Cowboys new stadium "transends football"
Michigan
Posts: 4,942 ✭
in Sports Talk
From USA Today:
ARLINGTON, Texas — After a quick inspection of the 9-foot tall bronze statue of iconic coach Tom Landry that greets visitors outside the main entrance of the gleaming Cowboys Stadium, Jerry Jones bursts inside and rides an escalator to the concourse.
Suddenly the hyper Dallas Cowboys owner does an about-face and hustles down an adjacent, inoperable escalator. He is greeted at street level by his daughter, Charlotte Anderson, the team's executive vice president of brand management.
"What's wrong?" Anderson asks, looking concerned.
"Nothing," Jones says. "But we've got to see this."
"Thought you were trying to get some exercise," Anderson deadpans.
Jones, 66, zips past Anderson and into an elevator lobby to marvel at one of 14 pieces of commissioned art — a just-mounted, neon-lit lightbox by Doug Aitken depicting Hollywood after dark, cut to form the word "Star" — that accentuate the elegance of the $1.15 billion, three million square-foot stadium that is the NFL's largest.
"This transcends football," Jones declares of the artwork and, well, the stadium itself.
The Cowboys will christen it in a nationally televised regular-season game against the New York Giants on Sunday night. With more than 20,000 standing-room tickets sold in addition to 82,000-plus seats, they are hoping to break an NFL regular-season attendance record (102,368) set in 1957.
"This is on par to a Super Bowl week for me and my family," says Jones. "You might get a chance to do another Super Bowl, but you'll never get another chance to open a stadium for the first time."
For more than two hours, Jones gives a private tour of a palace that raises the bar for future stadiums and provides a model for how the nation's most popular sports league might try to persuade fans to continue flocking to stadiums.
Along the way, Jones stops several times to confer with construction workers applying finishing touches, bubbling like a new homeowner preparing for a housewarming bash. He gushes about the crushed granite countertops in one of the club lounges, selected by his wife, Gene. He brags about the seven acres of plaza space outside the end zone entrances, with its green space and fountains. "Oceanfront property," he proclaims.
He glows when admiring the frit treatment in the sloping glass walls, which change colors depending on the light.
"When it's cloudy outside, it looks silver," Jones explains. "On a clear day, it's blue. Those are our team colors. It doesn't get any better than that."
Actually, the place opened June 6 with a country music festival featuring George Strait, which followed a grand opening gala in May.
"But the real opening is this week," maintains Jones, a tireless promotional whiz often described as a modern-day P.T. Barnum. "This is our time to showcase. We'll be in front of the nation and have a lot of international visibility."
There is no disputing the lavishness of the stadium, designed by HKS Architects, which personifies the everything-is-bigger-in-Texas idea and the Lone Star state's football-crazed culture. There are cutting-edge amenities galore — starting with the world's largest high-definition screens.
The $40 million videoboard, suspended 90 feet above the field with four screens, stretches nearly 60 yards and weighs 600 tons. It is seven stories, attached to the stadium's signature arches, which also house tracks for a translucent retractable roof.
There are also more than 3,000 LED monitors throughout the facility that use digital technology to instantly display whatever — live action, historical footage, data or prices for concession items.
And not only does the ceiling open, a nod to the hole in the roof at Texas Stadium, where the Cowboys played from 1971-2008, but the 120-foot high glass doors at the end zone entrances are also retractable — creating space the size of an airplane hangar that adding to the open-air ambiance of the stadium.
"That place is off the charts," says Tony Dorsett, the Hall of Fame tailback who starred for the Cowboys from 1977-1987. "It has such a 'wow effect.' The first time I went in there I wondered, 'Is this a stadium or somebody's mansion?' I'm a little jealous. I wish I had played in a place like that. Makes me want to pad up, just to get introduced one more time."
Such glitz is typical Jones.
"This stadium could've been built for $850 million," he says. "But we needed to deliver the mail."
Unlike anything seen at home on TV
For Jones, whose franchise is arguably the most popular in the NFL despite not winning a playoff game since 1996, the challenge is to redefine the game-day experience. That is evident with the plazas and end zone platform decks (which can be configured to add seats), where purchasers of the $29 standing-room "party passes" can watch.
And it is apparent with the videoboards, which can depict players as 70-foot images.
"This is about making sure that you've got something here that you can't replicate in front of a TV set," Jones says. "A movie always feels better in a theatre, than watching on a home entertainment center, because you've got people around you, a little mumbling, a cellphone goes off, popcorn. Atmosphere. It puts you in the social experience. That makes the movie more entertaining. We're trying to evolve to that with this stadium."
The NFL is watching, and not only to see if the center-hung videoboards — positioned precisely for sightlines — are a competitive nuisance (former Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso's kick hit the board in a preseason game). Although more than half of the league's $8 billion in revenues last year came from its national TV contracts, league officials express a determination for balance in measuring the sport's popularity while competing for discretionary consumer dollars. The Cowboys, who have sold 97% of tickets for this season, have the NFL's highest average ticket price ($159.65) according to the latest annual survey from Team Marketing Report.
"With the choices people have, it is imperative for that in-stadium experience to be really special," says Ray Anderson, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations. "Jerry Jones is responding to that need, with the bells and whistles in that stadium. He put it out there. Going forward, new stadiums will be challenged to duplicate what he's done to enhance the fan experience. He's a few years ahead of the curve."
Sports franchise consultant Marc Ganis, mindful of the Minnesota Vikings' efforts to build a new home and attempts in markets including San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, says there's no need to try to keep up with Jones. Ganis considers Cowboys Stadium — which will host the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and Super Bowl XLV in 2011 — as the nation's premier multipurpose facility because there were no compromises in its design.
"It's like teams in baseball trying to compete with the Yankees," says Ganis of Chicago-based Sportscorp, Ltd. "That stadium is in such a league of its own, that trying to compete with it would waste a lot of money. Let it be, and then do what you can in your market."
Ganis says Jones' ability to tap four primary sources of financing is impressively unique. Where the $1.3 billion stadium under construction for the New York Giants and Jets, set to open in 2010, was financed by private debt and personal seat licenses (PSLs), the Cowboys' project was financed largely by taxpayer-supported and private bonds, an NFL loan, PSLs and the Jones family's personal contribution, estimated by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram at $261 million.
"They didn?t overwhelmingly rely on any one source," Ganis says.
Jones says he sold about $400 million in real estate holdings to help provide some of the capital. Yet given the economy, he sees similarities to 1989, when he played a hunch and leveraged all of his personal wealth, much of it earned in the oil business, to purchase the Cowboys and Texas Stadium lease for a then-record $160 million. At that time, the Cowboys were losing $1 million a week and generating little revenue from the stadium or marketing deals. Now the Cowboys are the nation's most valuable sports franchise, worth $1.65 billion, according to Forbes.
"You remember what it was like in the '80s?" Jones says. "Banks, real estate, everything was down and out. At that time, I certainly couldn't see the future. The TV revenues had been flat for two negotiations. The NBA was going pretty good. I didn't have a plan that was tested to address spending $160 million. I used my own resources, but nobody does that without thinking there's some way to rationalize economically what's there.
"This stadium has more basis for the commitment we've made. But recognizing how shaky these times are, this also questions the rulebook."
Under his ownership, the Cowboys have won three Super Bowls, but not since the 1995 season — or four head coaches ago.
Jones was reminded of concern he expressed earlier this decade, when the team was in the midst of three consecutive 5-11 seasons. He wondered whether the Cowboys could sustain their popularity over a prolonged dry spell without championships.
Now Jones recalls what former Cowboys president Tex Schramm told him the night he closed on the deal to buy the team from H.R. "Bum" Bright.
"Right off the bat," Jones says, "Tex told me, 'It would be a hell of a business if you didn't have to play them football games.' It was profound. There has to be some meat on the bones, and it has to be done on the field."
Jones acknowledges that the team's performance could economically undermine all that's envisioned with the stadium. Dallas was positioned for a playoff run late last season, but lost three of its final four games down the stretch.
Jones' says his training camp message to the team was direct: "Just do your job. We've got too much on the line."
Pressure on current Cowboys to validate stadium
They're off to a good start. Quarterback Tony Romo passed for a career-high 353 yards in a 34-21 victory at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. But in recent years, the Cowboys have faded down the stretch.
Says Dorsett: "They need to win a playoff game. They've got a lot of talent, but they need to step up. You know how it is in Dallas. There are high expectations. They have a great owner, great city, great support and now a great stadium. Now we want to see the team become great."
Current players don't deny such pressure. Especially in Texas, where the old saying suggests there are just two sports — football and spring football. The Cowboys are so revered in these parts that even second-year pro Martellus Bennett, the emerging No. 2 tight end, has his own weekly radio show.
"In Texas, people breathe it," says Roy Williams, who replaced discarded all-pro Terrell Owens as the team's top wide receiver and attended Odessa Permian High School, immortalized in the book Friday Night Lights, and the University of Texas. "For man, woman and child here, it's all about football."
Williams envisions making history as the first player to score a touchdown in the new stadium.
"Usually, I give away my gloves after a touchdown," he says. "This time, I'd keep 'em."
Perhaps the new stadium will help provide something else. All-pro linebacker DeMarcus Ware says that during the two preseason games, he discovered that by sitting on the bench and looking at the videoboard, he could read the lips of opponents when cameras zoomed in for close-ups.
"It's a different gameday experience," Ware said. "It brings another level of seeing. I think we'll have a home-field advantage, because first of all when all the other people come in to play in the stadium, they'll be in awe. We're past that."
Jones chuckles when pondering whether teams will be distracted by the environment he's created.
"If their minds are wandering, so be it," he says. "It might have been wandering, anyway. I'm not being defensive about it. But there's no question: You can't come in here and not look at the board. Vendor, coach, player, fan. It's amazing, looking at Romo's eyes and he's 70-feet tall."
ARLINGTON, Texas — After a quick inspection of the 9-foot tall bronze statue of iconic coach Tom Landry that greets visitors outside the main entrance of the gleaming Cowboys Stadium, Jerry Jones bursts inside and rides an escalator to the concourse.
Suddenly the hyper Dallas Cowboys owner does an about-face and hustles down an adjacent, inoperable escalator. He is greeted at street level by his daughter, Charlotte Anderson, the team's executive vice president of brand management.
"What's wrong?" Anderson asks, looking concerned.
"Nothing," Jones says. "But we've got to see this."
"Thought you were trying to get some exercise," Anderson deadpans.
Jones, 66, zips past Anderson and into an elevator lobby to marvel at one of 14 pieces of commissioned art — a just-mounted, neon-lit lightbox by Doug Aitken depicting Hollywood after dark, cut to form the word "Star" — that accentuate the elegance of the $1.15 billion, three million square-foot stadium that is the NFL's largest.
"This transcends football," Jones declares of the artwork and, well, the stadium itself.
The Cowboys will christen it in a nationally televised regular-season game against the New York Giants on Sunday night. With more than 20,000 standing-room tickets sold in addition to 82,000-plus seats, they are hoping to break an NFL regular-season attendance record (102,368) set in 1957.
"This is on par to a Super Bowl week for me and my family," says Jones. "You might get a chance to do another Super Bowl, but you'll never get another chance to open a stadium for the first time."
For more than two hours, Jones gives a private tour of a palace that raises the bar for future stadiums and provides a model for how the nation's most popular sports league might try to persuade fans to continue flocking to stadiums.
Along the way, Jones stops several times to confer with construction workers applying finishing touches, bubbling like a new homeowner preparing for a housewarming bash. He gushes about the crushed granite countertops in one of the club lounges, selected by his wife, Gene. He brags about the seven acres of plaza space outside the end zone entrances, with its green space and fountains. "Oceanfront property," he proclaims.
He glows when admiring the frit treatment in the sloping glass walls, which change colors depending on the light.
"When it's cloudy outside, it looks silver," Jones explains. "On a clear day, it's blue. Those are our team colors. It doesn't get any better than that."
Actually, the place opened June 6 with a country music festival featuring George Strait, which followed a grand opening gala in May.
"But the real opening is this week," maintains Jones, a tireless promotional whiz often described as a modern-day P.T. Barnum. "This is our time to showcase. We'll be in front of the nation and have a lot of international visibility."
There is no disputing the lavishness of the stadium, designed by HKS Architects, which personifies the everything-is-bigger-in-Texas idea and the Lone Star state's football-crazed culture. There are cutting-edge amenities galore — starting with the world's largest high-definition screens.
The $40 million videoboard, suspended 90 feet above the field with four screens, stretches nearly 60 yards and weighs 600 tons. It is seven stories, attached to the stadium's signature arches, which also house tracks for a translucent retractable roof.
There are also more than 3,000 LED monitors throughout the facility that use digital technology to instantly display whatever — live action, historical footage, data or prices for concession items.
And not only does the ceiling open, a nod to the hole in the roof at Texas Stadium, where the Cowboys played from 1971-2008, but the 120-foot high glass doors at the end zone entrances are also retractable — creating space the size of an airplane hangar that adding to the open-air ambiance of the stadium.
"That place is off the charts," says Tony Dorsett, the Hall of Fame tailback who starred for the Cowboys from 1977-1987. "It has such a 'wow effect.' The first time I went in there I wondered, 'Is this a stadium or somebody's mansion?' I'm a little jealous. I wish I had played in a place like that. Makes me want to pad up, just to get introduced one more time."
Such glitz is typical Jones.
"This stadium could've been built for $850 million," he says. "But we needed to deliver the mail."
Unlike anything seen at home on TV
For Jones, whose franchise is arguably the most popular in the NFL despite not winning a playoff game since 1996, the challenge is to redefine the game-day experience. That is evident with the plazas and end zone platform decks (which can be configured to add seats), where purchasers of the $29 standing-room "party passes" can watch.
And it is apparent with the videoboards, which can depict players as 70-foot images.
"This is about making sure that you've got something here that you can't replicate in front of a TV set," Jones says. "A movie always feels better in a theatre, than watching on a home entertainment center, because you've got people around you, a little mumbling, a cellphone goes off, popcorn. Atmosphere. It puts you in the social experience. That makes the movie more entertaining. We're trying to evolve to that with this stadium."
The NFL is watching, and not only to see if the center-hung videoboards — positioned precisely for sightlines — are a competitive nuisance (former Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso's kick hit the board in a preseason game). Although more than half of the league's $8 billion in revenues last year came from its national TV contracts, league officials express a determination for balance in measuring the sport's popularity while competing for discretionary consumer dollars. The Cowboys, who have sold 97% of tickets for this season, have the NFL's highest average ticket price ($159.65) according to the latest annual survey from Team Marketing Report.
"With the choices people have, it is imperative for that in-stadium experience to be really special," says Ray Anderson, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations. "Jerry Jones is responding to that need, with the bells and whistles in that stadium. He put it out there. Going forward, new stadiums will be challenged to duplicate what he's done to enhance the fan experience. He's a few years ahead of the curve."
Sports franchise consultant Marc Ganis, mindful of the Minnesota Vikings' efforts to build a new home and attempts in markets including San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, says there's no need to try to keep up with Jones. Ganis considers Cowboys Stadium — which will host the 2010 NBA All-Star Game and Super Bowl XLV in 2011 — as the nation's premier multipurpose facility because there were no compromises in its design.
"It's like teams in baseball trying to compete with the Yankees," says Ganis of Chicago-based Sportscorp, Ltd. "That stadium is in such a league of its own, that trying to compete with it would waste a lot of money. Let it be, and then do what you can in your market."
Ganis says Jones' ability to tap four primary sources of financing is impressively unique. Where the $1.3 billion stadium under construction for the New York Giants and Jets, set to open in 2010, was financed by private debt and personal seat licenses (PSLs), the Cowboys' project was financed largely by taxpayer-supported and private bonds, an NFL loan, PSLs and the Jones family's personal contribution, estimated by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram at $261 million.
"They didn?t overwhelmingly rely on any one source," Ganis says.
Jones says he sold about $400 million in real estate holdings to help provide some of the capital. Yet given the economy, he sees similarities to 1989, when he played a hunch and leveraged all of his personal wealth, much of it earned in the oil business, to purchase the Cowboys and Texas Stadium lease for a then-record $160 million. At that time, the Cowboys were losing $1 million a week and generating little revenue from the stadium or marketing deals. Now the Cowboys are the nation's most valuable sports franchise, worth $1.65 billion, according to Forbes.
"You remember what it was like in the '80s?" Jones says. "Banks, real estate, everything was down and out. At that time, I certainly couldn't see the future. The TV revenues had been flat for two negotiations. The NBA was going pretty good. I didn't have a plan that was tested to address spending $160 million. I used my own resources, but nobody does that without thinking there's some way to rationalize economically what's there.
"This stadium has more basis for the commitment we've made. But recognizing how shaky these times are, this also questions the rulebook."
Under his ownership, the Cowboys have won three Super Bowls, but not since the 1995 season — or four head coaches ago.
Jones was reminded of concern he expressed earlier this decade, when the team was in the midst of three consecutive 5-11 seasons. He wondered whether the Cowboys could sustain their popularity over a prolonged dry spell without championships.
Now Jones recalls what former Cowboys president Tex Schramm told him the night he closed on the deal to buy the team from H.R. "Bum" Bright.
"Right off the bat," Jones says, "Tex told me, 'It would be a hell of a business if you didn't have to play them football games.' It was profound. There has to be some meat on the bones, and it has to be done on the field."
Jones acknowledges that the team's performance could economically undermine all that's envisioned with the stadium. Dallas was positioned for a playoff run late last season, but lost three of its final four games down the stretch.
Jones' says his training camp message to the team was direct: "Just do your job. We've got too much on the line."
Pressure on current Cowboys to validate stadium
They're off to a good start. Quarterback Tony Romo passed for a career-high 353 yards in a 34-21 victory at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. But in recent years, the Cowboys have faded down the stretch.
Says Dorsett: "They need to win a playoff game. They've got a lot of talent, but they need to step up. You know how it is in Dallas. There are high expectations. They have a great owner, great city, great support and now a great stadium. Now we want to see the team become great."
Current players don't deny such pressure. Especially in Texas, where the old saying suggests there are just two sports — football and spring football. The Cowboys are so revered in these parts that even second-year pro Martellus Bennett, the emerging No. 2 tight end, has his own weekly radio show.
"In Texas, people breathe it," says Roy Williams, who replaced discarded all-pro Terrell Owens as the team's top wide receiver and attended Odessa Permian High School, immortalized in the book Friday Night Lights, and the University of Texas. "For man, woman and child here, it's all about football."
Williams envisions making history as the first player to score a touchdown in the new stadium.
"Usually, I give away my gloves after a touchdown," he says. "This time, I'd keep 'em."
Perhaps the new stadium will help provide something else. All-pro linebacker DeMarcus Ware says that during the two preseason games, he discovered that by sitting on the bench and looking at the videoboard, he could read the lips of opponents when cameras zoomed in for close-ups.
"It's a different gameday experience," Ware said. "It brings another level of seeing. I think we'll have a home-field advantage, because first of all when all the other people come in to play in the stadium, they'll be in awe. We're past that."
Jones chuckles when pondering whether teams will be distracted by the environment he's created.
"If their minds are wandering, so be it," he says. "It might have been wandering, anyway. I'm not being defensive about it. But there's no question: You can't come in here and not look at the board. Vendor, coach, player, fan. It's amazing, looking at Romo's eyes and he's 70-feet tall."
0
Comments
When you're there, you either watch what is happening in "real life" or you watch the screen.
Since the screen shows things more close up, you end up just watching that.
Afterwards, we couldn't help but think....."Jeez, we paid for the tickets.....we drove here...paid for parking.....got to our seats....and then essentially watched this big video screen."
Between computer monitors and television, we're always looking at screens. And putting that monster in that new stadium to me is a big mistake. People are gonna go to those games and then pretty much sit there and watch the game on television.
More isn't necessarily better
anyway from the screen to Jerry Jone's ego. It all just comes together in the new stadium.
If anyone wants to see it, feel free to PM me.
<< <i>I drove by the stadium a couple of weeks ago. Took a picture and would post it but there's an inappropriate hand gesture in there...
If anyone wants to see it, feel free to PM me.
Barry speaketh the truth. I have seen it and it is not good
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
<< <i>I've never been a fan of the big screens myself but this is Texas so everything is going to be outsized
anyway from the screen to Jerry Jone's ego. It all just comes together in the new stadium. >>
And don't forget there's a super-sized Wal-Mart directly across the street from the new stadium. No, he isn't Sam Walton but Jerry is from and loyal to ARK.
Coincidence? I don't think so...
<< <i>And don't forget there's a super-sized Wal-Mart directly across the street from the new stadium. No, he isn't Sam Walton but Jerry is from and loyal to ARK.
Coincidence? I don't think so... >>
Very classy Jerry. Too bad your QB SUCKS!!
Looks like Jerry was more concerned about having 105K record and ignored fire/safety state laws. He should be thanking his lucky stars nothing happened.
Link
<< <i>Party Pass changes coming -- fewer tickets to be sold
7:15 PM Mon, Sep 21, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Mede Nix/Editor Bio | E-mail | News tips
Jeff Mosier is reporting that there will be changes for future games regarding Party Passes.
The Cowboys plan to reduce the number of standing room only tickets by two-thirds after crowds became unruly Sunday night when they weren't allowed into the stadium.
Assistant Fire Chief Don Crowson said Cowboys officials agreed Monday to sell only about 10,000 of the Party Passes to future games although there could be a few exceptions. Team officials said previously that they sold 30,000 of these $29 tickets to Sunday's game, which was the Cowboys first regular-season match up at their new stadium in Arlington. The attendance of 105,121 was a record for a regular season NFL game.
As the kick off approached Sunday night, Cowboys and public safety officials decided to stop trying to control the flow of fans into the end zone decks when the crowds became angry.
"We believe that it was a better decision to go ahead and let people in versus confronting them in a situation out the plaza based on the how the crowd dynamic was evolving," Crowson said.
Although the stadium wasn't truly closed, Crowson said the number of fans allowed into the end zone decks slowed as the stadium approached capacity. That happened as the start of the game was getting close.
Many people with standing room only tickets quickly became hostile and threw plastic bottles and pounded on glass doors.
Crowson said a committee of police and fire officials and Cowboys staff decided to remove the gates between the decks and plazas to allow fans to move freely and reduce the chances of confrontation.
Brett Daniels, a Cowboys spokesman, said he doesn't believe the team oversold the Party Passes, but he said this type of crowd isn't typical. He said that about 7,500 have been sold for next week's Monday night game.
"It's a once in a lifetime game," Daniels said.
However, he said the Cowboys could have a crowd closer to this size for some special events but that would be rare. Daniels said that things went more smoothly once fans could move freely between the deck and plaza, which is what they had predicted.
Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said he agreed with the committee's decision.
"It's something that we had to do," he said. "I think they had no choice."
Cluck said cutting down on the number of Party Passes sold should prevent this from happening again.
Crowson said miscommunication caused the biggest problems Sunday night. He said many fans apparently didn't realize the limitations of the Party Passes. The Cowboys sent an e-mail to those who bought those tickets to explain how they worked.
"Some party pass areas of the stadium may fill to capacity," the e-mail said. "When that occurs, you will no longer be provided access to those specific areas. In such an instance, you may be asked to move to an area with available space (including the plazas). With that in mind, we have designed outdoor bars and very large video screens with live broadcasts of the game on the plazas just outside the party decks."
Crowson said many fans didn't realize that their tickets did not guarantee them space inside the stadium walls. Those Party Passes only assured them access to the 7 acres of plazas just outside the end zone doors.
Crowson said the fire department has planned for every possible incident at the stadium from severe weather to crowd dynamics like they saw Sunday. However, he said they made some assumptions before the weekend that didn't work out.
"Our belief was that people understood what a Party Pass entailed," Crowson said. "But crowds determine their own directions and actions."
Jeff will have more on the Party Pass problems in tomorrow's editions of the News. >>
<< <i>Very interesting read.
Looks like Jerry was more concerned about having 105K record and ignored fire/safety state laws. He should be thanking his lucky stars nothing happened. >>
Sleep soundly, young Rose, I have built you a good ship. Strong and true. It has all the life boats we need.
1994 Pro Line Live
TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject
The overall experience, not the game. Left after the 1st quarter. Watched the rest from our tailgate spot.....
What I'm selling
Building Sets, Collecting Texas Rangers, and Texas Tech Red Raiders
<< <i>Sleep soundly, young Rose, I have built you a good ship. Strong and true. It has all the life boats we need.
And thanks to the interwebs, we can actually watch the Titanic passengers start to scream (yeah, that was wrong but I'm going to hades anyways, so
Deadspin Article w/ Video
<< <i>Roughly 29,999 of the 30,000 people who paid $29 to wander around Cowboys Stadium on Sunday night were left disappointed by the fact that crowded concourses, blocked access, and long bathroom lines meant they paid $29 for standing room tickets to a TV. Those were the lucky ones. Many folks didn't even get inside, because they were under the mistaken impression that a "ticket" gives you access to an event and not just access to the "plazas outside the party decks" which are not actually inside the stadium. Fine print!
As this video helpfully demonstrates, the vast majority of Party Pass holders only got a view of the other Party Pass holders. And naturally, the swarm of Texas-sized asses clogging the entrances, concourses, concessions and seats belonging to actual ticket holders created such chaos that the fire department gave up trying to control them and officially declared jungle law. >>
SportsByBrooks
<< <i>Warning: Party Pass May Not Contain Actual Party
Posted by Adam J on Sep. 21, 2009, 2:30pm
Amidst the gushing celebration of Jerry Jones‘ new Cowboy Stadium was a rather curious contention: that the stadium packed enough people into the SRO areas to break the all-time NFL record for attendance. While that figure may or may not have been met, we do know that simply looking at ticket sales isn’t going to tell the whole story about how many people were actually in the stadium.
(This man is holding party passes, but he is not having a party right now. Not unless it’s an angry party, and nobody likes an angry party.)
That’s because, according to Cowboys fan Hector Murillo (seen above) and thousands of others, the Cowboys locked them out of the stadium, despite the fans holding “party passes.” Oh, just because you bought a ticket to the game doesn’t mean you get to watch inside the place; you hadn’t heard?
MYFOXCHICAGO.COM has more:
Hundreds of Cowboys “Party Pass” holders say they didn’t get to see a live game Sunday night, despite paying for parking and $29 for a standing-room-only ticket.
In fact, the gates at one section wouldn’t even open, and fans were pounding on the doors to get the attention of people inside.
This does bring up a rather complex question of what it means to “watch a live game,” since most of the people in the SRO decks couldn’t actually see the game itself, just the big screens above the field that carried the same feed as the screens on the outside. The differences, other than the status of being on the premises, aren’t great. But moving on…
The Cowboys say they sold 30,000 “Party Passes” at last night’s record-breaking attendance game. 15,000 fans were supposed to watch inside on six different decks, while the rest were supposed to be outside, watching on giant monitors.
Fans say that was never made clear to them.
Yes, we’d imagine that there’s a substantial difference in demand for a $29 ticket that seemingly guaranteed a spot inside the building for the Cowboys’ stadium opener… and a $29 ticket that may or may not actually get you in the door. We’re pretty sure the Cowboys didn’t put forth much effort getting that message out when it came time to promote the event. “Come watch the game! …maybe!”
At the very least, the Cowboys would be wise to provide a little more explanation than “we didn’t plan on selling twice as many SRO tickets as we could allow inside the building but we did it anyway,” or maybe even offer reduced prices to those with “Party Pass” stubs for the next game - as if that’d clear the congestion.
Either way, for the estimated $870,000 the Cowboys made on the passes alone (to say nothing of the beer and concession sales in those areas) it seems like the reputation of “actively screwing over the less affluent fans” is something the franchise should work to avoid. If not, how many of those fans left outside are going to stay loyal? Let’s hope the Cowboys keep that question rhetorical. >>
via Dallas Morning News
<< <i>Did they let the party get too big at Cowboys Stadium?
10:25 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 22, 2009
By JEFF MOSIER / The Dallas Morning News
jmosier@dallasnews.com
Arlington officials and the Dallas Cowboys are discussing the possibility of reducing the number of standing-room-only tickets by two-thirds after crowds became unruly Sunday night when they weren't allowed into the stadium.
Assistant Fire Chief Don Crowson said negotiations Monday would have the Cowboys limit sales to about 10,000 Party Passes at future games, though there could be a few exceptions.
Team officials said they sold 30,000 of the $29 tickets to Sunday's game, which was the Cowboys' first regular-season matchup at the new stadium in Arlington. Cowboys officials, however, said they were willing to talk with the city about changes but have not agreed to anything.
The attendance of 105,121 was a record for a regular-season NFL game.
As kickoff approached Sunday night, Cowboys and public safety officials decided to stop trying to control the flow of fans into the end zone decks when the crowds became angry.
"We believe that it was a better decision to go ahead and let people in vs. confronting them in a situation out on the plaza based on the how the crowd dynamic was evolving," Crowson said.
Although the stadium wasn't truly closed, Crowson said, the number of fans allowed into the end zone decks slowed as the stadium approached capacity. That happened as the start of the game neared.
Hostile crowd
Many people with standing-room-only tickets quickly became hostile and threw plastic bottles and pounded on glass doors.
Crowson said a committee of police and fire officials and Cowboys staff decided to remove the gates between the decks and plazas to allow fans to move freely and reduce the chances of confrontation.
Brett Daniels, a Cowboys spokesman, said he doesn't believe the team oversold the Party Passes, but he said this type of crowd isn't typical. He said that about 7,500 have been sold for next week's Monday night game against the Carolina Panthers.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime game," Daniels said of Sunday night's game. He did say the Cowboys could have a similar size crowd for some special events, but that would be rare. Daniels said that things went more smoothly once fans could move freely between the deck and plaza, which is what they had predicted.
Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck agreed with the committee's decision.
"It's something that we had to do," he said. "I think they had no choice."
Cluck said reducing the number of Party Passes sold should prevent such a situation from happening again.
Courtney Jordan, a Forney resident who had a Party Pass, said the crowd started getting rowdy as the wait to get in grew long and it looked like those outside might miss the beginning of the game.
"There were a couple of people who were going to knock the gates over," she said.
Jordan said she understood their frustrations and thinks that the Cowboys sold far too many tickets. She said it took her at least an hour to get inside the stadium, and by then, she had just missed the kickoff.
'Horrible experience'
"It was a horrible experience," she said.
The experience was even worse for Stephen Forte. He said he was told that the stadium was at capacity and that no one else would be let in. The Heath resident and his friends left and went home.
"I didn't know it was going to be first come, first serve," Forte said. "I thought buying the ticket meant we had a contract."
Crowson said miscommunication caused the biggest problems Sunday night. He said many fans apparently didn't realize the limitations of the Party Passes. The Cowboys sent an e-mail to those who bought those tickets to explain how they worked.
"Some Party Pass areas of the stadium may fill to capacity," the e-mail said. "When that occurs, you will no longer be provided access to those specific areas. In such an instance, you may be asked to move to an area with available space (including the plazas). With that in mind, we have designed outdoor bars and very large video screens with live broadcasts of the game on the plazas just outside the party decks."
Crowson said many fans didn't realize that their tickets did not guarantee them space inside the stadium walls. Those Party Passes only assured them access to the 7 acres of plazas just outside the end zone doors.
Crowd control
When the Cowboys and public safety committee decided to take down the plaza gates Sunday, Crowson said more fire staff was moved into the end zone areas to monitor the crowds. He said corridors were maintained in those packed areas to ensure people could get around if there was an emergency.
Despite the crush of people, Arlington police said there were only 37 arrests at the game – including 30 for public intoxication.
Crowson said he couldn't determine whether some of those areas were beyond capacity.
"Unfortunately, I don't have the ability to give you exact figures," he said.
Crowson said that enforcing the occupancy limit is part of the Fire Department's job but so is "keeping people safe."
The stadium's certificate of occupancy sets the maximum capacity at nearly 112,000, but Crowson said that could be a misleading number. He said that capacity includes parts of the stadium that aren't open to the public so the real ceiling on attendance is usually going to be much less, even after factoring in employees.
Paul Wertheimer, president of Crowd Management Strategies, said that standing-room-only or festival crowds are difficult to handle. He said there is often a danger of "crowd crush" and "crowd collapse" that isn't a threat with people in seats. Even attendance below capacity can cause problems, he said.
"You can overcrowd a venue without overselling it if the people are in the wrong places, if they are in areas where they crowd and block other people," Wertheimer said.
Crowson said the Fire Department has planned for every possible incident at the stadium from severe weather to crowd dynamics like officials saw Sunday. However, he said, the department made some assumptions before the weekend that didn't work out.
"Our belief was that people understood what a Party Pass entailed," Crowson said. "But crowds determine their own directions and actions."
WHAT YOU SAID
We asked readers for their opinions about the $29 Party Passes and their experiences at the first regular-season game at Cowboys Stadium. Here's a sampling of the responses from the Stadium Blog of The Dallas Morning News:
"I think it's a good idea that needs adjustment. Most of the problems this time were from the huge crowds as a result of the once-in-lifetime event and Jerry's record-setting desires. The total per game should be limited to much less than the 20,000 or so sold this time."
Posted by bspraetz
"As a season ticket holder, I hated it. If you limited it to about 5,000-10,000 party passes then I might be OK with it, but there were people everywhere trying to sneak into seats and get into areas that are restricted to certain ticket holders. Many of the workers seemed to give up after about one quarter because they were sick of dealing with all the extra people and turning them away from areas that they were supposed to be restricting. "
Posted by Mike
"Wow, looks like we were the only handful that actually had a great experience. Here is why. We were in a group of about nine, and most of us got there at 3 p.m. Yes, the doors opened at 3, and if you secured a spot early on, life was good. We also strategically found places that were limited in how many people could actually stand behind you. The view was spectacular, and the crowd was entertaining. I think people may have had expectations that exceeded what would realistically be offered at a $30 price point – there's a reason they are that cheap!"
Posted by junglee
"I enjoyed the Party Pass. It gave me the opportunity to experience the first game in the new stadium without spending $200 a ticket. I wasn't expecting prime seats for 1/10th of the cost of normal seats, so I wasn't disappointed by the crowds or the fact that I didn't see much of the 'live' action. I wish the season ticket holders wouldn't lump me in with those on the party-decks that made their experience unenjoyable. I'm not rich, so I couldn't buy a ticket. Thanks Jerry for giving me the chance to be a part of Cowboys history."
Posted by Patrick
"Absolute Disaster. That's it. Concession lines were way too long, bathrooms were overcrowded, it reminded me of the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. Fortunately I was with three other guys that are 6'4" 250 lbs. so we were able to push our way through crowds. I talked to countless people who got there hours ahead of kickoff only to be bullied out of the way with no view of the field. The usher tried for about two quarters to keep an aisle clear for the season ticket holders to get through, then gave up after hundreds of people mobbed the area. If I paid that kind of money for season tickets I would be furious with Jerry."
Posted by Angry Cowboys Fan >>
From Jerry's terribly reconstructed face, many times over.
Linkypoo
Jerry Jones on the Party Pass
9:55 AM Tue, Sep 22, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Todd Archer/Reporter Bio | E-mail | News tips
There were a lot of upset folks regarding the Party Pass among the 105,121 fans in attendance Sunday at Cowboys Stadium. Some were upset they couldn't see the field. Some were upset they couldn't get inside the stadium. Some went home.
The Cowboys sold roughly 30,000 Party Passes for the Giants game and are working with Arlington about what the right number is.
Jerry Jones hinted that some of the issues had to do with unfamiliarity with the stadium by everybody involved in terms of where to go and how to enter the stadium.
"When we can we want the outside feel," Jones said. "We thought we were right there at that temperature and felt that it was worth that. As far as the number of people that were in there, we had had a soccer game and we had approximately 10,000 people standing on our decks and our patios for our soccer game with the Gold Cup and that didn't touch uncomfortableness at all.We really thought that number would work ... In the future we'll look at it. The number's somewhere between at a very low point at about 10,000 and somewhere between that 30. We'll just see how that goes. I know certainly some of those fans with those Party Passes were frustrated but we had large numbers of them excited and right into it just as it was designed to do."