5:05 PM Wed, Sep 17, 2008 | Permalink
Aaron Chimbel
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After conferring with officials from the City of Houston, the University of Houston Police Department, and the Houston Police Department, the Houston Dynamo have rescheduled their home game against the San Jose Earthquakes, originally scheduled for Saturday, September 20, to Wednesday, October 15, it was announced today.
The Dynamo will face San Jose at Robertson Stadium at 8:00 p.m. on October 15. All tickets from the September 20 game will be honored that night.
The decision to reschedule the match was made after discussions with local officials emphasized the logistical difficulties and public safety threat posed by the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Houston Police Department chief Harold Hurtt recommended that all events, sporting venues, and cultural institutions suspend public activities and performances until Monday while basic infrastructure services such as street lights are restored.
"Officials from the city approached us this morning and requested that we not move forward with Saturday's game in the interest of public safety," Dynamo president and general manager Oliver Luck said. "Although this is not an ideal situation for our organization, we feel it is the right thing to do for the region, given the circumstances. We'd like to thank officials from the city and from the university for their help."
Although the Dynamo have a no-exchange policy, fans may exchange their tickets from the September 20 game for tickets to Dynamo home games on October 7 (San Francisco F.C.), October 12 (D.C. United), October 22 (Pumas UNAM), or a possible home playoff game in November. Fans wishing to exchange their tickets can do so by e-mailing info@houstondynamo.com.
Currently in first place in the Western Conference, the Dynamo (10-5-9, 39 points) will return to action on Tuesday, September 23, with their first CONCACAF Champions League match against Panamanian champion San Francisco F.C., to be played in Panama City. The Dynamo's next MLS game will take place September 27 on the road against Toronto FC. For more information, please log on to www.HoustonDynamo.com.
Perhaps a better alternative to pushing all those venues to cancel the small acts of kindness they wanted to offer (to all the people in Houston trying to put some similance of normalacy back in their world after Ike), Chief Hurtt might have suggested trying to schedule the events to be held during the daylight hours - rather than using that tired unspoken suggestion that this city's people don't deserve or can't or won't mind their civility during some small reprieve from the current situation - if it was really a matter of safety and security, as has been said. 'Cause just sitting in their little dark, wet, damaged, hot houses AIN'T going to bring their utilities back online any sooner.