Hope for Houston

[Revolt]

Hey folks I have a serious couple of questions here. First off, I think H-town will make a great MLS franchise - preferrably as the 13th or 14th club.

Robertson. I remember when it was spiffed up a couple of years ago that there was buzz it would make a good MLS location. However, a number of folks who seemed to be in the know at the time always said that either the stadium owners or the local neighbors would NEVER allow for a pro sports club to use the stadium - especially weed-eating soccer fans. Has this mentality changed in some way and is Robertson a real possibility?

Reliant. Obviously, this joint's got all the bells and whistles - including A/C and a roof. Houston gets pretty severe summer weather, so these are obviously important amenities. However, is it in MLS's and Houston's real interest to have another club playing in a mamouth NFL stadium? Won't CA/MLS have some of the same basic issues of controlling revenues/expenses of renting out stadium?

I thought this is exactly the kind of business model MLS is trying to avoid in the future (US Football stadium owned by someone else). I know this isn't a hard and fast rule. Ref: SLC, where the new owners ponied up a check for $10M and basically trust us, we'll get a SSS done someday.

I guess its all worthwhile to get a new I/O and further roots into Mexican soccer. Still, these questions aren't insigificant.

SSS. In MLS-Houston rumors, anything on a SSS?

Thanks and good luck to y'all in getting an expansion franchise.

[Revolt]

I don't think anyone has ever effectively pulled off the dual-stadium thing for any length of time (the Packers playing a few games a year in Milwaukee was close). It causes more problems than it solves, I think. It's a logistical pain.

I think in the first year, you'd confuse the hell out of people.
How about the Celtics. Though the team only played a couple of games in Hartford, so maybe it doesn't count.

Maybe we should look beyond the sports world. How about the successful nation of Syria-Egypt? Okay, cancel that thought.

The Cleveland-San Jose Orchestra?

[kenntomasch]

Kansas City-Omaha Kings?

[Revolt]

Another bad example: Miami Fusion's last season.

[Eliezar]

Hey folks I have a serious couple of questions here. First off, I think H-town will make a great MLS franchise - preferrably as the 13th or 14th club.

SSS. In MLS-Houston rumors, anything on a SSS?

Thanks and good luck to y'all in getting an expansion franchise.

I'm from Houston and I don't want to see an MLS team moved into Reliant or Robertson unless either is on a 2 year basis while a SSS is actually built. Robertson wouldn't be a bad place to play at all, but I don't think its in the economic model we are after. And yes, the weather is too hot during the summer to play day games. Night games would be fine and most of the summer leagues around here do play games at night.

There are no rumors about a SSS in Houston because there are no rumors about a potential owner in Houston. I think Houston's best shot is for something like a Club America buy in for an ownership group to show up.

I've seen games at Robertson, Reliant, and I use to watch the Dynamo's play at some other stadium. I even got to meet (well you know the "hi I'm Pele let me sign your ticket, next") kind of meeting when he was sitting in the press box at a Dynamo's game. Houston will have a tough dynamic in pulling off a successful MLS franchise due to the sheer size of Houston (its larger than any other city in MLS), the lack of population in Houston (it is the 10th most populous metroplolitan area in the US, but the population also completely dies outside of that area unlike the east coast where its quite easy to pull people from say Philly to go to a Metro game while Philly's metro area is like 40% more populous than Houston's; Philly is twice as close to Giant's Stadium and RFK than Houston is to the Dallas and there is almost nothing between the two cities), the racial geographics (white suburbs, hispanic interior), lack of realistic mass transit for games, amount of other sports options (include high school football in that and a decently attended minor league hockey team as well as a WNBA team), and the heat/humidity issue.

I hope we get a team, but if Houston isn't run right it will end up about on par with what we see in San Jose currently.

[Caddman]

College match in Klein

SMU will play New Mexico at Meyer Park field No. 4 in Klein on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The match between two nationally ranked programs is a part of the Classics Youth Soccer Tournament.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/soc/2745833

[Atom'sDad]

I hope we get a team, but if Houston isn't run right it will end up about on par with what we see in San Jose currently.

This holds true for ANY team in ANY sport. And if we know this, then they (who will spend the $$$) to get a team here would know it. Look at Chivas USA, they hired somebody from the Galaxy to run the marketing here in the U.S. As much as they know about soccer, they were smart enough to hire somebody that knows the market there. If C.A. buys the Quakes and moves them here, I bet they would do the same thing.

Yes, Houston is spread out. But Football and Baseball don't seem to have a problem drawing the crowds and I don't think Soccer will either.

[mjtate]

This holds true for ANY team in ANY sport. And if we know this, then they (who will spend the $$$) to get a team here would know it. Look at Chivas USA, they hired somebody from the Galaxy to run the marketing here in the U.S. As much as they know about soccer, they were smart enough to hire somebody that knows the market there. If C.A. buys the Quakes and moves them here, I bet they would do the same thing.

Yes, Houston is spread out. But Football and Baseball don't seem to have a problem drawing the crowds and I don't think Soccer will either.


If they put the team in Robertson they will have trouble drawing suburban (white) fans to their matches. If the club is OK with that, then fine. Not like Reliant is a great choice either. I went to the Everton/CA match, and the KC Wizards match last season. While the sight lines are very good in at Reliant, you can't help but notice the emptiness all around the stadium. At least you're comfortable though!

[Atom'sDad]

Oh I agree with you. Any team moved or created here would need a SSS. I would think MLS would tell C.A. or any other potential owner that you would have to agree to build a SSS if you want in. Now before anyone points at Chivas USA - hey, L.A. is a different world.

I would like Reliant for now till a new stadium would be built. I watch MFL a lot and I can tell you that C.A. runs things different than Chivas. I still say that if they did come here, they would not have "America" in the name and the colors would be different.

[chowhog99]

The only thing positive I see in this posting is that Houston may finally get a team.

However, to have a team at the cost of unraveling the very nature of having a American run soccer league, something we have built on for nearly 30 years is a MISTAKE.

Mexico has their own soccer league.

Bringing a new fresh team to Houston is a good idea, but not at the cost of losing the San Jose Earthquakes and changing the scope of what U.S. soccer really is. U.S. soccer

[AndyMead]

The only thing positive I see in this posting is that Houston may finally get a team.

However, to have a team at the cost of unraveling the very nature of having a American run soccer league, something we have built on for nearly 30 years is a MISTAKE.

Mexico has their own soccer league.

Bringing a new fresh team to Houston is a good idea, but not at the cost of losing the San Jose Earthquakes and changing the scope of what U.S. soccer really is. U.S. soccer

Having only one franchise move from one city to another in the first ten seasons of a new league is hardly "unraveling the very nature of having an American run soccer league"

[Goodsport]

Having only one franchise move from one city to another in the first ten seasons of a new league is hardly "unraveling the very nature of having an American run soccer league"

Though even that may not happen (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3049707&postcount=93).


-G

[chowhog99]

AndyMeade what are you smoking?? because your brain is fried.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: California's ONLY multiple MLS Cup Champions!
There is no currently-used name in American professional soccer
that has a longer history than "San Jose Earthquakes", and you want to
dump it in the name of creating tradition? - Noah Elliott

Buddy, we even had George Best playing on the San Jose Earthquakes. Go do your soccer history.

[Atom'sDad]

I don't see a line of AMERICANS wanting to buy the Quakes. What is AEG suppose to do? Keep losing money? You hardcore fans are now trying to find a local group that would buy the Quakes from them. Now I think that it's great that you fans are doing that. But they don't want to lose money anymore and it seems like they picked SJ as the team that will be sold or moved if something does not happen by next month.

This forum is HOPE FOR HOUSTON. Stay out of here and stay in your own forum. We discuss our ideas, hopes and wishes for Houston. You want to bad mouth anyone, open up a forum about it, but like I said this is the Hope For Houston Forum.

[CeltTexan]

I don't see a line of AMERICANS wanting to buy the Quakes. What is AEG suppose to do? Keep losing money?

AD,

You do understand that pro sports in the U.S. and many other nations ARE NOT geared to profitability. That's the goal of course but its a break even venture more often than not. Pro sports are high dollar toys for men with billions in the bank and SE, plus millions to drop where they like!
Unless your franchise can move merchandise like the Cowboys, ManU or Yankees than there can be many seasons of LOSING money between making money. I wonder how many years in a row the Texas Rangers have LOST money? Or the LA Clippers?? Or the TB Lightning before this years incredicle run at a title???
So yes AEG knew ahead of time that they would be losing money and even more so they knew it would be a LONG DAY'S WORK to turn a coin with pro association football in our nation. The NASL tried to move pro soccer teams to find the right market.....look at where that got them!!!


This forum is HOPE FOR HOUSTON. Stay out of here and stay in your own forum.

Calmate amigo.
IMHO they are here because San Jose and their supporters might become Houston's team and distant fans.
Spend more than a year with us at Bigsoccer.com before posting something like that......cool?

[Rocket]

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Quakes are more likely to end up in San Antonio than in Houston in 2005:

On Thursday, AEG president Tim Leiweke, after reiterating that his organization had been unable to strike a deal to build a soccer-specific stadium in the Bay Area, listed three options regarding the Quakes' future.

The first was finding a local buyer, the second was sale of the team to Club America of the Mexican League, which likely would move it to Houston. The third option, which now seems the most likely, would have AEG retaining ownership of the Quakes for the time being and moving them to San Antonio, where they would play at the Alamodome until a new, soccer-specific stadium is built there.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/21/SPG618C04I1.DTL

[anderson]

There's also a piece in today's Chron - in the Local & State Section, of all places:

San Antonio's soccer dreams (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2749700)

But reports circulated this week that Houston, not San Antonio, is the likely destination for a team relocating from San Jose next year. Garza, however, said the San Jose option was one of many being mulled by local investors, and he's convinced MLS wants a team in San Antonio.

Houston may be first in line

Houston has a shot at getting a MLS team in the coming months, said Oliver Luck, executive director of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.

The San Jose Earthquake of the MLS could move here if a group led by Club America, a Mexican soccer team, and Televiso, a Mexican television network, buy the Earthquake from Anschutz Entertainment Group, Luck said.

The Club America-Televiso group, he said, is considering bringing the franchise to Houston or San Antonio.

San Antonio holds out hope.

"We're certainly keeping a dialogue open with officials from the MLS organization, but as well to the south with our friends in the Mexican League," Garza said. "We're targeting 2006 to position San Antonio to have a team, but we're not restricting ourselves to MLS.

"Over the next several weeks my goal will be to put a concept in front of as many potential investors or investment groups as possible."

[fordfjord]

Just got back from Portland, Oregon. Been out of the Houston loop (no pun intended) all week...

Coworker of mine said she heard a news blurb on the radio last week (not any sports channel, she was pretty sure) briefly describing "somebody buying that team in California and moving them to Houston" (her words, more or less). She said she only paid attention to it because she knows of my interest in the sport, and I was wondering if there hasn't been any other developments/rumors being made/continued. Sounded to me like a rehash of the latest with CA, while a brief Internet search did not bring back anything more definite than has already been put forth here.

At the very least, it was an honorable mention on mainstream radio.

[anderson]

This article and column from today's Chron are also linked over in the MLS N&A daily news thread, but just in case:

San Antonio mulls building soccer stadium (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2774030)MLS officials have told city leaders that San Antonio's chances of getting a team would increase if it agreed to build a facility, he said. A referendum, he said, likely could not be held until 2005.

U.S. men next face two qualifying tests, Glenn Davis (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2773942)For me, the San Jose Earthquakes have been the most entertaining team in MLS the last three seasons.

The Earthquakes have won two of the last three MLS Cup championships under coach Frank Yallop.

With a move to Houston or San Antonio and the potential purchase by Club America of Mexico imminent, this team is destined to be broken up.

With an expansion draft, players not wanting to move from the Bay Area, and the potential of Landon Donovan's moving to Europe, the time is now to see this team relocated.

No one knows the direction Club America will go with the roster.

The Earthquakes have been part of some of MLS' greatest moments and have been one of the most interesting teams in the league to watch.

[anderson]

Meanwhile...

Reliant to host U.S. women [Oct. 23] (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/soc/2794611)U.S. star Mia Hamm last played in Houston with the Washington Freedom during an exhibition at Rice.

"I love coming back to Texas," Hamm said. "Every time we have played in Houston it was awesome."