yes, and to think, the people that considered, "1836", "stupid".. are going to be praising this one..
Weren't the Dallas Stars hockey team originally going to be called the Lonestars, but it was disallowed because of the beer by the same name? What's with these Dallas retread names that we're getting (Dallas Texans, Dallas Lonestars)? Can't we be original?
Oh ok, for some reason I had thought the announcement was supposed to be like a few days after the rumor started... and hadn't heard anything recently so was wondering
They said it won't be Lonestar because of conflicts with Lonestar Sports and Entertainment, the group that handles all non-Texan functions at Reliant Stadium. I think at this point Apollos is the front runner but that may not be it.
No one thought it was stupid. Mexican Americans didn't like it because the founding of Houston was a byproduct of Texas' war and succession from Mexico.
I thought it was a perfect name for a soccer team... seemingly unorthodox yet intriguing, with a damn fine logo, all the right ingredients for creating buzz for a new franchise. Changing the logo however, is not the path you should take when the club is trying to establish its identity. Hopefully the delayed announcement will lead to them stickin with the name (one can hope), or at the very least searching for something better than Lonestars, Apollos or Mustangs ... 1837 anyone
I agree, I really want them to keep the name but doubt they will. The easiest thing to do to change it would be to make it Houston 2006 for the team's fouding date. Then the logo doesn't have to have any major changes and it's still a good name for a soccer team.
Below is an email I recevied from Oliver Luck after discussing it with Glenn Davis... Lee, Glenn sent me you note and I wanted to respond to you. I appreciate your passion on the matter. I too am somewhat baffled by the concerns that many in the Mexican-American community have about 1836. I am proud to call myself a Texan. In fact, during the ten years that my wife and kids and I lived in Europe I always responded to the question from Europeans, "Where are you from" with the response "Texas". As you know, we intended for the name to celebrate the founding of the city. Unfortunately, everyone seems to want to focus solely on the issue of Texas Independence. We quickly realized that there are open wounds in the Mexican-American community on this issue. Do I agree with their position? No, not at all. But it is a business reality that we had to deal with. At the end of the day we made a business decision. We did not want to alienate a significant portion of our fan base right off the bat. Also, we had a number of potential sponsors who had real concerns about the depth of the anxiety in the community. We have hit a "raw nerve" in the Hispanic community with our initial decision. I do not see it as a white-black-brown issue at all. If any color is involved, it is green, the color of money. One of our fundamental responsibilities is to attract companies to be sponsors and when some of the larger companies become skittish because of the concerns that existed in the Hispanic community it was critical for us to respond. Soccer, as you well know, is a game that is enjoyed across the globe by virtually every ethnicity and we would have hurt our business chances long term if a significant portion of the soccer fan base kept us at arms' length. Houston has always been a city in which the ethnic groups get along well. We want to contribute to that. Our intent is to unite the soccer fans of this great city. It was becoming clearer to me that we would have an extremely difficult time doing this given the passionate feelings that exist. I hope that you will reconsider your position on supporting the team. We need everyone in this city who cares about the sport to be supportive. I would be happy to talk further with you if you are so inclined. Again, a sports franchise ought to exist to bring people together and given the depth of the feelings that we encountered this goal would have been difficult to achieve. Believe me, I was very tempted to "stay the course" but after a lot of reflection from the league, the ownership group and the local folks here in Houston we decided that a change was necessary. It was not a decision that was taken lightly. In order for the sport to work in Houston we need people like you. Remember, a rose is a rose by any other name... Thank you for the continued support. Oliver Luck We've emailed back and forth since last week. The delay has nothing to do with keeping the name. It's gone. Lonestar is not going to be an option. I only asked that they try to keep with a soccer traditional name and something that we can be proud of. I also suggested a free ticket night if you wear your 1836 t-shirt. He also mentioned allowing the supporters group use the name in some way. My guess is something like Apollos FC or something like that...
People are too sensitive. I'm Mexican-American and had no problem with the name. But I was born in Houston, and that's why I love Houston 1836 because it was the city's history. If you can get offended by a Soccer team name, then you're probably not a soccer fan.
At the minimum they should alllow you to get a free shirt if you show you have an 1836 shirt.. don't get money from people and then change name right away..
Don't care what they change the name to, they'll always be 1836 in my book. How can you still have open wounds after 150+ years?!
Ever gone from owning land to being unemployed and hated, and chased out of your city? Not condoning the whining by any means, but perhaps some of us have no frame of reference.
