New Cowboys Stadium

[Panthers]

Hate to tell you folks, but the stuff people are raving about at Cardinals Stadium has been in Europe for years. Not that Dallas' stadium won't blow away anything in the world, because it will, but the Amsterdam ArenA (yes that is the way it is spelled), Arena Auf Shalke (Gelsenkirschen) and even the LTU Arena in Dusseldorf has some of the more incredible architecture you'll see. And just wait until the NFL plays next summer in China (I forget, Shanghai or Beijing?) Both stadia will be magnificent.

Don't forget the new Wembley in London.

[Discrim]

Don't forget the new Wembley in London.

they finally got around to finishing that place? if so, took em long enough.

[M59]

Can someone explain the need for retractable roofs on these NFL stadiums? It's 2 preseason games, 8 regular season games and maybe a playoff game or 2 if you're really lucky. I have had season tickets to the Eagles for the last 13 years and we've been rained on about 6 or 7 times. And it's only been really cold for maybe 6 or 7 games and 4 of them were playoff games. Seems unnecessary to me.

That being said, it's a wonderful stadium. Too bad it will be wasted on the bandwagon jumping Cowboy fandom.

It's a little game they play at the end of the year. You might have heard of it. It's called the Super Bowl, and the reason it won't be coming to the new Giants/Jets stadium is that it won't have a roof.

BTW, I bet Dan Snyder crapped his pants when Jerry Jones sent him his own, personalized DVD of that presentation! Look for the Snyder Sports Palace to be built on the RFK site by 2012!

[KP14]

Can someone explain the need for retractable roofs on these NFL stadiums? It's 2 preseason games, 8 regular season games and maybe a playoff game or 2 if you're really lucky. I have had season tickets to the Eagles for the last 13 years and we've been rained on about 6 or 7 times. And it's only been really cold for maybe 6 or 7 games and 4 of them were playoff games. Seems unnecessary to me.

That being said, it's a wonderful stadium. Too bad it will be wasted on the bandwagon jumping Cowboy fandom.

I thought that the Cowboys had it so that "god could watch them play" or some such nonsense and so that TO's ego will fit.

[yh]

That's going to be one incredible stadium. Suspending a 60 ton video board 110 feet over the field creeps me out a bit but I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the engineers and architects who don't seem to think it's an issue.

And on the uniform/design front, did anyone else notice that the giant inflatable helmet featured on the plaza area had a blue facemask? Given the attention paid to detail in most of the rest of this presentation (the end zone lettering being one glaring exception) that gives me cause to wonder whether there may be some uniform changes coinciding with the move to Arlington.

[Diablo de Tejas]

Can someone explain the need for retractable roofs on these NFL stadiums? It's 2 preseason games, 8 regular season games and maybe a playoff game or 2 if you're really lucky. I have had season tickets to the Eagles for the last 13 years and we've been rained on about 6 or 7 times. And it's only been really cold for maybe 6 or 7 games and 4 of them were playoff games. Seems unnecessary to me.

That being said, it's a wonderful stadium. Too bad it will be wasted on the bandwagon jumping Cowboy fandom.

Have you ever been to Texas at the end of summer? It doesn't cool of her until late October. The on field temperature at Texas stadium in September is over 110 degrees. I roof will allow early season games to be played in a controlled climate.

[DrBear]

1. Not only a closed roof for the Super Bowl (it can and does get cold in Dallas in February) but exhibitions, etc., probably including a Final Four.

2. I just hope they install modern plumbing. I was at Texas Stadium for a game in 1988 in December when the temps dipped below freezing, and all the bathroom pipes froze, making the restrooms unusuable. Luckily, it's when the Cowboys stunk and the crowd was small. Which makes me wonder if WonderPalace2008 has way too many seats for when the Cowboys have a down cycle.

3. How long were those PSLs for the original Texas Stadium for? If it's more than 37 years (1971-2008) the buyers got ripped off and should get a refund.

(EDIT: AN answer from the Dallas News:

The tax zones are Texas? new novel way to pay for a stadium. In the late 1960s, the state paid for Texas Stadium through another inventive scheme: the sale of seat option bonds, nicknamed SOBs ? a forerunner of personal seat licenses later used to finance other stadiums. At the time, the city of Irving couldn?t afford the stadium and refused to use taxpayer money; instead, it sold bonds.

The cost of the bonds, as well as the tight-fisted interest rate, initially irritated fans, some of whom sued the Cowboys and the city of Irving. But because purchasing bonds was the only way to get season tickets, people lined up to buy them when they went on sale December 26, 1967 ? eventually purchasing $31 million in bonds.

As long as the team played at Texas Stadium, holders had the right to buy tickets. They also had a money-back guarantee on the bonds, which will mature December 26, 2008. By that time, funds will be available to pay off nearly $25 million in outstanding bonds. Bondholders will get $300 for each $250 bond.

The innovative gamble paid off. Kevin Delaney, Temple University sociology professor and co-author of Public Dollars, Private Stadiums, contends that few cities have a strong enough fan base to purchase sufficient bonds to pay for a stadium, and he cautions against expecting it to happen again. Texas Stadium cost $35 million, comparable to $170 million in today?s dollars. That?s a bargain compared to the $650-million price tag for the new stadium, and fans in those days even got to see for what they were paying.)

[Bouj]

Yeah, it looks impressive, but I get this feeling it's going to end up like Rogers Centre (aka SkyDome): awesome when it opened but totally unloved/blah within 15 years. There's just somethign about it that feels off. It's like spinning rims on a Rolls Royce.

[meetthemets]

Anything is an improvement over Texas Stadium. That place is a dump.

[NMLSooner]

Wow! I glad to be a Cowboys fan!

[powersurge]

Hate to tell you folks, but the stuff people are raving about at Cardinals Stadium has been in Europe for years. Not that Dallas' stadium won't blow away anything in the world, because it will, but the Amsterdam ArenA (yes that is the way it is spelled), Arena Auf Shalke (Gelsenkirschen) and even the LTU Arena in Dusseldorf has some of the more incredible architecture you'll see. And just wait until the NFL plays next summer in China (I forget, Shanghai or Beijing?) Both stadia will be magnificent.

Don't forget the new Wembley in London.

I second that. Even as early back as 7 years ago on my last trip to Europe I saw some pretty phenomenal sports stadium architecture. The U.S. is indeed waaaaaay behind the rest of the world in that category. I will say that the Cardinals and Cowboys are moving in the right direction though.

[-Helix-]

Sorry, I had to.

[TrueYankee26]

The stadium is beautiful.

[SgtCarp]

Can someone explain the need for retractable roofs on these NFL stadiums? It's 2 preseason games, 8 regular season games and maybe a playoff game or 2 if you're really lucky. I have had season tickets to the Eagles for the last 13 years and we've been rained on about 6 or 7 times. And it's only been really cold for maybe 6 or 7 games and 4 of them were playoff games. Seems unnecessary to me.

That being said, it's a wonderful stadium. Too bad it will be wasted on the bandwagon jumping Cowboy fandom.

Have you ever been to Texas at the end of summer? It doesn't cool of her until late October. The on field temperature at Texas stadium in September is over 110 degrees. I roof will allow early season games to be played in a controlled climate.

That being said, what are the chances that they'll continue with white at home? It seems kinda pointless to wear white at home, citing heat issues, in a domed stadium. Its a long way off but i'm just puttin it out there.

[Sport]

as far as I can tell the only problem I can see is that when the hole in the roof is open that video screen right in the middle is gonna create some goofy shadows.

[RamblinGamblinTiger]

I can't really tell if this has a field tray like the Cardinals or not.

I thought that I read something about fake grass, which would eliminate the need for the field to be on a tray- The stadium sure does look like it was designed for the tray idea though-

But in all seriousness, this could be the greatest sports facility in the world when done. I have always been partial to Phillips Arena in Atlanta because of its unique shape for seats. This would certainly blow any of that away.

Philips Arena is awesome- It has the best upper deck seating in my opinion due to the fact that the deck is physically lower to the playing surface. Philip's is one of only a few places where i actually like sitting in the upper deck (front row-center ice, or front row in the attack twice)

[Stand Up 8]

Just for refernce, here are some pictures I took from The Dallas Morning News and the Arlington Star-Telegram. I think it is amazing that the length of the stadium is going to be 1/4th of a mile.

[Bucks6thMan]

::shrug::

It looks just like Reliant and UofP...

[rainmaker17]

It looks NOTHING like Reliant....and I really hope it doesn't feel 'soulless' like that place.

[doctorpeligro]

BTW, I bet Dan Snyder crapped his pants when Jerry Jones sent him his own, personalized DVD of that presentation! Look for the Snyder Sports Palace to be built on the RFK site by 2012!

That's not going to happen. There's no economic incentive for him whatsoever to spend over $1 billion just to move back to the District. FedEx Field in Landover suits their needs just fine.