With the internet and digital media quickly becoming the primary avenue through which clubs communicate with fans, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that a surprising portion of those teams are out of touch with their core fan bases.

In recent weeks, we struggled with Orlando City alienating supporters with a sexist tweet, and today, we’ve got the NWSL’s Houston Dash whiffing with a season ticket campaign.

The video, presumably the first in a ‘Date with the Dash’ series, has a reasonable premise. Plenty of teams use ‘Date with a _____’ campaigns to familiarize local communities with players and to build a relationship between supporters and the club itself. In fact, the campaign is a direct rip-off of a series of videos the Seattle Sounders released in 2011. However, while the Sounders managed to nail a goofy tone, the Houston Dash video is more late-80s 1-900 sleazy chat line than fun internet clip.





“I’m super shy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want companionship.”

“My spirit animal would have to be a wolf. A lone wolf, because I’m so lonely.”



“I really want you to come see me in 2015. Give me a call to make your date with the Dash.”

With those sorts of quotes, it’s a surprise that the Dash didn’t ask Brittany Bock to wear a low cut jersey and read her lines while washing a Camaro.

This, in itself, is the main problem. Time and time again, teams release content that is undeniably offensive to a portion of their fan base. Give it a few hours and they’ll pull that content, release an apology and claim that the content was misinterpreted and that they never intended to offend anyone. Hands are washed, and we all move on.

But that doesn’t solve the core issue, in any situation. It takes multiple eyes for any bit of media to be produced by a professional club or league. Multiple people see these gaffes before they’re released to the public, and think nothing of it. How many front office employees saw this Houston Dash video and chuckled because they thought it a hilarious way to reach out to fans? Plenty.

Brittany Bock is a professional athlete, first and foremost. Plenty of kids, of both sexes, look up to her as a role model, and yet you release a video of her begging for a man in her life? There’s an obvious disconnect here, and it’s not one that a carefully worded apology can resolve.

The problem goes deeper, of course. All that WAG content you see on Fox Sports or the Mirror? All those television spots that rely on old tropes that women don’t watch sports? All those websites that only cover women’s soccer when Alex Morgan is involved?

The sports industry is one underlined by an environment that’s struggling with change, with plenty of regressive voices in prominent positions.

It’s time for that to change, and it starts with fans making their voices heard.