2006 Dallas Open Photos: Before the Tournament

View from the "grassy knoll" outside the The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

Foyer inside the foyer of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

Texas longhorns relaxing before their arduous cattle drive.

Cowboys preparing for the cattle drive.

Texas longhorns walking across the bricks of Exchange Avenue.

Some longhorns have curlicue horns!

For the brave, a mechanical bull that pitches and tosses just like the real thing!

Miro sculpture outside the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth.

One of many outdoor pools in the grounds surrounding the Kimbell Art Museum.

Mary Rhoades, Dallas Open director, in a non-SCRABBLE^® setting.

Dallas SCRABBLE^® Staff Dinner welcome sign at the Bent Tree Country Club!

Chris Cree (Dallas, TX; 1855), our event host, and his fiancee Carla Chase (New York, NY; 1466) in the Lake Room.

Susan Hoehn and Bryan Pepper.

John Chew and Mary Rhoades.

Pat Sanchez and Sherrie Saint John.

Welcome to the Addision Convention Center SCRABBLE^® players!

Dallas SCRABBLE^® Open message.

Spring has sprung in Dallas and blossoming trees are everywhere!

A strange, undetermined metal sculpture near the Convention Center.

Tiptoeing through the tulips....

Lee Brooks (Lawton, OK; 1327), Adrian Mannella (Chicago, IL; 1507), and Lisa Slankard (Arlington Heights, IL; 1493).

Steve Oliger (Holtwood, PA; 1712) and JC Green (East Palo Alto, CA; 837).

? and Tom OLaughlin (Hartland, WI; 903).

Carole Miller (Houston, TX; 1306) and Maureen Delgado (Houston, TX; 1461) register Lisa Odom (St. Louis Park, MN; 1870) and Cheryl Tyler (Lubbock, TX; 1680).

Old friends: Mike Baron (Corrales, NM; 1741), Jerry Lerman (Foster City, CA; 1907), and Chris Cree (Dallas, TX; 1855).

Jerry Lerman (Foster City, CA; 1907), Mike Baron (Corrales, NM; 1741), Chris Cree (Dallas, TX; 1855), and Joe Edley (Coram, NY; 2007) catch up.

Laura Landsbaum (The Woodlands, TX; 1092) and Judy Newhouse (Houston, TX; 1374).

Enjoying the outdoors: John OLaughlin (Hartland, WI; 1860), Jason Katz-Brown (Cambridge, MA; 1935), Mark Kenas (Madison, WI; 1803), Robin Pollock Daniel (Toronto ON; 1869), Brian Cappelletto (Chicago, IL; 1950), and Marlon Hill (Baltimore, MD; 1842).

Aaron Bader (Massachusetts, MA; 1657) enjoying some last-minute study time.

Marlon Hill (Baltimore, MD; 1842), Joe Edley (Coram, NY; 2007), and Aldo Cardia (New York, NY; 1790).

The be-hatted David Poder (Huntington Beach, CA; 1760) and Jerry Lerman (Foster City, CA; 1907).

Lloyd Mills (Georgetown ON; 1919), Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA; 1876), and Jan Mills (Georgetown ON; 1735).

? and ?.

Joel Sherman (Bronx, NY; 1886) and his bag.

From behind the flowers, ? and Stuart Goldman (Riverhead, NY; 1711).

Carole Miller (Houston, TX; 1306) and Maureen Delgado (Houston, TX; 1461) discuss registration numbers with John Chew while Jan Mills gets her name badge.

Another view of the registration table in the Convention Center foyer.

Michael Connally (Bulverde, TX; 1200) and his wife, make a round board sale.

? and ?.

Jacob Williams (Austin, TX; 1310) put his name badge on so he could see who he was when he looked down...

Dallas Open director, Bryan Pepper.

Diane Firstman (Brooklyn, NY; 1770) loved that the water was labeled, ostensibly so that players would not confuse it with the vat of sulfuric acid on the other table...

Stuart Goldman (Riverhead, NY; 1711) at his RESERVED table.

Pairings flapping in the fresh air like clothing hanging on the line.

A moment of pre-event repose for Jason Katz-Brown (Cambridge, MA; 1935).

"Hey! We bought the same T-shirt from that web site!" Brian Cappelletto (Chicago, IL; 1950) and Laura Landsbaum (The Woodlands, TX; 1092) model their fashion sense.

Joey Mallick (Cape Elizabeth, ME; 1963) shows of his new Red Sox shirt complete with MALLICK plus a blank. (John Chew points out that CLAMLIKE will also work in the new dictionary).

Jerry Lerman (Foster City, CA; 1907) comes to the equipment rescue of April McCarley (Austin, TX; 1215) and Brian Cappelletto (Chicago, IL; 1950), who have two sets of equipment set up at other tables.

Our beloved host, Chris Cree (Dallas, TX; 1855) makes opening comments.

Chris Cree (Dallas, TX; 1855) contemplates either writing larger or getting stronger reading glasses.

Sitting rapt at their places, the players of the Dallas Open 2006.

A lucky man indeed. Outnumbered three to one at his table, Robert Quigley (New Haven, CT; 1256) vs. Lisa Odom (St. Louis Park, MN; 1870) with Robin Pollock Daniel (Toronto ON; 1869) vs. Laura Landsbaum (The Woodlands, TX; 1092).

Lucky bottom seed, Michael Swanson (Houston, TX; 527), finds himself paired against Sal Piro (New York, NY; 1835). Steve Polatnick (Miami, FL; 1824) vs. Michael Connally (Bulverde, TX; 1200) also play at their table.