I believe that I traveled the furthest to see Dallas Cowboys play against the New England Patriots in Dallas City. All the way from Kenya, 12,000 miles plus, to watch my first American football game.
The invitation had been extended to me back in Kenya on 1st August 2007 during a business matching making event organized between American business man and women and their Kenyans counterpart.
I was not able to make it to the first match which was being played on September 8th as I was in Las Vegas participating at THE TRADE SHOW. I though that I had missed to ever see a live American football match but when we arrived in Dallas on Friday 12th October to follow up on my business contact, the first question he asked Alex was “do you watch American football? When Alex said that he is a fan, my business contact told us that the cowboys were playing on Sunday afternoon and we would go there as his guests. From the expression of Alex’s face, I knew that this is something out of the extra-ordinary.
We got late leaving to the match and at that moment I wanted to feed someone to the lions but unfortunately there are none in Dallas like there are in our Masai Mara. Despite the heavy traffic jam to the stadium and earlier taking the wrong direction, we managed to arrive when the game was at its first quarter. We were invited for lunch by our host Nick but I did not have an appetite as I was so tensed up for arriving late. I soon got up with the game and started praying that the cowboys win.
Earlier on in the morning, I had been given some lessons by the sons of my host in Dallas, another Alex and Jimmy who were very excited to hear that I was going to watch the match. They asked me whether I knew how lucky I was to get that privilege and I told them that I know nothing about American football as in Kenya, we play what they call here soccer so the lessons started and boy, was it complicated. After two hours going through previous reviews in the internet, I was able to know about the quarterback the defense line and I can’t remember what else but at least I was able to understand why I always see the players not moving much on television. I used to wonder why they never seem to move from one end to another. Why did the players seem to like to lie on top of the other instead of taking the ball to wherever it is supposed to be taken but now I know why.
The game was taking places at the Texas stadium which is owned by the Dallas Cowboys. Earlier on while still in Oklahoma City , Alex had told me about this magnificent stadium and while we were driving into Dallas City, he pointed out to me with lots of excitement. Little did we know that we will have ourselves inside that stadium and yes, that is when I started feeling how lucky I was to have been given that privilege to watch a live match at this state of the art stadium.
The Texas stadium is 36 years old but you will not believe it that old as it looks very new to me. Below is some information from their website.
http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/nfc/texasmain.jpg
“Texas Stadium became one of the NFL's most unique stadiums upon opening. The stadium is partially domed. A hole is in the center of the roof which allows fans to stay dry but leaves the field open to the elements outside. Over 65,000 blue seats in two tiers extend around the gridiron. Two Diamond Vision scoreboard/video-boards are located inside Texas Stadium. The stadium has many amenities that 
include 381 luxury suites, a stadium club where fans gather for parties and banquets, and The Corral, which provides food, beverages, entertainment and large screen televisions for fans before, during and after all Cowboys games. Flags commemorating the Cowboys five Super Bowl championships are hung from the roof. Texas Stadium remains one of the best stadiums.”
We were privileged to be seated at the stadium club which is like 2 floors from the playing field but with glass finish which we could watch the game from and this was very unique.
The highlights of the game came during half time when Jerry Jones the owner and manager of the Dallas Cowboys re- represented Michael Irvin to the Dallas fans. Michael Irvin who played No 88 between the years off 1988 and 1999 got in to the class of the Football Hall of Fame this year. During Michael football career, The Dallas Cowboys won world championship in 1992, 1993 and 1995. Below are some newspaper captions telling it all.
“CANTON, Ohio - Where to begin with Michael Irvin, a subject as expansive as his charisma and smile?
No one just waltzes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where this Dallas Cowboys receiver will become the 10th member of the organization, but first receiver, to be enshrined here within the hallowed halls on Saturday evening, joining the likes of Tom Landry and Bob Lilly and Tony Dorsett and Randy White and Troy Aikman to be remembered for eternity.
RVING, Texas - The long-standing bond between Michael Irvin and Cowboys owner-general manager Jerry Jones was evident the day of Irvin's election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in February, when Jones shared a long congratulatory embrace with the flamboyant former Cowboys receiver.
Those emotions will surface again this August in Canton, Ohio, when Irvin is officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2007. He'll have Jones there by his side - not just as a friend and former boss, but as his presenter.
"Just a real honor," Jones said Friday, "and for that reason as much as anything because I think I said I've got a big responsibility here. I welcome it because Michael means a lot of really positive things to people who coached him and people who have been around him."
Irvin gained election in his third year of eligibility and will join five other inductees: Guard Gene Hickerson, offensive lineman Bruce Matthews, tight end Charlie Sanders, running back Thurman Thomas and defensive back Roger Wehrli.
Irvin played 12 seasons for the Cowboys and finished his career as the club's all-time leader in receptions (750) and receiving yards (11,904) and ranked second, behind only Bob Hayes, with his 65 touchdown catches.
He's the second member of the Cowboys' famed "Triplets" to reach Canton, joining quarterback Troy Aikman. Running back Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, is a virtual lock once he becomes eligible in three more years.
But when deciding who would present him for the greatest individual achievement of his football life, Irvin chose Jones, who supported him ever since taking ownership of the Cowboys in 1989.
"He means a lot, and to try to reflect that in a presentation for him
http://www.dallascowboys.com/images/Jones-Irvin_330.jpg
