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What to do with the Astrodome? It's simple
HOUSTON CHRONICLE ^ | Wednesday, August 18, 2010 | KEN HOFFMAN

Posted on 08/19/2010 1:20:33 PM PDT by Willie Green

If you can somehow sneak into the Astrodome, first hold your nose, then look up.

You won't see a lot of world championship banners.

The Astrodome isn't known worldwide as "The House That Don Nottebart Built."

The Astros played in the Dome from Day One in 1965 through 1999.

No pennants. No World Series titles. No nothing.

The Houston Oilers played in the Dome from 1968 to good riddance 1997.

No championships. No Super Bowls. Close a few years, but no nothing.

The Astrodome hosted a lot of great moments and wonderful memories: UCLA vs. UH basketball, Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs, Elvis Presley, the Jackson 5, Madonna, Luv Ya Blue, a Nolan Ryan no-hitter, Paul McCartney, the Final Four, Motocross, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Selena and Wrestlemania 17.

The largest crowd ever was 68,266 for George Strait's grand rodeo finale in the Dome in 2002. The last time it was used, really, was to shelter Hurricane Katrina evacuees in 2005. Since then, it's sat lonely in Reliant Park, empty and costing us millions in maintenance and debt service. We can only imagine what's going on in there. I'm thinking cats and rats and black stuff on the walls. That's what happens when you abandon a building.

The Astrodome was proclaimed the Eighth Wonder of the World when it opened in 1965. Now abandoned and moldy, it has never been recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

What are we holding onto, people? We have a gleaming, beautiful, huge stadium right next door. Nobody needs the Astrodome anymore.

(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...


TOPICS: US: Texas
KEYWORDS: stadiums; whiteelephant
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1 posted on 08/19/2010 1:20:35 PM PDT by Willie Green
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To: Willie Green

I would make one heck of a train station.


2 posted on 08/19/2010 1:23:08 PM PDT by Brookhaven (The next step for the Tea Party--The Conservative Hand--is available at Amazon.com)
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To: Brookhaven

Shades of Karl Levin. He tried to get a few million in stimulus funds to save Tiger stadium and figured that putting a bus station in it would justify it.


3 posted on 08/19/2010 1:24:53 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: Willie Green

Easy answer is to turn it into the ‘Iman Barack Hussein Obama’ Mosque/Party Place/Vacation Travel Agency.


4 posted on 08/19/2010 1:25:05 PM PDT by Kartographer (".. we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.")
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To: Brookhaven

Yes you would: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookhaven_%28Amtrak_station%29


5 posted on 08/19/2010 1:25:22 PM PDT by CJ Wolf
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To: Willie Green

Remember when Jack Tatum hit Earl Campbell dead center at the goal line and succeeded in knocking both of them virtually out??!!


6 posted on 08/19/2010 1:25:50 PM PDT by Oldpuppymax
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To: Willie Green
Nobody needs the Astrodome anymore.

But what if we have another Hurricane?

7 posted on 08/19/2010 1:27:49 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (The Last Boy Scout)
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To: Willie Green; Allegra; big'ol_freeper; Lil'freeper; TrueKnightGalahad; blackie; Larry Lucido; ...
Nothing but good memories have I... from the Astrodome!

Among them, my darling ex-wife and I took in the Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs match and 25 cent beer... while I saw many Astro games there in the $2 nosebleed yellow seats in the early 1970s--

8 posted on 08/19/2010 1:28:25 PM PDT by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: Willie Green

9 posted on 08/19/2010 1:29:23 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (Obama is the least qualified guy in whatever room he walks into.)
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To: Willie Green

Willie.. is there ANYTHING in Houston you like?

If not, why not bail?


10 posted on 08/19/2010 1:29:40 PM PDT by humblegunner (Pablo is very wily)
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To: Willie Green

We didn’t need the beautiful, new gleaming stadium next door !

Instead of telling sports teams where to sick it, our wonderful “world class city” goobermint foisted the “Houston Sports Authority” on us, and jacked up taxes to fund “our” new stadiums.

Never mind that we were still paying for renovations to the Astrodome, that it was perfectly serviceable, and that their new stadiums hosed what was excellent parking.

But of course THAT was cool ‘cause they could force stadium goers to ride the usually empty Metro busses.

Wow, a goobermint twofer ! Screw taxpayers on stadium costs and ef up parking so Metro gets used !

Only the taxpayer gets it in the shorts - and NO Vaseline.


11 posted on 08/19/2010 1:31:33 PM PDT by jimt
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To: Oldpuppymax
Remember when Jack Tatum hit Earl Campbell dead center at the goal line and succeeded in knocking both of them virtually out??!!

Earl scored.

I believe it was Tatus who said "it was like trying to tackle a coke machine."

12 posted on 08/19/2010 1:32:35 PM PDT by tx_eggman (Liberalism is only possible in that moment when a man chooses Barabas over Christ.)
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To: jimt

sick it = STICK IT

Oh, well, you know what I REALLY mean.


13 posted on 08/19/2010 1:33:28 PM PDT by jimt
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To: tx_eggman
Tatus = Tatum

Just damn ...

14 posted on 08/19/2010 1:33:51 PM PDT by tx_eggman (Liberalism is only possible in that moment when a man chooses Barabas over Christ.)
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To: Willie Green

15 posted on 08/19/2010 1:34:34 PM PDT by JRios1968 (The real first rule of Fight Club: don't invite Chuck Norris...EVER)
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To: Willie Green

Back in the late 70s or early 80s, the Astrodome held a huge feminist rally that, in their mind marked their really first explosion onto society. “I am woman hear me roar” kind of thing.


16 posted on 08/19/2010 1:35:03 PM PDT by Slyfox
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To: tx_eggman

Skoal Brother


17 posted on 08/19/2010 1:35:20 PM PDT by wordsofearnest (Brad Ellsworth is giving Indiana a twofer.)
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To: Willie Green
Used to hear a joke around here:

Why doesn't San Antonio have a major league sports Team?

Answer: 'Cause Houston would want one.

Sorry--couldn't resist!

18 posted on 08/19/2010 1:38:04 PM PDT by DallasDeb (USAFA '06 Mom)
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To: Bender2

Turn it into a giant Battledome! Demolition derby to the death! Hand-to-hand combat...


19 posted on 08/19/2010 1:45:21 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: humblegunner
Willie.. is there ANYTHING in Houston you like?

Hey, it ain't my fault the Astrodome is empty.
If it were up to me, I'd turn it into a big Amtrak Station.

20 posted on 08/19/2010 1:46:30 PM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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