA(understandable) which get their name. That happened because, with expansion, that top border style was getting tight.

With that tiny ass font, they probably should have just switched to a new style of banner, but that's just MHO.

[DocAnaheim]

Oh My! There actually is a Glimmer of Hope
amounst this Dismal Darkness. I just hope
some of it rubs off on the Guys this week.