Well, sierraone, you get to a certain age and things that have been done a long time or seem like tradition don't seem that way to you!
I live about 3 miles from the site of the Houston convention and went once. I wasn't impressed and also could see myself rushed into making a decision that I might come to regret. Now that the convention has moved to downtown Houston I'm sure I will never go again. Of course I understand the Houston show doesn't compare to the Dallas one.
We have hunting forums like this one where we can ask about our possible choices, If people don't want to answer in public, they PM.
I disagree about relative cost, you can buy a 200 inch bred buck for about $8000. Opportunity is 100 percent. In fact you will be shown a photo of the animal you are going to shoot! You may get one that isn't bred for that, either low fence,or high fence but otherwise natural, but chances are it will take you several hunts to see one that size and those hunt costs add up. Or you may be lucky and get one on your first hunt. And isn't a CBL lion much cheaper than a wild one?