This is a trophy in of itself!!!! What a great step in the right direction! What was Hitch’s job anyway?!!!! We have got a 2010 season to look forward to and I for one am not gonna let any doom and gloom thoughts cloud my hopes for 2010! Just repeat after me…. WE BELIEVE! WE BELIEVE! WE BELIEVE! WE BELIEVE!

So there’s a GM (but he doesn’t evaluate players), there will be a technical director (who evaluates players but doesn’t make decisions) and there’s a coach (who makes the decision but is not the head of evaluation?)

Yes, I know this is common in MLS.

No, it doesn’t make sense.

I think it’ll just be a TD and a head coach. No more GM.

[...] 3rddegree.net is reporting that owner Clark Hunt has decided not to renew Hitchcock's expiring contract for next season. Hunt shared the news in a letter to season ticket holders, explaining the decision and what steps the will take The club goes further to announce that it won't hire a new general manager as a replacement, but instead will appoint someone as a Technical Director to work alongside Schellas Hyndman. [...]

Praise to clark for getting his head out of the sand and now he needs to do like they did with columbus and plan on sticking with a plan for a while and finding a quality DP who can play and sell tickets and popcorn and whatever else the club needs to fill the stands.

I’m getting an ominous tone from this notion that John “Southlake ’s stadium would be great” Wagner will continue to run the business side. I hope the underlings have some real say and halfway decent budgets.

I think Clark Hunt feels empowered by his Hyndman roll of the dice apparently working out toward the end of the season.

No other non-playoff team is going into the off-season with such positive vibes.

While it might have been time to let Hitchcock go….the real monkey behind the curtain is John Wagner. This organization had major problems and made major mistakes long before Hitchcock. It is clear Hitchcock was unable to right the ship but I have to believe Wagner is largely responsible for much of he team’s/company’s failures.

“The club amassed a 48-47-27 regular-season record…”

So I guess he can say on his resume that he GM’d a winning club during his tenure. Good luck to him.

Let the slashing continue. Few in Frisco’s front office deserve to keep their jobs. A few more on the field don’t either. I like the agressive, and early moves this off season.

what in the sam hill is everyone so postitive about? Wagner just carries a bigger shovel than Hitch. He’s just going to dig the s-hole deeper and faster. Wagner’s a c u next tuesday. at least he’s got a fresh six seats to sell in sec 107 row 7.

i feel hopeful that the FO is trying to get this whole thing turned around for next year!

There are SOME HUGE opportunities for FCD that i think they need to focus on and use to its advantage:

1. have a winning club next year.
2. get some real Soccer coverage in Dallas (with the World Cup next year, this is a HUGE opportunity since media will already be on the bandwagon for that).
3. get the games on a better tv channel (can i ask for HD, too?)
4. Market the TEAM!!!!!

The only way this would qualify as truly good news is if Wagner was shown the door along with Hitch. If, as Buzz says, Hitch’s power/responsibilities were declining every year anyway, then what’s the big deal that he’s gone if the guy who was in charge all along is still there – and now with “full control”? This is symbolic, and nothing else, as will be the hiring of a TD who will have about as much power as Hitch did at the end.

I hope Hitch can go back and become the kind of ticket/Promotion guy he was before he got here. I think FCD gave him responsibilities that he was not qualified to do and that is what has been taken away over the last year or two. He is not a player personel guy. That is why they are bringing in the Technical Director is my guess. So that Wagner does not get stuck trying find players and make deals.

[...] in, things like that, people backstabbing and talking about people.” Dallas also took action, releasing General Manager Michael Hitchcock from purgatory. One big question is what DC United will do next, with coach Tommy Soehn under evaluation by club [...]

I hope all of you realize the TD is reporting to SH which means nothing changes with this move, but reducing the expense line and saving SH for one more year. Hitch was there to negotiate for SH who wants nothing to do with that side of soccer, so who will do that for him now? His new gopher? Hitch made the deals happen and most at better value than Wagner could ever make happen. They have a former WNBA person in front office who does not realize the rules of substitution in this great game…..how can anyone feel this is a good move? The only person who cared about success in this organization is now gone….My seats are available to those looking for a new location near the players’ families.

This feels like the trading away of Ruiz. He was doing less and less for the club anyway, and I’m happy to see him leave, but it feels anti-climactic.

To you guys who think that giving SH more power is a good idea, see my other posts. He is a college coach, doesn’t know how to handle pro players, and never will. Don’t be blinded by 8 weeks of positives when the other 78 weeks have been dismal.

I want this team to succeed, but SH and Wagner and HSG are holding it back. Any billionare’s out there that want to buy this team, or lend me a billion so I can do it?

First, not surprised to hear this based on our team performance. You can’t say he didn’t bleed FCD red. In fact i would say he was a bigger fan than anyone on this 2 bit website. I agree that the biggest travisty is that the Hunts kept JWagner. He is so far up the Hunts’ arse that he can’t see the light of day. That accountant has made so many bad decisions we could create a blog just recapping them all and adding to it as he tears this place down. An accountant is running a sports franchise that is trying to grow? What? Minimize losses and forget about trying to build revenue. I think I read here before – name one successful company that is run by an accountant? They have CFOs and Directors of Finance for a reason! Now Hitch made some mistakes over the years and missing the playoffs a few years in a row in this business comes at a price, so he can’t be surprised. But we can all be surpised that the guy who has been running this organization fully for the past year into an average “announced” attendance of 8k at PHP (probably 4,500 actually here per game) is given total power. It’s like Clark is saying “we believe in this guy John, cause he knows how to run a team!”..into the ground. I’ve already said it before – Jose I will not be renewing my seats…but that decision was made well before this. I do however look forward to watching the circus that is FCD continue to reach new lows. John “Southlake, Build in Frisco, Compete against the clubs we need to support us, Raise Prices in a down market, Penny saved is a penny earned, I signed what contracts for the fields?” Wagner could write a book entitled “The Art of Keeping a Job – All while making Ridiculously Bad Decisions” – I’d buy it.
-Billy “still a fan though” Williams

I for one am happy to see Hitch go, it always seemed like he was giving us the same speech every time he talked. How is the team? “Thanks for your support” How are ticket sales? “Thanks for your support” I guess at some point the Hunts finally realized that they had got pitched by Hitch and he worked them for some $$ the past 4 years.
On the other side I am concerned as well with Mr. Wagner. still being involved. If Buzz is right and he had removed Hitch from all his responsibilities, was he not the one running the ship this past season? Seems to me there were a lot of bad decisions made this year that probably had to have his stamp of approval before going through, and not likely that Hitch had any say. If he is an accountant, I don’t see him putting any money into advertising, because he will be more worried about how much they are making off charging me money for water at a game.
Perhaps this is a postive move though, as it now puts Mr. Wagner at the front of FCD decisions, and allows the Hunts to finaly get rid of him if/when he continues to screw up.
Buzz – Any insight as to why he has been kept around as long as he has?
Dallas til’ I die!

Chuck, sure. In general the Hunts don’t fire people. It costs to much. They just let contracts run out.

So Wagner’s has a ten year contract or something?

It doesn’t seem that explains why Wagner has been allowed to stay for so long.

Chuck,

Solid observations about Hitchcock. The guy was a true politician for sure. Wagner will continue to make mistakes and when he continues to run the show, then where do you point the finger? To him or to his enablers? The Hunts are ultimately to blame as you are only as good as the people who work for you. They are loyal to a fault, but at some point they’ll need to wake up…willing to bet it will be 15 years too late. Also willing to bet that they would sell this team in a split second. Clark is all about the benjamins (can’t blame him), but not a good fit as a team owner. Owners are in it for their egos and it’s a nice toy to play with. When you’re in it as a business decision – wrong fit. Dan just seems to be in it to get some ass…which is equally brilliant. He should buy Clark out and get to work on building a winning team, cause that’s all he probably cares about…cause it will get him more ass.

Gents,
Look at the KC Chiefs….another Hunt organization that has been in the tubes since the death of Lamar. Wagner is still there to protect the grandchildren trust fund so they can pass on the legacy of taking a billion and making them into millions. I tip my hat to Hitch for giving blood for the sake of the club. Next up is the potential issue of PHP not running events as Hitch did for Frisco and the city bringing on the heat. Proud of our Walmart style soccer club? You get what you pay for…..cheap product at cheap prices.

Buzz, didn’t I try to give you this story about 3 weeks before it was announced?

Yes, and i worked very hard to land it and find confirmation… but was unable to do so.

Johnny Southlake in charge of the FO? You got to be kidding. Who do you thinks been running it for the last 2 years? Mistake after mistake. The only reason Johnny Southlake is still here is cause Clark has a warm spot still for his Dad and JS is his Dad’s guy…nuff said.

FCDgoingsouth, you’re right about most of the things you said but with 1 glaring error. With the significant hike in ticket prices for this past season, the product isn’t so cheap anymore.