Saturday, March 11, 2006
Screw you, we're from Texas
The title of this post was inspired by Ray Wylie Hubbard.
I started this post intending to write a longish piece on the controversy surrounding the name of Houston's MLS franchise. Frankly, though, I'm tired of thinking about it and it just makes me sick. So, a couple of potshots and thoughts.
1. Naming the club after a year in which Texas won its independence is too offensive. Naming the club the same name as a club founded by the KGB, an organization who tortured, murdered, imprisoned, and terrorized a nation for decades, is ok.
If they had just had named the club Dynamo to start with, I wouldn't have cared. In this context though, I'm floored.
2. Many brave men and women risked their lives and died so that Texas would be independent from Mexico. AEG, Sylvia Garcia, and Prof. Ramos don't think their sacrifice should be honored. That is stunning beyond words. If they literally spit on Sam Houston's grave I wouldn't be more flabbergasted.
I don't have a personal tie to the founders of this great state other than the fact that I have been lucky enough to reside inside its borders for much of my life and have been a legal resident of it since I was 11. It's second nature to me to be grateful to them. That someone maligns their memory is, for me, fighting words.
3. A theme of Glenn's, John's, and others has been that this is a business decision and/or that "real" soccer fans don't care about the name, they just want soccer.
Glenn and John both seem like decent people and I hate to disagree, but I think this is important to note.
There are more important things in life than soccer and profit.
One thing that is more important is honoring the sacrifices of people who suffered out of a desire that we live free. The ownership of the club, AEG, has decided to appease people who resent Texas' independence. It's a free country, they're free to make that choice.
I'm free to tell AEG to go to hell.
4. That's what I'm doing. I had six people lined up to go to opening day and was working on six more. I couldn't commit to season tickets, but I mentally was hyped to go to a bunch of matches.
Now, no way am I giving AEG $25 of my hard-earned money. I can't fathom the idea of putting my butt in one of those seats and watch men run around kicking a ball on the ground that people died to liberate, and giving $25 to people who spit on their sacrifice. That's what I'd be thinking the whole time.
5. Houston has had a disproportionate share of the worst owners in sport (Bud Adams, etc.). Congratulations are in order for you all at AEG. You've sunk to the worst possible owners in only three months.
6. When Chris Begala, Chris Baker, and Laurence Simon derided the name Houston 1836 as "stupid," at first I got angry. Particularly angering was the fact that they couldn't get the team name right, they kept saying "The Houston 1836."
Then I got the mental picture of them showing up at Old Trafford saying "The Manchester United? That's a stupid name." Then a calm ability to laugh at them came over me.
7. Here's an ironic thing: I consistently wanted the club's name to be "Club Houston." One of the reasons was that if the Mexican team Club America bought out AEG, then the transition to "Club America Houston" would be easy. I'd welcome a Mexican organization owning a Texas club, I think the Hispanic/Mexican influence on our culture is largely positive and I have a great respect for our neighbors to the south and their relatives who are our fellow Texans. Apparently, that respect for others' culture is, for some, a one-way street.
8. Anyway, this whole incident reminds me of The Sopranos episode named Christopher. Read a synopsis at the link above. At the end, Tony brings up one of his themes, asking whatever happened to Gary Cooper. To Tony, it seems we've all turned into a nation of whiners and pussies and bemoans the loss of the strong, silent type.
Tony's a sociopath, but even a mental case is right once in a while. So, I'll take his advice and shut up on this issue. I've already said more than I intended.
I started this post intending to write a longish piece on the controversy surrounding the name of Houston's MLS franchise. Frankly, though, I'm tired of thinking about it and it just makes me sick. So, a couple of potshots and thoughts.
1. Naming the club after a year in which Texas won its independence is too offensive. Naming the club the same name as a club founded by the KGB, an organization who tortured, murdered, imprisoned, and terrorized a nation for decades, is ok.
If they had just had named the club Dynamo to start with, I wouldn't have cared. In this context though, I'm floored.
2. Many brave men and women risked their lives and died so that Texas would be independent from Mexico. AEG, Sylvia Garcia, and Prof. Ramos don't think their sacrifice should be honored. That is stunning beyond words. If they literally spit on Sam Houston's grave I wouldn't be more flabbergasted.
I don't have a personal tie to the founders of this great state other than the fact that I have been lucky enough to reside inside its borders for much of my life and have been a legal resident of it since I was 11. It's second nature to me to be grateful to them. That someone maligns their memory is, for me, fighting words.
3. A theme of Glenn's, John's, and others has been that this is a business decision and/or that "real" soccer fans don't care about the name, they just want soccer.
Glenn and John both seem like decent people and I hate to disagree, but I think this is important to note.
There are more important things in life than soccer and profit.
One thing that is more important is honoring the sacrifices of people who suffered out of a desire that we live free. The ownership of the club, AEG, has decided to appease people who resent Texas' independence. It's a free country, they're free to make that choice.
I'm free to tell AEG to go to hell.
4. That's what I'm doing. I had six people lined up to go to opening day and was working on six more. I couldn't commit to season tickets, but I mentally was hyped to go to a bunch of matches.
Now, no way am I giving AEG $25 of my hard-earned money. I can't fathom the idea of putting my butt in one of those seats and watch men run around kicking a ball on the ground that people died to liberate, and giving $25 to people who spit on their sacrifice. That's what I'd be thinking the whole time.
5. Houston has had a disproportionate share of the worst owners in sport (Bud Adams, etc.). Congratulations are in order for you all at AEG. You've sunk to the worst possible owners in only three months.
6. When Chris Begala, Chris Baker, and Laurence Simon derided the name Houston 1836 as "stupid," at first I got angry. Particularly angering was the fact that they couldn't get the team name right, they kept saying "The Houston 1836."
Then I got the mental picture of them showing up at Old Trafford saying "The Manchester United? That's a stupid name." Then a calm ability to laugh at them came over me.
7. Here's an ironic thing: I consistently wanted the club's name to be "Club Houston." One of the reasons was that if the Mexican team Club America bought out AEG, then the transition to "Club America Houston" would be easy. I'd welcome a Mexican organization owning a Texas club, I think the Hispanic/Mexican influence on our culture is largely positive and I have a great respect for our neighbors to the south and their relatives who are our fellow Texans. Apparently, that respect for others' culture is, for some, a one-way street.
8. Anyway, this whole incident reminds me of The Sopranos episode named Christopher. Read a synopsis at the link above. At the end, Tony brings up one of his themes, asking whatever happened to Gary Cooper. To Tony, it seems we've all turned into a nation of whiners and pussies and bemoans the loss of the strong, silent type.
Tony's a sociopath, but even a mental case is right once in a while. So, I'll take his advice and shut up on this issue. I've already said more than I intended.
posted by Rob Booth, 3/11/2006
5 Comments:
The 1836. 1836. Houston 1836. The Houston 1836.
They're all stupid, Rob.
Put on your 1836 jammies, take a nap, and get over it.
They're all stupid, Rob.
Put on your 1836 jammies, take a nap, and get over it.
You're funny.
What name did you vote for in the first contest, by the way?
What name did you vote for in the first contest, by the way?
You are right!! 1836 in Tx compares with 1776 in colonial America Why do we keep tearing down the very people who built this great Republic & State.... Charleygoodnight
Not as funny as Oliver Luck's comment to Michael Garfield on his KPRC show recently.
Making light of the fact that almost any name could be construed as politcally incorrect, Luck told Garfield that now all the Jewish people are upset about taking away "1836" since the number "18" is good luck in Hebrew.
Garfield, who is Jewish, retorted with his quick wit that his rabbi will not let him go to games now and they might as well serve ham sandwiches at Robertson Stadium.
Ain't nothing wrong with the old 1836 name....
Making light of the fact that almost any name could be construed as politcally incorrect, Luck told Garfield that now all the Jewish people are upset about taking away "1836" since the number "18" is good luck in Hebrew.
Garfield, who is Jewish, retorted with his quick wit that his rabbi will not let him go to games now and they might as well serve ham sandwiches at Robertson Stadium.
Ain't nothing wrong with the old 1836 name....
Who gives a shit. Just be glad you guys live in Texas and are not stuck in Denver.
