...to Houston. The Earthquakes are coming to H-town. Don Garber held a teleconference about an hour ago. San Jose keeps the Earthquakes name and records ala the Cleveland Browns. Garber says that SJ is first on the list of expansion in 2007 IF they can get their stadium act together.

I feel bad for San Jose because they have some very loyal fans and that team is as close to a tradition that US soccer has. But, I'm glad I have a team in my backyard. I'll be a season ticket holder. Hell, I might try and get a job with them.

What really sucks is that it breaks up what is probably the best rivalry in the MLS...LA/San Jose.

Does it sound crazy to anyone else that they are moving a team away from San Jose, yet San Jose is 1st on the list of expansion cities?

I hate when they do this like the Charlotte Bobcats.

Yeah LA/San Jose is/was almost undoubtedly the best rivalry. I really hope San Jose gets a team soon.

As for the reason why San Jose is being promised a team in the next round of expansion...well it may seem weird at first glance but if you go into the history between AEG, the city of San Jose, and San Jose St., it makes sense. Fan support was never the issue in San Jose...everything else was.

i heard about this earlier this morning. hopefully a rivalry will form between Houston and FCD.

i'm curious where the stadium will get placed. i think i heard they will play at UH until a stadium is ready.

I'm sure AEG will talk about the stadium tomorrow during the newsconference. UH is an option and I've heard a few high school stadium down 290 are possibilities as well. As far as where a permanent stadium would be, I have no idea and I don't think anyone else does either. That's part of the reason why a lot of San Jose fans are pissed.

I grew up mostly in Houston and played a lot of soccer there. I always wished Houston had gotten an MLS team instead of Dallas. I just recently moved to the Bay Area and live about 15 minutes from Spartan Stadium. I got to catch a handful of Earthquakes games, and then they move the damn team. That sucks.

What are the chances the new expansion team (if it ever comes) would have the same name? I never liked the Earthquakes name, logo, or colors much. I know there is a lot of history behind the name, but it's still stupid. I hope everything is new if/when this area gets a new MLS team.

If San Jose gets another team, it's going to use the Earthquake teams and colors.

DFW soccer is lightyears above houston, so why would houston have gotten it?

quote:

---

DFW soccer is lightyears above houston, so why would houston have gotten it?

---

I never said Houston should have; just that I wished they had because that's where I was for a long time.

The one consistent rumor Ive heard re:permanent site for soccer in Houston, is HISD and the MLS team collaborating to build a 20,000 seat soccer/football facility plus a couple practice fields/football stadiums on the current site of Delmar stadium at 290 and 610. HISD headquarters is also currently being built on the site.

******* March 24, 2004...Everything Would Change *******

I know, I just wanted to point out that houston soccer sucks when compared to dfw soccer...its still probably better than 90% of the USA, though.

Ok, I guess it's time to start naming the team.

I cast the first vote for anything but "Energy". I hated that proposal for Texans.

Shouldn't Houston concentrate on getting an American Football team before they take on soccer?

i just hope they dont go the "lets copy non english speaking european team names" route. 'real' salt lake is the dumbest thing ive ever heard in my life. does anybody in utah even speak spanish? i would, however, go for something like houston athletic.

[This message has been edited by heddleston (edited 12/16/2005 12:29a).]

i agree

you mean a ripoff like "Sporting Houston"

how about the Houston Smog

The best name Ive heard is Rovers which is both an internationalized name, and looked at another way, has a space connotation.

******* March 24, 2004...Everything Would Change *******

I agree Rovers is the best I've heard and quite fitting.

What about the Houston Hayseeds?

I look forward to this Texas derby. FCD will own H-town...

How about the Houston Tejanos?

quote:

---

FCD will own H-town...

---

Bring it biatch. Our team won the supporter's shield lst year so I'm not worried.

As for the name, I highly doubt it will be the Rovers. I mean, while appropriate, the connotation in them "roving" their way from SJ to Houston. It's being left up to vote which scares me. There are some ridiculous ideas out there which scares me. Someone actually suggested Inter Houston...and wasn't joking.

Wow! Already "your" team won the Supporter's Shield. Very quick allegiance there Dre_00.

The rivalry will be fun indeed, and finally a road game that won't require flying/hotel/car rental (the $$$ add up quick). I think the Chivas/Houston rivalry could be a good one too.

Regarding the name, Rovers would make too much sense... just pray it's not some stupid name like Clash or Burn (two of the worst ever, and I'm a hardcore Dallas supporter since 96). Who will be doing the voting for the name? And any word on colors, uniforms, etc.? Changing or not? Still very early I guess, but this thing has been a long time coming. I congratulate Houston on their new team, but have to feel for the followers of San Jose. I've met quite a few Quakes fans and they are some good, knowledgeable folks. Anyway, bring it on H-town!

Whatever the new name is, it can't possibly be worse than Real Salt Lake. I'm not too worried. "Astros" and "Oilers" were never very good names, but we coped. Rovers would be kind of cool, but like someone else said, it makes too much sense.

quote:

---

Wow! Already "your" team won the Supporter's Shield. Very quick allegiance there Dre_00.

---

Damn straight. I've been waiting for this for years. I do hate to see San Jose lose their team though. Hopefully, this expansion in 2007 talk pans out and they get the Earthquakes back.

the intersection of 290 and 610 needs to be strip mined. That whole area - mall, stadiums, fieldhouses, heck even Malibu - should all be flattened. I went to too many crappy games at crappy Delmar and Dyer in middle school and high school. I hear Malibu is gone now, though. I can't believe HISD has outgrown the Taj Mahal.

d/p

[This message has been edited by I Should Be Working (edited 12/16/2005 2:00p).]

That entire area will probably be completly redeveloped. The warehouse district east of the loop is already disappearing as those businesses sell to developers dur to increasing land values (and thus taxes).

******* March 24, 2004...Everything Would Change *******

Northwest Mall will probably be demoed and redeveloped in the near future also.

******* March 24, 2004...Everything Would Change *******

Placing the stadium there is a bad idea IMO.. Just like having the "Burn" in the ghetto sucked too.

Anybody who thinks 290 at 610 is the equivalent of the area around Fair Park is a moron.

******* March 24, 2004...Everything Would Change *******

quote:

---

Anybody who thinks 290 at 610 is the equivalent of the area around Fair Park is a moron.

---

Wow, don't you think the more likely scenerio is that the person is not familiar with the city, rather than merely being a "moron"? Ironically, I think you just showed who the moron is...

PS: People mentioned putting it at Cougar High until it was built, and so I thought perhaps it was near that area- which I know is ghetto. Also, people mentioned them doing a joint project with H.I.S.D., which also sounds like a ghetto location.

[This message has been edited by Aston04 (edited 12/17/2005 10:39a).]

Moron!!!

In my opinion, the best location for the team to receive a larger fan base for home games is downtown Houston. The city owns enough land near the Aquarium and also by minute maid park. With the re-development of downtown's businesses and night-life, that would offer the football club a chance to root itself with the entire city.

I am all for the stadium being at the old Delmar location. UH is not going to attract the soccer rich northwest side of town (Klein/Spring/Cy-Fair) groups...although after attending the meeting downtown the other day, it is obvious they are going straight for the latino crowd...so whoever said Houston Tejanos...I bet you are the closest to being right, dear god!

Tool, where do you live? I am about to accept an offer that will move me to the Concord area. I have lived in the Houston area for all of my life except for two years in New Orleans.

[This message has been edited by tool (edited 12/21/2005 8:57p).]