: Cowboys Stadium

Super Bowl highway signs up for sale

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29 CST

By Gordon Dickson

ARLINGTON - Call it a sign -- actually, 12 signs -- that there's still money to make from Super Bowl XLV.

The big game is now a little more than a year in North Texas' rear-view mirror, and signs proclaiming Interstate 30 as "Super Bowl Hwy" have been removed from the roadsides.

But regional transportation planners see no need for those green highway placards, which are owned by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, to gather dust.

So instead, members of that organization's offshoot, the Regional Transportation Council, are taking steps to auction off 12 of the signs.

The giant metal banners come in two sizes -- one about two feet tall and 14 feet long, the other about 18 inches tall and 10.5 feet long.

They are made to attach to the top of the permanent "Tom Landry Highway" signs that are displayed along I-30 in Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas.

Michael Morris, council of governments transportation director, thinks they'd be a perfect item for a wall at a restaurant, sports park or perhaps even inside Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might care to put in a bid, seeing as how his team hasn't been able to find a road to the Super Bowl since the 1995 football season.

"They aren't going to raise a lot of money, but they've been sitting here for months and they're not doing us any good here," Morris said during a break at the RTC's monthly meeting Thursday in Arlington, where the signs have been leaning up against a board room wall.

For prospective bidders, there are two catches:

■ Owners of strip clubs, or other businesses that aren't considered family-rated, likely will not be considered. "Certain places, we won't have them," Morris said.

■ Auction winners probably will have long-term but temporary custody of the signs. They'll have to agree to give them back, if the region is selected to once again host a Super Bowl -- perhaps as early as 2016. If that happens, the signs will once again need to be placed out on I-30.

Auction proceeds will go to the Super Bowl Host Committee's Youth Education Town charity, which provides afterschool activities for boys and girls.

The RTC likely will vote on the final auction rules during its next meeting March 8, and conduct the auction shortly afterward.

"I hope they bring in lots of money," said Arlington Councilwoman Kathryn Wilemon.

Gordon Dickson, 817-390-7796

Twitter: @gdickson

Cowboys' defense responds with key turnovers

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:04 CST

By Art Garcia

ARLINGTON -- Jason Hatcher fancies himself a playmaker with great hands. So his interception that led to a Dallas Cowboys touchdown in Sunday afternoon's 23-13 victory over Seattle hardly came as a shock.

"You think that's rare with me? Look at me," said the 6-foot-6, 302-pound right defensive end. "You don't think I can catch the ball?"

Hatcher couldn't keep in character and smiled, before admitting Tarvaris Jackson's deflected throw late in the third quarter luckily landed in his hands. Hatcher rumbled 16 yards to put the Cowboys in position to take a 20-6 lead early in the fourth.

Hatcher's grab was one of three interceptions off Jackson, two leading to points, in a performance the Cowboys desperately needed. After being blasted by Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles the previous week, the Cowboys gave up their second-fewest points this season.

And they did so without leading tackler Sean Lee and cornerback Mike Jenkins in the lineup.

"Obviously, it's all hands on deck right now with Lee, one of our best defensive players, being down," said veteran Keith Brooking, who started for Lee. "We've got to all step in and help our team."

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll put an emphasis on containing DeMarcus Ware, who entered the game second in the NFL in sacks. Ware never got Jackson on the ground, but the Seattle quarterback felt plenty of heat from everyone else.

"The team played pretty well," said Terence Newman, whose interception in the fourth led to a field goal. "We got some turnovers. They still were successful running the ball, a little bit passing the ball, but for the most part I thought we did a pretty good job today."

The Seahawks (2-6) aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut, having scored 17 or fewer points in six games this season. Seattle had two long drives in the first half, but could only manage two field goals in a 6-6 game at the break.

"If a team is getting a couple yards we don't like it, but at the same time if they're not capitalizing on it, obviously we've done our job at the end of the day," Newman said. "We're not supposed to let them score, just like they're not supposed to let us score. We'll go back to the drawing board and look at some of the things we didn't do so well and try to correct them."

Marshawn Lynch had 135 yards rushing, with most of his damage coming in the second half, including a 4-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Seattle's success on the ground aside, Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan saw plenty to build on.

"We caused a lot of turnovers, made a lot of plays," he said. "I thought we did a good job. Obviously there's stuff we all can do better, but I think we did a good job. Winning the game, making plays when we needed to -- the defense played really well."

Ryan admitted there was a sense of urgency after the 34-7 shellacking at Philadelphia.

"We definitely need this win," Hatcher said. "It was a huge win for us, hopefully get the ball rolling."

Hatcher's good start evident in new Cowboys defense

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:04 CST

By Carlos Mendez

IRVING -- Everybody figured the Dallas Cowboys' new defensive scheme would produce sacks.

And it has -- 10 so far, most in the NFL, including two last week by defensive end Jason Hatcher.

Who figured that?

"It felt good, man," Hatcher said, after recording the two sacks and hitting the quarterback three times in the 27-24 overtime victory against San Francisco. "The first time in my career I had two sacks in one game. I hope they keep coming."

So do the Cowboys. Hatcher's emergence is a testament to the pass rush being produced under first-year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

"Hatcher has been looking great," Ryan said last week after making the sixth-year pro the starter at right defensive end over Marcus Spears. "We're fortunate enough to have some big-time ballplayers. But I mean, Hatcher is a starter, and I think he'd be starting on any team in the league."

Hatcher had four tackles, one for loss and a quarterback pressure against the Jets. He's had decent seasons for the Cowboys -- 36 tackles in 2008 and 27 quarterback pressures in '09.

But he's never had more than 2 1/2 sacks in a season, which he did as a rookie in 2006 after being drafted by the Cowboys in the third round out of Grambling State.

It's hard to say what the Cowboys expected of Hatcher this season. They let him test free agency, then went after him a little harder once they lost Stephen Bowen to the Washington Redskins. He signed a three-year contract at the start of training camp.

"He's played really sound defense for us, but he's also made a ton of plays," coach Jason Garrett said. "...He's making tackles for losses, and he's making sacks, and he's really making a big impact on our defense."

Hatcher's second sack helped stop the 49ers' first drive of the second half, with the Cowboys trailing 14-7.

Inside linebacker Keith Brooking said the sacks will keep coming, and not just for Hatcher. The 14-year veteran said Ryan's system is designed to make pass rushers out of almost everyone.

"We talked early in the season about the multiplicity of our defense," Brooking said. "That's what it's doing, is creating one-on-ones for a lot of guys, and they're showing, 'Hey, we can beat one-on-ones.' We're not getting a lot of doubles, and guys like Hatcher, Jay Ratliff, me, Anthony Spencer, we're able to get guys and get pressure on them."

Briefly

Tony Romo's performance last week was an award-winner. The Cowboys quarterback was selected the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 345 yards and two touchdowns, despite a rib fracture and punctured lung.

Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree was fined $7,500 for a facemask penalty on 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown. Ogletree was penalized 15 yards for the personal foul at the end of a 33-yard catch-and-run. He can appeal the fine.

Redskins outside linebacker Brian Orakpo said Washington defenders will go after Tony Romo with the same zeal they used to get after Kevin Kolb last week. Sacking Romo is the main objective, Orakpo said, not hurting the Cowboys quarterback more. "Obviously, you can think of it like that," Orakpo said in a conference call when asked if Romo's ribs had a bull's eye on them. "If somebody gets injured, you want to go after that injury. But we're just going to play our game. We're going to try to get Romo down when we can."

Staff writer Charean Williams contributed to this report.

Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7407

Dez Bryant listed as questionable for 49ers game

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:04 CST

By Charean Williams

IRVING -- Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant's availability for Sunday is in serious doubt after he missed practice again Friday.

The Cowboys list Bryant as questionable with a deep thigh bruise.

A day after telling local media at Valley Ranch that Bryant would play against San Francisco, owner Jerry Jones backed down on his weekly radio show.

"We're going to have to monitor that and are monitoring it," Jones said Friday morning on 105.3 The Fan. "He didn't practice the last couple of days... but of course we've got at least 48 hours before kickoff time. Hopefully he'll feel better as we get closer to Sunday."

Jones followed with "it's not" when asked a follow-up question about Dez being a "done deal" to play.

Bryant was injured in the first half of Sunday's game against the New York Jets. He did not have a catch in the second half, briefly leaving to get intravenous fluids for cramps.

"It's day to day," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Friday morning before practice. "He hasn't practiced the last couple of days. We're hopeful he'll continue to improve on his rehab, and hopefully be ready to go on Sunday afternoon."

A high-ankle sprain kept Bryant out of the 2010 preseason and a broken fibula prematurely ended his rookie season. He has had other nagging injuries as well in his two seasons, and the Cowboys would like to see him better protect himself.

"You have got to make sure you secure the ball and certainly, you have to understand at times there's a time to go down," Garrett said. "But with Dez, it's hard for us as coaches to go up to him and say, 'Hey, don't play the way you play.' The reason we like him is how he plays. I think he can be smarter in some specific situations, though."

Kevin Ogletree will start if Bryant is sidelined.

Nagy doubtful

Rookie left guard Bill Nagy, who started against the Jets, is doubtful for Sunday's game. Nagy injured his back during Wednesday's practice. He did not practice Thursday or Friday.

Veteran Derrick Dockery already had taken some first-team snaps away from Nagy before Nagy's injury, and Dockery will start against the 49ers.

Linebacker Sean Lee (back) was added to the injury report. He was limited in practice, but he is listed as probable for the game. Miles Austin (knee) also is probable after being limited in practice.

Ginn effect

The Cowboys' special teams have one goal Sunday: Keep the ball away from 49ers returner Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn returned five punts for 92 yards and a touchdown and had four kickoff returns for 176 yards and a touchdown last week.

"You've really got to be on, try and be at your best," punter Mat McBriar said. "He's dangerous, really dangerous. Hopefully he's spent already. I need to tell him, 'Last Sunday was a big day for you. Aren't you tired?'"

Kickoff specialist David Buehler had 51 touchbacks his first two seasons but only one on Sunday against the Jets. The Jets' four kickoff returns averaged 19.5 yards, with the longest a return of 27 yards.

"He's a heck of a returner, but we've got a heck of a cover team," Buehler said. "Obviously, it all starts with the kick, and I've got to get good hang time and good direction and good depth.

"He has good speed, but we're trying to make him move east and west and not north and south. That's when he gets dangerous, when he's moving downfield. We're trying to make him move toward the sidelines, and if we do that and hit him hard and hit him in the mouth early, I don't think he'll want to run too hard against us."

Mark of a captain

For the first time, the Cowboys' team captains are wearing a "C" on their jerseys.

Since 2007, the league has allowed teams to put the "C" -- designating team captain -- on jerseys. The Cowboys chose not to add the designation, and, at times, they rotated captains. But this year, Jason Garrett had the team vote on its captains, and those five players -- two on offense, two on defense and one on special teams -- each will wear the "C."

Jason Witten, Tony Romo, Mat McBriar, Bradie James and DeMarcus Ware were elected by their teammates last week before the Jets game.

"It reminds you when you're out there on the field that's what you represent," Witten said, "not only with your play, but how you lead. Obviously, it's a good symbol."

Charean Williams

817-390-7760

In NFL geared for offense, Cowboys' O-line is key

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:26 CDT

Randy Galloway

Be thankful.

While the Meadowlands tonight, based on all football circumstances, plus the emotional impact of 10 years after the darkest day ever on American soil, certainly doesn't appear to be a favorable starting point for the Cowboys...

Were you watching the other night when the Packers and Saints got the NFL's 2011 season under way?

Imagine this Cowboys defense facing that.

Like I said, be thankful.

The New York Jets, with pretty boy quarterback Mark Sanchez, will present enough issues both by ground and air tonight, but Sanchez isn't a Rodgers and he isn't a Brees, and what Rob Ryan is attempting to reconstruct on the Cowboys' defensive side of the ball isn't close to being ready for that kind of QB excellence.

Then again, exactly what defense is ready for that kind of aerial display, including the defensive units of two prime Super Bowl contenders, meaning the Packers and the Saints?

But I did mention, right, that the Jets can run it, and the Jets have receivers who can catch it? The Cowboys' D will be tested early and often.

Go back, however, to the Saints and Packers on Thursday night, and that game not only kicked off the season in an entertaining and exciting way, it was the perfect blueprint of what the NFL is supposed to be all about.

That's exactly what the league wants to see in every game. Lots of offense, and a speed-bump defense. Touchdowns, baybee. The more the better.

For almost 20 years, and certainly of late, the rule book has been totally rewritten to favor offense, offense, offense and quarterbacks, quarterbacks, quarterbacks.

The purist belch at such a concept. Defense wins championships. Say, like the Steelers?

Well, in the last Super Bowl the Steelers won they did it by outscoring and outlasting an Arizona outfit. Earlier this year in Arlington, the Steelers couldn't stop Aaron Rodgers and Co. in losing that Super Bowl.

OK, the Cowboys aren't in this kind of company and haven't been in long time, but since we are talking about a season opener in New Jersey tonight, and the biggest worry is about the defense, maybe the following can be considered good news:

A 6-10 schedule from the season before "earns" you a soft schedule. In this case, "soft" means the Cowboys over the next 16 games in 17 weeks won't see much of the quarterbacking elite.

With Peyton Manning now on the shelf, elite is now down to Rodgers, Drew Brees and, of course, Tom Brady. Put Ben R in Pittsburgh at the next level.

Of that bunch, the Cowboys see Mr. Brady in mid-October. But that's it. Also, no Philip Rivers in San Diego to worry about.

Somewhere in the top 12 rankings of QBs in the league, there's Mike Vick and Eli Manning. They, of course, are on the Cowboys' 2011 agenda, but again, we aren't talking Brees, Rodgers and Brady here.

The Cowboys do face the kid in St. Louis and the kid in Tampa. That's some danger. And, if healthy, the kid in Detroit is interesting.

But in an NFL geared for offense, in an NFL that desperately wants offense -- the constant rules re-writing proves that -- then the key for the Cowboys this season centers on offense instead of the worry over Rob's defense.

Can Tony Romo and his crew put up enough points to outscore what their defense gives up?

Obviously, much of that will depend on the young offensive line, which is a huge question, but the Cowboys did what they had to do, did what was overdue, in finally rebuilding this unit.

Meanwhile, I thought it was a huge mistake not making a proven third wide receiver as a major priority, and also not finding a proven kicker who can salvage a drive with three points.

Overall, good NFL teams have traditionally been built around five areas:

(1) Quarterback. (2) Pass rusher. (3) Offensive tackle to protect the QB's blind side. (4) Cornerback. (5) A real head coach, which, in a way, is actually 1A.

The Cowboys flunk the top 5 only with No. 4, although many will accuse me of being too generous on Romo and Jason Garrett. But I'm not.

That top 5 list still holds true in today's NFL, but the trend shows that playmakers on offense beyond the QB, meaning wideouts and running backs, have to be able to take advantage of the course being charted by the NFL hierarchy -- these people want points and they make the rules to get what they want.

No, it's not wise to predict points happening tonight against a wild-eyed Jets' defense.

But if the new offensive line can settle in after tonight, the Cowboys could maybe be 9-7 or 10-6. Maybe.

So let's go watch some football. It might even be better than we think.

Randy Galloway can be heard on Galloway & Co. weekdays 3-6 p.m. on ESPN/103.3 FM.

Randy Galloway, 817-390-7697

Woman sues over injury in Cowboys Stadium's Party Pass area

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 23:13 CDT

By Elizabeth Campbell

A woman who bought a Party Pass during the inaugural season at Cowboys Stadium two years ago is suing the team, alleging that she was injured when she fell down several stairs because of inadequate crowd control.

Kathy Mayfield of Sunnyvale, who bought a $29 Party Pass, said she stumbled down several stairs on Aug. 29, 2009, because "the crowd was so thick" that she couldn't see the different heights of the steps. The lawsuit was filed last week in Tarrant County civil court.

The suit alleges that the Cowboys did not maintain a safe environment and did not have crowd control procedures in place for ticket holders who did not have seats. The Party Pass areas are a series of elevated platforms behind the seats above each end zone.

"The crowd was massive as defendants had sold more tickets than space available which created limited visibility," the lawsuit states. "[Mayfield] could not see the stairs that she was being directed to use because, as she was siphoned to the area for standing, the crowd was so thick that she could not even take a full size step."

Team spokesman Brett Daniels said, "We are aware of the lawsuit, but we have no comments on that."

Mayfield's attorney, Dana Huffman said Mayfield and her husband went to a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers but got separated. Disabled from a previous back injury, Mayfield sat down on the steps to wait for her husband.

After a time, she got up, but was pushed down several stairs by the surging crowd, Huffman said.

"It was fortunate that she didn't fall down an entire flight of stairs because there was a turn in the stairway," Huffman said. "[The Cowboys] were cramming in more people than they could hold. ... There were no ushers or representatives from the stadium. She had walked for so long."

Mayfield suffered a dislocated right shoulder and, despite having surgery, she still doesn't have full range of motion. The Cowboys have not offered to pay her medical expenses, Huffman said.

The Party Passes, which are still being sold, were controversial the year the stadium opened. In 2009, the Arlington Fire Department warned the Cowboys that too many standing-room-only tickets were sold during the regular-season opener against the New York Giants.

The certificate of occupancy for the standing-room-only areas said there is room for about 15,000 people, but 30,000 tickets were sold.

Daniels said at the time that the Cowboys weren't disregarding the city's warning and that fans could stand in other areas to watch the games.

The team wasn't cited for violating the fire code. However, the Fire Department warned that the Cowboys were creating a significant safety issue.

Elizabeth Campbell,

817-390-7696

Opening college football game at Cowboys Stadium turns weekend into windfall

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 18:45 CDT

By Barry Shlachter

It's not the Super Bowl, but the season-opening game between two highly ranked out-of-state football teams -- Louisiana State University and the University of Oregon -- will produce a windfall for Arlington and Fort Worth hotels, restaurants, honky-tonks and parking lots on an otherwise quiet holiday weekend.

All Arlington hotel rooms are sold out tonight and Saturday, as are rooms in Fort Worth's main hotel districts. In addition, many LSU and Oregon fans are staying over Sunday because of the Labor Day holiday.

And without a home game for the Cowboys until Sept. 26, the influx of Tigers and Ducks fans is a welcome sight for the hospitality industry as the fall season of stadium events begins.

"It's huge for Fort Worth, and it's a huge plus for us," said Adam Jones, own of Grace restaurant at 777 Main St. "We're going to see 10 to 20 percent more business because of the college kickoff game."

Groups partisan to one side or the other have booked party rooms from venues ranging from Billy Bob's Texas in the Stockyards and Gilligan's and the Tailgate Tavern in Arlington to white-table venues such as Grace and Del Frisco's in downtown Fort Worth.

Jay Burress, chief executive of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau, said rooms started getting booked in January and were sold out in March. More than 10,000 room nights attributable to the game have been reserved in the city, he said.

Declining to put a dollar value on guest spending, Burress did say: "It's shaping up to be the largest and most impactful regular-season college football game yet in Cowboys Stadium."

David Dubois, who heads the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, was less reticent about forward-passing dollar signs.

He figures 8,000 room nights have been sold through Monday in the city's downtown, Stockyards and University Drive areas.

Based on this, DuBois said, "I believe the economic impact is over $3 million. Half of the rooms are double or triple occupancy and [these fan couples or groups] can spend $400 a day for a room, food, entertainment and maybe a pair of boots from Leddy's."

Adding to the ringing cash registers in some quarters is the overlap from two other events -- the start of the Sept. 2-11 Reichert Celebration, known as one of the country's top all-breed horse events, at the Will Rogers Complex, and the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses at the convention center downtown, expected to draw more than 5,000.

Without the LSU-Oregon game, however, the Renaissance Worthington Hotel would likely have 50 percent fewer guests this weekend, not the sold-out slate it will enjoy, general manager Bob Jameson said.

"This is generally a difficult fall holiday weekend," Jameson said. Last year, the Texas Christian University-Oregon State game helped, filling 75 percent of rooms on the Friday night and 100 percent the next day, but it was not as good as this weekend will be, he added.

Interest in the game featuring the No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the nation can be gauged by ticket prices in the secondary market, bought and sold on the Internet after the stadium was sold out. Non-student seats began at $70. They hit $250 to $300, then "plateaued," said Hank Wendorf, CEO of The Ticket Source.

"LSU fans are behind it," Wendorf said from his Arlington office. "It's not a post-season game, but it has the same feeling. The only thing I can compare it to is the Big 12 championship [two years ago] between the Longhorns and Nebraska. The same sense of urgency. It has national championship implications, and that is driving ticket prices and the demand for tickets."

Surprisingly, standing-room-only tickets have dropped below their $50 face value. Stubhub.com reports that the price skidded from $40 this week to $25. Wendorf speculated that ticket brokers overbought, miscalculating demand for SRO and were stuck with too much inventory.

But demand for seat tickets was hot.

"Already, this is the top college football game of the season" in terms of resales, said Joellen Ferrer, a StubHub spokeswoman. The 9,000 tickets resold on the site were six times more than last year's TCU-Oregon State game.

Who's buying? To no surprise, some 43 percent are from Louisiana, Ferrer said. Then comes Texas with 33 percent, California 4 percent, Oregon 3 percent and Pennsylvania with 2 percent.

There is also an Internet-based market for licensed parking spaces in strolling distance of Cowboys Stadium, according to www.ParkHub.com. Lot owners can raise or lower the prices according to demand. On Thursday, they ranged from $15 for a lot about three-quarters of a mile away to $247 for a spot in The Ticket Source's parking lot, less than a third of a mile from the stadium.

After the stadium sold out its RV spaces at $150 each, slots at a ParkHub-affiliated lot jumped in price from $88 to $220, said George Baker, the Dallas-based site's founder and CEO.

"The Cowboys don't have enough parking on hand," said Baker, a second-generation parking entrepreneur, explaining demand in the vicinity.

Oregon vs. LSU continues new tradition at Cowboys Stadium

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:05 CDT

By Brent Shirley

Late December and early January. That's when top-five teams should get together for a nonconference game, right?

Not anymore.

With neutral-site marquee games such as Saturday's Cowboys Classic in Arlington featuring Oregon and LSU, fans no longer have to wait for the bowl season to watch traditional powers from different conferences battle.

"You're talking about No. 3 Oregon vs. No 4. LSU, on the first weekend of the regular season," Cotton Bowl president Rick Baker said. "It's a Pac-12-SEC matchup like last year's championship game, and that's part of the draw. This is the biggest game of the weekend, and perhaps one of the biggest matchups of the whole season. This is huge right out of the gate, something you don't always see so early."

The Cotton Bowl, which now has its offices in Cowboys Stadium, manages all of the college games in the venue, including the Cowboys Classic, the Southwest Classic and TCU games.

"We have been very fortunate to be able to work with the Cowboys and have access to this facility like we do," Baker said. "The ultimate goal is to have as many college games here each season as there are Cowboys games. There have been so many great college football teams that we've had come through here to play in the regular season, and we hope to see it grow."

While some top programs have played traditionally -- the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry game was once a nonconference game -- only recently have elite programs agreed to suit up against each other early in the season.

"You're seeing a lot more investment from the TV networks like ESPN and Fox," Baker said. "They want good games to show on television. This is certainly a game that the network helped the Cowboys put together, and so is the Georgia-Boise State game in Atlanta. A lot of it is a desire to have these kinds of big games every weekend. Sometimes, until you get to the conference season, you need a little help setting up these types of matchups."

Baker said when the NCAA added a 12th game to the college football schedule, it opened the door for teams to begin scheduling neutral-site games. And while ranked schools still have a few cupcake games on their schedules, the top teams are more willing to play strong teams from other conferences. The result with this year's Cowboys Classic is must-see TV.

There are other big games. Alabama faces Penn State for the second year in a row. USC and Ohio State played in 2008-09. Texas A&M will play Arkansas at Cowboys Stadium on Oct. 1. It's the third consecutive meeting between the teams, but this year, each starts the season in the top 15.

"I think, with the BCS system, teams are understanding how playing strong nonconference opponents can really help them in the long run," Baker said. "It can impact how they're perceived all season long, not only by the fans, but by the media as well. When you're in the college football business, these games are great."

In addition to the Tigers and Ducks, Saturday night has another big-time matchup. No. 5 Boise State will play No. 19 Georgia in Atlanta.

"I think these games are good for the game," Baker said. "It gets people's attention from the first weekend on through. All of us in the bowl business like to advertise that college football has the best regular season in sport. All of it has to do with each game's importance."

The Cowboys Classic started in 2009 with No. 3 Oklahoma losing to No. 20 BYU. Last year, fans watched No. 7 TCU defeat No. 24 Oregon State.

This year's game is sold out, with close to 90,000 fans expected, including standing-room-only tickets.

"It's one of the biggest games this team has been in so far," LSU junior receiver Rueben Randle said. "I think all players like having a challenge, so we like the big matchups. I think starting off against a great team like Oregon is the best way to start a season and show what you are about. It's good for college football."

At Oregon, quarterback Darron Thomas and running back LaMichael James said they can hardly wait to step out on the Cowboys Stadium field to take on a highly ranked team.

"We wouldn't want to have it any other way," said James, a Heisman candidate. "If we're supposed to be one of the best teams, then we don't want to open up with somebody just to get a 'W'. That's not the way it should be. I don't want us to do that; I want us to go out and play the best team available."

Thomas has been looking forward to the Cowboys Classic since he learned of the matchup more than a year ago.

"A game like this lets you know where you are from the jump," he said. "It's a big test for us, and we are all excited to kick off. We don't like playing a team that we could beat up on really easy. We want to compete."

Next year, the Cowboys Classic will feature two more elite programs: Michigan, which has more wins than any other school, and Alabama, which has the most recognized national championships with 13. Two years from now, Cowboys Stadium will host a game between Notre Dame and Arizona State.

"Our goal is to have this game become a tradition with two of the nation's top teams playing. [Jerry Jones'] vision has always been to have big-time college games here," Baker said. "The neutral-site games are getting bigger, and more and more schools will start to play in them, especially in special venues like Cowboys Stadium."

Brent Shirley, 817-390-7760

Bus service available for Cowboys Stadium games

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:54 CDT

By Gordon Dickson

Football fans again will have the option of skipping the parking hassles at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington this football season.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority will offer Cowboys Coach service, beginning with the LSU-Oregon college game Sept. 3.

Fare is $10 per-person round trip, plus $5 per-car parking.

The T plans to offer the service to all Dallas Cowboys regular season and playoff games, as well as five college games, including the Cotton Bowl, spokeswoman Joan Hunter said.

Buses load two hours prior to kick-off from the Trinity Railway Express T&P Station park-and-ride lot, 200 W. Vickery Boulevard south of downtown Fort Worth. The last bus departure will be an hour before kickoff.

For more information, visit the T's website or call 817-215-8600.

Cowboys' rookie receivers played better than they practiced

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:26 CDT

By Carlos Mendez

ARLINGTON -- The first two weeks of the Dallas Cowboys' training camp didn't tell Stephen McGee much about sixth-round pick Dwayne Harris.

Except that he knew the rookie receiver was having a tough time.

"He's a guy that I felt like has had a lot on his plate," McGee said. "Our offense isn't simple. With no OTAs (organized team activities), those young guys, their heads have been spinning."

But Thursday night, in the Cowboys' preseason opener, Harris and those young guys turned heads.

Harris caught two touchdown passes, undrafted Raymond Radway caught a touchdown pass, undrafted Tysson Poots converted a third down with a fingertip catch, and Jesse Holley had a catch in the Cowboys' 24-23 victory against the Denver Broncos.

Second-year tight end John Phillips had four catches, third-year receiver Kevin Ogletree had two catches, and fourth-year tight end Martin Rucker caught a 26-yard pass on fourth down and the 2-point conversion that gave the Cowboys the winning points.

But the rookie receivers -- Harris, Radway and Poots -- combined for seven catches for 142 yards and three touchdowns, impressing McGee as he led the game-winning drive. All three touchdowns came from McGee, including the 76-yard catch-and-run by Harris that put life into the Cowboys' offense in the fourth quarter.

"I'm not going to sit here and lie. Training camp has been frustrating," McGee said. "We have a lot of young guys. A lot of busted routes, a lot of missed hots, sights or whatever it may be. As an older guy, going into my third year now, you have to be patient. But then they come in the game today and they just did a great job making plays. They were on top of everything, for the most part. I think they only missed one tonight. So I was proud of them. They did a great job of stepping up when the lights come on."

Exactly, Harris said.

"I'm more a gamer than a practice player," the former East Carolina standout said. "In practice, it's more working on technique and seeing how the defense plays. Getting in games, it's much easier. I had a pretty good week in practice, just learning the system. I came out and played today. With all the mistakes I made in practice, I came out and played."

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Harris has shown playmaking skills in training camp. Along with inconsistency.

"He has a long way to go in terms of understanding how to be a receiver in the NFL and how to consistently get away from people, but I think you'll see he has a knack for playing," Garrett said. "That's what we saw on tape when he was coming out of school, and we saw some of that tonight."

Ogletree, who holds the No. 3 receiver job that Harris should be pushing for, was impressed, too. He remembers Harris from their college days, when Ogletree was at Virginia and Harris an all-purpose weapon at East Carolina.

"He's just growing up," Ogletree said. "He's blossoming as a young guy, just getting out there and competing. That's what he does. I remember that from back in the day, playing him at ECU, him lining up at quarterback, running back -- just making plays. He showed it."

Carlos Mendez, 817-390-7407