You can have piece of Texas Stadium

ESPN.com/Page2

Although the famed open-roof stadium is now gone, football fans who have always wanted a piece of Dallas Cowboys history, a piece of Texas Stadium, still have their chance.

And there's no road trip to Dallas -- or dumpster-diving -- necessary. There's no need to get yourself dirty rummaging through rubble. All is needed is just the click of a mouse and a credit card.

You see, as with any noteworthy sports facility's demise these days there's always a market for the remnants of previously sacred ground, well at least what's not concrete and rebar. And that's where Steiner Sports comes in.


Steiner, a New Rochelle, N.Y.-based company, is an industry leader in the sports memorabilia world, and it has signed several deals to acquire the shirts off the backs of countless players for pro and college teams like the Cowboys, the Alabama Crimson Tide, the New York Yankees and, of course, the Boston Red Sox. Steiner also acquires the turf that the players walk on, too, among countless other things when a stadium gets imploded like we saw Sunday in Irving.

Here's a brief rundown of my favorite Texas Stadium memorabilia pieces presently available from Steiner …

Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadium Turf Coasters, $39.99

We've all seen the beer cozies with logos slapped on them during tailgating time, but what about something a little more sophisticated for the fan watching at home? These coasters answer that need -- if your need was to have a piece of the actual artificial turf in the middle of your coaster. We all know that $40 is a bargain for an actual piece of artificial turf, right? But four? (Resisting temptation of making a Don West Shop At Home joke here … wait, I just did.)

Tip: Just don't let the significant other know how much the coasters cost (I'm no coaster expert, but I'd bet there are few models out there much pricier than these) and you'll be fine.

The real question here is whether fans will buy more than one set to keep one in mint condition. (What's a little water going to do to the turf when there's been all kinds of other fluids on that field over the years? Remember the "Any Given Sunday" scenes from Texas Stadium?)

It's unfortunate that the Cowboys didn't play on actual sod -- because that's available freeze-dried from Yankee Stadium if you want it.

Texas Stadium turf with etched glass display case, $49.99

If you prefer to keep your turf a little more hallowed -- or you already own a trusty set of coasters -- there's always the turf-in-a-display-case option. This one keeps the treasure away from the harsh elements of the den -- you know, dust -- and also might be perfect for also displaying Easter eggs once a year. Or maybe even that championship ring back from your high-school days …

Game-used football, $349.99 to $999.99

Even though Tony Romo threw fewer balls into the hands of opposing defenders last season, a Cowboys collector's stash can't be complete without a game-used ball, can it? Well, this technically isn't a piece of stadium memorabilia, but the balls were used in the stadium and on more than one occasion hit the turf last season (though we can only blame Romo for four fumbles). Sure, they're the same as the official Wilson balls -- they're just used. (Big, big difference … right?)

Marion Barber's game-used socks from Oct. 26, 2008, $99.99

No need to make a joke there, I think it speaks for itself. (I might go after Adam "Pacman" Jones' socks instead -- they're only $59.99 and there's no doubt he played in fewer games. That means they're rare.) OK, OK, back to the stadium memorabilia …

Stadium seats, $650

For something truly higher-end, one has to shop a bit higher-end and that's called Neiman Marcus. It's all about the end with this one -- rear ends.

You can park yours -- and another one you care for -- in an actual seat from the stadium but you'll have to pick them up in pairs through the Dallas-based luxury store chain.


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