Drop down choice to query

[heraldic2]

Being a n00b to php I really could use a little help.

I have a drop down list populated by information in a database:

<?php
include_once('../other/functions.php');   

$con = mysql_connect($hostname, $username, $password)
   OR DIE ('Unable to connect to database! Please try again later.');
   $db = mysql_select_db($dbname, $con);
$sql="SELECT owner_id, teamname FROM owners WHERE active = 1 ORDER BY division, teamname";
$result=mysql_query($sql);
$options="";
while ($row=mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
    $id=$row["owner_id"];
    $thing=$row["teamname"];
    $options.="<OPTION VALUE=\"$id\">".$thing.'</option>';
    }
mysql_close($con);
?>
<SELECT NAME=thing>
<OPTION VALUE=0>Choose One
<?=$options?>
</OPTION>
</SELECT>

I understand that I have to get the WHERE clause to mimic the drop down list selection instead of setting it to standings.owner_id=1. Other then that I have the query that will get the information I want into a table:

<?php
$con = mysql_connect($hostname, $username, $password)
   OR DIE ('Unable to connect to database! Please try again later.');
   $db = mysql_select_db($dbname, $con);
$query = "SELECT * FROM standings, owners, divisions WHERE owners.owner_id = standings.owner_id AND owners.division = divisions.division AND standings.owner_id = 1 ORDER BY year";
$result = mysql_query($query);
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);
if (!$result) {
    die('Invalid query: ' . mysql_error());
}
mysql_data_seek($result, 0);
echo "<table CELLPADDING=5 border =1>";
echo "<tr>";
echo "<th align=center colspan = 2> Team Name </th>";
echo "<th align=center> Team Owner </th>";
echo "<th align=center> Conference </th>";
echo "<th align=center> Division </th>";
echo "</tr>";
echo "<tr>";
echo "<td align=center colspan = 2>".$row['teamname']."</td>";
echo "<td align=center>".$row['firstname']."</td>";
echo "<td align=center>".$row['conference']."</td>";
echo "<td align=center>".$row['division']."</td>";
echo "</tr>";
echo "<tr>";
echo "<th align=center> Year </th>";
echo "<th align=center> Wins </th>";
echo "<th align=center> Losses </th>";
echo "<th align=center> Points For </th>";
echo "<th align=center> Points Against </th>";
echo "</tr>";
$row = mysql_fetch_array($result);
while ($row = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
echo "<tr>";
echo "<td align=center>".$row['year']."</td>";
echo "<td align=center>".$row['win']."</td>";
echo "<td align=center>".$row['loss']."</td>";
echo "<td align=center>".$row['points_for']."</td>";
echo "<td align=center>".$row['points_against']."</td>";
echo "</tr>";
}
echo "</table>";
mysql_close($con);
?>

How do I make it so a user can use the drop down list, select a team name, and the query will then display the info?? And since I am really really really new to this please be specific and show examples or lord knows I will be asking how to fix what I just broke LOL.

Thank you very much

[sneakyimp]

When someone uses a SELECT input to choose one of your OPTIONS this is going to exist in a FORM. That form is going to have a METHOD which is either POST or GET:

<FORM ACTION="my_script.php" METHOD="GET">
  <SELECT NAME="thing">
    <OPTION VALUE=0>Choose One</OPTION>
    <?=$options?>
  </SELECT>
  <INPUT TYPE="submit" NAME="submit" VALUE="submit">
</FORM>

Note that I altered your SELECT a bit because you have wrongly put your $options inside another <OPTION></OPTION> tag.

When someone submits that particular form, their browser will load myscript.php. Inside myscript.php, you can check the value of the variable $_GET['thing'] to determine which option was chosen. This var should be used to change the WHERE part of your query.

[heraldic2]

Thank you very much for the help sneakyimp. Was exactly what I needed and the page works perfectly. I had to get some help on the $_GET function, but this you tube video told me everything I needed in case anyone comes looking at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZPLTiNlx8c