Correct... Again lots of speculationOriginally Posted by gc
No, but wouldn't it be nice? The only thing probably that would stand in the way is the fact that the schools would draw MUCH bigger crowds at their own home stadiums. Tiger Stadium seats 95,000 and Kyle Field seats 83,000. Outside of playing in such a large market, is there a reason for the schools to come to the Cotton Bowl over Jerry World or their own home stadiums?
By the power of greyskull!
Correct... Again lots of speculation
Miller pledges upgrades to Cotton Bowl
03:30 PM CST on Monday, November 29, 2004
From Staff Reports
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller on Monday committed the city to making the Cotton Bowl a premiere college sports facility, saying she will find the money to keep annual football rivalries in the historic venue even after a state-of-the-art Cowboys stadium is built in Arlington.
“This is and will continue to be the place to play college football,” Ms. Miller said at a noon press conference five floors above the Cotton Bowl. “We’re talking about keeping huge football games here during the State Fair.”
Joined by elected officials and business leaders, the mayor and State Fair President Errol McKoy pledged to make millions of dollars in additional upgrades to the 74-year-old facility – an attempt to keep the annual Texas-OU and Grambling State-Prairie View A&M matchups at the Cotton Bowl.
And they said they would aggressively seek other sporting events that could be played in the stadium – from soccer tournaments to a fall football festival.
Monday’s announcement follows what already was a substantial financial commitment to both games. In September, Dallas City Council members unanimously agreed to pay the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma $625,000 apiece over the next five years to retain their commitment to the stadium.
UT and OU, which make about $1 million in ticket sales each year for the game, told the city and State Fair last year that they needed an additional money or they'd start playing the game on their home turfs.
Some of the requested money
would be used to defray the cost of bringing the teams, bands and cheerleaders to Dallas, and the rest would be used to pay Fair Park expenses, such as security and insurance costs. The schools also wanted the city to add more seats to the stadium and make other improvements.
Also in September, council members committed $250,000 over a five-year period to keep the Grambling State-Prairie View game at the Cotton Bowl.
In the immortale words of The Rock, "Just bring it, Jabroni".
By the power of greyskull!
I wish we could. That was a great series.
Dallas uber alles
Can anyone else think of good cross-sectional rivalries? I think the BCA game should be a target. I think D.C. and the Meadowlands hosts them now.
Miller pledges upgrades to Cotton Bowl
04:10 PM CST on Monday, November 29, 2004
From Staff Reports
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont....a5a58284.html
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller on Monday committed the city to making the Cotton Bowl a premiere college sports facility, saying she will find the money to keep annual football rivalries in the historic venue even after a state-of-the-art Cowboys stadium is built in Arlington. “This is and will continue to be the place to play college football,” Ms. Miller said at a noon press conference five floors above the Cotton Bowl. “We’re talking about keeping huge football games here during the State Fair.”
Joined by elected officials and business leaders, the mayor and State Fair President Errol McKoy pledged to make millions of dollars in additional upgrades to the 74-year-old facility – an attempt to keep the annual Texas-OU and Grambling State-Prairie View A&M matchups at the Cotton Bowl. And they said they would aggressively seek other sporting events that could be played in the stadium – from soccer tournaments to a fall football festival.
Monday’s announcement follows what already was a substantial financial commitment to both games. In September, Dallas City Council members unanimously agreed to pay the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma $625,000 apiece over the next five years to retain their commitment to the stadium. UT and OU, which make about $1 million in ticket sales each year for the game, told the city and State Fair last year that they needed an additional money or they'd start playing the game on their home turfs.
Some of the requested money would be used to defray the cost of bringing the teams, bands and cheerleaders to Dallas, and the rest would be used to pay Fair Park expenses, such as security and insurance costs. The schools also wanted the city to add more seats to the stadium and make other improvements. Also in September, council members committed $250,000 over a five-year period to keep the Grambling State-Prairie View game at the Cotton Bowl.
Dallas Morning News staff writer Emily Ramshaw contributed to this report.
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
^ There you have it.
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
reads pretty open ended. Where did the paltry $16 million total come from? Just give me that money and I can move back to Dallas, and run this thing.
Opps my bad, I guess you have to be careful reading things ticked off!
at amount was stated on the ticket. Notice the article did not mention trying to keep the TX/OU game or trying to qualify for the BCS.
Last edited by DallasStar; 29 November 2004 at 05:46 PM.
Actually it did mention it.
Opps! my bad, I have to be careful reading things being tick off!!
^ Either way, the announcement was very vague. I'll try to remain positive until I hear something more concrete.
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
You know I think it's great how everyone is trying to be so positive about this. I felt down in the dumps earlier but you guys are holding on (for some reason, this city has let us down so many times) until further notice. Good for you, I will try to hold on to... It's just that when I heard them talking about this on the radio it sounded so negative. But I will hold on with you guys until further notice.
talked to dad back in Dallas. He says according to NBC 5 they apparently do have a plan, but will talk to teams that play there and teams they want there first, and will seek long term agreements before they do upgrades.
Since that's worked so very well in the past...
That's sort of a relief. Wouldn't want them to waste any money if all the games are going to Jerry World.
Maybe she will guarantee Dr. Pepper will be the official drink of the Cotton Bowl and Ford will be the official car and T-Mobile will be the official cellular phone company. It could be called the Dr. Pepper Ford T-Mobile Cotton Bowl.
Or maybe they can spend millions of dollars to get the the slogan "Think Big! Think Cotton Bowl".
Listen to the Dividing Line, Pirate Christian Radio, CARM, White Horse Inn and RTS University the most nowadays.....
^When Ft Worth has more than the Ft Worth Bowl you can make comments like that.
Hey! Watch it.
Corporate Sponsorship has never bothered me. People still know it as the Cotton Bowl
That's enough to keep me encouraged. Elected officials, business leaders and the mayor are all very aware that a domed Cotton Bowl would likely bring the BCS Championship series to Fair Park, and that's cash money.Joined by elected officials and business leaders, the mayor and State Fair President Errol McKoy pledged to make millions of dollars in additional upgrades to the 74-year-old facility – an attempt to keep the annual Texas-OU and Grambling State-Prairie View A&M matchups at the Cotton Bowl. And they said they would aggressively seek other sporting events that could be played in the stadium – from soccer tournaments to a fall football festival.
Cotton Bowl blitz begins
Miller vows upgrades to keep valuable college games, lure new events
11:56 PM CST on Monday, November 29, 2004
By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont....a5a58284.html
Dallas officials said Monday they are "waging war" to ensure annual college football matchups aren't lured from the historic Cotton Bowl. Mayor Laura Miller, with council member Leo Chaney (second from right), city officials and business leaders, pledged Monday to keep football rivalries at the Cotton Bowl. Mayor Laura Miller said she is committed to making the Fair Park stadium a premier college sports facility and will find the money to keep football rivalries in the traditional venue – even after a state-of-the-art Cowboys stadium is built in Arlington.
"This is and will continue to be the place to play college football," Ms. Miller said at a noon news conference overlooking the field at the Cotton Bowl. "We're talking about keeping huge football games here during the State Fair." The mayor and State Fair president Errol McKoy, joined by elected officials and business leaders, pledged to make millions of dollars in additional upgrades to the 74-year-old facility in an attempt to keep the annual Texas-OU and Grambling-Prairie View matches at the Cotton Bowl. "They're not going anywhere," Ms. Miller said of the games, which were responsible for $21 million in local spending this year.
And Dallas officials said they would aggressively seek other sporting events that could be played in the stadium – from soccer tournaments to a fall football festival. "There is tremendous potential coming our way," Mr. McKoy said. "We feel the future is bright for the Cotton Bowl." The mayor said nothing about rumors from early last week that a Texas Tech-Texas A&M football matchup at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair was in the works. Nor did she allude to speculation that money would be freed up for stadium repairs by letting Dallas County take over the zoo.
Ms. Miller did say a task force has been meeting regularly to discuss how to keep the games at the Cotton Bowl once there is an alternative in Arlington. She said members already have a $16 million list of preliminary repairs and have agreed that adding a domed roof is not necessary. Representatives from the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma have been asked to return to the stadium after this season to let city and State Fair officials know what repairs would be necessary to keep the game there. While the city hasn't decided on a funding source, the mayor said she could ask the state for assistance if necessary.
"We will get the money, make the improvements and ask the teams for a longer commitment," Ms. Miller said. "And I think we're going to get it." Cotton Bowl staff members were not at Monday's announcement. But Cotton Bowl president Rick Baker said they still have a contract with the city and will honor it for the next three years. After that, he said, the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Board of Directors will have to make a decision on the stadium issue. "We're certainly intrigued and are anxious to hear the improvements and what the mayor has in mind, but ultimately the decision will rest with our board," he said. "We will look at it at the appropriate time. Now is not the appropriate time."
The Cotton Bowl is no different from college stadiums across the country – many of which are as old as the Fair Park facility but have been "reworked to function better," Mr. McKoy said. The Cotton Bowl simply needs upgrades and some creative thinking to stay competitive, he said. "There have been just minimal problems here," he said. "There's no greater college football tradition today than the classic games played here." Part of the campaign that persuaded Arlington voters to authorize millions of dollars for a stadium for the Dallas Cowboys was the vow to lure the Texas-OU football game away from its historic home.
Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck has said once the retractable domed stadium is built, it will be a draw for many hot-ticket sporting events held across the region. Crowded in a press box to take cover from Monday's rain, Mr. McKoy told supporters that not having a dome shouldn't be a problem for the Cotton Bowl. He said most college football is played outside anyway. And despite the attraction of a new Cowboys stadium, luring the Texas-OU game away from the Cotton Bowl is far from a done deal. Among fans and alumni, sentiment remains strong to keep the game in Dallas past 2008, the year the schools' contract expires.
Athletic directors have said they hope to keep the Red River Shootout in Fair Park, provided city and State Fair officials come through with much-needed stadium upgrades. On Monday, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said of the mayor's commitment: "That's wonderful. "With the new stadium going up in Arlington, and with what we've done to our stadium and what OU has done to improve their stadium, if we're going to play that game in the Cotton Bowl it needs to be like those other venues."
His counterpart at OU, Joe Castiglione, said: "We're appreciative of the improvements that were made prior to the 2004 game as well as the other stadium improvements that are being planned over the next year or two. We will certainly remain open-minded, and we look forward to hearing more about other improvements to the Cotton Bowl. Whether that relates to additional seating or the condition of the Cotton Bowl, both are still important concerns for both universities." The State Fair spent $2 million to upgrade the Cotton Bowl before this year's games, adding 4,000 end-zone seats and renovating restrooms, concession stands and press boxes. Mr. McKoy said Texas and OU already get a combined $400,000 from the city and the State Fair annually in travel expenses, rental fees and other subsidies.
Council member Leo Chaney, whose South Dallas district includes Fair Park, said neighborhood revitalization also depends on the Cotton Bowl's success. He said he envisions a Fair Park district with lively retail strips and busy restaurants. "Today, we're here to say we're declaring war to make this the best facility it can be," Mr. Chaney said. "We're not giving up."
Staff writers Chip Brown, Brian Davis and Keith Whitmire contributed to this report.
E-mail eramshaw@dallasnews.com
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
Are we sure they are aware?
Interesting Nightline topic tonight, eh?
I missed it. Give me an update please.
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
Its on now
I wish they would dome it so that Dallas could attract The Final Four too!
Do you actually think if they domed that place the Final Four would want to go there when JerryDome will be the best sports stadium around? To me it sounds like there are alot of politicians trying to act like they are sports fans and sports authorities when any sports fan knows which stadium would be better.
$16 million dollars of upgrades? They actually think $16 million dollars is going to make the Cotton Bowl the premier sporting event locale? They should stick to picking up trash and filling pot holes since they care little about sports. Everybody in sports and sports fans around the country are going to laugh their heads off at what the Mayor of Dallas said.
Listen to the Dividing Line, Pirate Christian Radio, CARM, White Horse Inn and RTS University the most nowadays.....
I agree with mikesjr, it's going to take a lot more than $16 million to make the Cotton Bowl into a top tier stadium for any kind of event whether it be in football, soccer, or whatever.
^ I think if you listened to the news or read the article more carefully you would have found that the $16 million upgrades are for concessions, restrooms, new scoreboards, and 4000 more seats to be implemented sooner rather than later. Then later in the year, school officials have been asked to visit the site to request additional upgrades. These additional upgrades are currently unfunded. Does not sound like a dome is even an option right now though.
IMO, the Cotton Bowl is a bad venue for a final four regardless of what is done. Jerryworld may not be good either. At this point, we have no clue how the inside of the jerrydome will be configured for hoops, football, etc.
rantanamo, what was the cost for the Lambeau upgrade? I love that place.
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
The preliminary repairs are a great start, whatever they are. Any time restrooms have to be closed during the big game (Tx-OU), well, that's a pretty good sign the place needs some "preliminary" repairs. Anytime the city has to include a cash incentive to keep the games playing at the stadium is a pretty good sign some "preliminary" repairs are needed.Ms. Miller did say a task force has been meeting regularly to discuss how to keep the games at the Cotton Bowl once there is an alternative in Arlington. She said members already have a $16 million list of preliminary repairs and have agreed that adding a domed roof is not necessary. Representatives from the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma have been asked to return to the stadium after this season to let city and State Fair officials know what repairs would be necessary to keep the game there. While the city hasn't decided on a funding source, the mayor said she could ask the state for assistance if necessary.
Hindsight is 20/20 or whatever they say. It's just a crappy way to run a facility, and who knows, if the stadium had been constantly upgraded over the years - at least maintained, rather than almost entirely neglected - Fair Park as a major sports destination would have built the equity needed to preclude the consideration of any suburban location for the Cowboys. It's a matter of customer satisfaction, and the clients of the Cotton Bowl have been given plenty of reasons to shop around for a better deal. The service provded by the Cotton Bowl has only seen events walk away from the facility, and no new "clients" have been attracted. The same is true of almost every other facility at Fair Park - the aquarium, the Natural History Museum, Music Hall, hockey arena, ampitheater, etc.
The city needs to start with the stadium, but the Park as a whole needs to be repaired to attract events through out the year which will provide citizens unique activities, while attracting business and pleasure visitors to the events as well. Look it - Fair Park is uniquely positioned in the country to host trade shows but that never happens. Personally, I think the atmosphere of Fair Park is PERFECT for any trade show showing off new toys - video games, electronics, housewares.
Whatever
Cotton Bowl really discouraging: "and have agreed that adding a domed roof is not necessary." This isnt living large or thinking big. The members need to begin dialogue with the BCS to see what can be worked out. The members need to scour the country, recruit and sign at least one spring, summer and fall event which requires a domed stadium just like Plano and Frisco have done to attract suburban corporate residents.
I think it's funny that the mayor was so vocal against handouts to Smiley Jones (thanks for that one Lakewooder), but is quick to ask the state for help, like, that's almost the same thing.
The 16 million price tag and the 4,000 additional seats are being taken out of context. This is just a list of preliminary repairs, this is not the same as upgrades. The list of upgrades will come after a study has been conducted with the universities to determine their wish lists. At that point we will hear of another figure and scope of what will be done. The additional 4,000 seats was an upgrade this past summer along with the bathrooms, this is not a future addition. You have to remember they have been discussing the Cotton Bowl now formally for only a couple of months. This would have given them only enough time to work through what repairs need to be made and not a full master plan of what will be done.
The Cotton Bowl and the college games will be staying right where they are for a number of reasons. First off this is not a mayor issue, because she is not going to run next term. Instead this would be political suicide on the Dallas County officials part on the Dallas City Council members part should they not support this. Secondly, the city has been working on renovating the historic buildings at Fair Park for sometime now. You can this in the refurbished water fountain, fascades, new paint, etc. The missing link has been the Cotton Bowl due to it being put on hold twice now for the 2012 Olympic bid, and Jerry's World. (Reference the Fair Park Master Plan).
Then there are the Alumn Associations for each school. You would be working against history here. Now if the city just said "aww forget it" then I would say we have a problem. But Alumn Associations are mostly in the drivers seat when it comes to where their sports are played and how they are played. You have people that donate millions to finance the sports programs of universities to build their stadiums, fund their trips, provide scholarships, provide pvt tutors, etc. You start taking away or changing traditions alumni identify with and have grown up with, you start messing with donations. I hear one too many times, especially now with the older generation that seem more so to reminse about how college and sports in general use to be and how they are losing some of their respect for their own colleges.
Then their other outstanding parties such as the Cotton Bowl committee, the friends of the Cotton Bowl, Preservation Dallas, and the collegiant sports programs. None of these parties would want the Cotton Bowl to move. The Cotton Bowl use to be one of the Grand Daddies of the bowl games, these parties would want nothing more then to get that back. The majority of the big bowl games are still played in their orginal home. The one that really comes to mind is the Rose Bowl. This one does not have a retractable roof or all the bells and whistles of a professional stadium, yet no one questions its place or validity as a bowl game.
The other big strike against Jerry Jones, is the man himself. Jerry is good for Jerry and the Cowboys. Thou the media played up the controversy and high emotions of the decision of the Cowboys to end talks with the Dallas County and City of Dallas, you have to keep in mind you had numerous people working in support of the Dallas County and City of Dallas to make sure the deal and taxing would be well spent. All parties involved which included the governing parties, consultants, lawyers, real estate, etc., they all felt it was not in the best interest of Dallas. That sends a huge message, especially when Dallas has far more resources then Arlington. My own father has worked directly with Jerry Jones’s business in deals and so forth for the past 20 plus years. Every time the marketing department went against my dad’s advice, the company has been left footing the bill while Jerry Jones moves on to find other ways to make a buck. Jerry Jones has a long history of making deals to people where it sounds pretty but the financial decision and contracts just do not make sense. My point is, JJ can make anything sound good, but he will have a hard hard time selling it to large number of parties with a lot of key interest at stake.
I also do agree that the Cotton Bowl and particpating parties have to be aggressive to get this done, and they will be. Again private parties first came to the city to start talks and now the city is on board, it should be work, but not hard to gain support for the Cotton Bowl. Should the games be moved, it is a failure of the community, not a lone party.
Last edited by slfunk; 30 November 2004 at 12:00 PM.
The Cotton Bowl has a long way to go before its a world class facility. There are high school stadiums that have nicer seats, restrooms and concessions.
Perhaps some skyboxes could be sold?
DAGNABBIT!
Lambeau Lambeau Lambeau!!!!!!!!!!!!
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
The City has deferred maintenence on streets, parks, rec centers, libraries for years and years. Fair Park is a City Park. So it's maintenance has too been deferred, including the Cotton Bowl. Good City managers in the past found ways to balance the budget by deferring certain costs over a period of years. Which means that, during Ron Kirk's terms as Mayor, we weren't really that well off. Lack of economic development in this city is what's keeping our budget so crappy.
I've thought long and hard about this, and I hate to say it:
Give up Dallas. You can't win this one. A BCS official came on the radio, while you were in negotiations with the Cowboys about what they require. You know what the Final Four requires. You know that TX and OU have nicer stadiums, don't need the exposure and can make more money home-and-home or at Jerry World than at the Cotton Bowl. YOU dropped the ball when you did not stress the importance of such games during the negotiation. YOU lost. Now save these paltry amounts of money and spend them elsewhere in the park before Gaylord or Six Flags decide they could build a better Fair Park from scratch around Jerry World.
I'm sorry, but I expected better. Especially when you know what the enemy wants and what weapons he has. Then you throw down a weak news conference about intentions, knowing that only something great would even put a chink in the armor of a new Cowboys stadium. Save yourself some money or allocate it elsewhere. I don't care who you blame. Dallas lost.
I would like to remind people, once again, a little something about Cowboys stadium negotiations around Fair Park: Property values at $18 - $20 per square foot. Land owners around Fair Park asking for $58+ per square foot (a certain city council representative who was speaking at the news conference yesterday is among those property owners). Does it make sense to eminent domain at market values or inflated values in a poor, minority neighborhood that has already been through a land-taking deal once before over a sports venue?? If you were Jones would you go to a more middle class, mostly non-minority area and talk about this or would you stay in Dallas and spend more money?
I don't think "Dallas", as in the city council part of Dallas, dropped any balls on this- I don't believe they ever even had the ball in the first place. I don't think the Cowboys people were as serious about locating to the Cotton Bowl as we were lead to believe.
Actually I think the Cowboys were very serious about the CB. That's why Jerry's son is on the CB Committee. Jerry Jones is a billionaire because he takes calculated risks. Obviously, something calculated correctly for him to have his son there.
Sorry to hurt feelings(no I'm not), but Dallas may not have dropped any balls on the Cowboys, but they certainly have on things in their own possession. A failure to seize an opportunity NOW has been dropped. I could care less about the Metroplex Cowboys. The three games currently at the Cotton Bowl will get you more economic impact than a season of Cowboys games ever will. This is the point I am making. Dallas should have had a plan on Nov 3 ready to announce to the public. It should include at the least, a dome. It should have big money spent on it. This is not some speculation, but rather is a known economic engine. To not properly invest in it, will send the games elsewhere. I know some of you say, sports, big deal. But when you are talking $20-$30 milliion just from three football games in the city's current poor state, you are talking about now investment. I contend the same with the convention center hotel. Should have been done 5 years ago, without a doubt. TRP should be third after Fair Park and the hotel. The city needs to be making impacts now. But no, they will be argued for 20 more years.
I can't take credit for the "Smiley Jones" sobriquet..that goes to the estimable Blackie Sherrod.
I was attending SMU when we moved from the Cotton Bowl "the house that Doak built" to Texas Stadium. I wrote a scathing letter to The Daily Campus decrying the move.
I still feel that college football was meant to be played in the out of doors - sunshine on the school colors - and without luxury boxes.
Me too!
“We shape our Cities, thereafter they shape us.”
I am right there with you. I also am puzzled by basketball being played in a football stadium that is adapted for basketball use. Why not keep basketball in a venue that is meant for basketball.
Basketball and fotball are both terrible in domed stadiums, but that's where the big games are played in order to maximize revenue.
Dallas uber alles
^exactly
We have great outdoor stadiums on the campuses. The CB needs to be a revenue maximizer. Again, the BCS said publicly what they need to maximize revenue in Dallas on Jan 1, 2 or 3. That's a dome or retractable. OTherwise they hike it Jerra World.
OK, I froze through SMU vs. Pitt in the Cotton Bowl over 20 years ago and I enjoyed every moment as the cockles of my heart kept me warm..
Ol' Dan the man Marino couldn't score a touchdown on us!
History. Tradition. Spirit. Classic...the Cotton Bowl and Fair Park!
My fingers are crossed that Fair Park folks will conclude any negotiations to secure inclusion in the BCS before the major stadium rennovations are planned - just like when a developer secures a major tennant before building the super tall office building. If BCS agrees to put the game in Dallas, the city builds a retractable roof.
My fingers are also crossed that Fair Park folks will not make any decisions without direct input from the folks charged with the next Olympic bid.
But now Dan Marino's wife could score a touchdown against SMU...
Oh someone married the guy? I heard he's tight with the buck..as in he doesn't leave tips.
Back to the cold weather contretemps: never deprive Dallasites of the opportunity to show off furs, cashmere and all-too-obvious silver flasks cached in our Luccheses.
That is soooooo '70's!!!
I think that if the City/County of Dallas could join forces w/ corp Dallas we could come up w/ a joint venture that could raise enough money to dome/remodel/add seats to the stadium. I agree that football is meant to be played outdoors...but like someone said earlier this needs to be a revenue producer and the best ROI as possible. Look at the Alamo Dome. It's not the best venue for basketball & football but always gets Final's Four's. The idea of having a BCS game along w/ TX/OU maybe Tech/A&M etc would be a lot of bang for the buck. And, let's be honest, Jerry-world in Jerrington will be awesome. But, an urban atmosphere w/ rail links to a vibrant city and a domed stadium has a lot of potential as well.
I love the optimism, but the DCC will find a way to not work this correctly. Bottom line is, it should have been done 5 years ago. No excuses from now on. I said months ago I would not accept any crap. We are recieving crap.
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