May 2, 2009; around 3:30 local time (central).The Dallas Cowboys indoor facility, located at Valley Ranch, is now history.
2003-2009; we hardly knew thee.
Weather was terrible around the area; bad rain along with gusty winds and thunderstorms were scattered throughout, so practically everywhere was wet and ugly. Around the time the news broke, I just finished watching Pros vs. Joes on Spike TV.
Very entertaining, by the way.
Anyway, so that episode was over and I was flipping through the television, seeing what was on or whatever, (I mean c’mon, it’s Saturday.) then I click onto the local news.
Once I saw the breaking news about the whole fiasco at Valley Ranch, I felt terribly bad; did someone get trapped? Hurt?
Killed?
I'm now glued to the set, wanting to know as much as possible to see if everyone’s alright and stuff. My sympathy side came over me that moment. Not just that, but my personal chauvinism of the Cowboys. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone, because if I was in that moment, it’d suck, which is clearly an understatement.
I’m now going back and forth through FOX 4, channel 8 (WFAA), CBS 11*; pretty much any channel that was covering the news over at Valley Ranch. [*first saw the story there.]
Steve Dennis, a CBS 11 sports analyst and also “Radio Boy” on 103.3 ESPN FM was speaking from “ground zero”, if you will, and he said that he was called out to come inside the facility while he was in the news truck editing video. So basically he was lucky not to have been in the bubble in the first place.
The Cowboys were just about wrapped up with their second day of rookie training camp, among the players was former Texas A&M QB Stephen McGee; McGee played most of the ’08-’09 season as a backup when Jerrod Johnson; a guy that pretty much came out of nowhere; a 6’5”, 229 lb. red-shirt sophomore was practically thrown into the pack of wolves to get implemented to the college scene.
Back to the story; all of the players were accounted for (a phrase that was cliché by the end of the day.) along with the coaching staff. Both players and coaches including head coach (Don’t know how long we can be calling him that.) Wade Phillips and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett were helping out victims that were in distress. Though a few people did not get away unscaved by the collapse.
Joe DeCamillis, 43, the new special teams’ coach that was brought in from Jacksonville, suffered a fractured vertebrae; had surgery and is now out of the hospital; he suffered no paralysis.
But for another aide in the Cowboys’ personnel, he, unfortunately is.
Rich Behm, 33, who is one of the Cowboys scouts is accounted for paralysis from the waist down after suffering a similar injury as DeCamillis. There is a trust fund under his name where people can help out the Behm family after now what has happened to the man of their household. In all, 12 people were injured.
This shows how life truly is a fragile piece of work.
So where’s the big bossman in all of this?
Jerry Jones was actually at the Kentucky Derby.
Yes, the Kentucky Derby; one of the most storied and followed sporting events in modern civilization; guess he was there to be seen; maybe he’s a betting man, I don’t know. With the money he has, I think he could dip his toes into a little horse race. He truly is a betting man once it comes to signing a player and not knowing what you’re getting in return.
“Ah, but don’t hold that against me.” [*Jerry Jones’ accent.*]
I was wondering where he was in the whole thick of things; though he was properly informed by his people here about what has gone down; literally. And he showed some of his concern as he was interviewed by renowned sportscaster Bob Costas.
Another person that was hurt was an assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither, who sustained a broken leg. He too has gone through surgery as well.
Now the news is that the company that has built the Cowboys indoor facility has come out to say that they have built 3 other similar structures. It now leaves the Cowboys to finish up rookie mini-camp at local high school grounds.
ALL of which have come down since the Cowboys got there so called “bubble” in ’03. They have also had to replace the facility last year, though the repairs then were never inspected, when it’s actually required by law in Irving.
Those people are the real losers in this story. Not the ‘Boys, and not the City of Irving, either.
