Cowboys' Jones talks of 'different ways to watch'
Star-Telegram Staff Writers
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Are the Dallas Cowboys considering a time share-type ticket at the team's new $1 billion stadium in Arlington?
According to a blog item on the Dallas Observer, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that a group of friends could purchase a single ticket to a game at the new stadium and then take turns going inside to watch the action while the rest enjoyed the game atmosphere outside. Jones described this ticket-sharing scenario at a meet-and-greet event last week, according to an item posted Monday.
Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels said he could not confirm Jones' comments, adding, "This is not a program we have in place at this time."
However, in its Super Bowl pitch to the NFL, the Cowboys and the North Texas bid committee said that 20,000 fans will be able to buy tickets to standing-room-only party plazas outside each end zone, where the game will be shown on digital screens.
Earlier Monday at the NFL owners meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., the Star-Telegram spoke with Jones about his stadium, where he alluded to "different ways to watch and be a part of the game."
Among his comments:
On the stadium: We're really are very much on plan, on schedule, on budget. ... This is a time when unfortunately the building industry is in a dip so that makes us have available to us good talent, good labor and at the right price. ... That's all good news with our costs. In general, the stadium has cost more than I had anticipated. The positive thing is the scope of the stadium has changed, and it's just exciting to actually see it. I just thought I could read a plan and see a model, but that doesn't do it justice when you can see it. It's going to be, for our fans, arguably one of sport's most visible and most interesting franchises in all of sport. ... This stadium is going to be a centerpiece of sports stadia. The other thing is that it's the home of the Dallas Cowboys, and our fans, our franchise deserve this excess, if you will, of what we could have played in at a minimum as to what we're going to play in.
On ticket sales: The sales are beyond the expectations that I had, and I had high expectations. But they're beyond that. It's really impressive. We're continuing down that road. Some of the things we've done that create a real interesting factor, some of the special things -- the glass curtain wall, some of the stuff we're doing in the end zones ... create different ways to watch and be a part of the game.
On naming rights: I think our naming-rights situation is one that is probably where I thought it would be. We certainly are pursuing what we're going to do there, because it's actually the closest thing we'll ever come to naming the Dallas Cowboys relative to a third party, and it's going to be one of the most important decisions that I make, and one of the most important things we do. That's moving along. But we don't have an announcement yet.
aahles@star-telegram.com
