Saying Goodbye to a Grand Ole Gal

[Hostile]

They call her Texas Stadium, and since six games into the 1971 season she has been the home of some great memories for Cowboys fans.

Texas Stadium replaced The Cotton Bowl as the home of the Cowboys. She wasn't quite ready when the 1971 season began so the first 2 home games were played in The Cotton Bowl. At The Cotton Bowl Dallas had amassed a 43-31-4 regular season record, and were 2-2 in the post season.

On October 24th, 1971 the New England Patriots were the first team to visit Texas Stadium. The Cowboys won that game 44-21. Duane Thomas scored the first Touchdown in Texas Stadium History on a 56 yard romp. It was a great way to introduce her to the NFL.

Since that day the Cowboys have compiled a record of 196-94, and 18-5 in the post season. They won their first 10 games there including a post season win in 1971. The longest winning streak there was 18 games. It was the last 2 home games of 1979, the 1980 season, and the 1981 season. Dallas lost the 1982 home opener to end that streak. Perhaps more impressive than that was the 8 straight games they won in the Post Season from 1992 to 1996. That last win was the last playoff win in Franchise History to this point.

All 5 of the Lombardi trophies were won by teams who played in Texas Stadium as their home field. Two of the three losing Super Bowl teams also called her home. The lone exception is the 1970 team that played in Super Bowl V against the Baltimore Colts. They called The Cotton Bowl home.

Saturday will close the doors on the grand old lady forever. Barring an NFC Playoff miracle the Cowboys cannot host a Post Season game in her this year. She had some blemishes, but damn she was good enough for me.

I will never forget the first time I saw Texas Stadium. I was flying to Chicago but had a flight change in Dallas. As the plane descended I caught a glimpse. I was immediately out of my seat trying to get a better look. It took 2 stewardesses to get me back into my seat. They didn't understand.

Seems odd to me that the NFL would have the Ravens be our last opponent there. Ultimately I don't care who it is as long as she never sees triple digit losses by her home team. As of right now, regular and post season, she has hosted 214 wins and 99 losses. 68% of the time, we held serve under the hole in the roof.

I'm excited about the new home for the 50th Anniversary team in 2009, but I will always love Texas Stadium. Let's send her off in fine style. Her first season was the first Super Bowl Championship in Cowboys History. I'd love nothing more than for her last one as the Cowboys center stage was hosting a Champion.

There's a long road to climb to get that 6th Lombardi trophy, but Texas Stadium deserves it. The fans who have packed her for so many years deserve it. As do the fans who have never been fortunate enough to step inside her gates.

Saturday Night will come way too fast in some ways. In other ways, it can't get her soon enough. One last glimpse of a grand ole lady comes with it. Who will score the last touchdown on her? Forever to be etched alongside Duane Thomas with the first as a trivia question.

No matter who scores that last touchdown or how great a tribute the NFL Network plans to have for that game, it simply will not be enough. A win is the only way to close the doors right. Baltimore must go down, and she must go down hard.
​

 

[Dave_in-NC]

It was one of three top thrills in my life to see that place in person.
I remember flying by it I was on the wrong side of the plane and some guy heard me saying to my wife I can't find the stadium.

This guy says it right here, switch seats with me, we fly close enough for you to see the hole in the roof. That's how my first trip to Texas started.
A guy who was nice enough to disrupt himself for some yankee to get a look at the hole in the roof.

From many feet above I was in awe. I went straight from the airport to the stadium just to get a pic with Landry's statue.

I probably spent an hour walking around with a huge smile as my wive snapped pictures of every thing.

Going to the game the next day and being in the parking lot with other fans was awesome. I have been to many games in different stadiums but being a Cowboy fan was like having the plague.

I could go on all day so I wont but nice tribute Hos.

As I said, that place is one place I have been that I really am fond of, and I have been to tons of places inside and out side of the US.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Such a great place I wish I could have gone there at least once before it closed. Hopefully I will be able to go to the new stadium

 

[Yeagermeister]

Dang it hos you make me want to :cry2:

 

[Avenging Hayseed]

I grew up in Northern Wisconsin. Still live here to this day. As a kid the Cowboys were on tv alot up here. Started watching those guys as a 10 year old back in 1974, still watching them to this day.! Hey, if anything im loyal. Anyway, one of the biggest thrills of my life was my 1st visit to Texas stadium. That came 6 years ago, been back 4 times since. The statue of Landry, the stadium itself, to walk out that tunnel on onto the field during the stadium tour. All I can say is....WOW! Had a football along during the stadium tour, threw a touchdown pass into the endzone to another fan that was at the tour. I gotta tell ya, for that one instant in time I was 10 years old again and back in my old backyard pretending to be Roger throwing the winning pass to Drew Pearson. Thanx for all the great the memories Texas Stadium!.......

 

[TellerMorrow34]

They call her Texas Stadium, and since six games into the 1971 season she has been the home of some great memories for Cowboys fans.​

Texas Stadium replaced The Cotton Bowl as the home of the Cowboys. She wasn't quite ready when the 1971 season began so the first 2 home games were played in The Cotton Bowl. At The Cotton Bowl Dallas had amassed a 43-31-4 regular season record, and were 2-2 in the post season.​

On October 24th, 1971 the New England Patriots were the first team to visit Texas Stadium. The Cowboys won that game 44-21. Duane Thomas scored the first Touchdown in Texas Stadium History on a 56 yard romp. It was a great way to introduce her to the NFL.​

Since that day the Cowboys have compiled a record of 196-94, and 18-5 in the post season. They won their first 10 games there including a post season win in 1971. The longest winning streak there was 18 games. It was the last 2 home games of 1979, the 1980 season, and the 1981 season. Dallas lost the 1982 home opener to end that streak. Perhaps more impressive than that was the 8 straight games they won in the Post Season from 1992 to 1996. That last win was the last playoff win in Franchise History to this point.​

All 5 of the Lombardi trophies were won by teams who played in Texas Stadium as their home field. Two of the three losing Super Bowl teams also called her home. The lone exception is the 1970 team that played in Super Bowl V against the Baltimore Colts. They called The Cotton Bowl home.​

Saturday will close the doors on the grand old lady forever. Barring an NFC Playoff miracle the Cowboys cannot host a Post Season game in her this year. She had some blemishes, but damn she was good enough for me.​

I will never forget the first time I saw Texas Stadium. I was flying to Chicago but had a flight change in Dallas. As the plane descended I caught a glimpse. I was immediately out of my seat trying to get a better look. It took 2 stewardesses to get me back into my seat. They didn't understand.​

Seems odd to me that the NFL would have the Ravens be our last opponent there. Ultimately I don't care who it is as long as she never sees triple digit losses by her home team. As of right now, regular and post season, she has hosted 214 wins and 99 losses. 68% of the time, we held serve under the hole in the roof.​

I'm excited about the new home for the 50th Anniversary team in 2009, but I will always love Texas Stadium. Let's send her off in fine style. Her first season was the first Super Bowl Championship in Cowboys History. I'd love nothing more than for her last one as the Cowboys center stage was hosting a Champion.​

There's a long road to climb to get that 6th Lombardi trophy, but Texas Stadium deserves it. The fans who have packed her for so many years deserve it. As do the fans who have never been fortunate enough to step inside her gates.​

Saturday Night will come way too fast in some ways. In other ways, it can't get her soon enough. One last glimpse of a grand ole lady comes with it. Who will score the last touchdown on her? Forever to be etched alongside Duane Thomas with the first as a trivia question.​

No matter who scores that last touchdown or how great a tribute the NFL Network plans to have for that game, it simply will not be enough. A win is the only way to close the doors right. Baltimore must go down, and she must go down hard.​

Hos you should do write ups for NFL films or something man. That was great. Simply great.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Such a great place I wish I could have gone there at least once before it closed. Hopefully I will be able to go to the new stadium

I feel for you man. I only got to go twice, both in 2005 against the Eagles and the Cardinals, but they were two of the greatest days of my life. It was just a blast to be in that place, to watch the Cowboys live, to see them dismantle both of those hated rivals.


So many great memories of that stadium whether it be games I've watched live in person, on TV as they're happening, or in classics and such on TV from days before my time.


I've always said my favorite Cowboys memory ever, and it still is to this day, was Emmitt Smith setting the rushing record right there in that stadium. It couldn't have happened any better than that. Emmitt getting it done, in front of the home crowd, with Brad Sham making simply one of the greatest calls in football history.

The history of that stadium is magical and will be tough to ever duplicate. Here's to the Cowboys sending the stadium out the proper way by beating down the Ravens.

 

[tomson75]

My three earliest memories regarding the television.

1. Being freaked out by those apelike creatures on 'Land of the Lost'.

2. The hyper excitability I felt when watching the original opening to an HBO movie (the one where a camera 'flew' over what essentially looked like an enormous miniature city).

3. The same feeling when I saw Texas Stadium on TV with the lights pouring out of it's roof.

 

[miamicowboy21]

Was at the game last night. I will have pics later in the week. I'm stuck at DFW as we speak. The atmosphere was great last night. The defense really fed off the emotion of the crowd. The tailgating was awesome. I see Texas Stadium so many times, but to see it in person again I found myself looking at the names on the ROH and all the great memories they gave us in Texas stadium. It was bittersweet..we won, but knowing we in all reality only have one more game their stinks......Man the weather changed fast, by the 4th quarter everyone who had on short sleeves were running for something warm. The temps dipped at least 25 degress in less than an hour and the wind was whipping. I went to take the Texas Stadium tour today, but they covered the field with the tarp. No running on the field, no cacthing a pass on that field and most of all no picture on the star. I was furious. So anyone taking any tours this week the field will probably be covered. It was good to see GOD's house one last time.

 

[Hostile]

Hos you should do write ups for NFL films or something man. That was great. Simply great.

Thanks.

 

[Primetime42]

I finally visited Texas Stadium for the first time this past October for the Tampa game.

Everything was perfect. Amazing. The next day, I took the tour, took a pic at Landry's statue, the locker room, the tunnel.

It was one of the happiest days of my life. I hope I can get in the new home next year as well, but this is something I will remember for the rest of my days.

Let's send her out in style, 'Boys.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I still remember the first Thanksgiving game in '71 and The Bullet catching a long TD against the Rams. I watched the game at my uncle's house and was in awe of the new stadium.

I still remember the SI article that season which described the luxury boxes and the new, state-of-the-art stadium.

Saturday night will be very sad for me even though I look forward to the new stadium. It's as if I'm losing a part of what made up my childhood.

 

[ghosttown cowboy]

I have been there 4 times

1979 to see us play the Seahawks on Thanksgiving, a 55-7 win, I was 10

1985 vs the Steelers, the day before, I went to the RRS, and watched Troy Aikman run the option for OU...Never in a million years did I think Dallas would draft him, again, Dallas won that day

1992 playoff game vs the iggles, what an awesome beat down

1993 day after x-mas, we hammered the Redstinks that day...

I was lucky enough to go to the house that Landry built, and I will always cherish those memories...RIP Texas Stadium...

 

[magic-sword]

Wow when I read that I can hear the voice of John Facenda!

 

[DallasFanSince86]

Good tribute, Hostile.

 

[Sarge]

My three earliest memories regarding the television.

1. Being freaked out by those apelike creatures on 'Land of the Lost'.

.

That would be sleestack.

 

[ethiostar]

Nice read Hostile.

Thanks.

 

[notherbob]

Great tribute, Hos. Well said.

 

[percyhoward]

August 1975--the first time I ever saw her from the inside.

I still remember the smell of beer, sweat, and nachos on that hot night in the preseason, and Drew's one-handed catch in the back of the end zone to beat the Steelers in the last minute.

 

[Cbz40]

Good Gawd!!!!!! Had to get out the kleenex....buggers....tears every where...Thanks Hos.