Interstate rivalry

Rivalries get a little nit-picky and that's what's going on between Dallas and San Antonio, albeit somewhat under the radar. A couple years ago, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban casually described the San Antonio Riverwalk as a brown, muddy mess. Of course he said that with a lot more flash than I could achieve, but you get the picture. I will not deny the San Antonio River's varied brown hues, but the actual river itself does not the Riverwalk make.

To me and to those who still live there, the Riverwalk is first and foremost a tourist trap, with scenic views and a few top-notch restuarants lined along the river, but the Riverwalk is much more than that. City leaders back-when had the foresight to build this unusual feat of engineering that would not only serve as a money magnet for businesses, but also as a necessary tool for flood relief. The Riverwalk portion of the SA River is a part of a larger flood control project that encompasses a great deal of central San Antonio beyond just the downtown area. Through a series of pumps, dams and even tunnels dug beneath the city, flood waters are diverted away from downtown San Antonio. During the major flood event of October 1998 (see my previous "top ten weather events" post) , there were stories written afterwards saying that if the current pumps and tunnels were not in place, the business along the Riverwalk would be under 6 to 8 feet of flooded river water.

I hate to say this, but a few folks here in Dallas will mock and put down something that they don't have and need. And I am referring to two specifics things here. First, the city of Dallas needs another downtown attraction to bring tourists dollars to an anemic downtown district and to revamp its levee system. There has been an initiative in the works to upgrade the levees and revitalize the Trinity River. I hope that it passes only if it's intended to serve as a safeguard against major flooding and if it becomes a scenic park that's a stone's throw from downtown.

The second and last thing I want to comment on is how all this got started in the first place. As usual, this came about because someone would rather point out something negative about someone or some city in this regard, than to realize their own shortcomings. You can't blame Mark Cuban or any Mavericks fans in Dallas for feeling the least bit jealous of San Antonio's successes that stem from the San Antonio Spurs recent run of 4 NBA championships. Petty comments only reinforce the shame connected with them. Don't knock what you don't have or need.