This is the most important quote from last night. We have an opportunity to be the turning point for the league in terms of growing the league. No pressure there, huh? That being said, we've got a lot of positives to work with. We've got a great venue - as you saw from MLS Cup, that place rocks when it is full. Hitch et al are working hard to get great events to help get the word out on how good the venue is (see USA-Guatemala, Mexico-Ghana, opening day, MLS Cup '06). As you can see, Hitch doesn't set small goals. This is the moment we've all been waiting for. All of the suffering in the desert of the Cotton Bowl and Southlake, of being a league owned team, etc. - the whole dynamic has changed. Time to sieze the day.
I talked with the new VP of ticket sales for a while last night. He had some really positive things to say about the club and how they were going to grow it. An important aspect is the "other events". As a soccer season goes on, the awareness of the club rises. After the season ends, it drops off. When you have events out at PHP in the offseason, whether soccer related or not, awareness of the club and the facility continues to rise, so you don't have that massive drop off. Really good conversation. He had a really strong understanding of the difference between sales and marketing, and the difference between the branding of a DC United and how the dallas club has been marketed since its inception in '96. It was really good to hear that, because I haven't heard anyone in the FCD front office talk on those terms before. Really bullish on that guy being at the club. On a side note, he told me some of the bands lined up. I guess I can't say them since Hitch wouldn't say, but they are well known acts that will draw a really good crowd, and have a target audience that is dramatically different than the ones targeted by FCD Sales in the past or the MLS Cup Halftime shows. Very positive development, IMHO.
To be respected as a professional organization, you have to act like one. In my estimation, the front office of FCD is starting to grow up from the minor leagues, and act like a professional sports franchise should.
It probably is exagerated a little but Carlos or his agent don't won't have control over this. Municipal have the right to shop him around and there ain't much Carlos could do about it even if he wanted to.
Yep. CR is like a German soldier in Berlin at the end of the war... The Russians are coming... as much as he would like to escape he knows that he's future is in the balance by IVAN yet The Americans have already crossed the Rhine and he much rather surrender to the Americans instead of going to the Ghulag.
Aided no doubt by the fact that they finally have a normal operating and marketing budget that allows for "professional sports franchise" operations, as opposed to being league-operated and budget and investment group-deprived.
True enough. But a good development none-the-less. And a significant change from the last couple of years.
Exactly, I wonder if the July 4th thing will replace the Frisco Freedom Fest which is a concert/festival/fireworks thing that is done at the Hall Office Park. Either way it is great exposure for PHP and FCD.
Andy Smith. Working with Alper on PHP I believe. And I think he is in charge of FC Texas, at least unoffically.
Yep, a great development. IMO, DC United has been the best organzation in the league for grooming soccer executives. FCD now has a former DCU employee as its GM and another one as a VP. If things keep progressing nicely, and if HSG doesn't get in the way, I also see FCD as an one of the MLS teams that eventually grooms many future MLS exec's.
Wasnt that concert at the RoughRiders stadium with America last 4th? is this a reoccuring thing? As for the Ruiz thing, my comment was based on the comment that his agent was shopping him around trying to get a better offer..obviously he gets no say in what Municpal do, but he should have a say in his agents doings.
I think "Frisco Freedom Fest" is the name of the event that will be held July 4th at PHP -- not 100% sure on that, though. Anyhow, Hitchcock said that this 4th of July bonanza would become an annual event, so that's certainly good news.
Frisco Freedom Fest is what WAS at the Rough Riders stadium. Yay! How much fun this will be! And ... I'm mad at all of you that did not come up and introduce yourselves to me last night
Thanks for the vote of confidence. Although I've got a ways to go. Watching Shawn, Andy and Hitch do their stuff is impressive. I just hope to be a sponge, learning learning learning. Hitch and Andy have brought a real energy to the office - Hitch is basically trying to get every big event we can get our hands on so we can rise to the occasion. That works for me. Seriously folks - the whole paradigm has changed now. Dallas is no longer trying to survive in the Cotton Bowl - it is now reflective of its $85 million SSS in Frisco. The days in the desert are over. The big push right now is the Holiday Pack you might have heard about. We're using that to sell as many tickets to opening day as possible. A sellout is the goal, and we can use all the help we can get. So if you can, ask around and find anyone who hasn't been out to PHP yet and have them call your account rep. Renewals are going okay and we're doing well on season tickets so far, and we'll probably do well on groups when the time comes, but every ticket we sell now is a ticket we don't have to worry about while were selling the other events that are coming up over the next few months. So all you "promoters of the game", all you folk who say more should be done to grow the game, here is another chance to show your stuff. Ask a friend, ask a relative, ask a neighbor, ask a co-worker - have you been to the new $85 million soccer specific stadium?