1.
Arkansas Razorbacks football
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The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the program has 13 conference championships,45 All-Americans, and an all-time record of 700–475–40. The Razorbacks are the 23rd-most successful team in football history by number of wins. Home games are played at locations near the two largest campuses of the University of Arkansas System, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, the Arkansas Razorbacks have 84 active NFL players currently in the 2015 NFL Season. The first University of Arkansas football team was formed in 1894 and coached by John Futrall and that team played three games, two against Fort Smith High School and one against Texas. Before the 1909 season, the teams was called the Arkansas Cardinals, the name and mascot changed following the 1909 season when the football team, coached by Hugo Bezdek, finished 7–0. Arkansas prevailed over powerhouses Oklahoma, LSU and Washington of St. Louis in 1909 and it was with the help of Steve Creekmore that this was accomplished. Creekmore became perhaps the first Razorback star, a quarterback from Van Buren who initially played only intramurals, Bezdek used Creekmore to install a very early edition of the hurry-up offense, as the team never huddled and chased the ball after every play. Creekmore was also known for fast and slippery running, blocking, there are differing stories about the origins of the Razorbacks mascot, however. The Texarkana Arkansas High School mascot and athletic emblem is the Razorback with red, the Razorback mascot was selected in 1910 to replace the Cardinal as the University of Arkansas mascot. In exchange for its use, the university provided used athletic gear to Texarkana Arkansas High, this practice is no longer used. With the new name and mascot, the Hogs defeated LSU 51–0 and gave Texas A&M their only loss in 1910, in 1913, Arkansas quarterback J. L. Carter and the Razorbacks lost to Ole Miss, and took a fateful train to Arkadelphia to play Ouachita Baptist. While Carter was eating, he was invited to a meeting of Ouachita boosters and he transferred and defeated Arkansas 15–9 in 1914. The Hogs would be contacted by L. Theo Bellmont in 1913 in his attempt to create a conference to regulate use of ringers. Hugo Bezdek, since replaced by E. T. Pickering, had recommended that the Hogs join a conference before he left to coach at Oregon, the Razorbacks joined the Southwest Conference as charter members in 1915. The conference also included teams from Texas and Oklahoma, southwestern would also join, but leave the following year. The 1916,1917, and 1919 teams were led at quarterback by Arkansas greatest athlete Gene Davidson, the Razorbacks didnt have a winning conference record until 1920, and didnt win the conference championship until 1936. Arkansas had the best record during the 1933 season, but had to forfeit the SWC Championship because Ulysses Heine Schleuter, Schleuter had told coach Fred Thomsen that he was eligible, but he was recognized by an SMU player during the game as a former Cornhusker
2.
Texas A&M Aggies football
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The Texas A&M Aggies football program represents Texas A&M University in the sport of American football. The Aggies compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Texas A&M football claims three national titles and eighteen conference titles. The team plays all games at the newly redeveloped Kyle Field. Kevin Sumlin is currently the head coach. Texas A&M first fielded a team in 1894, under the direction of head coach F. D. Perkins. The team compiled a 1–1 record, W. A. Murray served as A&Ms head coach from 1899-1901, compiling a record of 7–8–1. From 1902-1904, J. E. Platt served as A&Ms head coach, from 1909-1914, A&M compiled a 38–8–4 record under head coach Charley Moran. Morans 1909 team finished undefeated, and all but one of Morans other seasons the Aggies only lost one each year. Under head coach Edwin Harlan, the Aggies compiled a record of 12–5 in two seasons and joined the Southwest Conference, Bible became Texas A&Ms head coach in 1919, leaving LSU, and under his tutelage the Aggies compiled a record of 72–19–9 in ten seasons. In the 1922 Dixie Classic, Bible made his most visible, Bible had a roster of only eighteen players, who had to play both offense and defense against the heavily favored Centre College. He lost three players to early in the game, but the Aggies took the lead. The Aggies wouldnt need Gills help to win, but since then A&M students stand throughout football games to show their willingness to play if needed, Bible departed the Aggies after the 1928 season to accept the Nebraska head coaching position. After Bibles departure, A&M brought in Matty Bell from TCU to lead the Aggies football program, under Bells tutelage, the Aggies compiled a record of 24–21–3. However, the Aggies did not play up to the set by Dana Bibles tenure. Homer Norton was hired away from Centenary to replace Bell in 1934, A&M enjoyed great successes under Norton. The 1939 Texas A&M team went 11–0, beating Tulane in the Sugar Bowl, nortons record at Texas A&M was 82–53–9, giving him the second most wins of any coach in Texas A&M Aggies football history. Among the many stars that Norton developed were John Kimbrough and Joe Routt, Norton was fired in 1947 when his team went 3–6–1 and lost to archrival Texas for the eighth straight year. In December 1947, Harry Stiteler was promoted from running backs coach to coach for the Texas A&M football team following the firing of Homer Norton
3.
College football
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It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. No minor league farm organizations exist in American football and it is in college football where a players performance directly impacts his chances of playing professional football. The best collegiate players will declare for the professional draft after 3 to 4 years of collegiate competition. Those not selected can still attempt to land an NFL roster spot as a free agent. Even after the emergence of the professional National Football League, college football remained extremely popular throughout the U. S, in many cases, college stadiums employ bench-style seating, as opposed to individual seats with backs and arm rests. This allows them to more fans in a given amount of space than the typical professional stadium. College athletes, unlike players in the NFL, are not permitted by the NCAA to be paid salaries, colleges are only allowed to provide non-monetary compensation such as athletic scholarships that provide for tuition, housing, and books. Modern North American football has its origins in various games, all known as football, by the 1840s, students at Rugby School were playing a game in which players were able to pick up the ball and run with it, a sport later known as Rugby football. The game was taken to Canada by British soldiers stationed there and was soon being played at Canadian colleges, the first documented gridiron football match was a game played at University College, a college of the University of Toronto, November 9,1861. One of the participants in the game involving University of Toronto students was William Mulock, a football club was formed at the university soon afterward, although its rules of play at this stage are unclear. In 1864, at Trinity College, also a college of the University of Toronto, F. Barlow Cumberland, modern Canadian football is widely regarded as having originated with a game played in Montreal, in 1865, when British Army officers played local civilians. The game gradually gained a following, and the Montreal Football Club was formed in 1868, early games appear to have had much in common with the traditional mob football played in England. The games remained largely unorganized until the 19th century, when games of football began to be played on college campuses. Each school played its own variety of football, Princeton University students played a game called ballown as early as 1820. A Harvard tradition known as Bloody Monday began in 1827, which consisted of a mass ballgame between the freshman and sophomore classes, in 1860, both the town police and the college authorities agreed the Bloody Monday had to go. The Harvard students responded by going into mourning for a figure called Football Fightum. The authorities held firm and it was a dozen years before football was again played at Harvard. Dartmouth played its own version called Old division football, the rules of which were first published in 1871, all of these games, and others, shared certain commonalities
4.
AT&T Stadium
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AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League and was completed on May 27,2009 and it is also the home of the Cotton Bowl Classic. It replaced the partially covered Texas Stadium, which served as the Cowboys home from 1971 through the 2008 season, the stadium is sometimes referred to as Jerrys World after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who originally envisioned it as a large entertainment mecca. The stadium seats 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in the NFL by seating capacity, the maximum capacity of the stadium with standing room is 105,000. The record attendance for an NFL game was set in 2009 with a crowd of 105,121, the Party Pass sections are behind seats in each end zone and on a series of six elevated platforms connected by stairways. It also has the worlds 24th largest high definition video screen, originally estimated to cost $650 million, the stadiums current construction cost was $1.15 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports venues ever built. The City of Arlington provided over $325 million in bonds as funding, also, the NFL provided the Cowboys with an additional $150 million loan, following its policy for facilitating financing for the construction of new stadiums. A pair of nearly 300 ft -tall arches spans the length of the stadium dome and it also houses a center-hung Mitsubishi video display board that was the largest high-definition television screen in the world at the time of their installation. It has since surpassed in size by the Panasonic Big Hoss video board at Texas Motor Speedway. Glass doors, allowing each end zone to be opened, were designed and constructed by Dallas-based Haley-Greer glass systems, the retractable roof was designed by structural engineering firm Walter P Moore and the systems were implemented by mechanization consultants Uni-Systems. The electrification of Cowboys Stadiums retractable roof was developed by VAHLE and these Kinetic Architecture fundamentals will be employed in order to create quick conversions of the facility to accommodate a variety of events. When the design was unveiled on December 12,2006, it showed that, from inside the stadium. However, it can be covered by the roof panel to protect against the elements. A Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame is planned for the Hall of Fame level, the drawings also include a site for a large sculpture northeast of the stadium, close to Randol Mill Road. Attorney Bob Cohen, who is representing some of the property owners and it is claimed that the stadium uses more electricity than the whole of Liberia. 1997–2000, The Cowboys hold preliminary talks with Arlington officials about building a stadium there, the team also publicly discusses a $260 million plan to upgrade Texas Stadium. In 2000, the Cowboys compile a list of potential sites, which include Grapevine, Coppell. The team continues negotiating with Irving to renovate Texas Stadium,2001, Jones says Arlington is a leading contender for a $500 million stadium
5.
College Station, Texas
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College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East-Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley, in the center of the region known as Texas Triangle. It is 90 miles northwest of Houston and 87 miles northeast of Austin, as of the 2010 census, College Station had a population of 93,857, which had increased to an estimated population of 100,050 as of July 2013. College Station and Bryan together make up the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area, College Station is home to the main campus of Texas A&M University, the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The city owes both its name and existence to the location along a railroad. Due largely to the presence of Texas A&M University, College Station was named by Money magazine in 2006 as the most educated city in Texas, the origins of College Station date from 1860, when the Houston and Texas Central Railway began to build through the region. Eleven years later, the site was chosen as the location for the proposed Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, in 1876, as the nation celebrated its centennial, the school opened its doors as the first public institution of higher education in the state of Texas. The population of College Station grew slowly, reaching 350 in 1884 and 391 at the turn of the century, however, during this time, transportation improvements took place in the town. In 1900, the I&GN Railroad was extended to College Station, the interurban was replaced by a city bus system in the 1920s. In 1930, the community to the north of College Station, College Station did not incorporate until 1938 with John H. Binney as the first mayor. Within a year, the city established a commission, and by 1940. The city grew under the leadership of Ernest Langford, called by some the Father of College Station, early in his first term, the city adopted a council-manager system of city government. Population growth accelerated following World War II as the nonstudent population reached 7,898 in 1950,11,396 in 1960,17,676 in 1970,30,449 in 1980,52,456 in 1990, and 67,890 in 2000. The population for the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area range from an estimated 250,846 to 271,773 by 2030. College Station is located south of the center of Brazos County at 30°36′5″N 96°18′52″W and it is bordered by the city of Bryan to the northwest. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 49.6 sq mi, of which 49.4 sq mi is land and 0.19 sq mi. The local climate is subtropical and temperate and winters are mild with periods of low temperatures usually lasting less than two months, snow and ice are extremely rare. Summers are warm and hot with occasional showers being the only variation in weather. About 27. 1% of all households were made up of individuals, the average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.98
6.
American Broadcasting Company
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The network is headquartered on Columbus Avenue and West 66th Street in Manhattan, New York City. There are additional offices and production facilities elsewhere in New York City, as well as in Los Angeles and Burbank. Since 2007, when ABC Radio was sold to Citadel Broadcasting, ABC originally launched on October 12,1943, as a radio network, separated from and serving as the successor to the NBC Blue Network, which had been purchased by Edward J. Noble. It extended its operations to television in 1948, following in the footsteps of established broadcast networks CBS, in the mid-1950s, ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres, a chain of movie theaters that formerly operated as a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures. Leonard Goldenson, who had been the head of UPT, made the new television network profitable by helping develop, in 1996, most of Capital Cities/ABCs assets were purchased by The Walt Disney Company. The television network has eight owned-and-operated and over 232 affiliated television stations throughout the United States, most Canadians have access to at least one U. S. ABC News provides news and features content for radio stations owned by Citadel Broadcasting. In the 1930s, radio in the United States was dominated by three companies, the Columbia Broadcasting System, the Mutual Broadcasting System and the National Broadcasting Company. The last was owned by electronics manufacturer Radio Corporation of America, in 1938, the FCC began a series of investigations into the practices of radio networks and published its report on the broadcasting of network radio programs in 1940. The report recommended that RCA give up control of either NBC Red or NBC Blue, at that time, the NBC Red Network was the principal radio network in the United States and, according to the FCC, RCA was using NBC Blue to eliminate any hint of competition. Once Mutuals appeals against the FCC were rejected, RCA decided to sell NBC Blue in 1941, the newly separated NBC Red and NBC Blue divided their respective corporate assets. Investment firm Dillon, Read & Co. offered $7.5 million to purchase the network, Edward John Noble, the owner of Life Savers candy, drugstore chain Rexall and New York City radio station WMCA, purchased the network for $8 million. Due to FCC ownership rules, the transaction, which was to include the purchase of three RCA stations by Noble, would require him to resell his station with the FCCs approval, the Commission authorized the transaction on October 12,1943. Soon afterward, the Blue Network was purchased by the new company Noble founded, Noble subsequently acquired the rights to the American Broadcasting Company name from George B. Meanwhile, in August 1944, the West Coast division of the Blue Network, both stations were then managed by Don Searle, the vice-president of the Blue Networks West Coast division. The ABC Radio Network created its audience slowly, the network also became known for such suspenseful dramas as Sherlock Holmes, Gang Busters and Counterspy, as well as several mid-afternoon youth-oriented programs. S. From Nazi Germany after its conquest, to pre-record its programming, while its radio network was undergoing reconstruction, ABC found it difficult to avoid falling behind on the new medium of television. To ensure a space, in 1947, ABC submitted five applications for television station licenses, the ABC television network made its debut on April 19,1948, with WFIL-TV in Philadelphia becoming its first primary affiliate
7.
Dallas Cowboys
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The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference East division. The team is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and plays its games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The stadium took its current name prior to the 2013 season, the Cowboys joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1960. The teams national following might best be represented by its NFL record of consecutive sell-outs, the Cowboys streak of 190 consecutive sold-out regular and post-season games began in 2002. This has also corresponded to eight NFC championships, most in the NFC, the Cowboys are the only NFL team to record 20 straight winning seasons, in which they only missed the playoffs twice, an NFL record that remains unchallenged. In 2015, the Dallas Cowboys became the first sports team to be valued at $4 billion, making it the most valuable team in the world. The Cowboys also generated $620 million in revenue in 2014, a record for a U. S. sports team. Prior to the formation of the Dallas Cowboys, there had not been an NFL team south of Washington, D. C. since the Dallas Texans folded in 1952. Oilman Clint Murchison Jr. had been trying to get an NFL expansion team in Dallas, Murchison had tried to purchase the Washington Redskins from Marshall in 1958. An agreement was struck, but as the deal was about to be finalized and this infuriated Murchison and he called off the deal. Marshall then opposed any franchise for Murchison in Dallas, since NFL expansion needed unanimous approval from team owners at that time, Marshalls position would prevent Murchison from joining the league. Marshall had an out with the Redskins band leader Barnee Breeskin. Breeskin had written the music to the Redskins fight song Hail to the Redskins, Breeskin owned the rights to the song and was aware of Murchisons plight to get an NFL franchise. Angry with Marshall, Breeskin approached Murchisons attorney to him the rights to the song before the expansion vote in 1959. Murchison purchased Hail to the Redskins for $2,500, before the vote to award franchises in 1959, Murchison revealed to Marshall that he owned the song and Marshall could not play it during games. After a few Marshall expletives, Murchison gave the rights to Hail to the Redskins to Marshall for his vote, the one against Murchison getting a franchise at that time. From 1970 through 1979, the Cowboys won 105 regular season games, in addition, they appeared in 5 and won two Super Bowls, at the end of the 1971 and 1977 regular seasons
8.
Arlington, Texas
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Arlington is a principal city in the U. S. state of Texas, located in Tarrant County. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, according to the U. S. Census Bureaus estimate, the city had a population of almost 379,577 at the end of 2013, making it the third-largest municipality in the metropolitan area. Arlington is the fiftieth-most populous city in the United States, the seventh-most populous city in the state of Texas, Arlington borders Kennedale, Grand Prairie, Mansfield and Fort Worth, and surrounds the smaller communities of Dalworthington Gardens and Pantego. European settlement in the Arlington area dates back at least to the 1840s, the rich soil of the area attracted farmers, and several agriculture-related businesses were well established by the late nineteenth century. Arlington was founded in 1876 along the Texas and Pacific Railway, the city was named after General Robert E. Lees Arlington House in Arlington County, Virginia. Arlington grew as a cotton-ginning and farming center, and incorporated in 1884, the city could boast of water, electricity, natural gas, and telephone services by 1910, along with a public school system. By 1925 the population was estimated at 3,031, large-scale industrialization began in 1954 with the arrival of a General Motors assembly plant. Automotive and aerospace development gave the city one of the nations greatest population growth rates between 1950 and 1990, Arlington became one of the boomburbs, the extremely fast-growing suburbs of the post-World War II era. U. S. Census Bureau population figures for the city tell the story,7,692,90,229,261,721,365,438, Tom Vandergriff served as mayor from 1951 to 1977 during this period of explosive development. Six Flags Over Texas opened in Arlington in 1961, according to the United States Census Bureau, Arlington has a total area of 99.0 square miles,95.8 square miles of it was land, and 3.2 square miles of it is water. Johnson Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River, and the Trinity River itself, Arlington falls in the Cfa region of the Köppen climate classification system which is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters. The highest recorded temperature was 113 °F in 1980, the lowest recorded temperature was −8 °F in 1899. The maximum average precipitation occurs in May, severe weather generally occurs April and May months. The population density was 3,811 people per square mile, there were 144,805 housing units at an average density of 1,510 per square mile. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27. 4% of the population, 25% of all households were made up of individuals and 5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.7 and the family size was 3.3. In the city, the 2010 population was out with 31% under the age of 20, 8% from 20 to 24, 30% from 25 to 44, 23% from 45 to 64. The median age was 32 years, for every 100 females there were 104 males
9.
Little Rock, Arkansas
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Little Rock is the capital and the most populous city of the U. S. state of Arkansas. It is also the county seat of Pulaski County and it was incorporated on November 7,1831, on the south bank of the Arkansas River close to the geographic center of the state. The city derives its name from a rock formation along the river, the capital of the Arkansas Territory was moved to Little Rock from Arkansas Post in 1821. The citys population was 193,524 at the 2010 census, Little Rock is a cultural, economic, government, and transportation center within Arkansas and the South. Little Rocks history is available through history museums, historic districts or neighborhoods like the Quapaw Quarter, the city is the headquarters of Dillards, Windstream Communications, Acxiom, Stephens Inc. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Heifer International, the Clinton Foundation, other large corporations, such as Dassault Falcon Jet and LM Wind Power have large operations in the city. State government is an employer, with many offices being located in downtown Little Rock. Two Interstate highways, Interstate 30 and Interstate 40, meet in Little Rock, Little Rock derives its name from a small rock formation on the south bank of the Arkansas River called le petit rocher. The little rock was used by river traffic as a landmark. The little rock is across the river from big rock, a bluff at the edge of the river. Archeological artifacts provide evidence of Native Americans inhabiting Central Arkansas for thousands of years before Europeans arrived, the early inhabitants may have been the Folsom people, Bluff Dwellers, and Mississippian culture peoples who built earthwork mounds recorded in 1541 by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Historical tribes of the area were the Caddo, Quapaw, Osage, Choctaw, Little Rock was named for a stone outcropping on the bank of the Arkansas River used by early travelers as a landmark. Le Petit Rocher, named in 1722 by French explorer and trader Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe, Travelers referred to the area as the Little Rock, and the landmark name stuck. Little Rock is located at 34°44′10″N 92°19′52″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 116.8 square miles, of which,116.2 square miles of it is land and 0.6 square miles of it is water. Little Rock is located on the bank of the Arkansas River in Central Arkansas. Fourche Creek and Rock Creek run through the city, and flow into the river, the western part of the city is located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Northwest of the city limits are Pinnacle Mountain and Lake Maumelle, the city of North Little Rock is located just across the river from Little Rock, but it is a separate city. North Little Rock was once the 8th ward of Little Rock, an Arkansas Supreme Court decision on February 6,1904, allowed the ward to merge with the neighboring town of North Little Rock
10.
2014 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
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The 2014 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Razorbacks played their games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. They competed as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference and they were led by second year head coach Bret Bielema. They finished the season 7–6, 2–6 in SEC play to finish in last place in the Western Division and they were invited to the Texas Bowl where they defeated Texas. Schedule Source, With the 73–7 victory over the Colonels, the Razorbacks managed to end their 10-game losing streak, Arkansas scored 63 unanswered points before Nicholls State scored a touchdown in the third quarter. The 73 points scored are tied for the third most in school history, the win against the Red Raiders gave Arkansas their first back-to-back wins since September 2013. The Razorbacks had 31 first downs during the game, only punting the ball once, unfortunately, Marshall would be dismissed from the team later in the season. With the win, Arkansas had outscored their previous three opponents 174-49, the Aggies scored a touchdown and extra point in the first minute of the game, but the Razorbacks quickly overtook them, maintaining a lead that was not broken until the Aggies scored in overtime. The Aggies lagged for much of the game but came back in the final quarter, the Aggies won the coin toss and quickly threw a 25-yard touchdown and converted the extra point. The Razorbacks were unable to convert a first down and lost 35-28 and this was the first win in SEC play since October 13,2012, when the Razorbacks beat Kentucky 49-7 and their first win over LSU since 2010. It was the first time Arkansas shut out LSU in a conference game, the Hogs also took home the Golden Boot, a trophy which goes to the winner of each game and remains at that school until the following years contest. Arkansas became the first unranked team ever to shut out two ranked opponents in consecutive games, and got bowl eligible for the first time since 2011. In the first annual Battle Line Rivalry game between two schools, Missouri overcame an Arkansas lead in the fourth quarter to win this inaugural contest. This matchup of former Southwest Conference rivals was only the time the Hogs. The Razorbacks beat Texas in the 2000 Cotton Bowl, and in 2003 in Austin, the Longhorns defeated Arkansas in Fayetteville in 2004, and in Austin in 2008. Texas is coached by native-Arkansan Charlie Strong
11.
Kyle Field
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Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904 and it is known as the Home of the 12th Man. Within the state of Texas, Kyle Field has the largest regular seating capacity, Kyle Fields largest game attendance was 110,631 people when Texas A&M lost to the Ole Miss Rebels with the score of 20–35 on October 11,2014. This was the largest football game attendance in the state of Texas, in the fall of 1904, Edwin Jackson Kyle, an 1899 graduate of Texas A&M and professor of horticulture, was named president of the General Athletics Association. Kyle wanted to secure and develop a field to promote the schools athletics. Texas A&M was unwilling to provide funds, so Kyle fenced off a section of the southwest corner of campus that had been assigned to him for agricultural use. Using $650 of his own money, he purchased a grandstand from the Bryan fairgrounds. On November 10,1904, the Texas A&M Board of Directors set this area as a permanent athletic field, after the stands were built, students supported naming the field after its founder and builder. In 1921, the November game between the Texas A&M Aggies and their archrival the University of Texas at Kyle Field became the first college game to offer a live. The Aggies enjoyed a season in 1919, accumulating a combined score of 275–0. Aggie supporters began to clamor for a stadium, but only $2,400 were raised by 1920, in 1927, the school chose to build a new stadium, at a cost of $345,001.67. The new stadium opened later that year, in 1929, grandstands were added on the north and west ends, turning the facility into a 33, 000-seat horseshoe. Capacity was raised to 41,500 in 1953 when a second deck. More of second deck and other improvements were added in 1967 to raise the capacity to 48,000 at a cost of $1,840,000, in 1974, two large flagpoles were added at the south end of the stadium in memory of Lt. William B. Blocker, Texas A&M class of 1945, expansion continued in 1980, when a third deck was added to Kyle Field, bringing the capacity to 70,000. Construction took place during the season, and students were allowed into the area as each row of seating was added. In 1981, 16-foot -high letters spelling out KYLE FIELD were installed, the Bernard C. Richardson Zone was added in 1999 at a cost of $32.9 million raising the capacity to 82,600. For high-demand games, temporary bleachers are installed in the end zone
12.
Yard
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The yard is an English unit of length, in both the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement, that comprises 3 feet or 36 inches. It is by international agreement in 1959 standardized as exactly 0.9144 meters, a metal yardstick originally formed the physical standard from which all other units of length were officially derived in both English systems. In the 19th and 20th centuries, increasingly powerful microscopes and scientific measurement detected variation in these prototype yards which became significant as technology improved. In 1959, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, the name derives from the Old English gerd, gyrd, &c. which was used for branches, staves, and measuring rods. It is first attested in the late-7th century laws of Ine of Wessex, where the yard of land mentioned is the yardland, an old English unit of tax assessment equal to 1⁄4 hide. Around the same time, the Lindisfarne Gospels account of the messengers from John the Baptist in the Book of Matthew used it for a branch swayed by the wind. In addition to the yardland, Old and Middle English both used their forms of yard to denote the lengths of 15 or 16 1⁄2 ft used in computing acres. A unit of three English feet is attested in a statute of c. 1300 but there it is called an ell, the use of the word yard to describe this length is first attested in Langlands poem on Piers Plowman. The usage seems to derive from the prototype standard rods held by the king, the word yard is a homonym of yard in the sense of an enclosed area of land. This second meaning of yard has a related to the verb to gird and is probably not related. The origin of the measure is uncertain, both the Romans and the Welsh used multiples of a shorter foot, but 2 1⁄2 Roman feet was a step and 3 Welsh feet was a pace. The Proto-Germanic cubit or arms-length has been reconstructed as *alinâ, which developed into the Old English ęln, Middle English elne and this has led some to derive the yard of three English feet from pacing, others from the ell or cubit, others from Henry Is arm standard. Based on the etymology of the yard, others suggest it originally derived from the girth of a persons waist. But the yard was the standard adopted by the early English soverigns. The yard continued till the reign of Henry VII. when the ell was introduced, that being a yard, the ell was borrowed from the Paris drapers. Subsequently, however, Queen Elizabeth re-introduced the yard as the English standard of measure, the earliest record of a prototype measure is the statute II Edgar Cap. 8, which survives in several variant manuscripts, in it, Edgar the Peaceful directed the Witenagemot at Andover that the measure held at Winchester should be observed throughout his realm. The statutes of William I similarly refer to and uphold the measures of his predecessors without naming them
