Jerry Jones Spares Little Cost In Constructing Cowboys Stadium

Jerry Jones Wants New Cowboys Stadium To Be "One Of The Most Visible Buildings" In U.S.

Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones wants the team's new stadium to "shout media and scream that the future of watching football is in his building," as two video screens at Cowboys Stadium "tower above the field and will carry the Cowboys' own game feed from eight live cameras," according to Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. Jones: "That's why I spent the money. It has a chance to be one of the most visible buildings in this country. ... I could have built this for $850[M]. And it would have been a fabulous place to play football. But this was such an opportunity for the 'wow factor.'" The economic downturn "has kept Jones from selling naming rights" for the facility, but he said that he "did not need the cash ... with his stadium debt whittled from" $350M to $200M. Jones repeatedly said that he is "sensitive to his fans' economic woes -- although he has not cut prices." Sandomir notes "most studies show little economic impact from new stadiums," but Jones said that Cowboys Stadium "will be its own stimulus package that will help 'the country and this world' dig out of the recession." Meanwhile, Jones said that he expects team revenue to rise at least 50% this season, but "declined to be more specific." Jones added that he has "sold 290 of his 315 luxury suites" at the stadium for $100,000-500,000 each, but "only about two-thirds of his 15,000 club seats," which carry PSL fees of $16,000-150,000 each. While the unsold club seats are "in prime spots," Jones said that he "would tolerate the sight of scattered empty seats without hiring seat-fillers." But he "vows there will be no splotches of unfilled seats similar to those infesting baseball stadiums this year" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/17).

TRAFFIC FLOW: In Dallas, Jeff Mosier notes Cowboys Stadium Sunday for the first time since opening last month will host a "large event the same day as a Rangers baseball game." Sunday's Twins-Rangers game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington will begin "about an hour after the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal soccer doubleheader starts" at Cowboys Stadium. Arlington city and team officials have been "meeting steadily for at least a month to plan for Sunday's games and decide how to divvy up parking and manage traffic flow," and the "staggered times on Sunday are expected to help greatly in managing the two stadiums and surrounding roads when baseball and soccer fans head to Arlington." Rangers Exec VP/Ballpark Operations Rob Matwick: "It'll be a good learning experience for all of us. These are the types of things we knew [we] were going to have." Mosier notes Sunday marks the "first of three dates this year when the stadiums host events the same day" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 7/17).

FAKE GOLD? ESPN SOCCERNET's Steve Davis wrote the Gold Cup "apparently doesn't rate highly enough to deserve a grass field," as Cowboys Stadium officials "spent a few days last week installing the artificial turf soccer field for Sunday's pair of matches." However, stadium officials next week will "layer in a temporary grass field for the venue's second night of athletic competition," the July 26 Chelsea-Club America soccer match. Under contract, that game "must be on natural grass" (ESPNSOCCERNET.com, 7/13).