Glenn Davis here for 790 the sports animal and when it comes to soccer, it’s game on!

Now, I want to thank everybody for supporting the radio show on 790 the sports animal and all the great emails and insight that comes in at www.glenndavissoccer.com.

Now, I get all kinds of great emails throughout the week, this week I got a great one for yeah, I wanna read it to you… the email please… here it is… K, this comes from Alberto Arcia…

Dear Mr. Davis,

“Most of the crowd that support US soccer is still made-up of foreign/Americans, although the natives are increasing their presence in the stands. Americans, as far as their make-up is concerned are interested in winning, not playing the game in a beautiful style. That level will come later. Americans are interested in destroying the opposition, and do not mind doing it in an ugly fashion. I have been living here long enough to know the sport culture. Winning is all that matters. The New England Patriots coach got caught cheating, big deal. We didn’t care. He won his games, we love the guy! I have read a couple of articles lately complaining about the lack of beauty in the US game. Please don’t get caught up in that; our first duty is to make soccer acceptable as a first tier sport. We, the foreigners that pay to see the Dynamo and the US team want more than anything to see the sport grow, and it will grow only if we keep winning. The time will come to concentrate in making the game more beautiful, right now we need more natives in the stands, and more heroes in the pitch. Americans do not crown losers that play a beautiful game, Mexico does. And why is that? Soccer is in their soul. It’s barely in the Americans heart. We are moving in the right direction, but got a long way to go.”

Well, Alberto I guess I can agree with some of that… and I appreciate a great email… kind of one that stirs the pot a little bit. But I think as a media member, ex-player, as well as fans it is our obligation and duty to demand creative soccer. Eleven hard working players are not gonna put those fans in the seat that you so much want. The other thing is that in this country, there are three traditional sports—soccer is still trying to carve out its niche on the sporting landscape. Here in my hometown in Houston, that’s happening and nobody is getting into the pockets of Hispanics and the hearts more on a professional level than the Houston Dynamo.

Attractive… Soccer… yes. It is very important. Eleven hard working players will not put people into the stands all you have to do is look at specific teams around major league soccer to understand that. Last year we got a boost of creative players in MLS and guess what attendance rose and fans became a little bit more enamored with our league.

Thanks for the great email, Alberto… for that type of talk and more go to 790 the sports animal this Tuesday from seven to nine p-m, join me Glenn Davis for the best in soccer talk.

If you are a number of franchises in MLS you may be marveling at the way the Houston Dynamo continually are able to grab momentum in the city of Houston. Now lets face it, winning two straight titles doesn’t hurt but that is only part of the story.
Sports teams constantly challenged with maintaining relevancy on a crowded sports landscape. Some teams are relevant while others in MLS are just a blip on the radar in their markets. I won’t mention the teams but I think you can figure them out.
More fan involvement, healthy pressure from the press and better leadership are hopefully on the horizon for some MLS teams.
With Oscar De La Hoya involved with the Dynamo I would not be surprised if his involvement proves decisive with a stadium and if down the road that Golden Boy Promotions and Brener International end up as sole owners of the Dynamo one day.
If you were worried about De La Hoya not being involved locally you can think again.
Just listen to his interviews and his desire for this market for both soccer and boxing.
Charismatic , young, intelligent and ambitious is a great combination for someone who gets the importance of soccer both locally and globally.
MLS had courted De La Hoya to buy a new franchise but he elected to buy into the Dynamo.
De La Hoya’s involvement will only be postive and you can only marvel at the attention that he has been bringing to soccer since Monday when I first did an interview exclusively with him on 790 The Sports Animal.
Local camera crews were all over Jones Plaza today as well as HDNET who is one of the MLS national partners.
Another great day of public relations and awareness for the Dynamo , MLS and the sport of soccer.

Philadelphia has been awarded a franchise to begin play in MLS in the 2010 season as we all expected after a news conference today with MLS Comissioner Don Garber.
“Philadelphia brings in one of the most passionate sports markets in the country and provides a natural rivalry for New York Red Bulls and DC Utd,” said Garber.
Eighty million dollars in public funding will be used to build the stadium.
As we all know, stadiums these days are built for more than one sport in mind and entertainment.
Every team that builds a new stadium says it will be the best in the league and that is fine provided they truly make an attempt to follow up that statement. Lamar Hunt and the Columbus Crew kicked the soccer specific stadium wave off and Crew Stadium might seem a little archaic in comparison to Toyota Park, Home Depot Center and Pizza Hut Park but it still has great sight lines and intimacy. Red Bull Park when it is completed will be done strictly for soccer in mind. They all look good when they are packed with fans!!!
What do you think of Philadelphia’s entry into MLS?

Amazing all the attention that Houston and the sport of soccer are getting with the investment of Golden Boy Promotions and the Brener International Group.
It may not be David Beckham status but it has certainly got people talking.
We all know the interest and attention comes from boxer Oscar De La Hoya’s involvement.
Over the year’s I have always wished that more owners like Philip Anschutz, Robert Kraft, the late Lamar Hunt and others would have been more visible. More statements and quotes on MLS and the sport of soccer, more visibility with the strength that their words and appearances hold. Why were they not out front more from a P.R. stand-point. Probably because they did not want to be.
Charisma is important in sports these days from a leadership standpoint and De La Hoya brings that. He is one of the most popular athletes on the globe. Now I don’t expect him to be hands on like Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks but lets face it. Have a visible owner like this is a real strength.
Imagine how other franchises around the league feel looked at what has happened in Houston.
And San Jose fans, I am not buying your resentment any more, get over it and get on with it. Much of it was misdirected on people in Houston who were in celebration mode of having professional soccer. Much sympathy was spread back your way from Htown.
My favorite stop was Spartan Stadium for tv games . I look forward to returning for broadcasts to San Jose this season and have missed that city and most importantly the fans and atmosphere that they have provided.
The fans and the team was never supported properly either by AEG or by those involved in the front office. The team was never relevant to local media so I hope that is being addressed this time around. Fans can and will make the difference in the future. Demand more from your local media, ask your organization what they are doing to create relationships with local media…..And above all put pressure on your organization . Sitting back will not get it done and that is what is currently happening in some MLS markets yet they have been exposed as has leadership due to the arrival of David Beckham and success in markets like Toronto, Houston and DC who have created “environments”. Lets let loose and have some fun.
Ok back to De La Hoya. He made it clear that the organization is running smoothly and will it seems look to wrap themselves around the knowledge of what is going on in Houston from the perspective of operations which AEG will continue to run in the immediate future.
Where they fit in with the stadium is still unknown yet the pressing question. Does it accelerate the stadium process that an outsider has recognized what a high ceiling soccer has in Houston? Will Golden Boy Promotions take the entire club over in the future after stadium issue is resolved and by the way it does not seem a slam dunk with all the politics involved so fans need to be heard about now. Prejudice still occurs with soccer and some can’t look beyond at what it brings to this city.
I don’t often hit the Symphony but I know it’s importance in a city like Houston, Texas.
Franco Caraccio was introduced to the Dynamo faithful today and lets see how this youngster turns out for the Dynamo. He has played little at Arsenal in Argentina but has strong qualities according to many. It will be a roll of the dice with a large upside if it works out for at team that needs support for Brian Ching .
Alot will have to do with the young man’s adapting to leaving home and the way the game is played in MLS.

*Philadelphia will be awarded the next MLS franchise in a press conference tomorrow with MLS commissioner Don Garber.

Glenn

The Los Angeles Galaxy’s David Beckham came away unscathed, so I will consider the Pan-Pacific Championship in Honolulu a success.

Fans in Houston are also breathing a sigh of relief that Dynamo striker Brian Ching came out of his home state without any complications after playing on an outdated artificial surface at Aloha Stadium.

Staging the tournament in Hawaii and pitting teams from Australia and Japan against MLS squads could one day prove to be a visionary move. Yet the timing of this event puts managers, clubs and players in a predicament.

The inaugural edition was nothing more than a warmup tournament used differently by the participating teams.

“It is always good at preseason to get games in,” Beckham said. “You can do all the training you want, but match fitness from games is important.”

It might be preseason, but the tournament was promoted as a serious competition and was broadcast at the national and international level. Combining preparation for a season and results is tricky business. And while promoter Soccer United Marketing is consistently looking at ways to create awareness of soccer, there is inherent risk in putting MLS teams into these competitions too quickly.

Early stumble
That risk played out when the two-time defending MLS champion Dynamo were hammered 6-1 by Gamba Osaka of Japan in the final.

Little good comes out of a 6-1 defeat. Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear even alluded to the fact it might have been his worst loss.

Preseason or not, Dynamo fans are not accustomed to seeing their top defensive squad scored on six times. Yet were they aware that Gamba was the highest-scoring team in the J-League last season? Were they aware that they are three weeks ahead in preseason preparation? Were they aware that Gamba was without several starters, as were all the teams in the tournament?

After a solid performance by the Dynamo in a 3-0 victory over Sydney FC….For more on this story check out Glenn Davis’s article at chron.com

(Glenn Davis)
Your company Golden Boy Productions is in the final stages of finalizing a deal to become a partner with AEG and two time MLS champions Houston Dynamo substances to that?

(Oscar de la Hoya)
“Absolutely, we have been in negotiations with the AEG group with some time now and the announcement can come as early as this coming Friday. Absolutely excited and thrilled about getting involved with the Houston Dynamo.”

(Glenn Davis)
Your sport is more of a singular sport and soccer is more of a team sport; tell me about your interest in soccer. Did you grow up playing it and do you have a club or two you followed and what is the attraction for you coming from a singular sport to a team sport?

(Oscar de la Hoya)
“Having been raised in Los Angeles and being raised by Mexican immigrants, my parents are huge fans of the game. In Mexico where we always go visit the family and grandma in a small city next to Mexico City soccer was the sport to play. You either kick the ball around with no shoes on in the dirt streets of Mexico or you laced up the gloves. It was always soccer and boxing for me. Obviously I chose boxing as my sport to take up as a profession but soccer has always been in my family.”

(Glenn Davis)
There is a great mix of Latinos, Anglos, Nigerians, Central and South Americans that come out and supports the Dynamo. As a third generation Mexican-American you speak Spanish you have represented the U.S. in the Olympics as an Olympic gold medalist you have sort of lived in two different cultures. Is soccer a great unifier to you is that another thing that intrigues to the sport?

(Oscar de la Hoya)
“Absolutely, I will give you examples when you go to a big boxing event you see everyone from all walks of life whether it’s their financial status or their roots of where they grew up. Boxing is a sport where everyone just unites and comes together and it is the same thing about soccer everyone comes together and supports the team that they are supporting. Obviously with soccer being such a global sport you have a sense of unity when you watch the game on TV or listening to it on the radio.”

(Glenn Davis)
How did you come to recognize Houston as a great soccer city?

(Oscar de la Hoya)
“Well I have been an MLS fan for quite a while now and ever since I can remember I have loved soccer and especially now that Houston is the back-to-back champions you tend to pay more attention not only to the team that one but also the city. We go way back where we first staged our first boxing event many years ago; Houston is a great boxing and soccer town. I remember having various meetings with my colleagues and executives at Golden Boy. If we can ever do boxing events in Houston maybe once a month let’s take advantage of the opportunity so I have been spending quite a while in Houston . I travel to Houston quite often and it is a city I really enjoy.”

(Glenn Davis)
Do you see the ceiling that is so high and the surface has just been scratched?

(Oscar de la Hoya)
“Absolutely, the surface has just been scratched and the possibilities are endless for the MLS and especially for the Houston Dynamo. I have been now religiously following the Houston Dynamo for quite a while now. This is such an exciting moment for me personally because when you have an opportunity to join or be part of a team who is just coming off great success it is really a big thrill and an honor and we have to make sure that the level of integrity and level that the Houston Dynamo have been for quite a while we make sure we keep it like that and make sure the fans are happy and Houston Dynamo live on forever.”

(Glenn Davis)
Dynamo coming off back-to-back MLS championships that makes us somewhat spoiled here, what do you look and see on the roster and any player that are noteworthy to you and do you have any immediate plans for teams player roster?

(Oscar de la Hoya)
“I think Coach Dominic Kinnear and President Oliver Luck have just done a tremendous job with the team. The team’s nucleus of players like Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Ching, obviously you have Pat Onstad who are incredible talented players who have had great success. You let the management take care of that, what they are doing now is perfect. No other team out there can say they are back-to-back champions and that is the thrill about our team. I say our team because it is not just Golden Boys team or AEG teams or MLS teams but it is the fans team and that where we want to keep it with the fans.”

(Glenn Davis)
Your impression with the MLS as a League overall?

(Oscar de la Hoya)
The league overall has done a tremendous job you have to commend the commissioner and everyone else who has been involved in structuring in putting together to what the league is today. Like I said before this is only the beginning soccer will grow and expand. Houston Dynamo will have a stadium to play in. I am very positive that the city will make sure that all the fans in Houston will have a home, a home to cheer on their favorite team. I can not wait to wear my orange jersey and be part of botayon crew that they have down there cheering on our team.”

(Glenn Davis)
“You are still fighting and I know that it has to be pretty taxing sometimes not only be a fighter and an athlete but also a businessman but you are expecting to announce and confirm some big fights tomorrow, am I correct?

(Oscar de la Hoya)
“I am doing a press conference tomorrow actually to announce my next fight. I will be fighting three times this year. I am going back to fighting on free TV because I want to make sure everyone is watching boxing and do not have to spend their hard earned money of 55-60 dollars to watch it on paper-per-view. We will be fighting on free HBO on that weekend of May 3rd at the Home Depot Center . This is a Homecoming for me because it is my first fight in Los Angeles in a long time and it has been a while since I have fought on regular HBO. We are extremely excited about this we will have 38,000 screaming fans and the great thing about this is that the ticket prices are not what you are going to see at Las Vegas . These ticket prices are going to be in the range of 10-20 dollars. We are going to have more than 25,000 seats within the price range of 10-15-25 dollars where the family can go and enjoy a good night of fights.

Boxer Oscar De La Hoya and the Brener Group will officially become a partner with AEG in running the Houston Dynamo professional soccer team.
De La Hoya is scheduled to be interviewed tonite on 790 The Sports Animal with Glenn Davis along with Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear.
THe podcast of the show is available at 790TheSportsAnimal.com
Fans can also listen to the show live at 790thesportsanimal.com
Call in number is 713-212-5790…………..

Catch the Dynamo Power Hour’s with Glenn Davis tonite on 790 The Sports Animal from 7-9pm central standard time. The show features interviews, information and opinion plus phone calls from listeners.
Guests for tonite’s show are still being confirmed at this time but expect members of the Houston Dynamo and more.
Topics tonite include: Dynamo vs. Gamba Osaka in Pan Pacific Cup
Manchester United narrow gap on Arsenal
Arsenal’s Eduardo breaks leg
Spurs win Carling Cup, provide hope for others
MLS Updates and more……..

Call in to the show at 713-212-5790