The Arlington Cowboys

[Hoop Fan]

or call em the Tarrant County Cowboys. Anybody else completely disgusted by this thing? The Dallas Cowboys belong either just south or just west of Downtown Dallas. Fair Park apparently wasnt viable, but plenty of other locations were. Honestly, they should change their name, the Cowboys have no business affiliating themselves with Dallas based on that hostile, half-hearted "negotitiation".

[giacfsp]

I think it's hilarious (note: I'm not a Cowboys fan). The reason I think it's hilarious is because Jerry Jones always goes on and on about his loyalty to the fans. What a bunch of BS - Jerry is loyal to one thing and one thing only: the bottom line. This whole deal is about lining his pockets. Maybe now the media wonks who cover that team will stop kissing up to him and blast him for being the fraud that he is. If his top priority is to make money, that's fine - he's in a great position to do that. But don't insult the fans who are so dedicated by babbling about loyalty to the fans. Jerry only cares about Jerry .... and money. I'm not even sure winning is that important to him, as long as he keeps making money.

[Hoop Fan]

yea, I cant say I'm surprised. Jones is a snake, always has been, always will be, so of course he is going to look out for his business interest. What gets me I guess is the hypocrisy of it. Jones talks up the brand value of the Dallas Cowboys. He even talks about not being able to "own" an institution such as the Cowboys, or Packers or Yankees and then he packs up moves the team out to Arlington/Tarrant County. That aint Dallas, not even close. Thats why they call em the Texas Rangers and not the Dallas Rangers. In the end, I can respect the business side of it and let them go, but my senses tell me that if you make that choice you've got no business or right calling yourself the Dallas anything.

[giacfsp]

Well said, Hoop. But he'll never remove the name "Dallas".

Hypotheetical: What would he do if the mayor of Arlington came to him and said "we'll give you this sweet deal, build you the stadium, etc., but you have to change the name"? What would Jerry do then?

And for the record, I don't think you'll ever see them in Arlington. Not sure why, exactly, but I bet they remain in the Irving/Dallas area. I get the sense this is all just posturing to sweeten a future deal.

[Hoop Fan]

I thought it was posturing too, but its gone pretty far now. Once the thing goes on the ballot, how does Jones turn back? Its a done deal unless the voters turn it down, which aint gonna happen.

I agree, Jones isnt going to voluntarily change the name and the Arlington mayor does not have the leverage to make him. Its not worth it, in fact it would only harm the citys reputation further, but I wonder if Dallas could threaten to sue or force his hand somehow on that. Or how about applying to the NFL for a new franchise, too bad the Texans name was recently taken. The Metroplex might just be football crazy enough to support two pro teams, if the Cowboys want to be Fort Worths team, let em. I know I am spitballing, but there has to be some angle for Dallas to exploit here.

[LA_Mustang]

No, they ARE going to Arlington. It’s pretty much a done deal, assuming the vote passes.

This is just another example that Dallas is the most poorly ran city in the country. No one knows who’s in charge up there. Laura Miller and Ted Benavides didn’t get along and barely spoke half the time. Dallas has the highest crime rate in the nation and racial divisions within the police department, so Benavides hires Barney Fife as the new Dallas police chief and then bolts. I’m sorry, this new chief may end up doing a good job but every time I see on TV he looks like a deer in headlights and he sounds like he should be running the Tyler PD instead of Dallas PD. He’s already gotten off to a rocky start with Miller by not alerting her that Dallas was involved a potential terrorist plot. DISD has been a national joke for years and often referenced as how not to run a school district. Basically, you have too many interest groups going in different directions and there isn’t one figure or person able to get everyone on the same page. Every few years the characters change but the story stays the same.

So, I don’t blame Jerry at all for looking elsewhere. It’s a shame, but that’s Dallas.

[Mike Damone]

Let's not forget that the city of Dallas must accept some blame here. I can't tell you how much I would've loved for the location to have been fair park. Build a new Cotton Bowl, clean up the area around it. Have the Cowboys play there, Super Bowls, UT/OU weekend, concerts, Final Fours, not to mention that the actual Cotton Bowl would certainly be considered as a future BCS Bowl. I find it hard to believe that the economic impact of all those events, along with skyrocketing the value of the land in that area would not at least be equal to the benefits that Arlington believes it will gain.

I obviously don't know all the factors that go into this, but can somebody explain to me how a city like Houston can build a new basketball arena, a new baseball stadium, and a state-of-the-art football stadium all in downtown over the course of five years and Dallas can't. And I need a better answer than Jerry Jones is a snake. Because all owners are snakes, and most cities seem to get it done.

[gostangs]

If I am City of Dallas - I sue to have him take the Dallas name off the franchise - his franchise value goes down. I then announce the bond package for updating and redoing the cottonbowl, and announce our plan to petition the NFL for a team. - the Bay area and New York have two teams - why not the football capital of the world?

All that said - this is good news for SMU - less competition. Nobody I know goes to Ranger games anymore - even the one time every 20 years when they are in the race - it is just too far and a big pain 2 hours of traffic plus game time equals 5-6 hours - everybody is too busy to sit at a sporting event that long -

Also - 90% of his current customers are in Dallas county - unlike the Rangers who had only 50% of their customers in Dallas county when they decided to stay. The advertising and box revenue will start out big and then dwindle - just like the Rangers - (they have a very hard time renewing their boxes especially). It won't matter to the Jones' - I predict they go to sell the team right after the stadium is approved - just like the Rangers - the value of the team in a new stadium will approach a billion - If I am Steven Jones I ring the bell and talk Dad into a sale.

SMU is about to be the only football in Dallas county - if we don't get a campaign going off of that we are asleep at the wheel. I would go right at the Cowboys and take advantage of the backlash when people finally figure out this was not a negotiating tactic.

[Hoop Fan]

All true, LA. The real indictment to me is the lack of any real leadership from the business community in Dallas. Does a sniveling ex-journalist and councilperson really run this city? I love how Laura Miller claims Oak Cliff as home, then I see her in grocery stores in North Dallas.

Dallas schools are a joke that the business community long abandoned for the oasis of Highland Park and the private schools of St. Marks and Hockaday. Its sickening really, but almost impossible to reverse because no one wants to or should be expected to sacrifice their kid. I might have gone to a private college, but I believe in strong primary and secondary public schools.

Anyway, I'm done ranting. I just think that if Jerry wants to make that business decision fine, but he and the Cowboys should make the move complete and give up the Dallas name. Maybe that would wake up this city.

[Mike Damone]

gostangs-

The Rangers are having their best attendance in years.

The Cowboys will not lose a single fan by this move. I can drive and park at Rangers game in less or equal time that it takes me to go to Texas Stadium and park-and I have a parking pass.

[Hoop Fan]

[quote="gostangs"]If I am City of Dallas - I sue to have him take the Dallas name off the franchise - his franchise value goes down. I then announce the bond package for updating and redoing the cottonbowl, and announce our plan to petition the NFL for a team. - the Bay area and New York have two teams - why not the football capital of the world?"

Gostangs, I agree with your stategy, aint that what I said above? I would also agree that it represents opportunity for SMU. But it wont matter unless SMU can get its product up to a much more marketable level. Today, the Cowboys leaving would mean nothing to us.

[PonyExpress]

Is it a leap of faith to assume the vote will pass?

And I remember Laura Miller when I lived down there. She wasn't much of a journalist.

[Hoop Fan]

gostangs-

The Rangers are having their best attendance in years.

The Cowboys will not lose a single fan by this move. I can drive and park at Rangers game in less or equal time that it takes me to go to Texas Stadium and park-and I have a parking pass.

Part of that is because there are 81 baseball games and alot of games like last night only draw 25000, 1/3 of a football game. On the good side, I-30 will not be near the obstacle on Sundays as it is Monday-Friday, plus they have the Rangers parking they can probably share in addition to their own.

[Mike Damone]

If you take the 'Dallas' out of the Dallas Cowboys, who does that hurt more? The Cowboys or the city of Dallas?

[Hoop Fan]

If you take the 'Dallas' out of the Dallas Cowboys, who does that hurt more? The Cowboys or the city of Dallas?

I acknowledged that, but all you are really looking for is leverage. Its probably an idle threat... until you have some backing to petition the NFL for an expansion franchise actually in Dallas. The city government of Dallas is too inept to make it happen, but its too bad Tom Landry or Tex Shramm are no longer around to lend their name to an effort.