New Cowboys Stadium

[Neophyte]

For those of you curious about what it looks like here is a link to a gallery by a local (that is Dallas local) photographer who has done some very nice shots of the new joint.

New Cowboys Stadium Photos

Even though I don't really like or respect the guy, I have to admit Jerry has done a bang up job on this thing or so it appears. There have been a few issues, as you might expect from a project this big but as many as I anticipated. If only he had done it without tax payer money. Then I would be really impressed.

 

[Chris]

What is this, a picture of the players walk-through?

It looks like an awesome place, Neo. I hope Santana christens it properly.

How are the season ticket sales going?

 

[Neophyte]

Chris, I am guessing that is just an area for dropping Recycling Bins when they are not deployed for use but I don't know for sure. I have not even so much as driven by the place in nearly a year. It is in an odd spot for me that I just never need to go for any reason.

How season ticket sales are going depends on who you ask. According to the Cowboys, all is grand and they are right on track with it. One of the local TV station's investigative news teams begs to differ though, even going so far as to stake out the ticket office for some time and counting the number of people coming and going. A lot of long time season ticket holders from Texas Stadium, and even some who had season tickets when the Boys played in the Cotton Bowl, would not buy the PSLs the Cowboys required. The Cowboys also ran a pretty aggressive ad campaign this spring that seemed to me to have an air of desperation but I am hardly objective in these sorts of things.

I just went looking for the stories the station did on their web site but I guess they are too old.

There has been some speculation locally that with the stadium cost overruns, the inability to land a deal for naming rights and sluggish season ticket sales that Jerry is running into cash flow problems. Some of the local sports guys have pointed to the release of T.O. and Greg Ellis, the lack of any big name expensive free agent signings and the way the Cowboys handled the draft (trading completely out of Day 1) as evidence of trying to reduce spending.

Not sure how much of this last bit I am buying at this point but it is certainly possible.

 

[Chris]

Chris, I am guessing that is just an area for dropping Recycling Bins when they are not deployed for use but I don't know for sure.

I was trying to be clever. I guess I swung and missed.

 

[Neophyte]

LOL - no sir. I missed. You are fine.

I stayed up reading much later last night than I should have and then had numerous middle of the night visits from a 3 year old who was having dinosaur issues. My "clever" quotient was maxed out before I finished my first cup of coffee. Not your fault at all.

 

[SNF]

I took a look at their stadium diagram. For the LL sideline the "Seat Option Price" ranges from $16,000 to $50,000 and the ticket price for all is $340.

 

[Mark The Homer]

...There has been some speculation locally that with the stadium cost overruns, the inability to land a deal for naming rights and sluggish season ticket sales that Jerry is running into cash flow problems. ...Not sure how much of this last bit I am buying at this point but it is certainly possible.

From what I"ve noticed during Redskins/Cowboys games, tickets at Texas generally cost less than in Landover, both in terms of face and aftermarket.

So the Cowboys go and build a new grandiose stadium. They declare the entire sidelines to be (effectively) club. And they do it in the midst of a recession.

Where is all the money going to come from to pay for these tickets? If demand wasn't there before, for the biggest rivalry in all sports, how is it going to suddenly appear now? I don't care how fancy the stadium is, the money has to come from somewhere.

Regarding sporting event tickets - it seems to me we're moving into a new era - one brought to us by the internet and controlled by the masses. The teams can no longer easily dictate what we're going to pay. Slowly, the public is realizing they don't have to buy from the team to go to the game. The educated consumer is better off not buying, and waiting for those same tickets to pop up on the aftermarket at substantially reduced prices.

And they will.

 

[Neophyte]

I took a look at their stadium diagram. For the LL sideline the "Seat Option Price" ranges from $16,000 to $50,000 and the ticket price for all is $340.

Yep. And that is per seat. Nor did they offer any of the current season ticket holders any kind of price break so suddenly folks who had been used to paying a few thousand for a package of 4 tickets in the lower bowl between the 20 yard lines are being told that they have shell out anywhere from $64K to $200K just for the right to buy the tickets which will then cost them nearly $11K a year.

And the parking pass is additional. I could not find that information but I want to say a pass for the season was reported to be $800 or a $100 a game.

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

It's a beautiful stadium, but it looks like they're charging as much (or more) for food/drink as the Redskins, so I suppose the Skins won't be one of the highest priced places in the league anymore.

 

[Blondie]

Yep. And that is per seat. Nor did they offer any of the current season ticket holders any kind of price break so suddenly folks who had been used to paying a few thousand for a package of 4 tickets in the lower bowl between the 20 yard lines are being told that they have shell out anywhere from $64K to $200K just for the right to buy the tickets which will then cost them nearly $11K a year.

And the parking pass is additional. I could not find that information but I want to say a pass for the season was reported to be $800 or a $100 a game.

You know I always buy 4 tickets behind the Redskin bench...row 1 and 6 parking passes.

I can no longer afford the prices. What I had previously paid for 4 tickets....on row 1........I can only get 2 tickets on row 14.

I may be able to get 3 parking passes.

And tailgating will be soooooooo different. My spot was right next to the fence going closest to the stadium. I have NO clue yet where I will set up from this point.

 

[Neophyte]

I wondered how this was going to impact you in particular, Blondie. Sorry to hear it is that bad although I would be lying if I said I was surprised. Jerry is definitely out for his pound of flesh.

 

[KDawg]

Beautiful stadium, for sure. It's going to be a cost nightmare, but I can't deny that the place is beautiful.

 

[Mark The Homer]

Ban him!

 

[Neophyte]

There was a report on the news here last night about the season ticket situation at Cowboys Stadium. They still have several thousand left (roughly 5% of the seats allocated as season tickets remain unsold or so the Cowboys say). They are holding "open house" this weekend for interested fans to come out, check out the remaining seats and buy them.