It's Houston Dynamo...

[shadesofblack]

ON THE NEW NAME/LOGO: ...the more i look at it the more the logo grows on me, the name....eh.....might still take some time. i liked the houston 1836 logo however.

ON A SIDE NOTE: i was wondering if anyone knew anything on the situation with Cleveland getting an MLS team here? the last i formally heard of it was when i went to the last (now disfunct) Cleveland Force indoor socce game. I searched wikipedia and there was a whole paragraph on clevelands chance so idk. Personally idk if cleveland would support a soccer team. i mean its not like we have much to support anyways with the exception of the cavs and (last years) indians. i would love to see a soccer team in cleveland only cuz i love soccer ...but its prolly unlikely

From wikipedia:

One of those other cities is the Great Lakes city of Cleveland. A massive soccer and shopping development has been proposed for the Cleveland area totaling over 260 million dollars in construction. The stadium promises to be one of the most expensive in the MLS, with a price tag estimated by the prospective developer at 160 million dollars. As yet, the MLS has not committed to giving Cleveland a team, although there is no doubt they are impressed at the committment from the city and the prospective developer. An announcement on their decision is expected within the year

[rtrich11]

Post the 1836 and Dynamo side by side.

[cajunaggie08]

I was all in support for this team when it first was announced Houston was getting an MLS team, but after just a few months and much political complaining, i allready am sick and could care less about the team before it even takes the field. I just cant see myself saying i'm gonna go see the Houston Dynamo. the name blows. 1836 was ok. The Dynamo logo itself is pretty good, but just a weird and horrible name. I understand the MLS is trying to imitate earupean soccer names but soviet and eastern europe? the team has allready let me down and has made it known that i'm not its target audience because not hispanic so i dont ever see me paying a dime to see them play.

[shadesofblack]

[rtrich11]

Thanks for posting the comparison. Wow. They really went 180º the other way. Maybe another team someday will use the bulk of the 1836 logo, minus name, of course. 'Tis pretty cool.

[jab8281965]

I was wondering if anyone knew anything on the situation with Cleveland getting an MLS team here?

I know the former owner of the Force. He wants it to happen.

[VandyDelphia Mike]

What's a dynamo?

What's a nubian?

since the question's been raised ...

Black Rage!

[ColeJ]

houston 1836 is a much cooler name...

but how are we pronouncing this new one? will it be deenamo, or dienamo?

[js °]

blah ... im very much in the 1836 camp on this one.

Houston went with an original and unique name with some exciting branding possibilities ... and now went out of their way to dilute their team into everything that is typical and mundane, just because some short sighted fans had a small problem with it for some very silly reasons.

Had they stuck with 1836, I can guarantee they could have easily done some solid marketing work that would have been completely non-offensive, and eventually all the controversial nonsense would have been completely forgotten, as fans would have just become fans regardless of the peripheral bull.

[slapshot]

What's a dynamo?

What's a nubian?

since the question's been raised ...

Black Rage!

Stupid tracers.

[gosioux76]

ON A SIDE NOTE: i was wondering if anyone knew anything on the situation with Cleveland getting an MLS team here? the last i formally heard of it was when i went to the last (now disfunct) Cleveland Force indoor socce game. I searched wikipedia and there was a whole paragraph on clevelands chance so idk. Personally idk if cleveland would support a soccer team. i mean its not like we have much to support anyways with the exception of the cavs and (last years) indians. i would love to see a soccer team in cleveland only cuz i love soccer ...but its prolly unlikely

From wikipedia:

One of those other cities is the Great Lakes city of Cleveland. A massive soccer and shopping development has been proposed for the Cleveland area totaling over 260 million dollars in construction. The stadium promises to be one of the most expensive in the MLS, with a price tag estimated by the prospective developer at 160 million dollars. As yet, the MLS has not committed to giving Cleveland a team, although there is no doubt they are impressed at the committment from the city and the prospective developer. An announcement on their decision is expected within the year

Last I read, there were plans for a soccer-specific stadium somewhere between Cleveland and Akron, though i'm not big on my Ohio geography. The plans were to get an MLS expansion team for its opening.

I read this in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Looking at that earlier post about Carolina Dynamo, now there's a team with a historical and graphical link to Europe. If you look at the logo, it incorporates the main mark of English side Nottingham Forest. The team was apparently founded by a former Notts Forest stakeholder.

Just interesting to see that these European connections aren't that new.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Of the three, the only name I liked was the Republic -- and I'm not sure why they didn't keep that. I can appreciate the political senstivity involved with the name, but considering that there was no professional soccer in Houston in 1836, the whole thing seems kind of silly to me. (And yes, I'm aware of the 49ers and 76ers arguments. Do note that it wouldn't have been the Houston 36ers.)

Please, don't put MLS soccer in Cleveland or Akron. Columbus is close enough to be within driving distance (2 hours, right?) and when I think about Ohio I certainly don't think "Soccer State USA." I'm still waiting for Rochester, NY to get its team. They just finally finished their ugly 11,000 seat stadium. Seems to me that should be good enough for the MLS.

[-kj]

Of the three, the only name I liked was the Republic -- and I'm not sure why they didn't keep that.

Because the whole Houston Republic name and logo was a hoax generated by someone not connected with MLS at all.

[Brian in Boston]

I'm still waiting for Rochester, NY to get its team. They just finally finished their ugly 11,000 seat stadium. Seems to me that should be good enough for the MLS.

Major League Soccer wants deep-pocketed owner/operators running the league's franchises. More to the point, MLS officials want said owner/operators to pony up a pretty significant expansion fee in order to gain entry to the league. To date, the ownership group in Rochester (Frank DuRoss, Steve Donner and Chris Economides) hasn't shown the inclination to meet Major League Soccer's price.

[Avenger]

At the end of the day, I guess I just don't understand the original beef with 1836. I understand 1836 happened to be when the US defeated Mexico and whatnot, but aren't Houstonians (or whatever they're called) inherently Americans? Even if you're of Mexican descent, I don't understand how a war over 150 years ago could rip you, when you're a citizen of the side that won, especially when the team name wasn't even in reference to this war.

I'm a bleeding heart liberal, but this seems hypersensitive to me. You don't hear people of British ancestory agahst at the Philly 76ers, do you? How is this not the same thing?

[Brian in Boston]

You don't hear people of British ancestory agahst at the Philly 76ers, do you? How is this not the same thing?

I have to believe that the major difference is that Philadelphia isn't home to a city population of which 27% of the residents identify themselves as "British" or "English".

By contrast, nearly 528,000 of Houston's 1,953,631 residents identify themselves as "Mexican".

[Titanole]

By contrast, nearly 528,000 of Houston's 1,953,631 residents identify themselves as "Mexican".

And of course therein lies the problem. There should be 1,953,631 residents of Houston who identify themselves as American. Well, those who are actually U.S. citizens anyway.

Are there a half million Mexican aliens, legal or illegal, in Houston?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Of the three, the only name I liked was the Republic -- and I'm not sure why they didn't keep that.

Because the whole Houston Republic name and logo was a hoax generated by someone not connected with MLS at all.

Got it. I hadn't followed the story that closely. Last I knew, I thought the "Republic" was a red herring put forth by the actual MLS team. Weird.

By the way, I hear "Dynamo" and picture one of those masked Mexican wrestlers. I think that would make fore a terrific mascot, and I freely submit that idea to the powers that be.

[Avenger]

You don't hear people of British ancestory agahst at the Philly 76ers, do you? How is this not the same thing?

I have to believe that the major difference is that Philadelphia isn't home to a city population of which 27% of the residents identify themselves as "British" or "English".

By contrast, nearly 528,000 of Houston's 1,953,631 residents identify themselves as "Mexican".

I understand that, and I also understand that Mexicans have far more more of a history of enduring racism than the British as well. I understand that some sensitivity can be aquired from being in that situation.

I guess my point is that the original name was never in reference to anything having to do with Mexico. It was the founding of the city that the team will play in. I guess I just don't understand how anyone can find that offensive. It would be different if the logo made implications otherwise, but it didn't.

Like I said, I'm as liberal as anyone, and as against racism as anyone. I understand that the team felt they needed to change things to be as inclusive as possible to their constiuency. I just don't understand a group people making a race/cultural issue out of something that really isn't one to begin with.

As an outsider looking in, making a big deal of something like this only dilutes the importance of taking a stand about real racial and cultural injustices.

[Saturn]

At the end of the day, I guess I just don't understand the original beef with 1836. I understand 1836 happened to be when the US defeated Mexico and whatnot, but aren't Houstonians (or whatever they're called) inherently Americans? Even if you're of Mexican descent, I don't understand how a war over 150 years ago could rip you, when you're a citizen of the side that won, especially when the team name wasn't even in reference to this war.

Actually, Texas declared independence from Mexico first. Then, later on, the Republic of Texas joined the US as a state.