Houston soccer fans, we have a name

Today Sling Words isn't slinging words about the art, craft, or business of writing. Today, we're singing: "O-layyyyy, o-lay, o-lay, o-lay. O-layyyyy, o-lay." I think that's a reasonable facsimile of the cheer song heard at soccer games. (Fortunately for you, dear readers, I don't have an audio file of my singing it.)

Houston 1836. Huh? Hey, that's our professional soccer team.

At first hearing Houston 1836, most people will probably scratch their heads and say, "What a dumb name." Hopefully, after reading the reason behind the name, they'll have the same reaction I did and nod admiringly.

The people who are bringing professional soccer to Houston wanted a European sounding name. You know, like Germany's Hanover 96 which is named for 1896, the inaugural year for that soccer team. Same thinking I suppose undertaken by American car manufacturers who are changing from a model "name" to a number, emulating, of course, Mercedes, BMW, etc.

So with a naming style in mind, the powers that (PTB)be had to pick a year. What better year than 1836 when Houston was founded by the Allen brothers on the banks of Buffalo Bayou. This was also the same year Texans declared independence from Mexico, died at the Alamo, and later took vengeance at the Battle of San Jacinto where they soundly defeated Santa Anna's army and became an independent nation.

Welcome, Houston 1836, do us proud.