Welcome to the new Toros Talk dot com

If you hadn't noticed over the last few weeks, Toros Talk had gone dark. Some of that was the MLS schedule wearing on me with a game every three days in May. Some of it was taking the time to evaluate what I wanted Toros Talk to be, both in the present and future.

The forever vision will always be a work in progress, but after research and consideration we've arrived at a point where I feel comfortable soft re-launching the site.

The first big change is we're no longer on Substack. The site is now a full-fledged website at the torostalk.com domain, which I picked up for a song. All the Toros Talk content, members, etc have been migrated to the Ghost.io platform, which will allow for more content creation tools.

If you were already subscribed to Toros Talk on Substack, nothing has changed. Posts will still arrive in your inbox, they'll just look slightly different. If you haven't subscribed yet, you still can for free (more on that later). I do recommend you subscribe if you like the content, because the metrics show that most readers appreciate the convenience of reading via email.

You'll also notice we've got a new splash banner on the front page and logo at the top. Those were all made by myself, which explains why they probably have high school graphics quality or thereabouts. Either way, they give us some new life and a slightly new image.

In the longest term, I want this website to become the go-to place for non first part FC Dallas content. I don't expect to beat out the main FC Dallas site, because why would I? (Plus Garrett and company do great work with unparalleled access). A silver medal to them is no shame, and it's my end goal. It'll take time because we've got great coverage in this market from established outlets. This doesn't mean you shouldn't support those outlets, quite the opposite. As someone who consumes them myself, it's part of how I'll measure what I do at Toros Talk. I want everyone in the market to be at their best, because that's what is best for the supporters.

All this means in the near future there will be a subscription model added to Toros Talk. To be clear: The majority of content on Toros Talk will be available for everyone free. That's the model I started with, it's the model I want to continue. That said, the Ghost move and purchasing the domain has increased the operating costs of Toros Talk. Part of this addition is to offset those costs.

The other is to create incentive to create bigger content. Paid subscribers to Toros Talk will get exclusive written content, which will consist of bigger research projects that take time. As I understand more what people want for their money, that sort of content will appear more frequently behind the paywall. Ultimately be it free or paid, I serve the supporters and subscribers. Delivering for them is my end game.

Coming later this year also is the Toros Talk podcast. As many of you know I host the FC Dallas Post Game Show, which we podcast on the FC Dallas Radio Network feed. This new venture will be more my opinions, thoughts, theories, reactions, etc. Like the written content the majority of the podcast will be free to all, with special episodes behind the paywall. Again, that will also evolve with time as I better understand the desires of the readership.

In the longest term future, I'd like to do some video work. Mainly tactical/sickos stuff, which is why I'm not promising a release date or even guaranteeing it will happen. Video is the medium I'm least trained in, so over-promising is not on my docket. Any videos I do for Toros Talk will be behind the paywall because of the effort and time they'll take. So if that's something you'd want, subscribe and tell me. If lots of people want it, I'll prioritize it.

As I roll out these new ideas, some of them are going to be great. Some of them are going to not work. It'll be trial and error, as all things are. While that process happens, I want everyone to know that while I'm creating the content I serve you the supporter.

Whether you're a free subscriber, a paid one, or you stop by once on the website this is ultimately for y'all. So the best thing you can do besides consume the content is tell me what you think. If there's an idea you want explored, pitch it. If there's a format you love or hate, tell me.

This will work best when I'm an avatar for you, the supporter. That's how I began this journey and it'll be how I end it too when the day comes. We are all one, a living breathing community of love for the game and team. For better or for worse, through thick and thin. Love shines through, it endures, and it builds the bedrock on which our fandom exists.

Vamos.

Coming tomorrow to Toros Talk: Three things FC Dallas needs to do in the summer transfer window