Star-Telegram.com: Cowboys Stadium

Super Bowl XLV host group working to meet fundraising goals

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:53 CST

By ANDREA AHLES

Super Bowl XLV may be 15 months away, but the clock is ticking for the region’s host committee.

The North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee has raised close to half of its $30 million budget. But it recently had a nine-month drought in which it landed no new $1 million sponsors, and it appears certain to miss an initial goal of signing 15 founding sponsors by the end of 2009.

Companies have been reluctant to commit to large-dollar donations, because they don’t have the cash and because it just doesn’t look right when millions have lost their jobs.

Bill Lively, executive director of the host committee, remains optimistic that North Texas will land the sponsorship dollars it needs to put on the big game.

As he points out, there’s no choice: North Texas promised the National Football League that it would come up with the money to cover security, transportation and other events during Super Bowl week.

Lively said he was able to confirm a ninth founding sponsor in the last week of October and has a few more interested donors. He said he’s not ready to announce the identity of the ninth sponsor.

"We have four companies and one family that we’ve been talking to since the middle of September," he said. "None of those may come in, but at least two of those are very, very promising, and in this business you never know until it’s done."

Lively said the committee has covered about $14 million, primarily through nine $1 million founding sponsors and two $1 million grants, for a youth center and service-learning initiatives.

The remaining $2 million comes from hotel rebates, visitors bureau contributions and contract revenue from the bid to the NFL, and a $1 million in-kind donation from Corporate Magic. The Dallas-based entertainment company is helping the committee design, manage and run events, including news conferences, events for sponsors and several large parties that the committee is responsible for on Super Bowl weekend.

"This is the most productive period we have had since the very beginning, before the economy . . . went south," Lively said of the fall. "I think we can realize our goal of finishing up this program sometime early in the first quarter of next year, after the NFL season is over."

The 2010 Super Bowl will be in Miami on Feb. 7.

Even with the economic troubles, the North Texas committee has far outpaced the Tampa, Fla., committee, which raised less than $8 million to defray security, transportation and event-related costs for the 2009 game.

Lively said the fundraising is on schedule.

But he and committee Chairman Roger Staubach originally said they expected to sign two more $1 million sponsorships this summer and had wanted to have all 15 founding sponsorships on board by year’s end.

Almost all of the sponsorships were announced in 2008, with only one, oilman Boone Pickens, announced this year, making it unlikely that the committee will reach its initial goal. It has been tough sledding for everyone. Few companies can justify spending a million dollars or more on sports sponsorships in a recession. Bank of America and other companies were criticized by shareholders and the media for sponsoring parties and other Super Bowl-related events in Tampa.

Players to watch in Cowboys-Seahawks game

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:15 CDT

RB Julius Jones The former Cowboys running back has never really fulfilled expectations after Bill Parcells traded down to select him and, in the process, passed on drafting Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams. Jones leads the Seahawks in rushing with 290 yards on 74 carries. Be certain, though, that he’ll want some redemption after a fumble-laden performance of 37 yards on 11 carries in a Cowboys rout of Seattle last Thanksgiving.

QB Matt Hasselbeck He’s been battered by fractured ribs, a disappointing start, and in a situation not unfamiliar to Tony Romo, Hasselbeck has struggled to find a connection with big-money receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who replaced Bobby Engram, Hasselbeck’s favorite target. Engram, who left for Kansas City last spring via free agency, might be reviewing the wisdom of that decision. Hasselbeck’s ribs remain sore enough that he sat out Wednesday’s practice to rest.

CB Mike Jenkins The young cornerback appears to be rounding into shape while putting forth more consistent efforts. His next assignment is Seattle wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who hasn’t had the impact anyone had hoped after coming in as a free agent. Still, he’s dangerous, and the second-year Jenkins should see plenty of him. Jenkins is starting to pile up positive publicity. Wade Phillips just hopes Jenkins doesn’t start believing the headlines.

WR Miles Austin The towns of Garfield in northern New Jersey and West Long Branch, N.J., are going crazy with Miles-mania. The almost famous, down-home wide receiver has created quite the stir in his hometown and college campus of Monmouth with his remarkable two-game performance. One more of these and they might throw a parade. Austin’s speed and breakaway capability are now the problem of Seattle defensive coordinator Casey Bradley, who will have plenty of armchair analysts dissecting his strategy to slow down the man of the hour.

WR Roy Williams The slumping receiver made it back from cracked cartilage around three ribs, but his game didn’t follow. Coach Wade Phillips politely called Williams’ one-catch performance "rusty." Even Williams walked right up and declared his game, which included two drops, terrible and the worst of his life. Fortunately for Williams, Miles Austin’s heroics have stolen the show and graciously shifted attention for now. Phillips assured that guys who hold themselves accountable and work hard will succeed.

Dallas Cowboys fans make Lot 14 their home away from home

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:16 CDT

By DAVID THOMAS

ARLINGTON — Kim and Shauna Hedin decided to wrap up their honeymoon at a place with a scenic view: Lot 14 of Cowboys Stadium.

The Canadian couple’s older, light-brown recreational vehicle was one of about 25 RVs and buses parked in Lot 14 south of the stadium Sunday morning.

The parking lot at the corner of Division Street and Legends Way is where Dallas Cowboys fans can spend a night — or two or three — to turn a Sunday game into a complete weekend.

For Kim Hedin, who grew up in Canada as a Cowboys fan, the weekend was a perfect way to wrap up a month-long honeymoon from Calgary to Las Vegas, then through Phoenix and into Arlington — and the perfect wedding gift from his wife.

At Shauna’s suggestion, Kim bought tickets to Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons about a year ago when the two became engaged.

"I’m a Cowboys fan," Kim said, "so we thought, 'Why not take a month off and go to a game?’ "

Little more than a first down from the Hedin’s RV, two bigger, newer, fancier motor homes were the weekend residences of not-so-newlyweds enjoying their first stay in Lot 14.

Don Morris — who is retired and splits time between Rockwall, Mount Vernon and their bus — is a Cowboys season-ticket holder. At an earlier home game, he happened by Lot 14, saw the overnight crowd, and told old friend Rex Tillery of Mount Vernon that their families should bring their motor homes and make a weekend of a Cowboys game.

Why pay for a hotel room, Tillery said, when he has a rolling home?

"We can’t just let it sit there. We gotta use it," Tillery said as he pointed to his motor home with two pots of yellow mums wife Carolyn had set near their front porch — the step at the side door — to render a homey touch.

Besides, Morris said with a laugh, "We’ve been kicked out of all the places we’ve stayed." That Morris was relaxing in a chair and drinking an iced tea favored his laugh more than his claim.

Staying in Lot 14 allowed the Morrises and Tillerys to host family, including the Tillerys’ grandchildren, during the weekend.

"Here and Walmart," Rex Tillery said when asked where all he had been since rolling into the parking lot Friday night.

Other than Walmart runs, the weekend was reserved for spending time with family and friends old and new, including the Hedins. The Morrises and Tillerys provided "The Canadians," as they became known in their area of the lot, a sampling of Texas hospitality.

"It’s been a blast," Shauna Hedin said. "Everybody is extremely friendly."

Around the lot Sunday morning, flags flew atop RVs and buses, with Cowboys and Texas state flags the most popular choices. Dads and kids tossed footballs on the blacktop playing field, with painted parking slots serving as yard lines. And everybody had a grill.

Lot 14 has to be the most nose-pleasing game day spot outside Cowboys Stadium.

Richard Escamilla had fajitas and ribs on the lunch menu outside the RV he shared with five family members, including his father, for a boys weekend trip up from San Antonio and their first game at the new stadium. The six split the $150 cost for parking in the lot.

They arrived Saturday evening, then spent the rest of the night, Escamilla said, "trying to get the TV to work and drinking beer until time to go to bed."

From Escamilla’s seat outside the RV, the parking lot sloped down toward the north, providing a picturesque view of the stadium. In fact, throughout the morning, temporary residents of Lot 14 posed for photos with the massive stadium looming over their shoulders.

Near stadium, Cowboys have a new rival: Satan

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:02 CDT

BUD KENNEDY

ARLINGTON — A wee bit o’ Scotland has come to the outskirts of Cowboys Stadium, and with it a foggy auld controversy over whether a Scottish sculpture park is also a pagan shrine that might hex the Dallas Cowboys.

City leaders and the family of late philanthropist Jane Mathes Kelton gathered Thursday to rededicate Caelum Moor, a former $3 million corporate sculpture park now relocated as public art along the bonny banks of Johnson Creek.

The same day, nursing home chaplain Michael Tummillo of Stephenville posted on a Web site: "Occultic landmark resurrected near home of the Dallas Cowboys." He warned Arlington about a "demonic backlash."

"Ridiculous!" said Norman Hines, now 70, creator of the 1985 park of 22 granite sculptures, some up to three stories tall and with Celtic markings reminiscent of the ancient English monument Stonehenge.

Tummillo was part of a 1996 witch hunt in Arlington, when 20 evangelical pastors signed a letter complaining that Caelum Moor, then near Interstate 20, was attracting pagan and Wiccan religious events.

The letter was headlined, "No Witchcraft Park in Arlington."

In a Thursday phone interview, Tummillo called Caelum Moor "a mockery of Christianity" and said those near the park — including the Cowboys — are "in a dance with the devil."

Kelton’s son, Andrew, now a real estate executive in North Carolina, said: "That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life."

Former Mayor Richard Greene, the target of the pastors’ protest, was among dedication speakers on a foggy, rainy night that made Randol Mill Road feel like Randol Moor.

"I was amazed," he said after his speech. "It’s a work of art that any community would want. I never understood what they were talking about."

Tummillo was a youth pastor with the now-disbanded Redeeming Love Covenant Church when the Rev. Danny Smith and his wife, Dena, took their witchcraft warnings nationwide on CNN and even to the syndicated TV entertainment show Strange Universe.

Church members said they saw pagans and Wiccans worshipping in the park, just as pagans have at the original Stonehenge. Police had no reports. But reporters found a local Wiccan "high priestess" who had been there.

In a time when evangelical pastors were really worried about (1) teenagers’ dabbling in Satanism and (2) getting lots of free publicity, the ministers accused the city of supporting satanic worship.

"What about separation of church and state?" Tummillo asked Thursday, even though the sculptures represent Scottish and Celtic tradition, not religion.

In an online religious tract, The Battle of Caelum Moor, Tummillo even sadistically blames Hines and Caelum Moor for a series of divorces, deaths and church and business failures.

"I believe there’s a devil and that we tugged on his cape," he said by phone. "There was a demonic backlash. That satanic spirit has been lying dormant. It’s back now."

I took a look around Caelum Moor last week.

I didn’t see anything satanic. One sculpture has a triangular Celtic knot emblem.

Another has a big hole in the middle. It looks like a good place for Tony Romo to practice his passing aim.

Come to think of it, maybe we ought to worry about that hex.

Cowboys Stadium hosts 'Star Wars: In Concert’

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 06:17 CDT

By PUNCH SHAW

ARLINGTON — It is not hard to succeed if you have "the force" and the world’s largest TV screen on your side.

"Star Wars: In Concert," a presentation of clips from the six films in the iconic series accompanied by a live orchestra aggrandizing John Williams’ indelible scores, relied on both at Cowboys Stadium on Friday night — especially if the concept of the force encompasses the passion of the fans of George Lucas’ space operas.

The link between the concert stage and the movies was Anthony Daniels, the actor who donned a metal suit to play C-3PO.

The debonair host told the saga’s story between film montages that were organized around themes and bore titles such as A Hero Rises, Dark Forces Conspire, A Fateful Love and to showcase Daniels’ character and his buddy, R2D2, Droids.

It looked and sounded great. Seeing the familiar clips on the gigantic screen was impressive, and there was nothing to fault in the music led by conductor Mark Watters.

The only quibbles might be that the show didn’t really dazzle as much as it could have, and it was a little too much like seeing the movie in a (really large) theater.

Laser lights were used very sparingly, for example. The laser light show we see every summer in the Concerts in the Garden series is far better. And other special effects, such as some plumes of fire, came and went too quickly.

The fact that the music was heartily amplified, just as it would be in a theater, minimized the impact of the live playing.

The shots of the orchestra performing, which were sometimes interspersed with the film clips, were a real plus because they reminded us that the musicians were there with us.

Daniels was smooth and actorly in his straightforward delivery of his lines. The audience, estimated at 12,000, did not get any amusing anecdotes or gossip from this charming insider.

So the central elements — grand music, epic film imagery and intense nostalgia — were all in place. But, given how innovative and memorable the films were, it just felt like this salute could have learned a little more from its source than it did.

Staubach right pitchman for Super Bowl XLV

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:37 CDT

By RAY BUCK

What do you expect when you stick Roger Staubach in front of 500 businessmen and women attending Tuesday’s Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce luncheon?

Pin-drop attention. Utmost respect. Sheer adulation.

There are few sports heroes in this country who can still pull it off quite as well as Staubach, the former Dallas Cowboys great and chairman of the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee.

His 28-minute speech before a packed ballroom at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel drew one standing ovation, several rounds of applause and a dozen outbursts of laughter.

As host committee chairman, Staubach is the logical choice for the face on the first Super Bowl held in North Texas.

SB XLV at Cowboys Stadium, Feb. 6, 2011, now requires considerable posturing, networking and, as Staubach pointed out Tuesday, even a bit of politicking at times.

"We want to keep everybody happy," he said, with a smile.

Staubach certainly achieved happiness during the lunch hour Tuesday. In fact, he acknowledged a standing ovation upon being introduced by saying, "OK, I’m going to run for governor now."

When the applause only intensified, Staubach had to debunk his own rumor by saying, "Uh ... little family joke."

Afterward, the two-time Super Bowl-winning Cowboys quarterback explained why he doesn’t run for an office that he could probably win.

"Too busy," he replied. "I got a job. I’ve got to stay focused on what I’m doing ... besides, I’m too old."

Staubach, 67, is one of only four Pro Football Hall of Famers with a Heisman Trophy and at least one Super Bowl ring. The others are Paul Hornung, Tony Dorsett and Marcus Allen.

When Jerry Jones approached Staubach nearly three years ago for "a visit" at Jones’ house, Staubach wasn’t quite sure what the Cowboys owner wanted. They were friendly, just not really close friends.

His first thought, or at least the one Staubach told Tuesday’s downtown gathering, was how Tony Romo had just come off a partial first season as Cowboys starting quarterback.

"So the quarterback situation was still a little bit uncertain," Staubach deadpanned.

When the laughter subsided, Staubach continued with a straight face: "And [Jerry] heard about this flag football game I had played in, and I really was throwing pretty well ..."

When Staubach shows up to pitch Super Bowl XLV, he gives you the layout and projections for the NFL’s biggest game coming to the region, plus a lot more.

Ernie Banks in Chicago can probably do the same. Ditto for Jim Brown in Cleveland, Larry Bird in Boston, Hank Aaron in Atlanta.

But the list is short for former athletes with this much popularity and respect.

Drew Pearson, speaking Monday to a North Texas Chambers of Commerce gathering at Cowboys Stadium, said that the SB XLV Host Committee couldn’t have picked a better chairman than Staubach.

First one is super, but it may be just a start

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:49 CDT

By RAY BUCK

Drew Pearson wants all the buzz surrounding Super Bowl XLV to qualify North Texas as a host, on a regular basis, in a set rotation, for many more Super Bowls to come.

"I think that’s the goal," Pearson said Monday. "I don’t mean just back into it, either ... but let’s do everything possible so that the NFL just can’t turn us down."

Multiple Super Bowls have been in the backs of minds ever since the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee set up shop eight months ago to begin multi-platform preparation for the Feb. 6, 2011 game at Cowboys Stadium.

It will be the third Super Bowl held in the Lone Star State, but the first in North Texas.

Pearson, former wide-receiver great of the Tom Landry Cowboys, joined Bill Lively, president/CEO of the North Texas Super Bowl Host, as guest speakers at a North Texas Chambers of Commerce luncheon at Cowboys Stadium on Monday.

Close to 350 members — representing 52,000 businesses and 95 chambers across a four-county region — were brought up to date on the economic impact that will hit North Texas roughly 15 months from now.

"We think the economic impact here will be as much as $700 million," said Lively, comparing this favorably to an estimated $300 million Super Bowl windfall on the Phoenix, Ariz., area two years ago.

Lively continued: "Now the NFL is intrigued with the college football Bowl Championship Series concept in which the [title game] rotates among the different bowl venues ... and now the NFL may well adapt to a "set" [number of Super Bowl stadium sites] across the country."

Lively’s best guess is that the rotation would include Florida, New Orleans, Southern California, Arizona ... "and, of course, North Texas."

His reason for optimism is Cowboys Stadium, a $1.2-billion structure with a six-digit capacity.

As Pearson pointed out, "What matters with the NFL, just like any other business, is the bottom line ... and 100,000 people at $1,000 [per ticket] is going to be hard for anybody to top."

Lively gestured to the far reaches of the stadium.

"For our Super Bowl, there’ll be 20,000 more seats in here that aren’t in here now," he said. "The eastern plaza will be fenced in, with tents, stages, food and beverage — even heaters — to accommodate another 10,000 fans."

The Super Bowl attendance record is 103,895 for SB XIV (Steelers-Rams) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Jan. 20, 1980.

Super Bowl XLV is expected to draw 110,000 fans, according to Lively.

"North Texas doesn’t do anything small," said Pearson, drawing a parallel between the "teamwork and class" that characterized the Landry Cowboys and now what it will take to turn North Texas into a great Super Bowl host.

"People are going to be talking about this Super Bowl for years to come," Pearson said. "But it’s going to take everybody to roll up their sleeves and get on board."

Arlington worries that pedicabs around Cowboys Stadium are unsafe

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:16 CDT

By SUSAN SCHROCK

ARLINGTON — Rex Lee is one of dozens of pedicab drivers who have rolled into the city’s entertainment district, hoping to cash in on Cowboys Stadium by giving rides to fans walking to and from cheaper, but distant, parking lots.

During last week’s U2 concert, Lee, a driver with Pedal Express of Houston, parked near Nolan Ryan Expressway and Road to Six Flags, about a mile northeast of the $1.2 billion stadium.

"The stadium is very lucrative," Lee said. "Any big event like this works for pedicabs when people have to walk a long ways. It’s always a good venue for us."

Business may be good, but some city officials worry that the pedal-powered vehicles could create traffic or public-safety problems. Unlike Dallas or Fort Worth, Arlington has never permitted pedicabs, and the City Council is now considering whether to allow them to stay.

"We have pedicabs out there operating in an unregulated environment. We have concerns about traffic congestion and public safety that have to be counterbalanced with the service they are providing," Deputy City Manager Trey Yelverton said. "We want to make sure it’s a safe experience for our guests."

If council decides to allow pedicabs, an ordinance regulating their operation in the entertainment district could be passed as early as next month, he said.

Besides requiring permits and a criminal background check on drivers, as is required of taxicab drivers, Arlington could cap the number of pedicabs during stadium events and limit where and when they can operate.

"The problem we’re seeing is the pedicabs are not obeying any traffic laws at all," Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said. "They are going the wrong way; some of them are running red lights. If we can regulate them where they would be safe, I’d be OK with that. If we can’t control that, I’m not OK with it at all."

Ready to roll

Pedicabs work only for tips, and some drivers said they can make $200 or more per event.

Lee said his tips range from $5 to $40, depending on how far he takes passengers and how much they enjoyed the experience.

"Kids just love it," Lee said. "The more you entertain them, the more money you make. It’s more entertainment than transportation."

Brian Becksfort, with Ready 2 Roll of Houston, said most of his experiences in his nine years as a pedicab driver have been pleasant. He said he typically works the bar areas in downtown Houston or travels with his company to work sporting events or concerts at major cities across the state. The U2 concert was his second event at Cowboys Stadium.

Becksfort said it will take a while for people to learn how pedicabs operate.

"I’ve had people run off or they give you a quarter," he said. "It doesn’t happen very often, but it does happen. People take advantage of you."

Yelverton said the city will talk with pedicab operators and review other cities’ regulations when drafting an ordinance. If allowed, pedicabs will likely be allowed only on days of events to minimize their interaction with everyday traffic, Yelverton said.

Fatal crash

Other cities have safety concerns about pedicabs and have either banned them, as Las Vegas has, or strictly regulated them.

San Diego, for example, recently passed tougher rules after a 60-year-old passenger suffered a fatal head injury after falling from a pedicab this summer. The city has hundreds of registered pedicab drivers, who now must ensure that passengers wear seat belts, must carry proof of insurance and cannot ride on sidewalks and streets with speed limits over 25 mph unless they use bike lanes.

San Diego City Councilwoman Marti Emerald said the city adopted the rules and limited the number of pedicabs in response to complaints about aggressive and reckless drivers. Many drivers attracted to the job are international students without a driver’s license, she said.

Arlington aims to direct use of prime land along Interstate 30

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:18 CDT

By SUSAN SCHROCK

ARLINGTON — A prime piece of state-owned property along Interstate 30 could soon become available for development, and city leaders are considering ways to restrict what can be built there.

"You can’t get more prime in terms of access to the entertainment district. This is a piece of property investors have been waiting to come onto the market for a long time," said Councilman Mel LeBlanc, who represents north Arlington. "We will do whatever we can to protect the value of that property."

The Texas Department of Transportation owns 18 acres north of I-30 between Center and Collins streets but plans to abandon that land, which is storing road equipment, sometime after the Three Bridges project is complete, possibly in 2011.

The state hopes to deed the parcel, appraised at $17.6 million, to a developer in exchange for the construction of five maintenance facilities, Deputy City Manager Fiona Allen told council members Tuesday. The trade also includes 9 acres near Northwest Loop 820 and Cahoba Drive in Fort Worth, appraised at $850,000.

The Transportation Department is opting not to sell the land outright because then the money would go to the General Land Office, Allen said. A contract could be awarded as soon as January, according to the city.

City leaders called the proposed exchange "creative" but said they have concerns about whether a company that builds maintenance facilities has the ability and financial resources to build the type of high-end development officials envision for north Arlington.

"It’s the perfect location for a high-rise hotel," LeBlanc said. "We really need that to service events at Cowboys Stadium. That would be a really good addition to the entertainment district."

The land would automatically become zoned for agricultural use once it fell into private hands, and the developer would have to seek council approval for zoning changes. Instead of waiting to see what type of development is proposed, council members have asked city staff to weigh in on the benefits of zoning the land to restrict its use before the state deeds it to someone.

"This is such a key tract of land I think it would be worth taking a look at," said at-large Councilman Gene Patrick, who added that city-initiated zoning would send a message to potential bidders about the vision for the land.

Transportation Department officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Agency spokeswoman Holly Hughes said Tuesday that she was not aware of the city’s concerns on the planned land trade.

In other business

Cleanup: The annual fall and spring cleanup days — when residents could drop off bulky waste at certain sites for free disposal — were eliminated from the budget. Instead, Arlington residents will be allowed free use of the landfill between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. the next two Saturdays. They will get unlimited trips to the landfill on those days to get rid of brush, tires, batteries, electronics, appliances and other large items. Proof of residency is required; for other rules and information, visit www.arlingtontx.gov/environment

Municipal court: The city expects its new $2 million court software operating system to go live over Thanksgiving weekend. Since 2006, Arlington has been looking to replace its existing system, which officials have said is slow and cannot handle the workload. The court generated $11.3 million in revenue in fiscal 2009, the most in city history.

Library: The council approved a $217,364 contract with Providence Associates Llc. of Arizona to assess the structure of the Central Library and determine the cost of rebuilding or renovating the library. Arlington voters approved $500,000 in a 1999 bond election to fund the preliminary design of a new or renovated Central Library.

Streetlights: The city expects to save $400,000 annually by repairing streetlights itself. Arlington was paying a contractor about $900,000 annually for maintenance but instead has hired five employees to do the work.

With smaller crowd at Cowboys Stadium comes fewer arrests

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:52 CDT

ARLINGTON — Twenty people were arrested at Monday night’s Cowboys-Panthers game at Cowboys Stadium, almost half the number from last week’s game, Arlington police said Tuesday.

Fourteen arrests were on suspicion of public intoxication. One person was arrested on suspicion of burglary of a motor vehicle, among other charges, at the Walmart across the street from the stadium.

After fans briefly surged out of control at the inaugural regular-season game, the Cowboys agreed to limit the Party Pass crowds. No more than 10,000 of the standing-room-only tickets were sold for Monday’s game, compared with 30,000 the previous week.

Thirty-seven people were arrested at the first game, almost all on suspicion of public intoxication. — Staff report