Saturday, June 06, 2009

Cowboys Stadium: A Temple For Our Times

It is said that a sign of a civilization in decline is an excessive obsession with sports and entertainment (remember the Coliseum? And whatever happened to that invincible Roman empire?). This is because as one pulls the plug on reality, the greater the need for distractions from the sinking ship. Heckuva plan, that!

But not only must the temple be built, but all pathways to it need to be lined with gold to accord it the proper respect. Below is the brand spanking new Center Street Bridge to cross over the River Styx I-30 corridor and lead you to the house of worship.

[Note: click on photos for more detail]


As we arrive on the bridge, we can see the great place of worship in the distance.


But as we look to the left, we see the construction workers have miles to go before they sleep:


In Japan, they built this pathway to lead to their temple:


In Arlington, they built this:


We reach the great temple at last! If you'll notice, you can see right through to the other side. Giant, sliding glass doors bookend the east and west sides. The permanent fence is not in place yet.


Giant buttresses spew out of either end, unlike any other stadium in the world. To the left you can see the giant video screen outside the stadium, a tailgater's dream!


I walked around to the other side. You couldn't get there by car. Notice the glow from within? The sides are translucent.


This is Johnson Creek which has been an eyesore for years. It runs just east of the stadium and is being reconstructed and landscaped as part of the project.


Click on the picture and you can see the "holy of holies": the largest video screen in the country. One reporter who took a tour of the facility described the four-sided video screen's size as that of a "small ocean liner".


I snuck in for a close up of the buttresses:




However, directly across the street from the great temple are signs of economic reality that have yet to be airbrushed away:


One business by the stadium is thriving!


But the giant also leaves footprints unseen - except for those it has stepped on.


This lot is two blocks over from the temple. Turns out they couldn't find enough parking spots so the city condemned nearby houses to make room. This lot is one of many.


There is a need in every human to worship, a need as undeniable as breathing air. And what you choose to worship will bring you either life or death.

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For more pictures and info about the Cowboy's billion dollar stadium, click here.

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