Dallas vs. Houston and RESPECT

I enjoy a good gentlemen's bet every once in a while, so that's what I decided to do when the Houston Texans showed up on the Dallas Cowboys 2014 football schedule. Fans throughout the state always trash talk about who is the better team, and if there was a preseason championship trophy, the Houston Texans would win it because they always beat the Cowboys in the preseason. But, unfortunately, the preseason doesn't count Texans fans. They think they are God's gift to the state of Texas, a team people can put there hope in after several years of defeat as a Cowboys fan. They haven't had a team since the Oilers decided to pack up and move to Tennessee, so who can blame them? Yes they have a very gifted team and were a few plays away from going to the Super Bowl in their 12 year existence a few seasons ago. I remember it like it was yesterday when they revealed the Houston Texans logo and new team. It's what the city of Houston needed to shock some life into the city. I mean come on, the Rockets weren't a playoff team and the Houston Astros were better off playing in a high school arena. When the Texans came to Houston, it sparked a whole new, needed rivalry for the state of Texas and rights to who would be the better team for years to come.

The first encounter with the Texans was rough, they did beat the Cowboys in their very first meeting back in 2002, and just like the Olympics, only play each other in the regular season every four years. Since, Dallas has beaten the Texans twice, leaving the rivalry at 2-1 Dallas. I have been a Cowboys fan since they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1995 Super Bowl. My father has always been a fan, my family members the same, so I carried the tradition. My wife is from Houston, and all her family members are Houston Texans fans. All of my co-workers are Texans fans, so it should only seem right to have a bet with a fan. Besides respect on the line, we each bet a jersey of the winning team and the loser has to sport the winner's team on social media. I drew up the contract in about 15 minutes, we both signed and had the document verified for fun. I told all my family and friends that me and a co-worker had a bet going for the game. Me and him were very nervous come game-day and once the game started, the nervousness grew instantly.

The game was interesting from the start, with both teams turning the ball over. I'm watching the game at my in-laws house with six Texans fans, just me and my wife supporting the Cowboys. As the game drags on recklessly, Cowboys strike first with a field goal. Texans strike with the first touchdown of the game to go up 7-3. The second-half is when the game got really interesting as the Cowboys took a 17-10 lead with 5 minutes to go in the fourth. I thought the game would be over up, until the Texans defense forced the Cowboys to punt with not much time ran off the clock. Texans went to work fast as they tied it up, but with 40 seconds left, it looked like Dallas was about to upset. Dan Bailey missed a 55 yard field goal to win the game, letting the time expire. At the start of over-time, the Texans had won the coin toss and I thought for sure the game was theirs. Reluctantly, Dallas was able to force them to a three and out situation and get the ball back. Everyone in the house was on the edge of their seat as Dallas started moving the ball, and then boom! Tony Romo, the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys hit his target, Dez Bryant, for a long-yard bomb, setting the Cowboys up to kick a field-goal and that was all we needed when Dan Bailey finally hit the game-winning field goal. My wife's family was pretty devastated when the ball passed the two yellow, giant goal posts. No words were exchanged, except for a hand-shake out of respect, and well, I have a new jersey added to my collection. How bout' them Cowboys!