TX nailed it. The mall up there next to the stadium (and the Frisco ballpark, which I also here is excellent for a minor league field) features two Chili's within walking distance of each other. You can literally sit in the parking lot and see if you want to go into the mall to eat some California Pizza Wheels (or whatever they have) or go to the standalone one. I know, it's horrible urban-elitism, but I'm kind of shameless in that. I live less than three miles from Fair Park. If FC Dallas were still playing there, I'd probably be a season-ticket holder. Conversely, to get to Pizza Hut Park (which, frankly, sounds like a giant playground) I'd have to drive 30 miles each way, including the high-5 interchange (75 to 635) deal with traffic on LBJ, go through the 635/Dallas Tollway interchange right at the Galleria, pay the tollway, deal with the tollway/121 interchange (under construction) and deal with the sneers I dealt with when I made the drive up to Southlake to see a Burn game at Dragon stadium as I slink off to the corner to smoke while little Billy gets a cup of ice and takes advantage of the 'make your own sno-cone' syrup dispenser. This isn't to say that this is bad for FC Dallas or the MLS at large. In fact, from what I've seen, it seems to be the family market they're targeting. I'm just not in that target market. I truly hope it works for them, but they're going to have to do more than that to nab not just myself, but the whole rest of the SSCCATAGAPP sector of the soccer-loving metroplex. Plus, there's the near-complete exclusion of the Latin-American population that stands on my side. I mean, hell, the University Park elite are why FC Dallas couldn't strike a deal with SMU to play there. Davids might could've made me deal with that, at least once this season. Now, sadly, I'll still have to deal with living vicariously through the EPL (but I don't have enough cable to get Fox Soccer Network) or the Mexican League on Univision and Telemundo. I'll make do, but I'll still be a bit resentful.
Pity about Davids; I was hoping to see him play again when I make the trek back to D-Town. Ronaldo is getting roasted in the (Italian) media for his pudginess. It's a bit head scratching that Milan bought him. He's not the Shevchenko they need right now. If this can be done over a soccer game, then by bully I'll make the drive. *snort* Might be possible. I took him and the youngest uncle to Lazio-Juve in 2003. Highlights from the two of them included: "So are there cheerleaders?" "Um, no.""Why aren't there cheerleaders?"Lazio's Curva Nord unfurling a Curva-sized drawing of 3 upraised middle fingers. "That's why there aren't cheerleaders."Upon seeing Lazio's powder blue home uniforms & Juve's (at the time) pink away uniforms: "What, is it girls against boys?"Flares & water bottles tossed onto the pitch. "This is also why we don't have cheerleaders." All in all, I had fun.
