This first one is a fan-posted video that has quite a lot of nice images of BBVA Compass Stadium, the Houston Dynamo's 2011 season and MLS Cups past.. This video is like Lay's, betcha can't watch it just once.

This second one is from a player tour of the new stadium that was filmed by the team just today. I don't know about you, but I never get tired of looking at that big old Orange Cathedral being built. Drove by it again this morning.

As someone who attended Houston Hurricane games back in the days of the old NASL in the Astrodome, I can't even begin to tell you how great it feels to see this place and how much I am looking forward to its grand opening 80 short days from now.

More stadium porn, as this BBVA Compass Stadium just gets closer and closer to being done every day. This is from the always great Keeper Notes crew.

A few takeaways. First, Wow. Coming through that tunnel, the first look to the right brings my eye directly, DIRECTLY, to my seats. I was speechless and my orange heart started to beat somewhat faster.

Second, not to be a dick or anything, but there are some people who just cannot wear hard hats. Chris Canetti, I'm looking at you (but while you have that hat on, I'm trying not to giggle while doing so).

At the very end, Canetti talks about drainage at the park, and how with the strong rains we had last Saturday, he came out there at 11:30 a.m. and the park had nary a puddle. Impressive.

One gripe, a tiny one. I wish the roof overhang went all the way around, but that will be the last even semi-negative thing you will hear from me about this place, a new home not just for Houston Dynamo, but me as well.

BBVA Compass Stadium is set to open in 101 short days. This week, seats will start getting installed and work will begin on laying down the pitch. Here's a quick video from HoustonDynamo.com on progress. (Hard for me to listen to these guys as I keep looking at the area where my seats are going to be!)

If this doesn't temporarily get your mind off the lack of big name signings, nothing will.

UPDATE: Here are Facebook pictures of the installation of drainage and irrigation systems.

Happy New Year to you and yours, Dynamo fans. Its been a hectic holiday season for me, with travel back to the glorious H-Town, family flooding in shortly afterwards, and two new nephews experiencing their first Christmas season. While watching them, alight with the holiday spirit, attacking wrapping paper with carnal fury, I had an epiphany of sorts. I saw in them the same joy that I felt when I first caught a glimpse of the BBVA Compass Stadium while driving up 59. Was it because the stadium's construction was like a gift to soccer fandom in Houston? Sort of...but no. Hit the jump, as we journey back to holidays of old, and seek enlightenment in the wonders of childhood - or at least to see what on Earth I'm actually talking about.

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Amid all of the conversation about Danny Cruz' future in Houston in the previous post, and the chance to stick it to the L'Impact in Florida in the post before that, (And why would anyone be surprised that L'Impact would be in Florida in February and March. Aren't fully two-thirds of ALL Canadians in Florida about that time of year?) the Houston Dynamo sent out this little Holiday present to the faithful.

Jaw-dropping time. Enjoy.

Now all we need is to add some Orange and we're in business!

This BBVA Compass partnership is already paying dividens for the Dynamo.

Don't think so? Check out this video where arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, other than Tally Hall, congratulates the Dynamo on their partnership with BBVA and wishes us the best us luck in building a better Houston and growing the sport of soccer in the US.

Nice to meet you too Saint Iker!

The Dynamo's new home has a name, officially...and a cool new logo. Here is the official press release from the club along withe stadium logo and an updated rendering. Fancy!

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So with the news that that the BBVA Compass name wil be pretty much dominant in our lives for the immediate future (Press conference today at 3 p.m.), let me just say for the record that I am thrilled that BBVA is sponsoring this stadium. That is the bank that provided financing for the deal waaaay back in 2007, and then stuck with the deal through all of the county and city shenanigans. BBVA was a constant in this deal, believed in this deal from the get-go and never wavered (that I know of). They have a history in football, being the name sponsor for La Liga the most visible proof of this. We are in a great position having the involvement of that bank. I don't bank there, but I have one about three blocks from my house and have gone out of my way to use the ATM there when I can specifically because of their constancy as a partner in the stadium deal, leading to conversations kinda like this:

Wife: "Why are we passing this ATM to go over there?"

Me: "Stadium...Dynamo...BBVA...blah, blah, blah..."

Wife: Complete silence.

So why do I want to focus on the Compass name? As I wrote last week about this, I was kind of hoping to avoid the macro-syllabic, corporate sounding name. BBVA Compass is a great name in the banking industry, but I would really prefer if the stadium was just BBVA Stadium or, much, much better, Compass Stadium. As Gribbs indicated inthe comments of the last post, the possibilities of riffing on the Compass name are endless. It's also simple, compact and has that great hard "K" sound.

And as an aside, does anyone know, is it going to be the American or Spanish pronunciation of BBVA? (Bee-Bee-Vee-AY or Beh-Beh-Veh-AH?) BBVA is a Spanish bank, which stands for Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria. Only in its BBVA-Compass incarnation, and in the typical corporate stretching of definitions, is it an "American" bank. (History here.)

Now, I am not about to be a gloomy gus about all of this. My objections are cosmetic only. I think Gribbs has also pointed the way. Just because the name of the stadium has nine (count 'em!) syllables, does not mean we have to use all nine. So perhaps it's time to start on the nickname parade. Here are a few off the top of my head:

The Comp or just simply Compass. This is nice, short and sweet. Though it's more a riff on the name than on the team or sport or city. It doesn't really say a whole lot other than being self-referential. Still, two sharp, quick syllables are better than nine.

Dowling Street. I remember proposing this last year. Dick Dowling, for whom that street is named, was an Irish immigrant, and was considered Houston's first most prominent citizen and hero. However, the heroism for which he was known was for fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. So perhaps a mark against? However, one thing in his favor is that after the war, instead of resting on his laurels, he created the Bank of Bacchus, the foremost saloon in the Bayou City. So we have a "bank" connection, a Houston history connection and clearly the guy had a Houston-like ironic sense of humor. Also, Dowling Street is the street where Clyde Drexler's parents had their barbecue joint. When they retired, that left a huge hole in Houston barbecue. Until this stadium was built, that was my association with Dowling Street, so I like this name.

Texas Street. The northern border of BBVA Compass Stadium. It's also the southern border of Enron Field, Astros Field Minute Maid Park. So not only will there be one champion in Texas, there will also be only one champion on Texas Street. Sorry. Cheap points. It has a nice sound, even though it's not Houston-specific.

Walker Street is the southern border of the place. It's named after either Robert J. Walker, a Mississippian who helped in the annexation of Texas or Samuel Walker, a Texas Ranger who helped develop the Walker Colt revolver. I know. I'm asleep already.

Eastdown or Eado Stadium. I like that it refers to East Downtown, but other than that, perhaps a bit too obscure?

The Bank. This one has multiple good points. First, the obvious reference to BBVA Compass is there. Also, it has a perhaps distant reference to Dick Dowling's Bank of Bacchus. I also like the phrases it conjures. "Taking it to the The Bank"... "Dynamo have Banked that win" and more like that. You can do worse than a nickname like that.

Some others: DynaBank, Ground Orange (like Ground Zero), or just simply

Home.