“…I’m a Sooner born and a Sooner bred,
and when I die I’ll be Sooner dead,
Rah Oklahoma! Rah Oklahoma! Rah Oklahomaaaaa…
O-K-U!"

“The Eyes of Texas are upon youuu….”

“Big D, little a, double l – a- s.”  The Texas State Fair, first hosted by Dallas in1886, is the largest and longest running state fair in the U.S., and Fair Park has become a National Historic Landmark.  The Texas vs. Oklahoma football game: The “Red River Rivalry,” “Red River Shootout,” “Red River War,” was first played in Fair Park Stadium in 1912. The stadium became the Cotton Bowl in 1930. The game has been played continuously in Fair Park since 1929, and has been a sellout every year for the past 58 years – regardless of the records of the teams. OU-Texas in the Cotton Bowl, on the second Saturday in October, has been a sacred rite for thousands of college football fans for generations.

There truly is nothing else like it in all of sports.

When Trip Captain was a boy, he saw the game on television. He remembers the shot from the Goodyear Blimp, looking down on the Cotton Bowl – half Red, half Orange – with the Midway, rides and fairgrounds surrounding it. It took his breath away then - the sheer magnificence of it. But he took it for granted as he grew up, until in recent years when he has come to realize and appreciate the miracle - that it came to be so long ago, and survives to this day.  

Cap recently made the trip to Fair Park to see the Sooners and Longhorns fight it out in the shadow of the Texas Star – the tallest Ferris wheel in North America – and under the watchful eye of Big Tex.

Getting There
Dallas, a pulsating metroplex, is located in north central Texas, 244 miles from Houston to the southeast; 253 miles from San Antonio, southwest; 173 miles from Abilene to the west; 178 miles from Shreveport, La., east; 87 miles from Waco and 351 miles from Corpus Christi, south; 61 miles from Gainesville, 98 miles from Ardmore, Okla. and 240 miles from Tulsa, Okla., north, and an equal distance – about 175 miles – from the Oklahoma University campus in Norman, and the University of Texas campus, Austin.

DFW International Airport, northwest of the city, and Love Field, off Mockingbird north of downtown, provide airline service.

Of course, lodging is available all over the metroplex. For example, many fans stay south, in the Duncanville area, or north, in the Plano/Addison area; at the Anatolle or others along I-35 on the west side; at the Doubletree or others along Central Expressway on the east side; along  I-635 (LBJ), including the Hilton; in Irving, west or Garland, east, or downtown at the Hyatt, Fairmont, or old Adolphus, among others.  Luxury, economy or somewhere in between, it’s all there – but most fans just want a clean room at a convenient location.

I-35 (Stemmons) comes through the city, west of downtown, and Highway 75 (Central Expressway), likewise, east of downtown, both running north - south. Greenville parallels Central Expressway, north – south. I-30 cuts through just south of downtown, east - west. Loop 12, LBJ, and Beltline loop around the north side. The North Dallas Tollway runs from the center of the city, downtown, to the north.  From downtown, Commerce Street runs east to the fairgrounds, on the city’s southeast side. A grasp of the main thoroughfares and a well-planned route to the fairgrounds are essential.

Lay of the Land
Trip Captain rolled into Addison, a suburb on the Dallas north side, on Thursday evening, tired but excited. He felt whipped by a routine of deadlines and commitments, and desperately needed to escape. 

Cap had researched the possibilities, and had discovered that Dallas offers a myriad of options for the OU-Texas experience. With so much at their disposal, fans have formed their own rituals. Before the game, with the Fair, entertainment and pre-game activities starting Thursday and continuing through Friday night all over town - they have much to choose from. Then on Saturday, all roads lead to Fair Park and the Cotton Bowl.

TC checked into the Marriott Courtyard on Quorum Drive off Beltline in Addison, and grabbed a chicken sandwich at Champps across the street, while he watched the Thursday night college game. Then he walked next door to Arthur’s where he soaked up the sounds of Bobby Young and his band, before heading back to the room, calling it a day.

Friday morning, he rolled out refreshed, got a quick workout in the exercise room downstairs, then a short jog, a plunge into the pool, a soak in the hot-tub - and he was ready to roll.  Cap had decided to start with a visit to the Fair. He picked up a latte’ at Starbuck’s across Beltline, drove east on Beltline to Greenville Ave., then winding south to Fair Park.

Cap entered Gate 1 at mid-morning. He picked up a map and purchased some coupons, to be spent at the concessions, games and rides. He passed the Main Stage, and headed on down International Blvd., past the Hall of State and the reflecting pools at the Esplanade, as he walked. The area was busy - but not near what it would be 24 hours from now.

Then up ahead, through the spray of the fountains, he saw Big Tex. Standing 52 feet tall at the corner of Grand Avenue and International Blvd., Big Tex presides over the fairgrounds with a no-nonsense style. As Cap approached, looking up, a voice boomed from above, “Now let’s go down to the sidelines with Jack Arute.”  The big guy was tuning up, in case the TV boys needed help, tomorrow.

TC had heard about Fletcher’s corny dogs, and after a short wait in line, he was smearing mustard on a hot one.  Concessionaires Carl and Neil Fletcher invented the corny dog in 1942, and today, no one can leave the Fair without one. He took it slow - savoring every bite - and as he finished up, he knew without a doubt that it wouldn’t be his last.

He strolled on to the Lagoon with the Swan Boats, and into the Science Place, where he caught a short movie at the IMAX theatre. Then to the midway, trying his hand at games and contests, before finding a bench to just sit, mellow out and people-watch.

Gazing lazily into the clear blue heavens, he found himself transfixed on the Texas Star – the 212 foot tall Ferris wheel - and it was obvious – he had to ride it. Rising on the Star, he surveyed the widespread grounds, teeming with activity, and at the top, he peeked over the rim of the venerable Cotton Bowl.  The Star brought him back down to earth, and he reluctantly stepped off and returned to the bench. After several minutes he moved on, slow and easy, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the Fair,

Red River Rivalry continued on next page...click here

"There's nothing on this earth like walking down that ramp to the field.  You can see that line in the stands, straight down the 50 on both sides - all red on one and all orange on the other."
    - Bill Acker, former Texas defensive tackle