DaMarcus Beasley is here, but what does that really mean?

How many of you have attended a press conference live? So that makes pretty much none of us, even including myself.

I'm sure most of us at one point or another has watched one via the Houston Dynamo or Houston Dash live streams, maybe for a player announcement or perhaps a kit sponsorship announcement. Well, I had the opportunity to attend DaMarcus Beasley's official Houston Dynamo unveiling, and it was pretty cool.

It was short, all things considered, but it seemed like head coach Dominic Kinnear and freshly signed DaMarcus Beasley were ill-prepared to give comments on how they got to the point of the signing and such. I think the only truly prepared member of the Houston Dynamo was Chris Canetti, and really when is he ever not truly prepared?

There's something overly majestic about BBVA Compass Stadium when it is empty and in the evening. The soft glow of the sun across the empty pitch, the rivers of empty orange seats and the quiet hum of the large fans in the concourse. It is honestly pretty darn beautiful as a Houston Dynamo fan.

Add to the majesty the enthusiasm and renewed fervor for the team with the signing and revealing of DaMarcus Beasley, and being a Houston Dynamo fan suddenly feels right again.

When this season began I knew the team would be okay, but as the games wore on and players left for injury or call-ups my enthusiasm waned. I think, truly, all of us felt that pang of doubt creeping in. The team was headed the wrong direction, and everything we knew and could figure pointed to an inability to make any changes until the offseason.

And it only worsened as the summer bore on. We saw our back line decimated, repeatedly, by injuries. We saw our Dancing Bear turn into a Hibernating Bear. We saw our bench depleted to the point of having only three available substitutes for a US Open Cup match. We saw the struggles, and we began to wonder if maybe, just maybe we were going to turn it around.

Fast forward a few weeks and you have a renewed vigor among the fanbase. Sure, there are some out there who deride the front office for signing a 32 year old left back who defensively isn't the most sound player, and they aren't off-base necessarily. The important part, however, is they signed him. Signing players of the caliber and level of DaMarcus Beasley had been reserved for teams with ample money and ample TV shares.

Seattle, New York and Los Angeles. Heck, even Toronto FC found themselves with ample cap space and ample spending power. We saw New York FC who aren't even a team until 2015 sign David Villa, and Orlando City SC who also begin in 2015 sign Kaka. International stars left and right went to teams not even formed yet, and passed on our team. They passed on us.

Now, though, we have DaMarcus Beasley, and by God I am as happy as a clam. This Front Office, this ownership group, stepped up to the plate and delivered. Beasley said things came together quickly, very quickly, and that is a testament and credit to the Front Office and the ownership. After all, it isn't just Canetti who made the decision. As much as we all ride the ownership, they had to be willing to sign off on the move as well. And they did.

And he's ours.

The moment he stepped out wearing the Houston Dynamo kit, I honestly swallowed hard. It was a defining moment, whether you agree to the caliber of DaMarcus Beasley or not. We'd arrived in a new way, in a competitive way. We weren't overlooked or dismissed. We were accepted, and as Beasley said, "When I was told Houston were interested in me it was a no-brainer."

Indeed. It was a no-brainer for this Front Office and ownership, too.

Yes, folks. At this very moment, DaMarcus Beasley really and truly is here.

Welcome to Houston, DMB! Now, let's get to work!