The year was 1980 something and Joe Montana was facing 89 yards and a Dallas Cowboys defense to reach the end zone and ultimately a trip to the Super Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys had just punted the ball back to the 49ers giving Montana just under 5 minutes and all three of his timeouts. As a young child, I was certain the Cowboys were heading to the Super Bowl again. It had been a close game and the Cowboys were up 27-21. Just getting in field goal range wasn’t going to help. The 49ers needed a touchdown and what I thought was a miracle.
What unfolded before my eyes has gone down as one of the most memorable drives and catches in NFL history. Montana drove his team down the field making one play after another until they reached the Dallas 6 yard line. It was 3rd down and they had 4 yards to go for a first down. As the play unfolded, the Dallas defensive line was chasing Montana and a sack was almost certain or at least a loss of yards. What happened next has gone down in NFL history as one of the best. Known simply as “The Catch”, Montana threw a high pass towards the back of the end zone and out of nowhere Dwight Clark leaped and caught it with his fingertips. With the extra point, the 49ers went up 28-27. The game wasn’t over though! Dallas had :51 seconds and I still held out hope. They were close to getting into field goal range when Danny White fumbled the snap and lost the ball. This sealed the victory for the 49ers and I cried.
Yes, you read that right! I was very young and why this memory is one I don’t forget after all these years is beyond me.
I have been a Cowboys fan for as long as I can remember. Growing up in southern Ohio it wasn’t always easy being surrounded by Bengals, Browns and even Steelers fans. I was the “oddball”, but I was okay with it. I loved my Cowboys and I loved the game of football. I even had a Danny White jersey I wore when the neighborhood got together for pick up games. After this game, their dominance from the 1970’s soon faded and the 1980’s was not a great decade to be a Cowboys fan. In fact, the Cowboys went up for sale twice during this decade and guess what I wanted for Christmas? The Dallas Cowboys were at the top of my list. Why wouldn’t any grandfather buy this for his favorite and only granddaughter? I did not come from wealth by any means, but again, I was a kid, I had no comprehension of money. I just knew we needed to own the Cowboys! As you obviously know, this gift was not under the tree or in my stocking. My mom was famous for hiding gifts and forgetting, but somehow I don’t think this one got lost.
Years passed and I have always cheered for “The Boys”. The 1990’s brought back more Super Bowl appearances and Championships! I have gotten to attend a few of their away games when they were in cities nearby. In December of 2008, I was finally able to visit Dallas for the first time to watch the very last game played in Texas Stadium. As God looked through the hole in the roof of Texas Stadium, Dallas was defeated by the Baltimore Ravens 33-24. Of course, I wanted a win, but our good friend Fabian Washington played for Baltimore and I was happy for him! Without him, I would have never had the chance to even be at the game!
Recently, I made only my second trip to Dallas to visit good friends. I had the opportunity to tour AT&T Stadium and visit The Star in Frisco for the first time. Needless to say, walking on the field and standing in the locker room, many childhood memories rushed back and I was like a kid on Christmas morning. I’ve never done a stadium tour before, but even if you know nothing of the game or the team, you can’t help but marvel at the architecture and complexity of the design.
This home of the Dallas Cowboys is also a multi-purpose stadium hosting a variety of events; from the NFL, to college basketball playoffs and even Wrestlemania. The stadium is currently the world’s largest covered stadium with 80,00 seats expandable to hold 100,00 people! A pair of massive, 292 foot arches span the length of the stadium, supporting the facility and the retractable roof. At each end zone are glass retractable doors, 180 foot wide by 120 foot high. They are the largest in the world, and open or close in 18 minutes.
Needless to say, AT&T stadium is one of a kind. Whether you are a Cowboys fan or not, if you are in or visiting the Dallas area, I highly recommend it!
You can also visit The Star in Frisco, Texas, the new headquarters of the Cowboys where they work and train every day. This 91 acre campus which opened in 2016, includes shops, restaurants, a hotel and many things to explore.
The Tostitos championship plaza serves as the center of The Star campus. Everywhere you look you are surrounded by the history of the Cowboys, the championships and players past and present. The Ring of Honor recognizes the 22 members of the Dallas Cowboys Football Club who have made outstanding contributions throughout the team’s history. There is so much to take in around this campus and for some reason I don’t doubt it will continue to grow.
Hopefully, all these years later the 2021 Cowboys will be able to complete the Super Bowl run that eluded the team in the early 1980’s. After my grandpa failed to buy the Cowboys for me, someone named Jerry Jones eventually became the owner. After seeing the amazing developments he’s built, I guess I can finally admit the right person got the team.
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