Cowboys Stadium Reduced to (Green) Rubble

I loved blowing things up as a kid. I still do. But this absolutely takes the cake. Growing up a San Francisco 49ers fan, I would love to see any remnant of the NFC rival Dallas Cowboys demolished. April 11, apparently, was my lucky day.

Having moved into a brand new gargantuan of a stadium, the Cowboys no longer had need for their old, less ridiculously-equipped stadium. What? A stadium without a 160-foot screen and can’t fit the Statue of Liberty? Obviously obsolete. (It should be apparent where my NFL allegiances lie, at this point.)  

Nevertheless, the new Cowboy Stadium is an architectural, engineering and technological feat, but that is neither here nor there.

The now pile of rubble was home to an incredible legacy of football players. The Cowboys called the old stadium home for 38 seasons winning 213 out of 313 regular and post-season games there and five super bowls during that time. Hall of famers Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach played there and Emmit Smith earned the title of NFL’s career rushing leader – achievements not meant to be taken lightly. (ahem.)

The massive sunroof in the stadium dome was, according to legend, so God could look down on his favorite team on Sundays. God was unavailable to comment, because he was busy discussing 2010 draft strategies with the 49ers.

Whether God was watching or not, last Sunday, April 11, over 20,000 people did. They arrived at Cowboy Stadium for one last celebration and to watch a piece of history collapse in a cloud of dust. Not just any cloud of dust, though. According to the City of Irving, this would be dust in its greenest form possible.

In a press release, the City of Irving outlined its eco-friendly actions it has carried out and intends to take. Much of the planning involved pre-implosion work with efforts to reuse and recycle as much as possible ahead of time.

Everything from office furniture to paperwork was transferred to the new stadium as well as surrounding trees, statues and other historical memorabilia. Some items went to auction as collectables, some, including the stadium’s video boards and its tens of thousands of seats, were sold by the city and the rest was donated to the Salvation Army and other non-profits.

What was left before the implosion was steel and concrete – 95 percent of which is set to be recycled. The steel will be used for scrap metal and other more complex pieces will be used for artwork. The concrete will be crushed down on site and repurposed for the surrounding freeways in the area.

In many ways, the stadium will continue to be an integral part in the Dallas community. I guess we’ll never get rid of them.

Here’s a clip of some of the best movie explosions, just for entertainment purposes. If you name all of them, I’ll send you more clips and pictures of the 49ers beating up on the Cowboys as a prize.