De La Hoya and the politics of the MLS

Did you see this article about the most famous of our owners, Oscar De La Hoya? "I can't wait, once I hang up those gloves, to be at every single soccer game, cheering on the Houston Dynamo." The article talks about how OdlH may or may not mesh with the political arena of stadium negotiations.

And here's an article about the fight itself. How about that slick shield on them shorts?

Source: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

The Commish and more inept and amateurish comments about the stadium
From San Jose, the Commish speaks again about the Houston stadium situation. The article says "There's no way that [the Dynamo relocate] with De La Hoya involved, and a record of two titles in two seasons, and raucous crowds most nights at Robertson Stadium, and [De La Hoya's business partner Gabriel] Brener having a sister and brother living in Houston."

Regarding the letter Garber sent to the Dynamo's owners in an attempt to sound like a cultured thug, Garber said, "I didn't think that [the mayor releasing the letter] was playing fair. But this is a tough business we're in and the mayor is not somebody we've had a close relationship with. That wasn't a public document." Sounds to me that he should blame his friends at AEG for giving the letter to the mayor. Originally Garber said that it was an internal letter to AEG and the mayor wasn't the intended recipient, but these words sound as if the mayor was the assumed recipient after all.

In the past I have considered Garber a good commissioner. He has done a lot of good things for the sport in general and the MLS specifically. He's taken measures to try to improve the quality of play on the field, including by trying to improve the officiating and the general atmosphere (for example, by instituting the pre-game MLS Anthem [recorded in Prague for an American league, but I digress....]). He's been open to new ideas and has been a champion for the league. But recently he has seemed arrogant, abrasive, and without any tact whatsoever. I will be happy (1) when the stadium issue is resolved, and (2) when the final ownership structure stabilizes. Then we can go back to focusing on the GM, coach, and players who have proven themselves to be the class of the league, and Garber can go back to hawking the LA Galaxy as the jewel for the casual soccer fan.

Speaking of The Jeeze, you know their DP, Becks, will have to be selected as player of the week even though he led his team to only a draw with RSL. Generally, the player of the week is a simple addition formula: add up the goals everyone has made that week, and the one with the highest number must be the player of the week. You don't have to be able to appreciate the subtleties of the sport if you can boil the process down to simple math. And if you add His Royal Beckness to the equation, you've got a lock for player of the week. (And he's so dreamy, to boot!)

Still, sarcasm aside, that first goal of his versus RSL was a beauty. (But even so, I think he is the first player to have two GOTW nominations in one week. The hint of special treatment continues.)

Mid-week Media Roundup

Steve Davis, the north Texas MLS correspondent, says The Dom may have to start considering changes if we don't start seeing results soon. "Dominic Kinnear has probably forgotten more about soccer than most of us could ever learn. As a player, he studied under Serbian-born tactician Bora Milutinovic. As an assistant, he apprenticed under Frank Yallop during the San Jose Earthquakes' first championship season." The gist: "It's clear that the Dynamo must do two things. One: Don't panic. Two: Prepare to panic ... if things don't turn around in the next two weeks."

The Dynamo website has some insight into a typical training day.

B-Fall suggests that the above article left out a creative adjective in the Waibel quote that concludes the article.

De La Hoya will be fighting in The Toolshed in Carson, CA, while the Dynamo are (hopefully) pummeling Chivas USA. De La Hoya will wear "forever orange" trim on his fighting gear.

Here's a fascinating interview with Ruud Gullit from The (London) Times. It provides some great insight into the soccer culture of the MLS and the US as compared to elsewhere. Some quotes:

• Best sound bite: "I can't play sexy football with this team at the moment because we are not ready for this."
• Standard English insight into US player development: "There is a huge difference between the very good players and some of the average players. The reason for this... is that young players are not being schooled in the way we do it in Europe...Here in the United States they play soccer in the schools and then college and they are 20 or 21 years old and they are coming to me, having been coached straight out of a book. None of these coaches has played at any kind of high level. In fact, if you were a World Cup-winner, if you had all of the medals but you didn't have the universal qualifications to teach, you could not get a coaching job at college level. This is a major limitation when these players come into the professional game and it means that I have to go back to basics with them..."
• Houston gets a mention, but only as a vehicle for Becks: "In the game against Houston, David was excellent, he worked hard, he set an example and he did everything I could ask of my captain...I couldn’t believe that people doubted him about his physical condition before England's game against France in Paris. You wouldn't doubt him if you saw him play against Houston."

Golden Boy talk coelesces

Today B-Fall states that the Dynamo ownership issue is about to have some resolution. Boxer/promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions shareholder Gabriel Brener (a Mexican investor with ties to the US real estate industry) will each take on 25% ownership of the team, with AEG maintaining a 50 percent stake in the Dynamo.

Ives G. believes this means that AEG will maintain ownership until the stadium is completed, then sell off the remaining shares.

Glenn Davis had an interview with De La Hoya on Davis' radio show this evening. You can eventually hear the podcast of the show here.

Interesting times. I'd prefer local ownership, but remote ownership is not a new thing in sports. I hope that any new Dynamo stakeholders don't try to tinker with a great organization in order to make it cater to preconceived notions or marketing schemes. Only time will tell what, specifically, the ownership news means. In the meantime, I guess we'll take it as it appears at face value: a sign that people want to invest in the team -- and hope for the best. In the meantime, let's get to some games to help us forget the 6-1 shellacking.

Speaking of Quake alumni being shellacked. This past Sunday, with the 6-1 debacle still festering in my mind, Fox Soccer Channel played a recap of the March 4, 1995 pasting that Manchester United gave to Ipswich. The 9-0 result is the most lopsided game in EPL history and Andy Cole's 5-goal game has never been equaled. The right back for Ipswich? Frank Yallop. He looked gassed and completely crestfallen as he picked himself up from the pitch between United goals. He looked like that a lot last season too, come to think of it. Ryan Giggs sure looked young though.

More ownership rumors-Oscar De La Hoya

Almost exactly one year after AEG said (fooling no one) "The Dynamo are not for sale," KHOU is reporting that AEG is trying to sell the team for "$35-$40 million" with the price predicated on whether there is a stadium deal.

And from the I don't like the sound of this department, KHOU reports:

"Boxer Oscar De La Hoya is interested in buying the Dynamo with his company Golden Boy Productions. Representatives of the company have visited Houston, attended games and are very impressed with the way the franchise is operated along with how the team has played."

I don't think I want our team dragged into that soap opera.

Feting the Orange

It was a great turnout at City Hall last night. I managed to get there, albeit a little late due to circling downtown searching for a parking spot. Note to self: don't head into downtown without cash for parking in the future; quarters won't cut it.

I was crossing Walker Street just as the first Dynamo ("...your captain, Wade Barrett!") was being introduced by Glenn Davis. Throughout the proceedings I walked around to view the stage from different angles. It was a well done event. I thought Coach Kinnear's speech was great -- and I'm glad to hear that he's getting along with his neighbors. He thanked them for the free beer and something else, I couldn't hear what, but the bottom line is this: One of the virtues Texans have is their friendliness, and apparently Dom is fortunate to live near some friendly folk. I'm always pleased when I hear our adopted team is enjoying their adopted home.

I'm sure many fans who read the Chronicle blogs understood the inside joke when Dom thanked Bernardo Fallas and referred to him as "teacher."

The chants for a new stadium were well received by officials. It would be nice to have a permanent home for the team and for the fans, and it would be a boon economically with regards to bringing in international competition.

Great quote by Mayor White, "If you don't like Dynamo soccer, you don't like sports."

Mike Jones had a spirited rendition of his Who? Houston Dynamo! ("Houston Dynamo (Don't Play)") song. (Download here.) I left after the team departed the stage and the salsa band struck up their tunes. Salsa should be played at every practice to establish the proper playing rhythm, by the way.

I arrived at home in time to listen to Glenn's show. Stuie was his usual chipper self. (I heard him on 790AM at 8 AM as I drove into work...long day for him...I wonder if he managed to squeeze in his daily run?) Kinnear sounded absolutely wiped on Glenn's show and seemed more terse in his replies to callers and, to a degree, to Glenn as well. I can't blame him.

He and his team have been going non-stop since the end of January. That's nearly 10 months straight, and includes travel to different time zones and different countries. His players have been physically bruised and battered weekly over that time, and still keep coming back for more. Enduring punishing games and intense practices, Dom and the players have still found time to zip off to countless fan meet-and-greets, media events, and official meetings with officials and politicos. They faced praise as well as criticism from the fans and media, and have been (mostly) unfazed by either, and stuck to doing their jobs. Family priorities have been placed on the back burner while they focused on their overarching goal, winning a second MLS Cup. And, in the end, their sacrifices and pain and perseverance saw them achieve that goal.

We praise the stars of the Dynamo, and rightly so, but the whole team deserves praise. Ianni won us 3 valuable points with his goal at Kansas City this year. Wells helped us along our winning streak when Onstad was away on international duty (and Wells helped us at the international level when Onstad was injured at the beginning of the year). Ashe got three assists --every one of them needed--to give us 3 valuable points versus Real Salt Lake this season. Chabala, Hatzke, Hayden, James, and Ustruck helped our starting XI stay sharp at practice, worked behind the scenes to improve their own game, and kept the Dynamo flag flying in the local community (not only at social events, but also by rolling up their sleeves and helping their neighbors), and did so anonymously, for the most part. And Holden -- ah, heck, he's not in the background anymore; he's become one of the stars! He's an inspiration to reserves everywhere.

When Dom was on the radio show last night with Glenn, Glenn would ask callers if they had any questions for Dom. Most of the callers just had congratulations to pass along, but would squeeze out a lame question when pressed. And why were these questions lame? It's not because fans didn't care about the accomplishments, nor because fans were in a "what about next season?" mode. It was because Dom and the team have answered every single question before them. And the answers were for the most part satisfying.

Was 2006 a fluke?
Will the Dynamo have the depth to endure a long season that includes several extracurricular tournaments?
Could the Dynamo hold its own against high-quality international competition?
Could the Dynamo compete without DPs against MLS teams that have evolved?
Can the Dynamo overcome a slow start?
Would the Dynamo be able to make the personnel changes to adapt to a changing league?
Can the Dynamo hold onto its talismanic player, Dwayne DeRosario?
Would Dynamo's stars continue to perform well in the big-stake matches?
Will there be any reserves that make an impact?
Will the Dynamo have another serious contender for goal of the year?
Will the Dynamo be wrongly cheated out of several individual awards by the national media and/or fans? (Last year, it was DDR for MVP; this year it was the defense and/or GK, plus GOTY.)
Will the Dynamo Girls and Diesel be able to integrate into a soccer environment?
Will we see additional financial backing of the team?
Will the strong fan support continue, or even expand?
Can the Dynamo hold on to El Capitan?
Winning the Cup is like capturing lightning in a bottle; Can the Dynamo win it twice in a row?

The answer to the "fluke" question was, thankfully, "no." The answer to every other question was unequivocally "yes." Even the question about individual awards was positive, because I think this team feeds off an esprit de corps and rises to the occasion when it is underestimated and when the chips are down.

There were two additional questions that still linger:
Will there be a change of ownership? (No, but stay tuned?)
Will we have a decision to start construction on a new downtown home for the team and its fans? (No, but I think work has progressed in a positive direction.)

Dom, players, front office: you've answered the questions, you've passed the test, now go get some rest. Go Dynamo!

New Title = New Ownership?

How about this interesting snippet from Don Garber in an interview he gave on November 17 to the NY Times: "...we have our growth in front of us. A few years ago Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake paid $10 million to enter the league. Last year, Toronto paid $30 million. Chicago was just sold for $35 million. Houston will soon have a new owner. The asset continues to grow in value, which speaks to the investor community that believes soccer has a long-term value as a sports investment."

I took the liberty of boldfacing the comment in question. Houston will soon have a new owner?!

In sad news, USSoccerPlayers.com, a blog I just recently discovered, is stopping its regular MLS coverage due to issues surrounding access and basic media relations with the MLS. The site will treat MLS the same way it does the Premier League, focusing on the play of US National Team players.

Dynamo to be Sold?

A vague rumor has been posted that Dynamo-Houston will be sold to an unknown local group, and that this will be announced during MLS week. This could be great news, but should be viewed as a highly suspect rumor at this point.

I'd love to have local owners who are committed to developing a solid club (from youth levels to the first team) and are willing to spend the money to maintain top notch facilities, lure in highly skilled players, and treat fans to the best soccer experience in the Western Hemisphere. Here's hoping we get that someday.