http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3660390.html

Feb. 15, 2006, 2:07AM

Team will 86 its 1836 name
Moniker tied to Texas history lasts just a month for soccer franchise
By BERNARDO FALLAS
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

If you're one of the thousands who went out and bought a Houston 1836 T-shirt, run to your closet, bag it and hide it in a safe place.

If you don't have one, hurry to a nearby sporting goods store. The shirts are about to become collector's items.

Why? You might say the team is having an identity crisis.

Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Sylvia Garcia said Tuesday that Philip Anschutz, owner of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which in turn controls 1836, confirmed that a name change is in the works for the Major League Soccer franchise.

"He (Anschutz) indicated that they (AEG) were strongly considering a name change, and before the weekend was over they committed that they would be doing it." said Garcia, whose director of communications, Paul Mabry, met with Anschutz over the weekend in Los Angeles. "I've confirmed that (that they would change the name) today (Tuesday) with the owner, Philip Anschutz, who's the CEO of the Anschutz Entertainment Group. I suspect we'll be hearing an official announcement very soon."

A person close to the situation said "Lonestar" or "Lone Star" looks to be the team's next name. Choices such as Apollos or Mustangs also are being considered, the person said. An announcement is expected no later than Tuesday.

News of an impending name change might catch fans by surprise, but such a radical measure had been demanded by many in the Mexican-American, corporate and political communities since the team's unveiling of 1836 and logo Jan. 26.

The name also has been the subject of debate and scrutiny by the Spanish-language media.

Neither MLS nor 1836 president Oliver Luck could confirm Garcia's assertion, saying only that no decision has been made. Calls to AEG went unanswered Tuesday.

"We're leaning toward changing the name," Luck said. "At this point, a final decision hasn't been made.

"We've listened to concerns that people have within the Mexican-American community, in particular, and we're giving it due consideration. It's a complicated decision, obviously, which involves a lot of different parties (including) the league and the owner."

Not universally accepted
Many Hispanics have voiced their dislike for the controversial name, claiming it carries an anti-Mexican sentiment and lends itself to be a divisive tool among Houstonians.

Although 1836 was meant to symbolize the year Houston was founded, it also has links to other significant events some Mexican-Americans might find offensive. Those include Texas' independence from Mexico, the Battle of the Alamo and the defeat of Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican army at the hands of Gen. Sam Houston in the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution.

The logo, a star with "Houston 1836" emblazoned on it, depicts a silhouette of Houston riding a horse.

"We believed, and many people still do, that 1836 was a great name because it symbolized the founding of the city, and we thought people would rally around that," Luck said. "But obviously we hit a bit of a raw nerve within the Mexican-American community."

Garcia, who initiated the dialogue with AEG, had been one of the more vocal elected officials to echo the feelings of Hispanics.

"While I have been an ardent supporter of bringing professional soccer to the area, I have privately and publicly encouraged the organization to strongly consider a more appropriate name, one which is free of controversy and embraced with enthusiasm by all segments of the community," Garcia said in a release last week.


MLS is sorry
If 1836 hasn't been ditched, the league seemed apologetic to those who claim to be offended.


"The bottom line is that at no time did the team or Major League Soccer ever want to offend any members of the Houston community," said league spokesman Dan Courtemanche. "We certainly apologize to those who feel wronged or insulted. We're listening to their concerns, and we're carefully analyzing the situation. We want everyone to be part of Major League Soccer in Houston."

The name 1836 was the leader in an online poll conducted after AEG announced the move of the franchise, known as the Earthquakes, from San Jose, Calif., in December.

Of more than 11,000 hits, 1836 garnered around 20 percent, or around 2,200 votes, a team official said.

The franchise has a history with names. A charter member of MLS, it was originally called the Clash. The name changed to Earthquakes in 1999.

bernardo.fallas@chron.com