Foe To Be Determined

Want Houston Texans playoff tickets? Here's how to get the few remaining

The hype and excitement for the first playoff game in Houston Texans' history will kick into overdrive sometime Sunday when the matchups come out. But Texans fans who want to be a part of it need to act quicker than that.

General public tickets to the Texans' first-round playoff game at Reliant Stadium (which will take place either Jan. 7 or 8) go on sale on Ticketmaster.com only Friday morning at 10 a.m.

This is a team that had thousands of fans show up on a chilly night with only a few hours notice to just greet the players after the playoff-clinching win.

Only about 2,000 tickets will be available (as most of the ducats in the 70,000-seat stadium go to season ticket holders and sponsors). And those 2,000 figure to be gone in a matter of minutes.

This is a team that had thousands of fans show up on a chilly night with only a few hours notice to just greet the players coming back from Cincinnati after the playoff-clinching win.

There will be not waiting outside for playoff tickets though. No tickets will be sold at the Reliant box office or at Ticketmaster outlets. This is an online-only sale. Tickets to the game are already going for $149 and up to the 700 level (the higher than high seats) on Stubhub.com, the secondary ticket market giant. Local ticket broker The Ticket Experience has good seats in the 100 level at $366 and up.

Houston (10-5) will host either Cincinnati, Oakland, Tennessee or the New York Jets on Jan. 7 or 8. If they win their first playoff game, they'll have to travel to play the AFC's No. 2 seed in the second round (likely either Baltimore or Pittsburgh). The Texans are already locked into the third seed, making them the only AFC team in the playoff picture whose spot cannot be changed by the results of this Sunday's games.

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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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