Following their embarrassing 44 - 6 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys disappointing 2008 season came to a screeching end. In addition to kissing their Super Bowl hopes goodbye, the end of the 2008 seasons marked the end of an era for Cowboys fans and players who bid a fond farewell to Texas Stadium. While Cowboys fans wouldn't mind forgetting their team's underachieving 2008 season, many are eager to preserve their many fond (and not so fond) memories of Texas Stadium, the team's home since 1971. Thanks to a recently announced agreement between Steiner Sports and the Cowboys, fans and collectors alike will have a great opportunity to do just that.
Cowboys-Steiner Collectibles, a division of Steiner Sports, has produced a new line of memorabilia products that pay tribute to the now defunct Texas Stadium. Some the Texas Stadium themed memorabilia items being sold by Steiner include stadium seats, game used jerseys, game used helmets, locker room chairs, autographed seat bottoms, stadium photographs, and commemorative collages. One of these products, a Texas Stadium Collage commemorates the last Cowboys game ever played in Texas Stadium on December 20th. The farewell game resulted in a 33-24 Cowboys loss against the visiting Baltimore Ravens.
Two unique versions of the framed ticket collage will be produced to pay tribute to the game. One collage will feature a Final Game commemorative ticket, a 4"x6" photo from the final game, and a descriptive nameplate. The commemorative ticket displays the date Texas Stadium opened, 10-24-71, in the section, row, and seat part of the ticket.
The second version of the collage will feature this commemorative Cowboys ticket, two 5"x7" photos from the final game, the descriptive nameplate, and turf from the field at Texas Stadium. Each item comes with a Cowboys-Steiner letter of authenticity.
Additionally, fans who attended the final game have the option of sending their ticket stubs to Steiner, who will frame them in either of the aforementioned styles. be framed up in either style. These framed pieces will be ready to ship out to customers by late January 2009.
Alternatively, fans will have an opportunity to purchase Texas Stadium Memorabilia at a live auction of remaining memorabilia on February 20 at Texas Stadium. After that, TxDOT will pay the city of Irving $15 million to use the site for seven years while it works to build a high-five type reconstruction on the triple freeway interchange.
As for the fate of the stadium itself, the city plans to either blow it up or tear it down in 2010. But, there are still other options. Movie producers are still thinking about paying the city to film the destruction. There is also a chance one developer will actually save the building and put a ski resort inside.
