TODAY, I SAID GOODBYE TO AN OLD FRIEND

Yes, I know, this is supposed to be a NASCAR Based blog, but the guys were off last weekend, and the race was last night. I will post my race thoughts later today, but I had to get this off my chest. Today, I said Goodbye to an old and dear friend. Having grown up in Texas and the Dallas area, when Texas Stadium was imploded this morning, it took a piece of my heart with it. I guess Jerry Jones has finally succeeded in his self-serving mission to destroy everything connected with the Cowboys glorious past. To hell with all the hard work and money that Clint Murchison put in to it. Tom Landry? Why everyone knows he got a fair chance right? And Tex Schramn was pretty much non sequitor the second Jones took control. Here's a fact I'll bet you didn't know: Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry in the disgraceful way that he did, before he had actual control and approval to own the team from the NFL. Class Act, Huh?

38 years of memories, gone in less than a minute. People actually cried. A few cheered, but there's some in every crowd, right? The day this place opened in 1971, you knew it was going to be something special. On the Cowboys' first play from scrimmage, Duane Thomas took it 54 yards to the house. Remember that fateful Thanksgiving Day, when our leader, Roger Staubach, was knocked out, and we were already behind? Unknown Clint Longley, who didn't know squat about the offense, simply looked for open receivers and threw. LONG passes. Thus, "The Mad Bomber" was born, and oh by the way, Da Boys won the game.

Emmitt Smith became the NFL's All-Time leading rusher in that palace. Garth Brooks gave a three night series of concerts there, where he flew over the crowd. George Strait and Jimmy Buffett sang there. Billy Graham prayed there. And Cowboys fans prayed with him, and cussed during the lean years. But, Texas Stadium was always there, always special, always home. Terrell Owens, tried to show us up by standing on the sacred star on the fifty yard line after scoring a touchdown. And was promptly knocked on his ass by George Teague. You just don't do that in our house.

Did you know that Texas Stadium was to originally be a domed stadium? Money ran tight, and it was discovered that the roof couldn't have supported the weight of the dome anyway. But I prefer the folklore tale, that the hole was put there so that God could watch His favorite team play. That suits the Cowboys legacy much better.

You got chills down your spine when you walked into the place. It was almost a reverence, like entering a church. It was the same feeling I got when I toured "The Mother Church of Country Music", The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Thing is, I got the same chill every time I walked into the stadium for 38 years. It never changed. I witnessed numerous Cowboys games there, several College Football contests, and got to tour the place. I'm talking locker room, field, the whole bit. It was pretty intimidating to look up at the hole in the roof and know one thing: God was watching you. You could feel it.

I could go on forever on this, but I'm getting another lump in my throat, so I'd better stop. One last thought: It will be a cold day in hell before I set foot in the new stadium, which is more of a tribute to Jerry Jones the jerk, than a functioning Sports Arena.

Goodbye, Texas Stadium. You served us well, Old Girl. You will always live in my heart.