Thanksgiving 1983
The day was bright with sunshine, yet cold; at least, cold for the Dallas area. A strong cold front had passed through the day before and created a beautiful, crisp Thanksgiving Day.
My normal Thanksgiving took place in Arkansas, surrounded by my family with laughter and more food than an army could devour at one setting. But this Thanksgiving was different. It began before the sun came up. Me, my father, brother, and two family friends packed up for a day trip and made the five hour trek to Texas Stadium in Irving.
As a twelve year old, I had never been to any town of great size. I recall my heart skipping a beat or two at my first sight of the metro skyline. When we approached and parked near Texas Stadium, I was completely enthralled. Walking up the the structure, I will never forget thinking it was the biggest thing I had ever seen.
Our seats were in the upper deck of the end zone, but I did not mind. The iconic building with the hole in the roof, the field that looked patched together with varied shades of green astroturf, and the cheerleaders in their unmistakable outfits were all sights that, just a few months earlier, I would have never dreamed to see with my own eyes yet, I was there, it was real.
Though the team the Cowboys played was inconsequential to me, it was the St. Louis Cardinals in town on that Thursday afternoon. I was disappointed to learn Drew Pearson would not play due to injury, but it barely tempered my excitement.
There are certain aspects of the day I can still recall with clarity. First, we were bundled in our coats for the first half, but by the third quarter the sun moved westward enough to shine on us through the hole in the roof and allowed us to comfortably shed to our shirt sleeves. Second, after each touchdown the Cowboys scored there was a recording of the team singing the chorus of "When I die, just send my soul to Texas".
Of the game itself I remember two very specific things: The first is that Cardinals scored the first and last touchdown of the game while the Cowboys scored five touchdowns between them, making the final score 35-17. The second is the 55 yard touchdown run Tony Dorsett made running away from us, and the Cardinal defense, down the right sideline.
That day, and especially that play by Dorsett, solidified my my unwavering, life long love of the Dallas Cowboys.