As much grief as we've given FC Dallas around here for their paltry attendance and apparent inability to leverage a beautiful new soccer-specific venue into real home support, there's no doubt that they're doing plenty right. The team sits solidly in a playoff spot after a spectacular run of form and their academy system is producing young talent at an impressive rate. I'm still uneasy about the Hunt Sports Group (and AEG for that matter) holding on to two teams, and I doubt Clark Hunt is quite the titan of industry his father was, but it would be unfair to claim that they're not making an effort.


On the business side of things, the side that brings them the most heat with Pizza Hut Park sitting near-empty most of the time, the club made a strong move indicative of effort. FC Dallas hired away the president of Soccer United Marketing, Doug Quinn, to right the ship and fill the stadium. Quinn is a soccer guy. He knows the league, he knows the market, and he appears to have a solid grasp of the task ahead.


In an interview with MLSsoccer.com, Quinn says many things that should make FC Dallas fans happy. The club will pursue high-profile friendlies, perhaps even at Cowboys Stadium (I'm not a fan of friendlies, but I understand the marketing/financial value). The academy will remain a priority. Service at the stadium is being addressed, and he's not above reaching down to the basic levels of the operation to make sure things are working as they should. Even if Quinn doesn't fix things overnight (and he certainly won't change the attendance numbers that quickly), he appears to have all of the skills necessary to make a difference over time.


If the location of Pizza Hut Park does not preclude FC Dallas from drawing respectably, I suspect Quinn is the guy to figure out how to get people into the seats. The way the team is playing and building a talent base, it's a pity so few show up to see them perform.