What Do We Want? A Stadium. When Do We Want It? NOW!

By Anna Garza

If Mike Jones' Houston Dynamo (Don't Play) is the "official" Houston Dynamo anthem then I nominate Aretha Franklin's Respect as their "unofficial" anthem. Soccer awareness is strengthening in our city but you would never know judging by the amount of respect the Dynamo receives in comparison to our other major sports franchises. This is a particularly jagged pill for futbol fans to swallow since our team is the only team to have won trophies in this decade.

Upon their relocation to H-Town in 2006, the Dynamo have won two back to back MLS Cup championships, made the quarterfinals in 2008 and the semi-finals in 2009. How come the most media coverage the Dynamo can garner is when David Beckham and his perfectly sculpted coif decide to grace our presence at Robertson Stadium? Ok, we all know the answer to that question... but it still doesn't make it right. Also not right is burying front page deserving articles in the back of the Chronicle next to columns about high school sports. And who does a sister have to blow for the Dynamo to receive more than ten seconds of air time on most local TV sports segments? After the Dynamo defeated the Seattle Sounders to advance to the semi-finals, I tuned into the local news for highlights and recaps. Unfortunately for me, I blinked and missed it. Come on Houston, we have a sports team that is hard working, talented and actually wins... YOU BETTER RECOGNIZE!

Now that Annise Parker has been officially sworn into office as our new Mayor, it is imperative for soccer, no...scratch that... sports fans to rally behind our beloved Houston Dynamo to bring attention and action to the stadium project!

Show up in your favorite Houston Dynamo gear and let's raise our voices! We'll sing our songs, we'll play some friendly football, and we'll let our city know that the 2-time MLS champion Houston Dynamo has the support of its fans and hometown.

Date: Saturday January 16, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Proposed Downtown location by Lucky's pub. (The lot surrounded by Texas, Dowling, Hutchens and Walker streets.)

GIVE US OUR STADIUM! FOREVER ORANGE!