GM Peter Wilt's letter to Fire fans Mr. Elliott, do you also believe that FC Dallas fans deserve an explanation of what went wrong in 2003-2004, what went right and where you plan to take the team in 2005 and beyond? I believe we deserve one. In fact, I think no fans of any team in MLS deserve one more than FC Dallas fans.
Chris, Two different guys. Peter Wilt has been doing this type of communication for quite some time yet GE is quiet as a mouse. Texgator has posted excellent arguments as to why GE ought to communicate in a public forum but he (GE) will not budge. I do not begrudge GE for not coumminicating in this medium for many reasons; though your point as well as Texgator is more than valid. It could also be that the HSG Junta has a gag order against this type of communication. Dunno.
It would be nice to have this kind of communication, but I wont hold this against GE as not being fan friendly. I think he sees posting on BigSoccer as a slight to his legitamacy. He knows the most hardcore fans are on here but I think he doesnt want his thoughts and opinions reduced to message board fodder, or at least first hand fodder. The FC Dallas front office still loves us.
If he does indeed hold this opinion then he is just being a bit ridiculous. There is no question that the most appreciated executive in MLS in Peter Wilt. Have you ever read one of his question and answer threads on bigsoccer? If a question is asked that he doesn't want to answer, for a variety of reasons, he simply doesn't answer it. I'd say Wilt's legitimacy has risen due to acts like this. BTW, I think the letter to fans thing was originally posted on the Fire's website, not BigSoccer.
Why can't FC Dallas do this? "The Fire expanded our youth development system to Michigan and Wisconsin. Chicago Fire Juniors is now the largest competitive club in Illinois with 1,000 members plus 2,000 in its recreational program. Fire ' s Academy camps doubled in size this year to nearly 1,000 participants and its Chicago Fire MLS Camps were attended by more than 5,000 children. The Fire's affiliated PDL team, Chicago Fire Reserves completed the regular season undefeated. "
I'm not qualified to answer your question, but I believe that this is in the plans... Look @ the Frisco Compound w/ all the youth fields and the move of USYSA to the same.
Yes, I believe we will see more cooperation between FC Dallas and youth clubs in the region. Remember, that's all this really is...cooperation. True youth academies are impossible in MLS with the player acquisition rules as they are. Players coming through the amateur ranks into MLS have to go into the superdraft.
The letter was put up on their own website (and probably also mailed to season ticket holders), not posted on Bigsoccer. A fan put it up on bigsoccer.
What front office? The front office today is not the same front office of a year ago. Elliott has had a systematic cleaning of the house going on since he got here. Sure, he has a right to put his "own" people in place but at what expense?
USYSA is only moving to Frisco because the rent is cheaper. They will have NO connection to FC Dallas except as co tenants. NTSSA, on the other hand, (a member of USYSA) does have a business relationship with FC Dallas. Any events or tournaments that USYSA and NTSSA hold at the new field complex may have some involvement from FCD as far as operations, but I would expect ZERO involvement from the coaching and player development side. Why? Money and college eligibility. Professional teams have to be very careful with how they handle "academies" and youth programs to avoid running afoul of NCAA or UIL rules regarding amatuerism. All current MLS academies and youth programs are basically an existing youth club that changed names (see Ajax Orlando for similiar "rebranding"). Until MLS is in a financial position to sign a lot of youth players (ala Freddy) you will not see that happen. Playing on a Premiership "youth" team makes almost all English kids ineligible for NCAA play, even if they get cut before they are old enough to drive.
Things might have changed but if you think they dont love us start following one of the other major sports teams. Their FO's wont ackowledge your exsistance unless you are willing to sign a 5 year lease on a luxury box. The FO may not be a receptive as years past, I dont know Im not a day one-er, but they care a lot more than the other sports organizations in this town.
That I definitely agree with. Soccer is miles ahead of the other major sports in this regard, from players to front offices. It's a matter of survival since the sport is still on very shaky ground in this country. Hopefully it stays largely the same once the sport has established itself as a permanent and successful part of the sports landscape. But this particular thread was speaking of an issue within soccer, so, in relative terms, how the Chicago GM relates, communicates, appreciates, and respects his fans, is miles ahead of our folks at HSG and Burn headquarters.
I think Greg Elliott is very fan friendly and I think he's a good GM. I am also certainly not suggesting that he post or have someone else post a response on Bigsoccer so us 30 FC Dallas fans can read it. But I do think that with the name / logo re-launch, the move to Frisco and missing the playoffs two years in a row - the fans of the team that are still left deserve to hear the vision of the General Manager. Gerg Elliott is well-spoken, very intelligent and enthusiastic. Absolutely, GE can write something equally as thoughtful and detailed. I am 99% confident he will lead this team in the right direction. But in the absence of information and a plan, some fans are left pondering their allegiance to this team. When I read things from Viking and Chamo on 3rd Degree who stiill do not know if they will support the team in 2005, two of the most die-hard fans from Day 1 (one is the President of the premier Supporters Group) - that tells me that GE needs to communicate his accomplishments, his failings and his plan for the next 2-4 years. He says he has a long term plan. What is it? El Jefe will tell you there is no need for long term plans in MLS and he has proof to back it up. FC Dallas needs to retain as many of its old fans as it can and attract new fans. GE posting his vision for the team on the FC Dallas website is a good way to do that. He may already be working on it, I don't know. I just thought that Peter Wilt, who has nothing to apologize for, thought highly enough of the team's fans to offer an explanation for this season and his plan for next season. Greg Elliott can, and I think should, do the same.
They are. It's just not ready for announcement. Davis even had it in one of his stories the other day. In the Wilt thread he mentiones that they did it that way as they don't have the facilities to do it themselves. FCD is about to have those facilities. A Youth system is coming.
I think if you ask Elliott he will tell you exactly what worked and what didn't. He is never shy to talk about it. And has everyone forgotten the town hall meetings the team did? Elliott answered every question asked for about 3 hours...
I remember the one off of Midway. Was there another? I honestly can't recall. Seems like it might be time for one.
Buzz, is it possible for you to be "officially" hired as a news source for FC Dallas? Could your site; in cooperation with the official team site - be packaged into, say, an e-mag (or even in print?).. or something along-those-lines? I believe this arrangement would not only serve the obvious benefit you already provide; but it would allow for a much more succinct communication pipeline - hence a liaison direct-to-the-fans.
I'm not going to answer for Buzz.....well, I guess I am. He can provide better info as a "unofficial" news source then he can if he is "official". Rumours and gossip would not be tolerated in a FCD sponsored news site. Opinions that run contrary to the FO's business strategy would also pose a problem. Personally, I like Buzz as an independent FC Dallas news source. We get info from him that we would NEVER get from an official source, even if they had 50 guys working on the site.
Not at all. Its just that there we about maybe 80 of us there. Doing something like Wilt did can reach a far wider audience. 10,000 people a day go to mlsnet.com. New fans thinking about buying at ticket in Frisco will google FC Dallas and see what it is all about. Hey I like GE, I think he is doing a great job with what he has to work with. I just want to hear more. I have several friends who follow FC Dallas almost as closely as I do and watch the games like I do. But they don't waste hours per week on Bigsoccer like I do. They have far less information than we have here. This is the audience I want GE to speak to - as well as shore up the hard-core supporters.
Actually, I look at BigSoccer as 'the source' of "rumours and gossip" - as opposed to the possiblility of Buzz serving as a point of factual reference invaluable to fans. I believe Buzz's current frequency of interaction with GE and CC uniquely qualify him as a compensated informational source.
An idependent source is far more credible than an official source. The integrity is not compromised. This goes for any organization.
If GE is up for it (someone in the cabal should ask --- JONNO??), we could add an "Ask Elliott" corner to The Inferno's website. People could submit their questions via the website and say once a month or so, 5 or 10 of those questions would be forwarded to GE. His answers would then be posted to the Inferno website. If he doesn't want to answer a question, he doesn't. Choosing the 5-10 questions that get sent could be done via a rep-style system similar to what bigsoccer has for users. If you are familiar with Slashdot, they do something like that there. IF GE's is up for it, I'll code it into the new website (which will be unveiled after MLS Cup)....but that's a big 'if'