San Antonio can be described as theBarney Fifeof metropolitan cities ; a hired gun affix to our articulatio coxae , but no bullet train to dilute it , easily befriended and outsmarted by our own prisoners who frequently take the air out of the jailhouse after stealing the key from our pockets . The argument is this : We ’re located in beautiful primal Texas , 80 naut mi from the " alive Music Capital of the World , " with a universe creeping over 1.5 million , but no valid entertainment options for us Spurs - haunt San Antonians to bask our footer lives with . In many ways we ’re inextricably unite to Fiesta Texas , SeaWorld , and the River Walk – forced - fun tourist traps with outrageous gummed label prices . Outsiders ca n’t get over the fact that there are n’t a ton of other things to do in this urban center . What was oncean intelligent responseto Austin ’s " Keep Austin Weird " soubriquet , " Keep San Antonio Lame , " is now fodder for SA skeptic . Are we halting ?

Why we should embrace the slogan

It ’s been said before but San Antonio itself is reflected so well by the Spurs system – overlooked and underrated . The Spurs have had Tim Duncan , Kawhi Leonard and David Robinson lead them to backing whereas the urban center has trot out modesty , self - deprecate humor , and an appreciation for tradition to help us fly under the radar . We ’re a mid - sized media food market that shuns hipsterism and embraces artists likeFlaco Jimenez , Doug Sahm , andGeorge Strait . We revere a basketball game team that for years has been criticized for it ’s " tiresome way of gambling . " We ’re used as leverage inNFL expansion talksand excited about aAAA baseball teamrelocating to our metropolis .

But all of this would - be critique is exactly what makes us different – our humbleness . We adopt our lameness because it forbid San Antonio from becoming the next Austin : a ego - aware metropolis in the midst of a hard - to - watch personal identity crisis . In many fashion , our lameness is our eagerness to plump for local artists , eating place , and venues . It ’s also our welcoming acculturation , and our pose back attitude . Just like Tim Duncan and his relaxed , yet confident behaviour on the royal court , we know exactly who we are , and ' limping ' is part of the equation .

" I do think [ the shibboleth ] still has relevancy , both in terms of call up our account and origin , as well as a reminder that bigger is not always better , " says Aaron Forland , Almighty of the " Keep San Antonio Lame " slogan , " that the personality and quirk inevitably turn out of a rasquache cultivation has a draw to do with the run magical spell and cryptical originative wellspring here ; that money / renown / success can make new opportunity but also carry the risk of losing a hard - to - delimit but vital effect . "

San Antonio

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Why we should denounce the slogan

If we did we would n’t have so many mind - numbingly tedious conversation with people who dislike our city . Would " Keep San Antonio Really Cool " be good ? Or , how about , " Keep San Antonio The Best City In The Whole World ? " perhaps then these conversation would finally terminate . When we wholeheartedly take on an idea that we ’re " lame " without a thorough intellect of the origin of our shibboleth , the skeptics win . They ’re armed with an poorly - informed variation of our own identity and have used our self deprecating body fluid against us .

" [ The shibboleth ] was always kind of a litmus examination in terms of who get it and who did n’t , " say Forland . " When one releases an melodic theme into the wild , one gives up a certain power to define and keep in line interpretation , and it was always an idea that worked on multiple levels both straight - faced and ironic , with a level of equivocalness that allowed it to mean dissimilar thing to different people "

Ultimately the slogan is what we make of it . Some residents will always believe the city miss executable entertainment options – will altering the slogan change that ? in all probability not , but " Keep San Antonio The Best City In The Whole World " has a overnice closed chain to it . Should we get someone in the entertainment industry like Robert Rodriguez or Shawn Michaels to deliver that line in a commercial message ? Nah , they ’ve got plenty going on as it is .

San Antonio Man

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Are we actually lame?

Depends on who you ask , and what their definition is , but if a city that keep its own account , supports its creative biotic community , and embrace modestness is lame , then definitely . San Antonians have always made it a precedence to save what keeps our metropolis special – and lameness is part of it all . It ’s supporting creative person , player , local businesses , and the venues that back them . If this is halting , the gimpiness is worth celebrating . If the city is deemed feeble by an SA critic and their plan of attack is based on a want of entertainment options or some other coarse , overused image then the answer is in all probability no . How can a speedily growing city with a blossoming artistry scene , and strong local bar and restaurant scenes be tag halting ?

Steps you can take to keep San Antonio lame

According to Forland , keep San Antonio Lame is about support our local business , artists , and community . " Continuing education and civic date are also big themes that are never far from my mind . Staying well - informed , being able to think critically about the past times , present and future of our city , and a willingness to know and talk about both the good and the bad are , to my mind , the keys to keep things game . "

So San Antonians , beckon your lame flag proudly . Support the San Antonio Missions . shop class at HEB . Love and/or detest the River Walk ( just ensure your opinion is strong ) . Attend City Council meeting . Go urging Go . Proudly assume your Tim Duncan T-shirt . eat up at Datapoint , Paloma Blanca , Taco Cabana , and Bill Miller ’s . funding local music ( D.T. Buffkin , Girl in a Coma , Lonely Horse ) . Avoid 410 like the plague . Keep making tacos that are better than Austin ’s . company on the strip . Take a picturewith Spurs Jesus . Collect as many Fiesta pins as humanly possible . take for an intact week off for Fiesta … every year .

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Alta Vista Skateshop

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San Antonio

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