NFL Franchise Notes: New Cowboys Tailgate Party Unveiled Outside Arlington Stadium

In Dallas, Jeff Mosier writes the newly-branded Cowboys Tailgate Party in the Miller Lite East Plaza at Cowboys Stadium "brought a different type of group" to yesterday's home opener against the Buccaneers. With the outdoor plaza "open four hours before game time instead of two, the early birds included a mix of dedicated out-of-town fans as well as families of the dancers performing on the outdoor stage." The atmosphere and features in the plaza "resembled the State Fair of Texas rather than imitating the tailgating scene" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/24).

FROM THE DAWG POUND: In Akron, Jason Lloyd writes Cleveland Browns Stadium "wasn't even three-fourths full for the opening kickoff" of Bills-Browns yesterday. The crowd was "announced at more than 69,000 and the 9 in that figure came from New York" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 9/24). Meanwhile, in Cleveland, Mary Kay Cabot reports prospective Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam III on Saturday met with Pro Football HOFer Jim Brown and "assured him he wants him to be part of the team." When Haslam "settles in, the two will talk about an official role for Brown with the organization that demoted him two years ago" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 9/24).

LEARNING THE ROPES: In L.A., Sam Farmer reported Lakers investor Patrick Soon-Shiong attended Thursday night's Giants-Panthers game in Charlotte "as a guest of Panthers owner Jerry Richardson." It was an "interesting pairing because Richardson is the former chairman of the NFL’s stadium committee, and if Soon-Shiong were to purchase AEG, he presumably would take the handoff from Philip Anschutz to push the proposed downtown L.A. stadium Farmers Field across the goal line" (LATIMES.com, 9/22).