It is true. Since there couldn't possibly be enough podcasts, we've launched Buzz's much beloved/needed FC Dallas expertise in the form of recorded audio. There simply is no better source of info and analysis of the Huntsmen, than the guys who's been covering them since 1997. 3rddegree.podiant.co There's a couple of episodes, on a proper podding platform and will be available across iTunes, Spotify, Google pods, etc (some are up already, others are in process). enjoy.
Listened to the first episode last week and the second just now. I like it. I'm new to Dallas and local soccer but have been a fan of MLS since its first year and of international soccer quite a bit longer. Informative stuff and nice analysis of FC Dallas. Keep up the great work!
Ah 1997 and practices at Greenhill. Buzz has done a wonderful job of covering the team over the years. So good in fact that he was told to keeps certain things off the report before games as other teams were using his work to scout the team.
Great work so far. I agree 100% that who we see out there tomorrow will be the true hardcore FCD fan base.
I binge listened to the first seven episodes. Good stuff. Thoughtful discussion of all things FCD on and off the field. I recommended the podcast to all my FCD friends. Good luck with this and keep it going.
Thank you. I'll be open and honest here - the number of people listening to this thing has been downright depressing. Frankly, the interest is just so tiny the time and effort doesn't seem to make it worthwhile. Sure, it may be the quality (or lack thereof) of the content, but the podcast version of the radio show pulls many times the numbers of this thing (which is more EPL and general soccer based than FCD focused). Not to grind on a wound, but the reality is: The Hunts have created a pro sports team in the #5 market that has the core fan base of a AA baseball team in market #176. This is another great example of why the local media doesn't go out of their way to cover the team. If a specific hour long podcast can't regularly find more than 300 people to download or stream - then why give up valuable broadcast time? go look at the content on youtube created by the club - those videos all have miserably tiny view numbers. when they do a Facebook live event - if there are 27 people watching, it's a party. The stats of the 3rdDegree stuff on DMN is woefully small for a major metro. If Buzz was writing this same content for PDX, ATL or SEA - he'd probably be able to turn it into a self sustaining subscription gig. One of the other FCD fan based pod guys told me he was lucky if his got 100 listeners and claimed to have been told the same thing by the other FCD focused pods. (he was jealous of our numbers!) We started this at the end of the season and the big playoff run because we assumed interest would be at an all time high. The episode after Oscar quit was the most popular and the one after that - the least (< 100, seriously). If we continue to do it, it'll be a pure vanity and personal interest decision and certainly not a business one. apologies for replying to a compliment with this rant. I love the fact there are people who we care about find this content valuable. But it makes me nuts 20+ years in, it's still basically a fringe thing. it all makes me wonder what happens if their decision to go the route they have fails and the team really starts to struggle...
Not much would change (I mean they can't really go much further south). Maybe we'd see attendance from the 2008-2010 range along with the usual non-interest from the 4th largest metroplex in the country. Now, if only I could find a small fortune to take over this team...
Whether you continue or not, I want to thank you and Buzz for the work you've been putting into providing these insightful analyses of the team. It's really appreciated. Rest assured that it's not a lack of quality content that's driving the audience numbers.
The only possible hit the Hunts could take is if the other owners tire of how they run the club and force them to see ala Miami and Chivas. Only done twice and never to the kids of one of the league founders. I could eventually see MLS adding enough teams that they do a MLS II and even III someday if all the new clubs are successful but that is years away. FCD could slip into those other divisions or they could just be a team that has a great academy wins enough games to stay in the first division and has terrible attendance to infinity and beyond. Maybe another team eventually gets started in Dallas by Jones or Cuban types? Would Jones know how to pull a Blank at the death star?
As an investment, it seems crazy risky to put a second team in a location that's shown difficulty supporting just one team. Doubt it, unless you're talking about Steven Jones (Jerry's son) and not Jerry. Blank realized he didn't know soccer and got good outside advice from his GM, Darren Eales, who built relationships and interest in Atlanta with lots of ground work. Jerry thinks he knows all, making it unlikely he'd defer to anyone who actually knows something about soccer.
From the graphs below (data mostly from Wikipedia), FCD average per game attendance (blue line) has little connection to the team's performance on the field in terms of point total (orange line) or overall league standing (green line). Even if they put the best possible MLS team on the field, few would know about it, and fewer would come to the games.
I thought I heard on one of the podcasts that FCD only markets in Collin County. True? I could believe that, as I see no marketing from them in Tarrant County except on Facebook and the occasional ad on TX 21. My friends in Dallas barely know FCD exists. Amazingly the Fort Worth Star Telegram had an article about Luchi becoming the new coach and next to that an article about the change in MLS playoff format.
I listen to this podcast in its entirety every time. I’ve subscribed though iTunes. That’s crazy, the content is superb.
I listen to this podcast in its entirety every time. I’ve subscribed though iTunes. That’s crazy, the content is superb.
Episode 8 is up and with the introduction of John Lenard, who will be covering NTXSC for us - this is officially a pod only for the most hard core FCD nerd.
Sign me up! I enjoyed it again. John sounds really young, or maybe I am just getting old at this point? He was eager to get his thoughts in, I was surprised he talked before Buzz most of the time. Great content for the nerds!~
Enjoyed the podcast and the contributions of Dallas Soccer McLovin. His voice sounded familiar. Several hours after listening to the pod, I figured out he sounds like David Sedaris, the occasional contributor to NPR's This American Life. It was nice to hear an optimistic voice regarding FCD as a change from the usual beaten down attitudes most of us have after following FCD for so long.