Dynamic Dynamo

The Kids' World: Houston Dynamo introduce new players to match the new stadiumto come

Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear promised a shiny new team to match the shiny newDynamo stadium.
The Dynamo roster has seen a 40 percent turnover since last season, includingthe addition of Kofi Sarkodie.
The season kickoff luncheon celebrated the players' charitable endeavors.

Momentum for the Houston Dynamo's 2011 season kicked off Tuesday with a luncheon at the Hyatt Regency downtown, which aside from introducing the rookies of the roster — there are 10 of them, marking a 40 percent turnover from last season's team — gave special attention to each player's charitable endeavors, from Mike Chabala's Bald is Beautiful to Brian Ching's The House that Ching Built.

Among the 10 newbies are two first-round picks, Kofi Sarkodie, 19, and Will Bruin, 21 — part of a much-younger 25-man roster that coach Dominic Kinnear said brought the team's average age down from 28 to 24, making the Dynamo now one of the youngest, rather than the oldest, teams in Major League Soccer.

And coming in 2012 is a shiny new stadium to match the new team. Having broken ground one month ago, the 20,000-seat stadium will host 50 events a year, ranging from boxing matches and concerts in addition to its home MLS games.

Throughout lunch, attendees were reminded of professional soccer's booming growth in the United States. (The sold-out MLS All-Star Game at Reliant Stadium last year was the fourth-largest crowd for any All-Star Game in the history of all American sports) and the Dynamo's exceptional success as a young team, winning two back-to-back MLS championships in their first two years (2006 and 2007), and making the playoffs in each of their first four. 2010 was the only year in which the Dynamo did not make the MLS playoffs, a fact team president Chris Canetti aims to rectify.

It wasn't the only bold prediction by Canetti — the Dynamo exec said that just 20 minutes before taking the podium, he got word that Bolton's Stuart Holden may make an appearance at the Dynamo Charities Cup in July. It seems Dynamo fans have much to look forward to in 2011.

The Dynamo's 2011 season begins March 19 against the Philadelphia Union at Robertson Stadium.

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chill out

Houston Astros ballpark gets cool new name for the next 15 years

Courtesy of the Houston Astros

The Astros' stadium will have a new name in 2025.

The Houston Astros are about to have the coolest ballpark in Major League Baseball. The team announced on Monday, November 18 that its has reached a naming rights agreement HVAC manufacturer Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc.

Beginning on January 1, 2025, the stadium will be known as Daikin Park (die-kin). Scheduled to run through the 2039 season, the new name replaces Minute Maid Park, which has been the stadium’s name since 2002. It opened in 1999 as Enron Field.

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Astros fans online are already calling the new stadium “The Ice Box,” replacing its informal “The Juice Box” moniker. That name feels likely to stick.

Japan-based Daikin Industries is a leading manufacturer of HVAC systems. It sells air conditioning units and other products under brand names such as Daikin, Goodman, Amana® and Quietflex. Critically, it operates Daikin Texas Technology Park in nearby Waller, which is the largest HVAC manufacturing facility in North America. The company employs approximately 10,000 people in Greater Houston, according to a release.

“We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark’s naming rights,” Astros owner Jim said. “Daikin is an international company that proudly calls the Greater Houston area its North American home. The Houston Astros and Daikin share the same values, a commitment to excellence and a desire to give back to our local community. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this ballpark in 2025, I am proud to have Daikin alongside us to create even more special memories for our fans now and in the future.”

The Astros will use the revenue for new stadium amenities and other upgrades. It will also continue the team’s various community initiatives. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. the Houston Chronicle notes that naming rights deals may be worth anywhere from $3.5 million per year (T-Mobile park in Seattle) to $11 million per year for the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field.

The team’s first game in Daikin Park will take place on Monday, March 24, which it plays an exhibition against its Triple-A affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. It will open the regular season on Thursday, March 27 against the New York Mets.

“Daikin fit all of the criteria we set out to find in a naming rights partner,” Astros senior vice president Matt Brand added. “Their name and reputation fit our iconic downtown Houston home, and their values mesh perfectly with those of the Astros. We are grateful to partner with the entire Daikin team and to help them succeed in their business goals. Daikin Park will be a special place for our fans for many years to come.”

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