October chills

Goosebumps and chills kept me warm on the way in to work this chilly morning as I listened to The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. I can't remember the first instance I heard SRV's music, but it had to be some time in high school more than 15+ years ago. Tunes like "Pride and Joy", "Texas Flood", and "Sky is Crying" were the among ones I'd hear more often and of course, committed to memory. His sound is quintessentially Texan- the monster riffs and booming vocals that remind one of an April thunderstorm and yet he'll surprise you with the flowing melodies reminescent of a tube ride down the Guadalupe River. Although he is no longer with us on this plane, his music is still fresh and relevant today as it ever was.

Onto something else now. Seeing Kenny Rogers fabulous performance in Game 2 of the 2006 World Series, helped me confirm something that I have been thinking about for the past few weeks. Towards the end of the regular season, much of the baseball media commented on how being away from the Texas during the summer months has helped Rogers finish the season on such a strong note. Apparently he's found a comfort zone that has continued into the postseason. So with all this said, this is what I am proposing or hinting at: a domed stadium in Arlington.

I know that it's 10 years too late, but why didn't they think about putting a retractable roof on what is now Ameriquest Field in Arlington? It could be that the technology was not yet available for such an architectural endeavor, but if memory serves me right, Safeco Field in Seattle is about the same age as The Field. If seeing Kenny Rogers excell as he has this season in Detroit, you know there's something to that. I'll be willing to bet that many of the Rangers' former players are so happy and relieved that they do not have to play in the North Texas heat during the hottest months of the year.

The Texas Rangers had a dismal year at the turnstiles and you can say it was because of the team's poor on-field performance, but you've got to remember that this past summer was one of the hottest in Dallas-Fort Worth history. I was there a few times this summer and it was hot. I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the stadium worrying how the heat bothered our kids during games played in 100 degree plus temperatures, much less how it affected our team on the field. It's obviously too late to do anything about this, but I think the Rangers would compete more so in a climate controlled environment.

Gotta start somewhere

The weather is starting to get cooler, so you know what that means! It's time to start your Christmas shopping. Yeah, but... no! It's the good part of football season. There were some awesome games today and one of the best was the Texas vs Nebraska game in Lincoln. The 'Horns pulled out a great 22-20 win against a tough Cornhusker team. This game had all the Orangebloods breathing a big sigh of relief as time expired. Lincoln's never an easy place to play and today's game was no diffrent as the weather was a major factor in the game's playcalling, with a cold blowing and then a steady rain/snow mix. Can you imagine what the season would look like if Texas had kept up the run game against that porous Ohio State run defense early on in the season?

This is just the first of many varied postings. Stay tuned.