It would be easy to call a Colorado Rockies night game in Denver, followed by a Broncos game the next afternoon, the highlight of a long road trip.
But that all happened before I stepped foot into Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. Everything on the trip before, as well as everything after, automatically became less symbolic.
It wasn’t just a Dallas Cowboys game.
It was the team’s home opener.
Against the arch-rival Washington Redskins. On Monday Night Football.
It was also the peak of my recent 17-day, 8,800-kilometre (9,300 if you count the Airdrie to Lethbridge legs) road trip into the United States.
I started planning this trip during a libation-filled pre-Christmas celebration last year. I was at a friend’s house and started looking over a large world map on his wall.
Texas loomed large.
Then, I looked at the calendar and figured September and October would likely be the best time to catch both MLB and NFL games, with the potential of NCAA college football as well.
Realizing my dad’s 60th birthday was during this time period and that he’d be a great road trip companion (having previously driven with him across Europe in 2003 and north to Alaska in 2009), it all came together in my head.
Once the NFL settled its petty skirmish over billions of dollars in August and put tickets up for sale, we we’re all set.
I jumped out of my seat when I was able to secure two tickets for the Monday nighter.
I nearly jumped out my shoes when we finally arrived to Arlington (just west of Dallas where the stadium is) and saw the goliath spaceship-looking Cowboys Stadium.
A few pre-game tailgating moments later and we were ready to step foot inside the $1.3 billion (not a typo), 80,000 seat Jerryland (nicknamed for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones).
I’ve been to a lot of major sports stadiums, and some big games in my day, so I kind of lost the ‘wow’ factor some time ago.
It came back immediately.
Walking into this immaculate shrine of over-indulgence reminded me why I love and hate professional sports at the same time.
Just blocks away, homeless people are begging for your change. Inside the largest domed stadium in the world, there is a 60-yard long high-definition video replay board (which cost an estimated $45 million).
Seeing this on TV doesn’t even remotely offer justice to its size. After the game (which Dallas won 18-16 for those who missed it), all I heard on the way out was several unhappy wives saying they can’t believe how much money their husbands spents on tickets – just to watch the majority of the game of the large screen.
