The 3rd Degree Timeline January 1st, 2008 . By: Buzz Carrick http://www.3rddegree.net/ yes, more self indulgent crap, but it's a long winter.
very interesting. great read, Buzz. I think this goes to show just how much work Buzz has put in to what he does. Donate to keep him afloat!
The other point of consideration here - compare 3rd Degree to any other non-official information source (either the team or a newspaper) for any other team. When you try, you'll see it is a pretty short list. As in, one. 3rd. And I also think Buzz has tons to be proud of in terms of comparing himself to "traditional" media sources, as well. For the record, I also think it speaks volumes what he said about why he brought me on - not that it was me, but rather the reason. I think you can see that angle (wanting different voices) throughout most of the people he brought on board and is, along with the practice observations and MLS draft pool evaluations (that are now posted on espn.com's soccer page), the main reason why 3rdDegree is one of the best information sources about an MLS team anywhere. The intellectual integrity it takes to do that is very rare and at the center of what is considered good journalism. Throw in what we do at FCD (FCDtv, the blog, etc.), and I think hands down we're the best covered team in the league. (And you could make the argument that what we do here is just piling on, which we're more than happy to do.)
I think FCD is the best covered team by "alternative" media sources, but in terms of traditional media, its among the worst. And if Buzz was truly interested in providing differeing POV's from himself then he would have hired me long ago.
Worse than who? (I'm curious/asking.) Oh, sorry, "educated" differing POVs. Seriously, send him a pm or email - you certainly would have my vote as a good voice for the page.
Focusing on print for the most part, since I'm not privvy to each market's local TV coverage, other than what I've picked up from reading BS. Houston LA Salt Lake Chicago DC New York Those are for sure. I can't say that what I've seen from KC's newspapers is that impressive and I don't recall reading much from Colorado's print. I know the Boston Herald does a decent job covering NE, but I don't think it's head's and shoulder's above the DaMN. We all know that FCD does the absolute minimum when it comes to local TV broadcast. Pefectly content to allow a game being broadcast on Telefutura to go without any English broadcast, when other markets go out their way to provide that for their fans. Games appear on a menagerie of local channels, rather than having a solid home. Radio coverage is largely non-existent, and even when it was you'd be hardpressed to find a more obscure channel to be carried on....and that goes for both English and Spanish coverage. To be perfectly honest, the lack of traditional media coverage doesn't really effect me. From my experience, traditional media spends way too much time covering the basic crap that fans who read this board already know. The 'alternative' coverage we get is of much more value, IMO. Meh, he's doing fine without me. I'd just spend every column inch railing on and on about Steve Morrow's inane tactics....and I think everyone's read just about enough of that from me by now.
Thanks for the love everyone. It's nice to know what we do is apprecaited. And this is 3rd Degree's core target audience. people who want more than the surface coverage of the paper. The DMN covers the Cowboys deep enough for everyone, FCD they don't. that's the gap I try and fill in.
3rd Degree.....fillin' in da gaps since 97, yo! Sounds dirty. I think the league should put you on a salary and have you run a network of 3rd Degree-esque websites for all the markets. What you do fosters rabid fandom in a very unique way, that's something the league should support. It's arguably more effective than many other initiatives they've spent millions of $$'s on in the past. They could probably buy you for a little bit less than that, right?
In terms of tv and radio coverage it is among the worst. Mainly because we haven't been on a radio station that can be heard in downtown Dallas since 04, and the fact that there is no post game show. Local television coverage is mediocre at best. I actually think the DaMN does a decent job as they usually have a big article after ever game with a pretty big picture and they do a weekly soccer page on the second page of the sports section. They could do a lot better with FCD non-gameday news, however.
i know the FO would never admit this, but I think one of the main reasons the worldcupway(dot)blogspot(dot)com blog was set up was because of 3rddegree. Buzz does such a great job that the FO felt kind of shown up. so they began to do their own thing, and slowly push buzz out a bit (ie. not letting him stay with the team in Trinidad) and im not complaining one bit about having 2 of the best blogs around, just merely stating my opinion as to why we have the best "alternative media" source coverage or whatever yall wanna call it
Yeah Buzz, he love us long time he sooo horny for FCD fans. Ok that sounds bad but yeah Buzz is the shiznit when it comes to MLS coverage. Interesting read for the timeline, I only started following the league after shootouts were done away with around 2000 so I learned a few things. I think the DMN coverage sucks since it is a Dallas team, the Star Telegram on the other hand does it just as well or better and Ft. Worth is like 2 hours from frisco.
IIRC, the "we're not paying for you to go to [wherever]" thing started way before the blog (or the guy who thought up the blog) were on the radar screen. It had to do with a philosophical change, not a "we don't like Buzz or what he writes" thing.
I think there are many examples of people "borrowing" the 3rddegree idea - sidelineviews.blogspot.com (LA) and glenndavissoccer.com (Houstank) are two that come to mind. Buzz is frequently referenced on dunord.blogspot.com, which covers everything. Soccer by Ives just upgraded to a new website, and is branching out in coverage, but his site is similar. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say.
Im not saying the front office doesnt like buzz or what he writes, i think the FO felt shown up by an outsider.
Probably the more appropriate way to say that would be "The FO realized that Buzz was providing service that the fanbase eagerly consumed, so they decided to offer a similar product but from their point of view".
I'd agree with that. And I think there might be a similarity to the accessibility that Peter Wilt had on Big Soccer when he was with Chicago - not at the same quantity, of course, but you'll have stuff on our blog directly from Steve or Hitch that is more than what was given to Buzz in the past. Knowing the media guys like I do, though, I'm not sure they wouldn't have done it anyway, Buzz or no Buzz. A lot of effort has been made to raise the profile of FCD locally, nationally and internationally.
Well, Buzz was around for a long time before these efforts were made. The more I think about it, I think a lot more has to do with Hitch coming in and wanting FCD to have a bigger footprint, and he had his media folk work to that end. And frankly, Buzz helps spread the word about the team - what is to be shown up by? Buzz helps raise the profile and passion about the team. How is that negative?
no ive never said its negative. one of my previous posts says that im not complaining one bit about having 2 of the best blogs/websites covering my team, im merely stating that the FO saw the success 3rddegree was having and wanted to emulate it in their own way.
I like the options of barter where cash gets to a limiting negotiable tool... Could Buzz have run the 'official' blog? But then again, would Buzz have accepted a more corporeal... err... corporate position given his propensity for independence? Not that interdependence has any hope of surviving in HSG land... "Negative"?... screw dialectics!
I see the Blog as different from the 3rd Degree . . . if the creation of the Blog meant that Buzz was excluded more -- than that's definitely a negative. But it seems to me that the Blog's job is to provide the cool "up close and personal" looks at what goes on with the players, the team, the FO, etc. to maybe strength the bond the fans feel for the team -- to make the guys seem like, well, more "real" people than just "names on the field" (if that makes any sort of sense . . .). That's why I really enjoy reading it. OTOH, 3rd Degree provides the independent, more objective news -- such as the info about what's going on with Hitchcock. Notice that what was reported on Buzz's site is NOT mentioned on the Blog . . . and won't be (imho), until a "press release" (ie positive spin approach) sort of announce can be made. Just my dos centavos.