A good explosion always gets my attention.

Whether it is watching a bridge or munitions being demolished, there is something about the thud and the compression that draws me to seek out these kind of unique opportunities.

When I heard that the old Texas Stadium was soon to implode (instead of the teams imploding inside), I thought, this will be something to see.  Looking at the footage, it was a good demolition.

An eleven year old got to trigger the implosion, the winner of an essay contest sponsored by Kraft.  What does Kraft have to do with Texas Stadium?  The corporation sponsored the implosion to introduce its “Cheddar Explosion” macaroni and cheese.  How much did the “naming” rights cost?  $75K to the City of Irving and $75K worth of donated product to local charities. 

This is the first implosion I’ve ever heard of being sponsored.

Hoping to get in on the action, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine offered $75K if the City of Irving would drop their title sponsor and post a banner touting the woes of “fatty, cholesterol-laden products.”

The City of Irving declined but did donate $25,000 to YMCA programs that fight childhood obesity.

So, who won?  Easy.  The 11 year old who wrote the essay to flip the switch that triggered the explosion that brought down Texas Stadium… of course!