Saying Goodby to Texas Stadium

What kind of semi sports blogger would I be without posting the implosion of Texas Stadium. It has been a staple of Cowboys football for my entire life and I am sad to see it go, while at the same time saying "Bout time." Whether your a Cowboys fan, or just grown up in this area, everyone has their own memories of Texas Stadium. I mean it's only been here for 34 years! So I'm going to pretend that any of you actually care what I think and tell you some of my fondest memories of the late, great Texas Stadium, may she rest in eternal peace.

Being a football fan, of course my first memories are watching Cowboys games. Some of the greatest games were agianst rivals like the Giants, Niners, Redskins, Steelers and the former Oilers (still miss the Oilers). Our holiday dinners at my parents house are built around what time the Cowboys play. When I was a kid, we would trade off houses between my parents house, and close friends of my parents. But you always loved the hole in the roof, and watching the blimp circle over the stadium where you could only see a third of the field. No other stadium had a hole in the roof, and as many people mocked the "Hole in the roof so god can watch his favorite team" they also enjoyed it.

My fondest memory of Texas Stadium was when I was a little kid, probably 6, or 7, my dad entered me and my sister in a Radio Shack drawing that I actually won. What we won were tickets for my family to go to the Cowboys Thanksgiving day game, and after the opening kickoff I got to run out onto the field and pick up the kicking tee. Just before the start of the game Radio Shack, and Cowboys representatives came up to our seats and walked me down to the field where they gave me a jersey of my favorite player, Herschel Walker. So when they brought me to the field they gave me a #34 Herschel Walker jersey and I actually got to shake hands with him. I was on cloud nine just being in the proximity of him, much less actually met him. Then they brought me to the side and explained to me what I had to do. It seemed simple enough. Right after the kickoff, run down the 30 yard line, pick up the kicking tee and run back with it. That wasn't the case.

So there I am, a young 6 year old blond version of me standing on the 30 yard line with my Herschel Walker jersey on waiting anxiously to run across the field to grab the kicking tee. Nerves are running rampant, and full of excitement and anticipation. The whistle blows and the team sprints past when the Cowboys rep pushes me on the back and yells for me to go. With my little legs scampering across the field I get to the tee and I forgot what I was supposed to do. Go back? Go Across? I completely forgot. So I turn back and see the Cowboys rep waiving their arms to just run across the field. What felt like an eternity probably was only a matter of seconds but I turn around and run to the Vikings Sideline. Where I was greeted by one of their coaches and some players who were chuckling and calling me little man. I asked "what do I do now?" and they told me to walk around the back of the end-zone back to the Cowboys side. Someone was nice to escort me, don't ask who, because I couldn't tell you, probably a trainer or someone unimportant. It was truly a blast doing that and I'll never forget that moment in my life.

Other than Cowboys games, the other thing that Texas Stadium was synonymous for was Texas High School football. It was always the place you dreamed of being able to play because that meant your team made it to playoffs. Unfortunately my High School team sucked and we never had the opportunity to walk down the tunnel, but our Coach had beaten in into our brains that walking down that tunnel is what we played for. Guess he didn't do a good enough job. Well... That or we were in too tough of a district with Duncanville (State Champs 1998), Flower Mound Marcus (State Champs 1997), Lewisville (State Champs 1996), and the like.

I'm sure you have your own memories of Texas Stadium. It truly will be missed, as we watch the Cowboys play in the new Cowboys Stadium/ Jerry World/ Death Star/ What ever other nickname you want to give it. Below is a small video of the implosion of a 34 year Dallas landmark. If you listen close enough you might be able to hear the entire city of Irving's collective exhale as they sink into their chairs and hang their heads because Irving is no longer on America's map.