FRISCO, Texas – BR19; two letters and numbers that carry so much meaning within FC Dallas. They embody hard work, dedication, care, love, but pain and sadness, too.
It’s been 15 years to the day since Bobby Rhine unexpectedly passed away. He was an FC Dallas club legend like no one before him—and likely no one since.
It wasn’t the 212 games he played. Nor the 23 goals he scored. Those things help, but his legend comes from who he was. A one-club man who always made time for the fans. A man who joined FCD’s front office as manager of community engagement after his playing days were over. A man who was the voice of the club as its color commentator at the time of his death.
No one else can be what Bobby was for this club. His legacy is unique. But we can honor his memory, so fans who didn’t watch or know him can at least come to understand BR19.
The FC Dallas supporters, with whom Bobby always had a special connection, named their seating section “The Rhine” in his honor. When former FC Dallas Homegrown Paxton Pomykal signed with the club in 2016, the Dallas native asked the Rhine family if he could wear his iconic Number 19 jersey to carry his legacy onward.
Although Pomykal has since departed the club and the 19 jersey is currently vacant, Bobby's memory lives on within Toyota Stadium. The club commissioned local artist Carly Haynie to design murals on the southeast wall to honor four key figures from FC Dallas history. Of course, Bobby was among them.
It's been a decade and a half without Bobby. Without his magnetic presence, without his warm smile. Still, his memory lives on within the club, the stadium, and most importantly, the fans.
BR19. Bobby Rhine, Forever Our Voice.
More about the BR19 legacy HERE
