Enron Field in Houston, the Trans World Dome in St. Louis and PSINet Stadium in Baltimore are just three of the modern-day coliseums named for companies that have found new homes in bankruptcy court.

Most unfortunately, Enron's plunge into bankruptcy court also cost many of its rank-and-file employees their savings.

Enron had already collapsed and filed for bankruptcy protection by the beginning of 2002. But despite complaints from short sellers that corporations had used accounting gimmickry to inflate their profits, many investors thought the crisis at Enron was an isolated case.

Companies buy customers when they cannot win new business on their own. They merge when their executives do not have a better idea of what to do.

The city of Houston is littered with the victims of Enron. The biggest challenge may be finding 12 jurors who can be fair.

Ken Lay was one of the genuine heroes of Houston, and Enron was one of the shining beacons of the city. There is still a residual of deep anger, betrayal, a sense of outrage over Enron, which is stronger in Houston than anywhere in the country.