Enemy Territory

The Dallas Super Bowl gets its villain: Hello Steelers and Big Lout

Jerry Jones world — otherwise known as Cowboys Stadium — will not be Steelersfriendly.
Photo courtesy of Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau
Ben Roethlisberger certainly makes for a worthy villain.

Every good drama needs a worthy villain and Super Bowl XLV certainly received one when Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers came barging through Jerry Jones' fancy door.

If there's anything worse for Dallas fans than seeing the Cowboys eliminated from contention for the Super Bowl in its stadium in about October, it's realizing that the hated Steelers will be there now. And Pittsburgh won't just be there (having tied Dallas for the most Super Bowl appearances ever at eight with their 24-19 AFC Championship win over the New York Jets Sunday). Big Ben and company will be gunning to just about erase any notion that the Cowboys remain the NFL's signature franchise.

So much for the idea of a neutral field.

Sure, it's not like the Green Bay Packers are loved in Big D either, but at least they're not the Steelers. At least, they're not trying to add to their already record total and collect a seventh Lombardi Trophy, which would pretty much obliterate the Cowboys chances of ever catching up (Dallas has been stuck on five titles since 1995, back when E.R. was the most dominant TV show in the land and Alanis Morissette ruled the pop charts — and now the Boys are stuck with Jason Garrett as coach).

By winning its third Super Bowl in six years (including the one the referees gifted Bill Cowher against the Seattle Seahawks in 2006), Pittsburgh would all but stomp out the imprint of "America's Team."

How could any Dallas fan of sound mind (or not) root for the Steelers on Feb. 6? Even those who weren't alive for it should at least be aware of the absolute hatred that existed between these two franchises in the 1970s, producing two unforgettable Super Bowl matchups, including the game most often called The Greatest Super Bowl of all time and Jack Lambert leveling taunting Cowboys defensive back Cliff Harris in another nailbiter.

Sure, Cowboys-Packers fight dates back to The Ice Bowl, but Mike Tomlin is a much more real threat than Bart Starr these days. The Packers were more like Jimmy Johnson's little brother in the 1990s, an interesting foil that was easy to topple when push came to shove (Brett Favre needed to switch teams to finally beat Dallas in a playoff game). It may not be easy for a Cowboys fan to yell for Green Bay, but it beats the alternative.

If you care about the Cowboys, you cannot cheer for Pittsburgh first. Which would give everyone else in America at least one good reason to pull for the Steelers. If only Ben Roethlisberger wasn't on the team. Because the idea of Roethlisberger — who's been accused of two sexual assaults since his last Super Bowl (which was only in 2009), including a particularly stomach-sickening incident in Georgia this summer — claiming trophy redemption cannot sit well with any thinking fan.

Almost every neutral fan in Jerry Jones' World — otherwise known as the most talked-about stadium of all time — a week from this Sunday has to be pulling for the Packers. It figures to make for one interesting dynamic in Arlington.

Luckily for the Steelers, they have almost as many blind bandwagon backers as the Cowboys do. Still, "homefield" advantage in the big game ... it's Packers all the way.

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rock on

Native Houstonian brings Austin-based climbing gym to the East End

Photo courtesy of Crux Climbing Center

One of the many climbing walls at Crux.

Crux Climbing Center, one of Austin's best indoor bouldering and climbing gyms, opened its first Houston location in September and is hosting a grand opening celebration this weekend.

"As a native Houstonian, bringing Crux to the Bayou City has always been a part of the long-term vision," said native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder Kevin Goradia. "Crux is a community-oriented climbing gym, and our decision to open our first out-of-market location at The Plant was largely inspired by Concept Neighborhood’s plans to create a walkable neighborhood that truly integrates the local community.”

Goradia — the son of Houston petrochemical billionaire Vijay Goradia — co-founded the first Crux in South Austin in 2016 after being dissatisfied with the offerings at other climbing gyms. Crux has almost everything a climber could want, including bouldering, training boards, a spray wall, strength training, fitness and yoga classes, saunas, locker rooms, a Kids Cave, lounge space and a retail shop.

The gym flourished in the post-COVID physical activity boom as more people looked for both exercise and social interaction following the lockdowns. The community aspect of Crux is very important to Goradia. When he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2023, he credits the support he had through the climbing scene in Austin as a major factor in his eventual recovery.

Now, he's bringing that to Houston, a city where indoor-climbing is booming. The exceptional flat city has few natural climbing spots, which would be arduous even if they existed thanks to the heat. Instead, the last twenty years have seen an explosion of massive, indoor facilities like inSPIRE, Momentum, and now Crux.

The grand opening event will take place at the 21,000-square-foot gym space located at The Plant (3100 Canal St.) on Saturday, October 10 from 2-8 pm. This is more than just a few grab bags and a chance to do some climbing. Native Houstonian, CEO, and co-founder, Kevin Goradia is pulling out all the stops with a full vendor fair offering art, jewelry, and vintage items.

The climbing will be a great way to work off the calories from some of the food partners. Cheaters Creamery and Sinfull Bakery will both be handing out treats, and Miguelitos Grill will be serving fresh-off-the-grill quesadillas that can be washed down with beer from St. Arnold's Brewery for the 21-and-up crowd. There will even be free tattoos from 13 Goats.

And, of course, there will be climbing. Throughout the event Crux is offering BOGO deals and raffles. The event itself is free, so this is a great opportunity to get a look at what made Crux stand out in Austin.