Five stories that have North Texas talking: Facebook looks into favorite football teams county by county; there’s a cricket invasion in Dallas-Fort Worth; on this day in 1958, a Texas Instruments engineer invented the microchip; and more.
The Dallas Cowboys may be “America’s Team,” but how many people really like them? The Facebook data team analyzed Facebook “likes” for all of the NFL teams and came up with this nifty map. It shows where football fans live based on which NFL team they “like” on Facebook. Each county across the country is color-coded based on which NFL team has the most “likes.” Some takeaways: The Cowboys have a broad reach, but it’s not as if every county in the country loves the Cowboys the most. The Cowboys dominate Oklahoma, Arkansas, most of New Mexico and most – but not all -- of Texas (the Houston area loves its Houston Texans). The Cowboys also dominate in much of Nevada and southern Idaho. Other teams have wide geographic reach, too -- the Denver Broncos have a wide fan base, dominating much of the Rocky Mountain region. Some states have mixed loyalties, including Iowa (Vikings, Packers, Bears and Chiefs, oh my!)
- On Friday, Texas Instruments is celebrating the North Texas man who made the integrated circuit – the microchip -- possible. On Sept. 12, 1958, Jack Kilby, a TI engineer, invented the integrated circuit. It would revolutionize the electronics industry, helping make cellphones and computers widespread today. To honor him, Texas Instruments is holding its first Jack Kilby Day on Friday. It didn’t take long for Kilby to make his mark at TI. Just months after joining the Dallas-based company in 1958, he performed a successful laboratory demonstration on his first microchip on Sept. 12. Learn more about Kilby’s invention from KERA News.
- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz says he walked out of a speech Wednesday night after audience members booed his comments in support of Israel. The Texas Republican spoke at the "In Defense of Christians" dinner Wednesday night in Washington. He said in a statement late Wednesday that when he spoke about Israel and the Jewish people, a small but vocal minority tried to shout him down. He said that when faced with hatred and bigotry, he had no choice but to walk off the stage. Cruz, mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2016, called anti-Semitism an evil that was evident at the dinner. He said he told members of the audience that if they won't stand with Israel and the Jewish people, then he will not stand with them. [Associated Press]
- There’s a cricket invasion in North Texas. There are more black field crickets this year. WFAA-TV reports that Mary Chambers saw thousands of crickets on the walls of her business. "I mean... crickets everywhere!" Chambers said. "There were so many, I swept them up in piles." Chambers told WFAA it was like a horror movie. The warm and dry summer could explain the increase, a Tarrant County Ag Extension official said. To avoid seeing the crickets in your home, turn off your outdoor lights and seal up holes that they use to get inside.
- It’s time for Okrapalooza! It’s happening Sunday. Here’s what the event’s website says: “In its fifth year, Okrapalooza continues to bring East Dallas a unique okra cook-off with live music, beer, and specialty okra dishes. Celebrity chefs and home cooks come together in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to present their best okra dishes to compete for the title of Okrapalooza champion of the world.” The event takes place at The LOT.
