Houston MLS is...

[TBGKon]

Here is a little creation of mine (not an OFFICIAL logo) of what a 36ers wordmark would look like.

[Bernd]

Here is a little creation of mine (not an OFFICIAL logo) of what a 36ers wordmark would look like.

I like it. Nice work!

I hope the name reverts to something like this.

[FiddySicks]

this team should still be in san jose. so for that reason and that reason alone, the logo sucks balls

amen

[Discrim]

heh, the name's growing on me (it's relevant, unlike a certain Utah-based eleven) and the logo's pretty nice. all in all, I like what i see so far.

[TML-GBP 4 Life]

Speaking of number nicknames, the minor hockey team in Brantford, Ontario uses "99ers" for Wayne Gretzky, which is a cool nickname to me and Ottawa in the OHL uses the 67's which is in reference to the founding of the team (I think). Both work for me.

Personally I don't think that MLS will ever be taken seriously in the States or Canada. The US fans don't really seem to care (other than the small hardcore supporters, not hooligan hardcore though) and the Toronto MLS team, whatever the name, probably won't be overly supported, especially if it's not on regular TV. Other than hockey, Toronto fans are going to need to see a winner before they throw their support. Plus in Canada and Toronto especially the multicultural makeup of the cities tend to leave a lot of fans only wanting to support the best in terms of league soccer/football. And the MLS is not their yet. The best players play in Europe therefore its the best soccer/football.

Living outside of Toronto I know there are a lot of soccer fans but they all support there own clubs in Europe, whether its the premier league, italian serie A, bundesliga, etc... So I don't know what MLSE was really thinking in getting this expansion team. Personally I'm a Chelsea fan, but I'll give the MLS a try, but I'd probably have to be forced to actually buy tickets. I predict a flop in the first year.

[tj4eck]

.....LAME

[rams80]

Speaking of number nicknames, the minor hockey team in Brantford, Ontario uses "99ers" for Wayne Gretzky, which is a cool nickname to me and Ottawa in the OHL uses the 67's which is in reference to the founding of the team (I think). Both work for me.

I believe its also a reference to Canada's founding.

[Brian in Boston]

I have to admit that the individual parts of this identity package have grown on me to the point where I'm beginning to think that Houston 1836 may well be the best overall team identity in Major League Soccer.

In my opinion the Houston 1836 team logo is the best badge in MLS. I'd rank the league's logos/badges - best to worst - as follows:

1) Houston 1836

2) Real Salt Lake

3) FC Dallas

4) Chicago Fire

5) New England Revolution

6) Club Deportivo Chivas USA

7) DC United

8) MetroStars

9) Colorado Rapids

10) Columbus Crew

11) Kansas City Wizards

12) Los Angeles Galaxy

As for the Houston 1836 team name, I'd have to say that it is no worse than the third-best identity in MLS. I'd rank the league's team names - best to worst - as follows:

1) Chicago Fire

2) New England Revolution

3) Houston 1836

4) FC Dallas

5) DC United

6) Colorado Rapids

7) MetroStars

8) Club Deportivo Chivas USA

9) Kansas City Wizards

10) Los Angeles Galaxy

11) Columbus Crew

12) Real Salt Lake

[gordie_delini]

do we know what approximate font they used? or is that baby custom (which i'm guessing it is)

[NJTank]

What a horrendous nickname as Tony Kornhiser said what is their mascot going to be a calendar?

[Sodboy13]

After a couple of days of thinking it over, I've come to the following conclusions:

1. I will never like the name Houston 1836, nor any of its Euro-poseur counterparts.

2. This is a fantastic logo for MLS' 1836 All-Star game in Houston, and I can't wait to catch all of the action 169 years and 6 months ago.

In other words, sell me all you want on this one, I just ain't buyin'.

[Krona]

What a horrendous nickname as Tony Kornhiser said what is their mascot going to be a calendar?

why is everyone so thickheaded? its not a nickname! its a proper team name. the nickname will come naturally. dont watch soccer if it offends you that much. you probably dont anyways. if they were called the apollos, the CityKats, or something lame, would you watch soccer just because they have a nickname? i think its a great direction for the mls. it'll make serious soccer fans buy into the league while curious fans will hang on. i agree, its a rip-off of european clubs, but who cares? we're ripping-off the sport, why not rip off the traditions? right?

[swilson160]

So will the players be 1836s? The goalie meets up with the goalie from KC. "I'm a Wizard." "Really? I'm an 1836!" Or maybe, "I'm a 36." Or, "I'm a 36-24-36". Just call yourselves the Houston Eurotrash and get it over with already.

[Bernd]

What a horrendous nickname as Tony Kornhiser said what is their mascot going to be a calendar?

why is everyone so thickheaded? its not a nickname! its a proper team name. the nickname will come naturally. dont watch soccer if it offends you that much. you probably dont anyways. if they were called the apollos, the CityKats, or something lame, would you watch soccer just because they have a nickname? i think its a great direction for the mls. it'll make serious soccer fans buy into the league while curious fans will hang on. i agree, its a rip-off of european clubs, but who cares? we're ripping-off the sport, why not rip off the traditions? right?

But, as I said, it's not really a Euro tradition. It's a phony, hamhanded attempt to be cool, without any true understanding on why Euro teams use a date in the names in the first place. Lame.

[Puckguy14]

American soccer tradition can't hold the jock strap to any Euro league. I almost feel as if MLS is like Coach Bombay motivating District 5 from "The Mighty Ducks" by trying to rip off the motivation he learned from the regal and tough "Hawks". With the Hawks being the tradition of soccer in Europe.

[paynomind]

This is a fantastic logo for MLS' 1836 All-Star game in Houston, and I can't wait to catch all of the action 169 years and 6 months ago.

Excellent!

[bigtex]

There was an interesting article in the Houston Chronicle this morning about the name "issue." Apparently many hispanics in the Houston area are offended by using 1836 as it envokes strong feeling towards the year we ripped Santa Anna and all those other Mexicans a new one. Personally, I like the name. Too many teams pick a "mascot" and "nickname" just because it sounds and/or looks good. Yes, Houston 1836 may be a little off the mark trying to be "traditional" but it represents the CITY more than "apollos" or "generals" or anything else could. And that's what its meant to do, represent THE CITY. If you're not from Houston and you don't like it, boo freakin hoo. If you are from Houston and you still don't like it, go catch a game from all the "red white and blue space" teams, there's plenty of them. Long live the City on the Bayou, and long live Houston 1836!

[Titanole]

So will the players be 1836s? The goalie meets up with the goalie from KC. "I'm a Wizard." "Really? I'm an 1836!" Or maybe, "I'm a 36." Or, "I'm a 36-24-36". Just call yourselves the Houston Eurotrash and get it over with already.

Why do we have to call individual players anything? That went out the window a while ago when sports teams started using those stupid singular theme names. Do Minnesota hockey players puff out their chests and proudly proclaim "Hey, I'm a Wild!"? What is a Wild?

I happen to like the unofficial names that English clubs use. Their fans and media use nicknames that were developed as a result of the colors the club use (The Reds for Liverpool, The Blues for Chelsea) or a play on the club name (Hammers for West Ham, Spurs for Tottenham Hotspur) or a completely different reason altogether (Baggies for WBA, Addicks for Charlton). Some of our older baseball and football clubs developed their current names in the same way. I despise the way modern day American sports teams create names based on marketing studies and how a logo would look on a jacket.

I for one like the fact that the Dallas Burn (Hey, I'm a Burn!) changed to FC Dallas and the newest USL-1 club is Miami FC. The supporters and fans will come up with a name they will call their teams. That's the way it should be. Houston 1836 will be much the same. Maybe they'll be referred to as the 36ers or the Orange or something completely different. But there has to be some middle ground between the "America soccer should be exactly like it is in Europe" and the "American soccer shouldn't be anything like it is in Europe" crowds.

[Gothamite]

Why do we have to call individual players anything? That went out the window a while ago when sports teams started using those stupid singular theme names. Do Minnesota hockey players puff out their chests and proudly proclaim "Hey, I'm a Wild!"? What is a Wild?

I have to agree.

If that's why someone hates the name, they also have to hate the Lightning, the Wild, the Avalanche, and what seems like every Arena Football team name.

[Krona]

speaking from my experience, the folks who hate the euro trend dont care much for soccer, but want to see logos and branding. a fan from england told me he likes the new trend. he still thinks real salt lake is a crock, but who doesnt? the idea of a team nickname based on what the 18-35 set thinks is lame. thats why we have so many (insert noun)cats mascots. all other american sports are pretty much tied to starting with a nickname. the mls has a chance to start it over early in their existence and i think its working. the teams with no names give fans a bit of ownership. they can call them what they want. nobody ached about dc united. duh, im a united!....the team isnt even united for crying out loud. and for the last time...1836 ISN'T THE TEAMS NICKNAME!!! THEY DONT HAVE ONE!!