http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20051215&content_id=49527&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp Well, flights are cheaper to Houston aren't they?
Huh? Are you implying that LA-SJ was the "only true rivalry?" I suppose the geographic rivalries of Rapids-FaKE and Galaxy-Chivas are false prophets. Not to mention, if you don't think that Dallas-Houston won't be a fierce rivalry from day one, I don't know what you expect out of a rivalry in this country.
San Jose's team being put out on the street for money? Houston Hoes? ;>) While they are packing stuff and moving anyway ... maybe Jovan for Dwayne?
Dom FC brings up the most important point: What to name this new enterprise in screwing the Bay Area Rich People? Houston Hoes wasn't bad. Too bad Landon isn't still on the team, MLS could name them the Houston Heartthrobs. Dreamy! Happy Happy Houston? Horatio Houston Hornblowers... You know, type Houston two many times and it gets weird... Hip-hip-Houston! Cheers, BilFish
I hope your right about Dallas and Houston but that could take a few years to develop. What I mean is that the LA vs San Jose Rivalry had intensity not only on the field but in the stands. Fans showed up for those games in droves. It was impressive to watch. Rapids - Salt Lake??? I can hardly call that a rivalry... maybe for a few hundred hardcore Rapids and Salt Lake fans but really? That matchup has a long way to go to be anywhere near what the LA - San Jose games had become.
Too bad these droves didn't show up to any other Quake match. No question, those two teams butted heads hard on the field and in the stands. The Donovan situation really fueled the fire, but ultimately it came from the fact that we have a very, very small league, and these two teams were regularly playing in elimination games, whether MLS playoffs or the Open Cup. Within a few years, this will become the case for Rapids-FaKE. Count on our SLC neighbors being our first opponent in 2007. Count on the Mathis/Cunningham swap adding a little more heat on the field. Most of all, you really should have been in SLC for the final game. This was a team already eliminated from the playoffs, yet they drew a sizeable crowd on a Wednesday night... and were very, very vocal about their disdain for the Rapids. Especially Cannon. As for Houston, trust me. Dallas folk are licking their chops. There's already a long-running rivalry between the cities, and enough North versus East jokes to fill a few volumes. Short of major roster changes, I think Dallas-Houston have to be the favorites to go 1-2 in the West next year. Enough rivalry fuel for ya?
I sure hope your are correct about the Rapids-REally Salty Lake games. I would love to see a rivalry grow out of that since they (RSL) svck and all. The Chivas vs LA games will definitely become interesting over the next couple of years and Dallas vs Houston. I'm glad to hear that they are looking forward to that matchup. The thing that dissapointed me about the move was that it took 10 years to build that rivalry and it really looked like the rivalries I see in College Basketball and Football. It was entertaining to watch and the media was starting to pick up on it. To see a young and struggling league like the MLS to kill it just bothers me.
Just so we understand each other, I think San Jose being shuttled out of town is an extremely unfortunate event. And I agree, the SJ-LA rivalry was an excellent one. However, you should understand that the decision to move San Jose to Houston is not an "MLS decision to kill it." Simply put, nobody wanted to buy the franchise, the franchise was getting zero support from the area in terms of land and/or tax breaks, their revenue from sponsorshop/advertising was the lowest in the league, and their attendance was in the bottom third. In order for MLS to survive, the league needs motivated owners -- and only one per team. With upwards of 7 major investment groups in other cities interested in clubs, keeping San Jose in tow was a losing proposition. MLS has done well to avoid the pitfalls experienced by the NASL, just one of which was the old league's inability to cut the bleeders loose. Simiarly, the Wizards now have their heads on the chopping block. Lamar Hunt has made two stadiums possible in Columbus and Dallas, but ironically can't do it in Kansas City, the one place where he's had the greatest impact on the average sports fan. Sure makes it seem unlikely that we'll see another owner step in and try to make things work in KC. Certainly this is easier to say as a Rapids fan, where we're guaranteed at least a few years of MLS soccer thanks to Kroenke and their stadium. And I won't ever forget that the Rapids came within an inch of being contracted. Perhaps that makes me insensitive to San Jose's case... but we are talking about pro sports in the USA, which means we're talking business.
I hear you... and we are fortunate here in Colorado to have and ownership group that is willing to build us a stadium and try to make soccer a viable professional sport here in Colorado.
I wouldn't be suprised if the Kansas City franchise is 're-located' to Seattle or Portland for the 2007 season.
In Seattle they wouldn't even have to change the name, Seattle is the Emerald City. Though I'd vote for buying ount the Sounders and renaming the team to the NASL name, like the (now-former) Earthquakes.