The FC Dallas Jersey Pitch
September 18th, 2009 . 1:09 pm . By: Buzz CarrickA interesting document, FC Dallas Team Jersey Presentation, came across my desk earlier this year and I couldn’t really decide what to do with it. It’s a document FCD sent out to potential jerseys sponsors and it was eventually forwarded on to me b y one of them. I imagine through several hands before mine. Jerseys and the lack of a sponsor comes up a couple times a year and since it’s a hot topic again I decided rather than posting the document for people to download, since technically I don’t own the thing, I would just share some highlights of the presentation. The document is a PDF from the 2006/2007 era, which is one of the reasons I didn’t do anything with it till now, but I think it sheds some light on what FCD was, and probably still is, looking for in a jersey sponsorship. Any deal landed by this document would still be in place, so I think it’s highly relevant even given it’s dated nature. The PDF starts with a couple pictures of the team (an official team photo, a pre game XI shot, and an action photo of Carlos Ruiz) before going into an overview of the team and league. Then it’s on to the most important part for sponsors, the potential jersey “impressions.” Impressions is the term for the various ways the jersey and any sponsor would end up in front of an audience. Most of them are obvious; media, marketing, in-stadium, special events, and merchandising; but the one I find most intriguing is “reserve team and youth development.” Reserve team I get, but Youth Development? Does that mean FCD Juniors and/or FCD Youth? Each area of impressions gets a full page treatment, or in the case of ‘media’ three pages. The page on reserve and youth development doesn’t say FCD Juniors, but the wording leads me to believe that’s what they meant. This document predates the development of the Juniors name, but says “In 2007 and future years, FCD will develop and manage full youth team squads in the following age categories: U14, U-15, U-18, U-20, and U-25.” So clearly, I think, that’s the Juniors program. Wait, U-25? PDL? Sweet. Best part of this document in my opinion. Up next in the document is the synergies of the club. Those being MLS, HSG, the DFW area in general, and even CAP and Tigres. Page 17, the penultimate of the document, has photos of Ruiz and Kenny Cooper showing logo placement on the jerseys. The placement is where you would think, nothing shocking there. Except on the one of Cooper the yellow circle indicating placement is in the wrong place. It’s to low, leaving the FC Dallas word mark exposed and covering the jersey number on the front. We all know that isn’t accurate. The Ruiz photo is correct, with the yellow placement circle covering, and replacing, the FC Dallas word mark on the front of the jersey. Last, but certainly not least, is the real kicker: The Money. Here’s the entirety of the page.
There you have it, somewhere between $3,7500,000 and $4 million to be the FCD jersey sponsor for 3 years. And you wonder why FCD hasn’t landed one. 22 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
“There you have it, somewhere between $3,7500,000 and $4 million to be the FCD jersey sponsor for 3 years.
And you wonder why FCD hasn’t landed one.”
actually, I haven’t been wondering why FCD hasn’t landed one. High price expectations is exactly why I’ve always thought they haven’t been able to close the deal.
Now think if they asked for 750,000k a year, and got 750k in 2007, 772 k in 2008 and 795k in 2009. That would be over 2.3 million dollars. I’m sure there would have been more than 1 sponsor interested at that price, and naturally 2.3 million dollars over 3 years is greater than the Zero dollars over 3 years we just got
Of course I’m stating the obvious here.
I remember when this topic come up early this year, there were comments about the economy, but I have to point out that San Jose, the worst team last year was able to sign a shirt sponsor in the off season during the recession.
Tht price may seem high now with the economy and as bad as the team is but 2006/2007 that was probably a really good deal if you also got all of the you teams Jerseys.
I have a few suggestions for sponsors:
A swiss cheese manufacturer to tie in to our defense.
A hula hoop maker (too easy I know).
Something to do with a running horse… maybe a racetrack.
The INS, we could give them a discount to help ensure we get our Green cards & visas sooner.
Larry Bird – he has the money and the logo could be BEAT L.A.
Buzz – Is the description of the pictures on the file in paragraph 3 correct? Is there really a picture of “a pre game XI sh!t”?????
No wonder we don’t have a jersey sponsor yet…
$3.75M? That’s it? Do I get some say on the players we sign? If so, where do I sign up?
In all seriousness, nothing drives up value like a trackrecord of success. You’d think that they’d start lower with the price, get *someone* on the shirt (maybe even with a Hunt-owned company), point to the return they were able to recoup — and then go after the big dollar figure.
But that’s just me.
not entirely on topic, but the other day I had an idea to tweek the design of the jerseys, now that FCD is abandoning the hoop nickname. Make either the white or red strips thinner. Instantly less Waldo-eque, without a full re-brand.
I have a friend that I play soccer with, who’s brother’s company was pitched last year and it was actually $2.7M that they were asking for?! He talked about it a while ago, so I called and asked for more details. He said the guy pitching was Charlie Seraphin? Not sure who he is, but he said the guy was a creep and they couldn’t trust him as far as they could throw him. Not sure who that guy is/was, but I’m sure he’s one of Wagners boys? Either way they are asking for a lot with very little value to give back…we’ve all seen the lack of impressions in the stands this year – SHOCKING! Chalk this up as another brilliant move by Mr. Wagner! Somebody check the Hunt’s pulse and see if they are alive. Like I’ve heard before, “How do you become a Millionaire if your name ends with Hunt? – Inherit a few Billion.”
a pregame shit?
I know it seems obvious and probably has been said and explained many times before why it is a no goer, but why not simply get Pizza Hut to put their name on the bloody thing and revisit the FCD and Pizza Hut relationship… if infact there is one!
I mean Pizza hut is red; fcd is red; the bloddy stadium is red!
Lol. That’s really all I can say. Well, then again I guess that’s all the prospective sponsors said as well.
A lot of people want to see a sponsor — why? So the Hunt’s can get richer? Do you really think they’ll put it back into the team?!
I am not really concerned about a jersey sponsor just to be keeping up with other teams. With the MLS salary cap and roster limitations how much of a jersey sponsor money would benefit the team anyhow? OK sure some could go into the youth development program, but it doesn’t seem like the Hunts are willing to spend much more than absolutely necessary anyhow.
watching the SJ v COL game and the Rapids jerseys look awful with that big blank space on the front. I thought the dropped a jersey design (a la the 3 stripes for DC) in an attempt to obtain a sponsor this season and it must’ve really backfired. they look awful.
another thought….why wouldnt Southwest Airlines wanna get on the front of the FCD jersey? Their slogan would really work with FCD fans.
its “Wanna Get Away?!?!?!?”
Not sure why youwould be going after the Rapids???? Seems that they are in the playoff hunt and FC Dallas seem to be looking forward to 2010. Way to call out a team in front of you twotone!
Pregame and Nathan… Shot obviously.
Sorry… but it was one of the best faux pas spelling wise in a while
“This document predates the development of the Juniors name, but says… U14, U-15, U-18, U-20, and U-25… Wait, U-25? PDL? Sweet. Best part of this document in my opinion.”
Buzz – your right that the best part of the document is the discussion on the development of the juniors program.
FCD has a u16 & U18 team… Next year they are adding a U-14 team, right?
I wonder if U-20 is next…
I was involved in a meeting where the club pitched the idea to my company. I got the impression the price was very negotiable. i got the impression they were looking for an offer as a starting point to negotiate from.
Hey, with the typical condition of stadium restrooms, I always try for a pregame shit before I leave home.
Anyhow, yeah, though the price may have been a good deal in 07, it seems a bit steep today. Now, since a. the team is abandoning the “Hoops” nickname (that was silly, anyway), and b. we don’t appear to be getting a shirt sponsor any time soon, why not redesign the shirts with a solid color (red homer, blue roadie) and a huge front filling team logo (like the old Sidekicks jerseys)?
I wonder who wrote the “working document.” There seems be great ambition, or tremendous confidence in the ability to sell the team.
Somebody had the foresight to add in the “mutual agreement” clause. That should be the focus now. Though I do wonder who would want to get involved with this train wreck.
I do not care what HSG does with the money. FCD has really ugly uniforms, and a sponsor would at least get the FC DALLAS script of the front.
U-25 – that was one of the original age groups MLS promised in the youth development scheme. Never understood how that would work or if it would be a re-invention of the reserve league.