Yesterday was a great day in the Bayou City. Two things happened to make Houstonist happy. First off, what has blossomed into a great rivalry, the Dynamo defeated Mexican powerhouse Pachuca CF in thrilling fashion last night to advance to the SuperLiga final and then to make things even better, the Rockets officially became a Western Conference favorite with the addition of Ron Artest. Let's get back to the Dynamo for a bit. The team that Oliver Luck has put to together couldn't be done better by anyone else. Seeing his face walk into the Dynamo press area last night was sheer bliss. He had a grin from ear-to-ear and he knew how important last night's win was. It validated the Dynamo. It validated the MLS. These two teams have tangoed a total of four times and the series is tied up at two a piece and each game gets better than the last. The season started off rough for the two-time champs, but now they're trucking along with a third MLS Cup title in sight. With addition of Kei Kamara and the return of Nate Jaqua, there is no team that can compete with the Dynamo in MLS. Don't believe me? Ask the Pachuca players. They're a Mexican powerhouse with four league titles to their credit in recent years. Just the thought of playing the Dynamo on Texas soil gives Pachuca nightmares. If you get the chance, I highly suggest you watch the Dynamo in person. It'll be love at first sight. While Houstonist was sitting in the press box at Robertson Stadium last night, the news was starting to spread that the Rockets had acquired Ron Artest. It was a bold move for Daryl Morey. The guy did choke out his coach back in the day. But the message is loud and clear: The Rockets are in it to win it now! Of all the phone calls Houstonist got today, the most interesting came from Rockets season ticket holder Alex S. "I just want to let you know that those 525 lbs. of criminals we added here this offseason in Artest and (Joey) Dorsey... ain't nobody gonna f**k with the Rockets this year." Well, that's one way to put it Alex. The Houston team will be one to reckon with and there's no denying the Rockets have toughened up a bit this offseason on defense which will put teams on notice as they now re-think if it's a good idea to hack on Yao and McGrady. All the pieces are in place for a NBA title run. Now it's up to the players to do their part. Rockets v. Celtics in the '09 Finals? Sounds good to Houstonist. www.houstonist.com
