More than 20,000 dignitaries and tailgaters were on hand in various locations to witness the implosion of the old Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, April 11, where the Dallas Cowboys played 38 seasons and won five Super Bowls.
Essay contest-winner Casey Rogers, 11, was given the honor of pushing the button and starting the chain-reaction implosion that destroyed the landmark following fireworks displays and other fanfare.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones bought the stadium lease and the team for $160 million in 1989. The Cowboys then moved to $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington after the 2008 season.
Personal seat licenses and luxury suites were introduced there and Jones is credited with finding a loophole in NFL revenue-sharing rules to implement stadium sponsorships instead of team sponsorships.
Texas Stadium also hosted many major concerts including Madonna, U2, Elton John and Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Guns N’ Roses, Eagles, Jimmy Buffett, James Brown, Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd, to name a few.
Garth Brooks also performed three sold-out shows in three days at the venue in 1993, drawing about 200,000 fans.