Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
more than a half-million fans familiar with our region’s Century in the Making Action Team, and in June 2009, he
the Top 100 Moments from the gridiron football heritage.
Sham announced, “Taking place on January 16, 1972 in
and Fay tapped a group of the best and brightest to identify
250 distinct instances of North Texas football greatness.
BY CHARLEY WILSON New Orleans, the Top Football Moment in the history of foot- First, though, they had to define a “moment.”
ball in North Texas is the Dallas Cowboys’ 24-3 victory in “We concurred that it could be a game, a point in a
Q
Super Bowl VI over the Miami Dolphins!” game, a venue, a person, an activity related to football, an
uick, reel off the top natural treasures of North Texas. the time and put a process in place for the list to be The applause from the standing-room-only audience award, an invitation, a decision,” Sham said. “We didn’t put
White-sanded beaches? Nope. Mountainous land- legitimately developed and decided upon. Well, that’s the signaled their overwhelming approval. After all, led by any constraints on whether it was a positive moment, like
scapes? No. Spectacular waterfalls? Nah. Lighthouse route we took.” Staubach’s two touchdown passes and MVP efforts, this was the Cowboys winning their first Super Bowl, or a negative
vistas? Negative. when the Cowboys rid themselves of the anchor-like tag of moment, such as SMU’s football program receiving the ‘Death
But we do have something just as remarkable: Football. “Next Year’s Champions” and put them on a path to earn a Penalty’ from the NCAA. And the moment didn’t necessarily
So, with Super Bowl XLV — North Texas’ first — set for From treasure to tribute… better, more memorable — and possibly more controversial — have to take place in North Texas, but it had to be connected
Feb. 6, 2011, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, the North Brad Sham — the long-time broadcast voice of the Dallas label: “America’s Team.” to this region in a way that it shaped the history of football
Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee recognized this trea- Cowboys — inched to the edge of his seat at a table in the Hall But arriving at that No. 1 moment is a story to itself. here.”
sure and decided to build a tribute to our rich football heri- of State at Dallas’ Fair Park and leaned into a microphone to After much discussion and debate, the Century in the
tage. They called it “Century in the Making” and from that, announce the No. 1 Football Moment in North Texas History. Making Action Team reached consensus on 250 moments.
the Top 100 Football Moments in North Texas’ History was Seated next to Sham at this press conference on the eve of What is a moment… or 250 “There were a lot of memory joggers that came up dur-
born. the 2010 annual Texas-Oklahoma college football shootout and ing this exercise,” Sham said. “You’d have a laugh, or you’d
“I suppose that you could ask a few friends over dinner, in the shadows of Big Tex and the Cotton Bowl stadium were moments? remember a game, or you’d remember a guy who did some-
scribble down 100 items on a napkin, agree on them, and pro- former Cowboy Roger Staubach, Longhorn Earl Campbell and To get the process rolling, Fay knew exactly where to thing unusual. We sorted through the duplications and
nounce them North Texas’ greatest football moments,” said Oklahoma Sooner Thomas Lott. What they and the audience begin. He called Sham and the two hatched a plan to involve reached consensus on what the 250 moments would be.”
Tony Fay, Vice President of Communications for the North of several hundred interested football fans heard next was the numerous sports journalists — active and retired — to deter- In January 2010, the Host Committee announced these top
Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. “Or you could take result of more than a year of planning and the participation of mine these greatest moments. Sham agreed to chair the moments at a football legend-laden press conference at Dallas’
State Fair of Texas “It was a unique privilege to have the public come
into the room to sit 20 feet from Drew Pearson to hear
Revealing the Top 100 Football Moments took
him tell his version of the ‘Hail Mary’ pass and how
place over a five-day period during the opening week
he blocked on Tony Dorsett’s record-setting 99-yard
of the 2010 State Fair of Texas. In partnership with
run,” Sham said. “And you couldn’t help but be mes-
the curators of the Hall of State Museum, a Century
merized listening to Russell Maryland’s fascinating
in the Making Pavilion presented by Ebby Halliday
recollection of the Texas-Miami Cotton Bowl game in
was constructed, allowing thousands of fair-goers to
which he was the game’s MVP.”
view an exhibit paying tribute to 100 years of football
in North Texas. It included numerous photos from
DAY TWO, TUESDAY, SEPT. 28: Cowboys legend
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s sports archives, an
Charles Haley and ex-Cowboys/TCU great Larry
original North Texas State University (now known as
Brown joined Sham to count down and share their
University of North Texas) game jersey of Mean Joe
perspectives of Moments 80-61. Extensive discussion
Greene’s, a replica of the Davey O’Brien Award tro-
centered on Moment No. 76 (Terrell Owens getting
phy, and more.
knocked off the Texas Stadium mid-field “star” by
Aptly, the Ebby Halliday Century in the Making
George Teague) and Moment No. 64 (Coach Jimmy
Pavilion was located next to the Tom Landry Exhibit
Johnson’s bold guarantee in 1994 that Cowboys would
in the Hall of State, a showcase of the former
beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game).
Cowboys coach’s personal memorabilia.
When the panel moved into the Hall of State audi-
“Having the Landry Exhibit next to our Century in
torium, the big surprise was that the first question
the Making Pavilion was just the perfect juxtaposition
from fans wasn’t for either Haley or Brown; instead,
of celebrating 100 years of football in North Texas,”
a gentleman asked if he could get on stage to ask his
Sham said. “Everyone knew what Tom meant to the
girlfriend for her hand in marriage. He did, and her
professional game and to our region. And maybe
answer was “yes.”
WE GOT GAME.
Jerry Jones is introduced at Valley
Ranch as the new owner of the Dallas
Cowboys and replaces Tom Landry
with Jimmy Johnson as head coach.
14. 1921 17. DEC. 31, 1967 20. JAN. 15, 1978 (AND THEN SOME.)
A wooden structure seating 15,000 In one of the coldest games in NFL Cowboys defeat Broncos,
called the Fair Park Bowl opens on history (13 degrees below zero at kick- 27-10, in Super Bowl XII for
the grounds of the State Fair of Texas, off), the Green Bay Packers edge the the second Super Bowl title in
later evolving into the Cotton Bowl. Cowboys in the “Ice Bowl.” franchise history.
Behind a 16-0 season, Southlake 74. JAN. 1, 1937 Cowboys defeat 49ers,
The Dallas Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of Museum members and donors and
Carroll captures the Texas state 30-20, to advance to Super
In the first game played at the Cotton by the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas/Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission
championship and finishes No. 1 by Bowl XXVII, prompting Jimmy
Bowl, Sammy Baugh and TCU defeat on the Arts.
USA Today. Johnson to proclaim after the game,
Marquette, 16-6. “How ‘Bout Them Cowboys?!” 1717 North Harwood St
Image: Olafur Eliasson, The outside of inside, 2008, projectors, spotlights, color-filter foil, stainless steel,
Dallas TX 75201
and control unit, Dallas Museum of Art, DMA/amfAR Benefit Auction Fund, 2009.1.a–aa,
214 922 1200 © 2008 Olafur Eliasson
46 NORTHTEXASSUPERBOWL.COM WINTER 2011 WINTER 2011 NORTHTEXASSUPERBOWL.COM 47
With big screens, big food, big