Before some of us drift off for the winter, I thought it would be cool if everybody who's been with us this season left us a message here, sort of like a little memory book of the season. We've all become friends this year, gone thru an incredible experience together, experienced highs and lows together, and watched the sport and the team grow and blossom in Houston. I hope everybody who's been around this year leaves a message. We don't need people from other boards coming on, and hopefully it will stay civil; I would hate to think that Yanks would have to close this one down. Say what you want. I'm gonna write what I feel and also write some things about me that I've been curious about other posters, so maybe they will write about some of the same things (hint ) I know I've met some of you, others I can only imagine things about them; some posters I'm sure are pure fiction (Rikker....) Ok, here goes mine..... I first came to BS in January when I read in the Chronicle that the name would be 1836, based on "reliable sources" in the fan board BigSoccer.com. Never heard of it before. Since then I've been hooked. I chose my name because I needed a name to log on, I was at work where I teach, my school's mascot is the Brahma, so I just started typing. I forgot to put the accent mark in Brahmafútbol, it kills me that it's not there and it can't be fixed. Things I'll always remember this season: Going to Austin in the cold to watch 1836 play RSL and leading 1836 chants ("18--36!!" Well, leading is pretty strong; me and my friend were the only ones doing them, every one else just laughed.) Talking to the players at halftime and after the game, realizing for the first time these guys are gonna be cool. Reading on BigSoccer on and on and on about the name 1836, if it would change, why it should change, what it would be changed to, etc, etc etc forever and ever. And having to read the thoughts of people in LA and Dallas that didn't understand the Houston experience at all. But surviving it anyway. The uniform unveiling, when again we got to talk to players and the coaches. Dom was really funny that night, like he always is. We told Ching he'd be going to the WC. Channel 45 interviewed us, my friend made it onto the news, my answers were all "emocionante, emocionante, emocionante" and I guess they thought I wasn't emocionante enough. The pick a seat day at Robertson, we got to see the stadium for the first time. It made everything seem real. And hanging out with the players, welcoming them to Houston, talking about their feelings about the move. I remember I took a picture next to Dom, somebody told me to "look like a coach" and Dom said "then don't smile." The first game--how awesome was that????? We thought every game would have 5 goals and over 20,000 fans, right? All the cool folks that sat around me in 204, Pat and his "friend," Yolanda and her husband, the lady behind me we called "Zidane" because that's what she kept shouting when we were standing. All the games when it almost rained but never did, the lightning and humidity and the heat, oh my! The first bus trip to Houston and having to wait on one of us who decided to go out to eat with the FCBoys. And the heat. And the beer can incident. And the heat. The tie that felt like a win. And the team saluting us at the end. Oh, and the heat. The second bus trip to Dallas and how we almost tied it in the end!! And the flares. And the jersey. And the loss that felt like a tie. And the team saluting us at the end. Those US Cup games, the one with the Central Americans and the one at night at Carl Lewis field. The 4th of July barbeque with all the trimmings that wasn't. The Dynamo/Barcelona double header that was the best soccer game I'd ever seen, until the first playoff, until the second playoff, until the Cup game. Wow! All those goals, and Ronaldhino!! And the Barça practice was amazing too. Who would have thought all those people would go to watch an "out of town" team practice soccer??? And where was the press back in those days??? All the screwed up refereeing, the bad calls that were made, the ones that weren't made, the goal that shouldn't have been, the red cards that were and the red cards that weren't. And then the play offs, and the crowds getting bigger and better, the excitement, the last minute heroics, the BICYCLE KICK to win the game. Wow. And all that orange. And then the last game in Dallas, the drive up there with the River of Orange on I45, that flowed into the Sea of Orange in PHP. Fantastic. The surge of emotions, the Rev goal then just like that the goal we made, then the pk's. Wow oh wow oh wow. Almost forgot the World Cup, really it was sort of forgetable, but fun at the time and lots of good discussions here. And finally, all the cool folks that we've seen--Nobius, the amazing Anderson, Schwabe, Dre, FuBoy, Figopimp, Yanks, that strange DaVinciHomes guy who came and went in a flash (taking his money with him, no doubt), Sircuauh, Greñas, Bandido, Rikker, Rikker, Rikker, and all those others that have brought all their knowledge, enthusiasm, opinions, and ideas to these forums and to the games. THANKS EVERYBODY!!!!! and GOORANGEIN 2007 VAMOSNARANJAEN 2007 now, it's your turn......
There's a similar thread in the Supporter's sub-forum. I have a post there but I'll add here that I am amazed how many great people I have met as a result of this team. Meeting and getting to know the people, be it friends in 213, the players, or the soccer fanatics that work so hard in the FO, has been the most rewarding part of this season.
I also agree that one of the best things about having an MLS team in Houston has been getting to know many of the folks who post regularly here -- and several more who really should post more regularly. I was fortunate to happen to be living in an MLS market in 1996 when the league started up (Boston, oddly enough in a full circle sort of way) and always believed that, eventually, MLS in Houston would be a hell of a ride. It's been even better than I hoped. We knew that we were extremely fortunate to get a team that could compete for a championship right away, but we also benefitted from having a great FO that accomplished so much with so little time, more receptive media than most MLS markets -- led by soccer champions like Glenn and Bernardo, and an incredibly knowledgeable, diverse, and passionate fan base. It's what we all envisioned, but could only hope to see during this league's first ten years. Now that we have it, let's see if we can keep it. Let's keep supporting those who support MLS in the media and through sponsorships -- let's keep doing everything we can to create an environment that will help Oliver Luck strike a stadium deal to ensure that we can celebrate championships under orange skies for years to come.
I remember hearing about the Earthquakes coming and getting excited. I'm a Houston guy first and formost, national next, world third. I watched all the news come across and thought things hit a real low when the Dynamo released their name (the 1836 one) in a school auditorium...(that's me, though). Then the whole naming controversy, which I've yet to come across anyone who is/was offended. I had no problem with the name, myself. Then comes game time. I got tickets early and had them mailed to me...ended up being a smart idea. I took my corner in 200, where I cheered and enjoyed the game. I also apparently pissed a lot of people off because I stood and shouted at the refs/players in English and Spanish...my height blocked the game...(which my sister and mom would point out and force me to sit and "behave"). A lot of the Hispanic people certainly had fun when sitting around me...(especially at the Reliant game...they laughed the whole time!). It frustrated me a bit, but I lived. I remember that huge crowd the first day....totally shocked me. But it was freakin awesome and what a way to start the year: 4 goals!!! I showed up to all the other games (minus 3 due to surgery), the USOC game and all the playoffs! Oh the memories....too many to name. Enjoying the players on the field, the fans in the North end, the bad scoreboard and worse food (they've fixed one, maybe the other now?), hot weather, nice weather, rainy weather. Cheering our guys on. Finally registered after the surgery once I was lucid (those drugs they give ya do a number on you) and meeting several people from BS and enjoying posting every day. As the year went on, the team and fans got better. By the time DCU rolled in, things got insane and we were rewarded with an insane goal. Then there was Chivas and The Brawl, the Nervous Crapids, and Orange Frisco with the Convoy supplied by Mac overnight after he was awed by us. 71 Seconds of pure pain followed by pure, unadultered joy. Then the PKs, which made me nervous. When Pat mad that save, I jumped around with people around me...we held hands up in the air and jumped and banged our heads like rockers. I cheered and laughed and had so much fun. Partied with Waibel when he came to the stands and had a peaceful ride back, knowing the Cup was right behind us. How could this year get better? A CCC Win would be nice, but I'll take a repeat, too. Here's to awesome fans, a incredible team, and an improbable year.
I'm not able to be as much a part of everything as you guys. I live in Austin so I can't make everything. I was at the Reliant games, the FCD game up in Dallas where the Dynamo tied it at the end, the FCD demolition at Carl Lewis field, the DCU game with Ching's bicycle (Wow!), and the conference final and cup @ PHP. You guys in TA/EB add great atmosphere. I only wish more people would sing and chant along the side because I like watching from up high along the sidelines. I grew up with Houston soccer. I was at every game the NASL Houston Hurricane ever played in Houston -- and Houston Summit Soccer as well. I sat on the bench. I was at almost every practice. I was a volunteer Asst. Equipment manager for those teams. I worked their soccer camps. I knew those players. I kicked around and played little games with some of the reserves. Some of 'em bought me my first beer. They were friends. When the Hurricane folded I was devastated. Seeing top level professional soccer succeed in Houston is a dream for me that I had lost. Going to the world cup and being with so many US soccer fans was another dream. I teared up in Gelsenkirchen and Kaiserslautern. US fan presence was huge. Really THE surprise of the cup was the US fans. I never thought in my lifetime I would be at a US game in Europe -- against European powers -- and we would outnumber them. I know it goes against popular belief but I was proud of our play. Our boys came close to getting out of an amazingly tough group. Our US media were nuts to think that we could Likewise, seeing Robertson full of Orange (the ol' Hurricane color) was special as well. I want attendance to grow, and I was disappointed to be at games and look around and see the same number that were at games in the Astrodome nearly 30 years ago. But if an average of 20,000 can be reached in the next five years then that will be real progress. I think it is possible. Do you? Again, the numbers and atmosphere at the conference final was special. When I think about it -- it really was a dream year. World Cup and Dynamo. I know I don't know you guys -- but your passion is a big part of the Dynamo's success and I thank you for it. You sure add alot to my enjoyment.
FCLouie: What a year. I can't remember how I got to these forums. Or why the hell I choose FCLouie. I think it was because I wanted the team to be something like Houston SC but thought they would end up doing something like FC Houston. You all know with our FO I could have been right. The FO: My conspiracy theory at the time (that I may have posted all those months ago, but who can remember...) was that the 1836 name was meant to draw attention, then the final name was to show an ability to accommodate to attract people to the first few games. Now I know that's just stupid. The 1836 name was the first of many well intentioned goofs, Dynamo was a comment on the KGB members that pushed the name change. Yea, this is another FCLouie post. It only gets weirder from here. Well okay, not as weird as the last few weeks... The FO did a good job on getting the product on the field and getting it connected. It may have taken a few stumbles to learn how to walk the walk in 'ol H-town, but the Sea of Orange is getting together! The team & fans: We've proven what I've been thinking since 1996, MLS screwed up big time when they didn't put a team here. At least we avoided the goofy names the teams had at the beginning. But it would have saved me ten years of suffering through trying to follow the Burn. (Okay, the suffering began when they brought in that little fishy punk.) As many as there have been, I wonder where the rest of the people who care about the beautiful game are hiding. The Rob should be full at all times! The group of guys on this team have been really great. In fact, one night at the Mezz after a game me and my wife were talking to Ching and he seemed as awed by us as we were of him. I can't imagine ever being able to talk to Biggio like that. I also love the crowd at the front of sec 205. I think I've really loosened them up and got them to let their hair down as the season went on. Maybe me and Chris can work out a way to find out who can yell louder. (ME!!!) Oh, and to the people in sec 105, ha ha, you should see how dumb you look when you're starring at me for yelling at the ref. My mission for next year is to finish beating 105 into submission. My fellow BigSoccer Dynamo forum posters: I hate to say I've only run into a few of you. Bandido, Figopimp and Zolafan are the only guys that I think recognize me in a crowd but I have talked to more then a few of the rest of you. I'd like to meet a few more of you. I think it would be more fun if I actually knew some of you, I could custom tailor my humor better! No, that wasn't directed at Rickker, I think that guy'd have to have some cool stories to tell. Also a certain vicious little dogie who seems to have as much to say about things as I do... There're more, but why try to name them all, I'll just leave someone out. The Championship: We won't go into all of it here, but what can I say, I missed having my wall to lean on. And when Tyler "the twat" Twellman scored, we all got real quiet for a second. Then I yelled: LET'S GO DYNAMO, ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK! So Ching and Mullan listened to me! Oh, and I lost track of how many PKs had been taken, so when the team charged Onstad I thought we had another pair of kicks to suffer through. YA Pleasant surprise! Dynamo! BTW, if I had one regret about this year it's that we didn't make the "Return of The Ching" banner for his first game back from the WC.
While I've not met any of you in person it's been great reading and posting on these boards since I first heard MLS was coming to Houston. I'm a sit down and watch the game kind of guy so I got my season tix near midfield in the front row of the upper tier and I couldn't have asked for better seats. We've had great fans all around us all season long. I remember how pleasantly surprised I was that the people attending that first game really knew the game, paid attention, oohed and ahhhed at the right moments, yelled at the ref, clapped for good footwork, moves and nutmegs. I fell in love with this team instantly. I remember the naming controversy of course and the 1836 logo being leaked on MLSNet.com. The renaming to Dynamo of course, the kit unveiling ceremony. Getting to sit in the Verizon Wireless Club Boxes for the Barcelona match. Finding out about Glenn Davis' radio show. Watching the press coverage skyrocket once we won the Western Conference. Watching the Texian Army and El Battalion grow larger and larger with each game, especially in the playoffs. My top 10 favorite memories from this season: Chingy's come-back header in the MLS Cup - un-friggin-believable! Pat's PK save to win the MLS cup and the resulting celebration! Ching's header to beat Chivas USA to make it to the conference final -- the roar and frenzy of the crowd was incredible Ching's bicycle kick to beat DC United (see ya Freddy!) DeRo's goal from midfield in Chicago DeRo's goal in the All-Star game to beat Chelsea. The flurry of goals and Ching hat trick + 1 plus Moreno's bicycle in game 1. What a way to make a first impression! Mullan's fly-in goal to cinch the win against Colorado for a berth in the MLS Cup. Dalglish's 2 goals to come from down 1-0 to win a berth in the MLS Cup The entire crowd at Robertson chanting "Ole Ole Ole" in unison in the 2nd half of the West. Conf. final. Thanks to everyone for a great inaugural season. Dynamo forever!
Being at City Hall for the announcement back on December 16th 2005. Hearing Glenn speak, Maggard speak and Oliver speak. I was able to shake Dom's hand and welcome him to Houston. Glenn immediately chimed in with," yeah this guy will get you some fans Dom!"...that really sticks out after all that has been grown and come to bloom! The naming controversy lead by Sylvia "The Hypocrite" Garcia and her not returning any Texian Army calls in Feb for a meeting of minds to come to some reasonable solution before the media ran away with the race card. Johnna and I going out on a stormy March night all the way to NASA for a coaching gathering. Oliver wanted us there to speak on what the public can expect from the Texian Army...Oliver spoke, Dom spoke and when we were asked to come up to the front I walked up, thanked Dom for our first Silverware in the Carolina Cup and by the end of the night the Bay Area coaches were fired up and ready to come to our tailgating. April's Opening Night and the Hinchada numbering about 50 Texians and 5 dudes from Costa Rica chanting Cinco! Cinco Cinco! after Chinger had bagged #4...we all wanted #5 and to everyone in attendance that night we got it!!! Rico's spanker of a goal that put us up 3-0 on FC Frisco in our first ever MLS encounter in May...then stealing points (and I mean stealing points as we had no businees getting anything that trip) out from under FC Frisco Supporters. Ha ha ha ha! May was also when I was able to meet Chega, Grenyas, Hernan and more of our Batallon Tejano brothers. Forever will be the Hinchada Tejana day when Chega told me about the under the table deal our FO had pitched them. Budweiser was gonna offer them $12 tickets (like what Johnna and I worked hard for back in Feb/March) and Chega told them "you want us to get in with a manufactured "La Doce" in Section 217....{uck that!....we're staying in 213 with the Texian Army!" IT WAS THEN THAT WHAT WE HAVE GROWN ORIGINATED! Viva La Hinchada! June brought the Mundial and my thoughts go right to July and the rain delay....it was like being a kid agian and dancing in the rain to the beat of a drum, the rumble of a mass of men and the rain just pouring down as we had nothing else to do....like nothing else mattered for that moment. We went on to beat Chivitas that day 3-1 and I will speak briefly of HPD and them choking Ivan for no reason. The match at Reliant sucked. Reliant's security made sure we couldn't get any flag poles, banners or sings in....us Texians complied but then while in there the Americanistas had their trapos out in full force. I missed the first half of our match walking all the way back out to my ride to put up our lucky TEJAS 1836 color bar. This color bar which went up btw on Opening Night and has seen just about every color of a man's skin touch it, hold it, raise it up and confidently jump up and down with it full of pride and no worriers of any bullshit by Sylvia Garcia that 1836 "it's about Mexican babies being slaughtered!" That color bar has only gathered the troops NOT divided the races. I am so pleased that what I fealt in my heart came to bloom by other people's testimony. The Open Cup thrashing of FC Frisco at Carl Lewis...having "El Grande" right next to us all night. Then celebrating around it and signing with it! Then seeing Chega press up to it like it was an extension of his pecker towards the Poops supporters! I about colapsed at that sight...we all had been drinking that night to say the least. Jeez how could we forget De Ro getting dropped in the 18 at HDC as he was sitting on a Hat Trick that night. Ref didn't see fit to award it and I have never seen a more justified PK in my entire playing career! The week prior we had seen Utah get a phantom goal before the half, that was a crock of shit if ever as well. Looking back as I remember....jeez how sweet is it to win the Championship the way we did after suffering with all those atrocious calls! Chingon's sick chilena to beat the points leaders DCU the first time we played them at home and to beat a franchise with so much tradition and Supporter/Player connection. Obviously the atmosphere and noise when Ching again found the back of the net to beat Shitvas 2-0. We marched around The Rob, flares in hand and sang all the way around. We got to the sw gate and we mocked them with all our hearts. FOr they way they played, their complaints after the match and how the security had to take the field and then we got to haz their Goat lovin' asses in true futbol form! Damn that was me waiting 26 years since my pops took me to see our old Houston Hurricane and Kyle Rote Jr. in the 'Dome. Of course nothing is complete without the MLS Cup Final. Setting up the Hinchada, racing back out to drink some more Jager with Max and Co, marching in to the South gate...seeing LaScala's tampon ass look away with anxeity when us hinchas passed by in full voice! That was a special march in. Then the Twellman strike and just being so confident that this Houston team would not come this far to go out like that. I knew we would equalize and I was going through my pack of Marlboros like a machine gun. 71 seconds later and it was sheer delirium!!! Craig came up into the stands and celebrated with us going nuts...I gave him a massive tackle and about40 of us just sang Ole Ole Ole Ole Houston Tejas!!! Simply put, all the hard work everyone in our combined Supporters Club and especially my fellow Officers in our Texian Army has put in. All the emotion and spirit us die hards in the Northend have given to our Men in Orange over the first season. I am the world's biggest optimist and I dreamed of winning the MLS Cup this first season. To see it unfold after so much strange and trying circumstances...I am just so proud of Dom and his men. Way to go Clutch City for responding with our true Spirit de Tejas!