Steve GannRest In Pieces: Texas Stadium 1971-2010
April 11th 2010 14:17
The longtime home of America's Team, the Dalla Cowboys, met its end this morning when eleven year old essay winner Casey Rogers pushed the button to bring down Texas Stadium.
It took years for the Cowboys to build a dynasty there but less than a minute to erase the historical marker where it all occurred. Texas Stadium nows joins other sports cathedrals like Yankee Stadium, Ebbets Field, Crosley Park, The Spectrum, and Comiskey Park where so much history, heartache, and happiness was made only to be lost to the wrecking ball.
I always feel a loss when we lose something of great historical value just for the sake of progress. The historical markers along our roads are more like tombstones to me than tributes. To me they say "once there was something quite wonderful here, but we tore it down and built condos instead and left you this little metal sign."
The little grocery store that I spent three years of my high school years at has recently been tore down and a mega store has been built in it's place. That was not only a job to me but a rite of passage. That job taught me the value of work, gave me freedom by allowing me to buy my first car, and is where I met many lifelong friends.
I know that we can't keep old buildings around just for the sake of memories, but I think that in many instances we get caught up in new shiny things that really aren't necessary. That little grocery store filled a niche by allowing people in a hurry to park close the door and be in and out with their purchase in under an hour. Try that at the new mega store.
Some of my favorite stadiums are the older ones that I have visited. I was glad that I got to visit Yankee Stadium before the team moved last year. I actually got shivers that I was walking in the same spaces as greats like Gehrig, Ruth, and Mantle.
If you are in the Dallas area in the near future please take a photo of the small metal sign that will stand in the place where the great Texas Stadium once proudly stood. I imagine it will say "This parking lot used to be part of the greatest football dynasty in history, but we tore it down because it didn't have enough luxury seats."
It took years for the Cowboys to build a dynasty there but less than a minute to erase the historical marker where it all occurred. Texas Stadium nows joins other sports cathedrals like Yankee Stadium, Ebbets Field, Crosley Park, The Spectrum, and Comiskey Park where so much history, heartache, and happiness was made only to be lost to the wrecking ball.
I always feel a loss when we lose something of great historical value just for the sake of progress. The historical markers along our roads are more like tombstones to me than tributes. To me they say "once there was something quite wonderful here, but we tore it down and built condos instead and left you this little metal sign."
The little grocery store that I spent three years of my high school years at has recently been tore down and a mega store has been built in it's place. That was not only a job to me but a rite of passage. That job taught me the value of work, gave me freedom by allowing me to buy my first car, and is where I met many lifelong friends.
I know that we can't keep old buildings around just for the sake of memories, but I think that in many instances we get caught up in new shiny things that really aren't necessary. That little grocery store filled a niche by allowing people in a hurry to park close the door and be in and out with their purchase in under an hour. Try that at the new mega store.
Some of my favorite stadiums are the older ones that I have visited. I was glad that I got to visit Yankee Stadium before the team moved last year. I actually got shivers that I was walking in the same spaces as greats like Gehrig, Ruth, and Mantle.
If you are in the Dallas area in the near future please take a photo of the small metal sign that will stand in the place where the great Texas Stadium once proudly stood. I imagine it will say "This parking lot used to be part of the greatest football dynasty in history, but we tore it down because it didn't have enough luxury seats."
| 59 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
