The Cowboys yesterday marked the official opening of The Star in Frisco, and praise for the facility from players was "universal," according to David Moore of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. The players, many of whom were viewing the facility for the first time, said that The Star is "state of the art." Cowboys QB Tony Romo said, "It's pretty special. I don't think I've seen anything like it. It's just beautiful. Until you set foot in this place, you can't appreciate it." Moore notes "key moments from the franchise's rich history are part of the architecture." A player "can't walk through the dining hall, down a hallway or into a meeting room without soaking in the Super Bowl accomplishments and great individual performances of the team's past." Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said, "They did a great job capturing that and helping everyone understand what the standard is." Moore notes quote from Owner Jerry Jones "greets the players in the hallway that leads from the parking lot to the locker room." It reads: "We must win. We will win. Win is the name of the game" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/22).
LEFT SPEECHLESS: In Ft. Worth, Brian Gosset writes The Star will "take your breath away." Fan experience and Texas high school football "were some of the priorities" for the Jones family during the project. Gensler, Manhattan Construction, Lincoln Property and O'Brien Architects also were "involved in the project" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/21). ESPN DALLAS' Todd Archer wrote as "audacious as AT&T Stadium was when it opened" in '09, The Star is "equally audacious." There is a wall "dedicated to the Herschel Walker trade that helped make the dynasty" of the '90s (ESPNDALLAS.com, 8/21). The AP's Schuyler Dixon wrote The Star is "part headquarters, part spa, part museum with amenities the players probably couldn't have imagined at aging Valley Ranch" (AP, 8/21). The FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM offers readers a timeline of The Star's development.
SCHOOL IS IN SESSION: In Dallas, Wedding & Carlisle noted the Ford Center at The Star is "decked out in sponsors' logos like it was designed by NASCAR." The practice facility's sponsors include Ford, Panasonic, the Texas Lottery, Nike, Dr Pepper and Whataburger. Cowboys Exec VP, CMO & Chief Sales Officer Jerry Jones Jr. said of the facility, which also will be used by the Frisco Independent School District (FISD) for football, "This venue will allow these partners to activate their brand with us in ways never before seen in professional sports, let alone at the high school level." The venue itself "looks like a slightly smaller football stadium." It has 12,000 seats "circling around a football field, as well as a second football field outside the front." Panasonic "gave the Ford Center the largest video boards in high school sports." Nike "designed the two locker rooms" and also "provided new athletic uniforms" for all FISD junior high and high schools (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/19). In Dallas, Valerie Wigglesworth noted a "key component of The Star connects Frisco ISD students with opportunities." It offers students the chance to "play football on turf shared by their Cowboys counterparts" and use of the "same top-of-the-line broadcast equipment" the Cowboys use (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/17).
