Texas high school to open $60M football stadium

AP ^ | August 30, 2012 | Staff

[C19fan]

Call it the palace of high school football: A gleaming $60 million facility with seats for 18,000 roaring fans, a 38-foot-wide high-definition video screen, corporate sponsors and a towering upper deck. Welcome to the new home of Eagles Football. As school districts across the country struggle to retain teachers, replace outdated textbooks and keep class sizes from ballooning, the wealthy, burgeoning Dallas suburb of Allen is preparing to christen its new stadium with a sold-out Friday night matchup against defending state champions Southlake Carroll.

[KantianBurke]

“What’s wrong with the people in an area spending money on football, if it’s theirs?”

Nothing at all. If anything they provide a public service - folks who don’t want their local tax dollars flushed down the toilet will stay far away.

[Bender2]

Re: Now about... those free tickets Bend

Put on some clothes... big!

And the ticket are in the mail... along with some of my Jewish friends and Obama's kept promises to anyone besides unions or folks who gave his campaign big money--

[Bender2]

Re: What is an ISD?

Independent School District

[1rudeboy]

You can bet if the local people voted to tax themselves to build bike trails and bike lanes or a bus system, the tea party small government types would be apoplectic about it.

Even at half the price.

[Lorianne]

Well, no. Being against federal matching grants would fit with the tea party small government mantra.

But you can bet if the federal matching funds are for roads or other things they want, there will be not a wimper about “small government”.

That’s what is happening in Allen too. I posted above about Federal grants they are applying for.

[Professional Engineer]

Sort of. The election was not well publisized. It was held during at an off-cycle date, knowing full well turn out would be low. Iirc turn out was approximately 2000 voters, in other words low single digits.

The skrewl board new exactly what they were doing. Those who knew of the election for the most part knew exactly they were demanding the rest of the tax subsidize their bread and circuses.

[Arrowhead1952]

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=round+rock+football+stadium&FORM=HDRSC2

[catfish1957]

It’s not just Texas, but ALL over the South

Nope, I have lived outside Texas in the south, and in Texas. There is a difference. There is a reason Friday Night Lights was based here.

[ataDude]

Trust me... I’m still shaking my head, too. I live in Allen and pay taxes here. When I drive by that thing, I wonder how in the world this could have happened.

Kind of like the hopey/changy thing, I guess.

[GeronL]

I live in Texas and I think this is insane

[GeronL]

The money belongs to the taxpayers, the school district spent it, it doesn’t belong to government

[GeronL]

How long will it take for them to make $60 MILLION with a high school stadium?

[MacMattico]

Go SU!

Sorry, as a Syracuse fan, alumni, married to a lacrosse player I must say this every time Lacrosse is mentioned!

[MacMattico]

My husband played lacrosse, brother football. My brother wished our HS had offered lacrosse because he thinks it's like “football with weapons”. There's a lot of hitting, speed and athleticism. My daughter wouldn't play like dad wanted her to because in women's lacrosse there's no hitting allowed! I love football more then lacrosse, but even Jim Brown at Syracuse, who played both lacrosse and obviously football, said he liked lacrosse better and it took more skill. It is said at Syracuse that Jim Brown was one of the best lacrosse players of all time. There's obviously not much footage but we've seen him playing football, I'd love to find some video of his lacrosse days!

[ExTxMarine]

Just so you know, the City of Allen is NOT the same thing as Allen ISD. Allen ISD has it’s own board of directors and does NOT take orders from the City Council or the Mayor or City Manager (depending on the type of government which exists).

So, the City of Allen requesting grants has NOTHING to do with Allen ISD.

[gr8eman]

Thanks for the background. My only thought is that it is way too hot to wear full FB gear in Texas, but I’m a northerner so what do I know.

[kearnyirish2]

“It’s seen as a man-thing; as opposed to limp-wristed soccer up North, where non-athletes can “compete” in a game (not really a sport for athletes or men).”

We have hockey up here; it makes football look like a bunch of men using any pretense to repeatedly hug each other...

[publana]

I lived in Allen, Texas around 17 years ago when my son was starting Kindergarten. They said they didn’t have the money for a Kindergarten teacher, but had the money to lay astroturf in the stadium and hire 18 more coaches. When it hit the Dallas Morning News and the local television news, they finally came up with the money for my son to have a teacher. Allen is all about football.

[publana]

I’d also like to add that my eldest son played on that astroturf for the Eagles that year. When we registered him, his jaw fell to the floor when he was asked by the pretty lady doing his schedule, “Was you in health class?” He took all the honors courses they had, none of which was near the level of his regular courses in another district. My son never had to crack a book that year and claimed education in Allen to be a joke. Homeschooling my younger children became the only answer.

[PigRigger]

"Lacrosse is third in attendance in the NCAA behind football and basketball. It’s also the fastest growing sport in America."

Love me LAX here in West Islip on Long Island (for those that follow HS LAX...they know our Lions....)....

One of the most exciting sports there is....hard hitting with lot's of speed and finess....

As for these facilities....if the they voted for it...so be it....don't understand why...although I do understand the passion....Friday Night lights...If I lived in TX...I'd be living it too....that be real Americana....!