There’s a belief in league circles that 280 Park Avenue treats some teams differently than others. Last year, for example, we heard multiple gripes regarding the NFL’s failure to insist that the Rooney family immediately sell all gambling interests that violate league rules or immediately sell the team.
Instead, the league gave the Rooneys nearly three years to fix the problem, and ultimately crafted a conjoined twin exception to the rule that the controlling owner of an NFL franchise must individually own 30 percent of the club.
According to the same source who tipped us off to the memo from Commissioner Roger Goodell announcing the “do over” rule that will be employed as to footballs that shtoink off the video board at Cowboys Stadium, front-office employees with many NFL teams are commiserating regarding the manner in which the league office handled the situation.
Per the source, the thinking is that the league applies one set of rules for a “very small handful” of owners, and that another standard attaches to everyone else.
So if, in the opinion of the source, the low-hanging video board had been hanging low at any venue other than Cowboys Stadium, Heinz Field, or Gillette Stadium, the team who plays there would have been told that the thing has to be moved, period.
Our own suspicion is that the league bowed to Jerry Jones on this one because the league sensed that he was prepared to go to the mattresses in order to preserve his football cathedral as it was designed and envisioned. With acrimonious labor negotiations on the horizon, it likely made much more sense to keep Jones happy at a time when, if he’d been told to move his swanky new big-screen televisions, he would have been anything but.
Another source pointed out that, regardless of the motivations at play, the decision flies in the face of “the integrity of the game,” a phrase that prompted an all-out assault on Delaware’s effort to legalize sports betting, but that has prompted the league office to do nothing about the potentially game-altering presence of a large floating obstacle that easily could have been moved.
Good to see the Cowboys FINALLY catch a break. Gotta love that video board.
HOW ‘BOUT THEM COWBOYS?!?!
The logical solution would be for Jerry Jones to sell the naming rights for Cowboy Stadium to Preparation H and hope that they would be able to do something to shrink that humongous hemorrhoid hanging from the ceiling.
“Our own suspicion is that the league bowed to Jerry Jones on this one because the league sensed that he was prepared to go to the mattresses in order to preserve his football cathedral as it was designed and envisioned.”
Or maybe the league decided, “hey we screwed the pooch on this one” because the NFL APPROVED the design before it was built. Why is this so hard for people to understand!?!?!!?
I would add Pat Bowlen of Denver to that list of owners who get special treatment from the league. Remember when the Broncos cheated the salary cap in order to win those back to back SBs? They got a slap on the wrist for it. Just like Belicheck got for cheating. Just like Rooney got for having gambling ties. Just like Jones is getting for his screwed up stadium.
Jones
Kraft
Rooney
Bellicheck
Hell, Rooney got a hiring minority rule named after him despite the fact that Al Davis hired a black guy to coach his team almost 30 years ago, and he hired a hispanic guy to coach his team almost 40 years ago. But the rule is called the Rooney Rule because Rooney hired a black coach in 2007??? LOL.. Give me a break.
In other news, Bengals Owner Mike Brown has announced plans for the team to build VIP boxes, between the hash marks and to 20 and forty yard lines, on the field.
Visiting teams are asked to simply run around (or throw over) the new seats.
I really hope it comes back to bite Double J and the Cowboys in the butt sometime this year. Like in the playoffs. Cowboys punt and hit the scoreboard. Then punt again, have it blocked, and run back for a touchdown. Then ole’ Double J can watch the play over and over again on his jumbotron.
Is it just me, or could a quarterback potentially hit the screen as well when attempting a hail mary pass?
I hope the UFL works out cuz thats all the football we’re going to get in 2011…
The New Jersey Giants and New Jersey Jets get anything they want from the NFL. Then the Cowboys.
Wow, this isn’t really all that difficult.
If the rule book indeed says 85ft, and the scoreboard is at 90ft, the liability is with the NFL itself, not the Cowboys, especially if the NFL approved the design. The NFL should be responsibe for paying the $2 million or whatever it is to raise the thing this year, then change the rule next offseason. From there, it’s the Cowboys’ problem.
Jones ought to pay to to move it himself just because it’s pretty obvious he saw this coming, but he’s a smarmy peacock dipshit, so I don’t expect much from him.
I’m not a cowboys fan by any means, but here’s what happened:
Jeff Fisher told his punters to aim for it if they get a chance to be a dick since he’s on the competition committee and probably doesn’t like Jerry anyways.
Here’s what’s going to happen:
Nothing. This will most likely never happen in a game. Bank on it. Could it? Sure. Will it? No.
So if, in the opinion of the source, the low-hanging video board had been hanging low at any venue other than Cowboys Stadium, Heinz Field, or Gillette Stadium, the team who plays there would have been told that the thing has to be moved, period.
————————————————–
Spot on.
The Rooneys would not have placed such an ugly monostrosity in their stadium.
As far as the gambling, the Rooney family, specifically the late great Art Rooney, Sr. helped start this league, so a little time to help them sort through their ownership issues is understandable. The Rooney brothers went to court over this issue with each other.
I could understand complaints against the Steelers if some new, tanned, Joan Rivers look alike guy became the owner and demanded preferential treatment.
“So if, in the opinion of the source, the low-hanging video board had been hanging low at any venue other than Cowboys Stadium, Heinz Field, or Gillette Stadium, the team who plays there would have been told that the thing has to be moved, period.”
———————————————————
If it had been Gillette, the team would have been fined $750,000 and stripped of their 1st round draft pick and Goodell would have comiserated with all of the haters on such an evil, malicious act.
To paraphrase Tom Hanks in Big……..”It’s a building, whats so fun talking about a building”…
When the f-k did the game have “integrity”?
Please just give me one example.
It’s about entertainment, and this is entertaining.
As for the Delaware gambling case, that also had nothing to do with the “integrity of the game”, it only had to do with the NFL being too powerful and the USA not really being all that free. Thank god for offshore gambling.
Per the source, the thinking is that the league applies one set of rules for a “very small handful” of owners, and that another standard attaches to everyone else.
——————————————————
ummmm – the Cowboys followed the rules that apply for everyone. Anything over the field of play must be 85 feet about the ground. The Cowboys went to 90 feet. How is this a different set of rules?
Get over it and have your team play football for Pete’s sake. (No, I don’t know how Pete is!)
Waits for Vox to tell us that now it’s just the front office people of other teams are just jealous.
“So if, in the opinion of the source, the low-hanging video board had been hanging low at any venue other than Cowboys Stadium, Heinz Field, or Gillette Stadium, the team who plays there would have been told that the thing has to be moved, period.”
Is there something about Gillette / Kraft that I missed in this piece? Or does “the source” just have it in for Kraft?
Ah, the Cowgirls always did need to be treated like, well, little girls.
Gillette or Heinz field and in that aspect any field that doesn’t have some type of sissy half roof/dome would never have need of a jumbo tron so freaking big that the suckers that paid for his overinflated seat licenses could just watch the TV at home.
How many Whataburger commercials will play on that thing during a game?
C owboys- Dead
Jerry Jones- Dead
Neidermyer-Dead
If you DON’T think the league gives the Cowboys preferential treatment, you are either:
A) A Cowboys Fan
B) A Cowobys Apologist
C) wondering what that oblong ball is that the Giants of New York just kicked through the oversized ‘H’
what i really dont understand is that U2 is paying Jones to raise the video board for their concert. Why not just leave it up and eliminate the problem. instead he is going to put it back down. What an ass!
Why is anyone surprised by this. This is nothing new. You knew, in the end, the NFL would see it the way Jerry did.
This is the real reason why everyone hates the Cowboys, Steelers and Patriots. They have a different set of rules.
Seening how Goodell worked the Patriots, Kraft, and Belichick over spygate, it hardly seems appropriate to lump them in with Dallas and Pittsburgh.
According to this guy, a physics prof who was looking into punting physics in 2006, the low hanging video board will probably get hit multiple times this season.
http://www.ilovephysics.com/2009/08/25/shameless-self-promotion-and-the-physics-of-punting/
But hey…we’ll just have a do over & it won’t affect the games in any way.
So instead of pissing off one owner (Jones), they are going to piss of a handful of the other owners??? Good call on that one Roger.
The NFL is a walking hypocrisy.
They try to limit fans’ tailgating before games, while the people who are watching at home can’t get through a commercial break without a stupid Coors Light “coach” commercial.
Then, they are judge, jury, and executioner for every player who so much as farts in the huddle, while ownership is free to do whatever they want – EVEN if it impacts the game on the field.
The NFL is basically becoming the NBA but without the fixed games….. yet.
Man, if preferential league treatment gives you the level of postseason success the Cowboys have enjoyed in this century, they can have it!
Preferential treatment for certain winning teams? C’mon Mike. Next thing you know they’ll be saying that there is a bias against Al Davis and the Raiders by NFL referee’s and the media.
Maybe in Delaware they can bet on the frequency with which punters will slam the ball into the screen.
Hope Devon Hester isn’t playing in Dallas this season.
This kills me. The NFL has so many things going right for it that they’ve got to find something to muck up. The board obviously can be raised (see upcoming concert plans). If it’s a question of $, I get it, but at the very least, get the work done so that in January no one is explaining how a “do-over” impacted a playoff race or, God forbid, a playoff game. I am disappointed in the league and in the Cowboys.
As for the preferential treatment, there’s doing things to be preferential, and there’s doing things now to get a desired result later. Ulitimately labor peace is more important than the scoreboard.
My understanding was the height of the TV board complied with NFL specifications. Did it turn out that was not true? If it does meet specs, then it is the NFL’s fault and Jerry Jones should take a stand and wait for the NFL to pay for the fix. Punters hitting the board are good for Jerry — they bring him and his stadium extra attention.
The league gave in because they did not have a leg to stand on. They approved the height. If I am traveling 60 miles per hour on a road with a speed limit posted at 60, I can not get a ticket for speeding just because the Department of Transportation changes their mind. In no way should Jerry Jones be required to raise the TV. If they want it to be moved, change the rule to 100 feet, and next year the league will pay to have it raised.
And I do think that some teams get preferential treatment. They are the ones that bring in the most revenue. Fair or not, thats life. As a business owner I am more likely to allow a great employee more slack than one who contributes little. In life, there are winners and losers. The Cowboys, Steelers and the Pats are winners. They are the money makers of the league whether they win on the field or not.
This is complete BS. The league should put it’s foot down and say that until the board is raised to an appropriate height Dallas doesn’t get to host the Super Bowl. If there has to be “do over” kicks in the Super Bowl it’ll be a disgrace.
Why isn’t your own suspicion that the league bowed to J.Jones because the league approved the design?
If ‘the league’ came out and admitted that they approved the design and this slipped through their approval process and as such ‘the league’ would be bankrolling the raising of the videoboard at no cost to Jones, then there wouldn’t be much to say about it.
The league does not want to admit their blame or expose the person who messed this up.
The ancillary benefit of not wanting to irritate a key player in the coming negotiations is just that, secondary.
It does make for a juicier headline though.
This shouldn’t be surprising, when you consider that this is the same league that levies fines on defensive players for particularly vicious hits…and then puts those same hits on the DVDs that they sell to the public, like “Pro Football’s Toughest Guys.” The defensive player lost money from the fine, and the league turns around and profits from it AGAIN, who of course never mention on the DVDs that the player was fined/flagged for that particular hit.
In added news, Roger Goodell instituted a rule that mandates all opposong defensive linemen count to “10 Alligator” before starting their pass rush on Tony Romo.
“League buzzes over perception of preferential treatment for Cowboys”
Nope. Only you, Florio, and the Cowboy haters on this site that keep you in business.
Name the source, or shut up.
You HAVE GOT to be kidding me. “preferential treatment for Cowboys” ? If anything, they get put under the microscope more and receive the other side of that coin . What a bunch of jealous crybabies ! Grow up. Get over it. Jerry built a stadium that complied with the specs he was given BY THE LEAGUE. The NFL should be and is proud to have someone build a venue like he’s done and now a jealous few are gonna try and muddy the water ? Please. this is old.
Hopefully, we won’t have to wait a few years for that TV to cost the Cowboys a game.
No way Jerry J. would gracefully accept that outcome at the post game presser.
Even more proof that Goodell is a bag of vinegar and water.
I would just like to point out that it would be very tough, if not impossible, to hang a scoreboard at Heinz Field or Gillette Stadium.
That aside, this “do over” rule is completely idiotic.
“League buzzes over perception of preferential treatment for Cowboys”
My question is where is the perception…?
I think this is clear evidence that there very much is PREFERENTIAL treatment to certain owners in the league… This is just a scoreboard but what happened to Bob Kraft and the beloved PATS when they were caught (with proof) that they had cheated their ASSES off to win a lot of games and possibly a few superbowl wins as well… what happened to him i think it was a slap on the wrist fine and confiscation of the video tapes… oh wait which Goodell reviewed and assured everyone there was no other recordings of any other team in all of the tapes… now a Scoreboard hangs so low that the punters in the league have to alter the way they kick the ball because some old fossil with deep pockets wants super-ultra-mega-big screens for his precious new stadium that oh wait… no one wants to sponsor anyway. I think this is ridiculous and the scoreboard should have to be moved and then immediately following that goodell should start looking for his balls because it seems they moved too, A LONG TIME AGO
This has the potential to be a huge joke. Can you imagine if the first two games has 5 or more punts that hit the video board. The howling from the other 31 teams will be deafening.
I know Jerry Jones has an ego that’s bigger than Gomer Pyle’s ex-girlfriends ass ( or why the 15 plastic surgeries on his face?) but he has to seek a solution now before this becomes a nation-wide joke, ah much like his football team.
That’s alright, the rest of the league will take it out on the ‘boys in December like always.
Certain teams do seem to get an edge. It varies. Don Shula was famous for getting the calls in his era. The Cowboys are certainly one of the current favored few. I’d say the Steelers are as well. Perhaps the Pats.
Florio-
I read PFT religously and never post any responses, but I decided to now. I have to admit that you don’t really hide your bias against the Cowboys, and that’s ok, it’s your site.
Is this case, that’s BS of “preferential” treatment over the board. As you have previously noted, the NFL scrutinizes every aspect of new stadium construction. The minimum height limit was 85 feet mandated by the NFL. Jones put it at 90. I really do’t think there’s anymore to read into it than that. If the NFL deemed the board needed to be raised, it would have to be on their dime and their embarrassment, since they would have to admit it was their mistake. Ultimately, this could happen in the future.
If you want to apply the “preferential” treatment rule, where was the NFL years ago when guys were grinding up knees and ankles on that piece of garbage they insultingly called called turf at Veterans stadium? Where was Fisher saying “That’s gonna be a real problem”? Remember the infamous clips of that poor sap actually sewing up the split in the turf before the game?
Just putting it all in perspective…
One game and one ball touches the screen. I think the uninformed masses are under the perception that the video board covers the entire playing surface. It’s not even as wide as the hash marks. As far as “favortism” being shown by the league…OF COURSE the league shows favortism toward it’s more valuable franchises. Same as your boss shows favortism toward his most productive employees. We would like to believe that isn’t true, but everyone who lives in reality knows it is. Let the season play out and all the bitching and moaning from the “league office” and other teams cease. Remember, the Cowboys play EIGHT regular season games in the new stadium. The MOST anyone else will play is ONE. If the board is such a problem, the Cowboys will be more likely to suffer than their opponents. And by the way, the league office complainers need tos hut up. They (league officials) approved ALL aspects of the new building (even down to the size of the X-Ray room and media rooms).
Hello, the league has no stance on this…the board is 5 feet above the min. level…If the league wants it raised then they should pay to raise it, NOUGH said…
I cant wait to see how many punters keep the Cowboys special teams out there for a dozen kicks. I can see a coach tellin his team dont run down field fulls speed just jog down and we’ll hit the TV’s over and over until the Cowboys cant run anymore. Jerry is settin his team up to be wiped by the time the opposition has to punt. I love it.
nice to see Goodell has the integrity to defend the game over politics & money /sarcasm.
this should definitely be a huge demerit on Goodell’s record IMO.
now it’s even easier to hate jerry jones & dallas, if that was possible…
One has to wonder if Jones is truly that against moving the board or if he simply doesn’t want the two million to come out of his pocket. If that is indeed the case, the league allowed the mistake to happen and are equally, if not more, liable. If that’s the case, the league likely should at least help pay for the movement of the board, perhaps even the full procedure.
If Jones truly is simply being bullheaded and digging in his heels, then… I hate to say it, but the league is likely preparing for the bigger battle (the CBA negotiations) and they are absolutely right to do so. The CBA is absolutely essential for pro football to continue being so successful. Otherwise the game will begin the steady but noticeable decent that’s dragged baseball from “America’s pasttime” to America’s past time. This is top priority, and while the hanging board certainly isn’t a small issue, it is one that can be readdressed down the road, once the new CBA is finalized and the future of the game is secure.
Look,
I’m a Steeler fan, hate the Cowboys and Jerruh!.
And I think that scoreboard is stupid. But fact is it’s above the minimum height requirement, and the league approved every aspect of that stadium design.
They can’t force him to pay to have it raised after all he went through. So they have to work around it, or change the rules next season to have it moved (and the League should have to pay for it.)
I really fail to see the ‘preferential treatment here. You can’t change the rules on the guy like this.
Everybody knows the league is so far up the ass of J.J. and Dallas that they need a tour guide and a map to find their way out. That’s why the NFL is alot like pro wrestling… it’s pretty much fixed so that the high profile teams like Dallas and the Steelers get every break possible.
The sad thing for Dallas is, despite all the preferential treatment, they have nothing to show for it as of late. At least the Steelers have some recent (as in within the past decade) playoff wins and Superbowl rings.
Yes, Dallas is the most hated team in all of sports (according to any number of polls)…
But, Dallas has a huge fan base. Fans that spend money, and lots of it, regardless of Dallas’ performance (zero playoff wins over the past decade or so) or Dallas’ identity (team full of thugs, pretty boys, and under achievers).
Money is good for the NFL, so the NFL will help teams that help them.
Clearly, it’s not based on success. The only team other than Dallas in the NFC that hasn’t won a playoff game over a longer stretch of time is the Detroit Lions. You don’t see the NFL doing any favors for the Lions. You don’t see the NFL promoting the Lions on every commercial. You don’t see the NFL giving the Lions a curiously high amount of Prime Time TV games.
So when Dallas wins games, fellow Dallas haters out there should just remember, it’s basically pro wrestling… you don’t get upset when Randy Orton beats Triple H because the outcome was already decided, so there is no sense getting upset when Dallas gets their wins either.
Of course, that makes it depressing for Dallas fans because they will get little joy out of any Dallas win… although I’m sure the vast majority of Dallas fans are blissfully in denial of the way the NFL has fixed the league in their favor.
Whah !! Whah !! All you Cowboy haters out there. It’s simple. The NFL made the rule for the height. Jerry followed the rule. So, now you think it’s Jerry’s fault. As for preferential treatment, the only other option is for the NFL to pay to have it moved.
I don’t think it’s preferential treatment; it’s simple economics. The NFL doesn’t want to pay for their mistake. It is THEIR mistake, not Jerry’s.
Keep on whining boys… want a little cheese with that whine ?
I’m not a Cowboys fan, so I have no reason to stick up for them, but I have to ask:
How is it preferential treatment if the board is higher than the minimum requirement? Doesn’t Jones already have them over a barrel because he’s in compliance and therefore doesn’t have to do anything? Or did I miss something?
“So if, in the opinion of the source, the low-hanging video board had been hanging low at any venue other than Cowboys Stadium, Heinz Field, or Gillette Stadium, the team who plays there would have been told that the thing has to be moved, period.”
And that surprises who?
This has become a joke. I mean a joke for the people complaining. It’s the biggest non-issue and the people that are cryin are people that have problems with life and are looking for a vent for their frustration.
Why is this news? Of course they get special treatment. Just like the Lakers, Red Sox and Yankees the league will do for them before they do for others because they bring in the money.
Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ! Wa-wa-wa-WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! Stop your crying and petition the owner of your team to build a state of the art venue.
Just wait until the first “do over” involving a Cowboy punter results in a punt return for a touchdown and the Cowgirls lose the game! Then you will see the rule changed and the scoreboard moved.
When you spend 1.2 billion on a new stadium you would think the league would have to work with you.
If I were Dan Snyder, I would demand my punter to hit that jumbo-tron over and over and over until the refs put the ball on the 20 yard line. If the punter misses, Snyder should cut him!
Punters would be stupid to hit that thing in a game and gass out your coverage team. That said, make it a 10 yard penalty against the kicking team too.
Gee……..yes and what OTHER team has the league allowed to schedule as their “homecoming” game as they did last year with the Ravens…….talk about preferencial treatment.
..nice to see the Ravens gave them a royal ass kicking…………
………
Steelers Super Bowl win against Seattle=Jerry Jones getting to keep his jumbo-tron
Sad to say, but one of my best friends is a Cowboys’ fan. As such, perhaps unsurprisingly, he was wondering if Roger Goodell could tell him what J.J.’s c**k tasted like.
Of course it goes without saying that’s only if he’s not too busy burning evidence of SuperBowl cheating to answer the question.
By the way, love the blog! Have you ever thought of trying Science Fiction as well? Just wondering.
Sincerely,
SlaveToBankers
Sure Jerry may have special powers that yield some preferential treatment, but if he was forced to move it after one single game punt the question becomes…how much higher?? Even with the best calcs, they would ant to keep it closest to the field.
For now he’s within the antiquated rules, so I suspect (hope) the league is taking a wait-and-see approach. I see no problem monitoring for one season, but acting quickly if it becomes a major problem in the first few weeks.
This is a ton of money being talked about, so maybe Jerry is just waiting for U2 who agreed to pay the $2M and then he will leave it elevated, or is the $2M to drop it to the ground and remove it temporarily?
Agreed 100% that the board should never result in a re-do that leads to a TD. The whole thing stinks but so does preseason when stars get injured for the year. That to me has far worse game-changing potential than a scoreboard.
Why not just penalize Jerry 10 yards per shtoink? Would be hilarious watching other teams try to hit it on purpose to get an interference call over and over.
It’s been rather obvious for years that the Pats, Steelers and Cowboys have got preferential treatment…….goodell rules with an iron fist over matters with other teams but is a pussy when it comes to the other three. A 10yr old kid would instantly know what to do with jerry jones precious scoreboard and it would be another 20 feet up jones ass!!!
If I was Jerry Jones I wouldnt of built the new stadium till those scrubs won a playoff game.. LOL 13yrs and counting!!!
There are teams that get this, but not sure how this is preferential treatment. Preferential treatment goes to the Giants, who recieved an extra home game because of Katrina, then haven’t had one taken away yet (London), yet the Saints have. Preferential treatment is destroying evidence of cheating (Patriots), then telling everyone nothing else happened. Dallas may get preferential treatment for other things, but still don’t know how this would be considered a home field advantage. If anything, it would be the other way around, since they have to deal with it 8 times a year.
This is not surprising. Roger Goodell is nothing more than a paper-tiger Commissioner. When it comes to player discipline, Mr. Goodell loves to trumpet his tough personal conduct policy as proof that he is a good Commissioner. It is easy for him to brag about this accomplishment because he is not disturbing the “power brokers” of the NFL by doing it. However, when it comes to dealing with team owners (and particularly team owners of the leagues more profitable and prestigious franchises) he folds like a cheap tent. Roger Goodell sold out the integrity of the game for the sake of keeping one the league’s most obnoxious and spoiled owners happy. Great sports commissioners like Kennisaw Landis or Pete Rozelle would be sickened by the poor leadership displayed by Roger Goodell. Landis and Rozelle made their legacies by standing against self-interested owners and makingt them see how important integrity is to the game and to the fans who pay lots of money to see those games. Regardless of what the NFL rules state regarding overhead obstacles in a playing venue, the integrity of the game should be the overriding concern – that is the very reason the NFL rules exist – to preserve the integrity of the game and to perpetuate fair play. In this case, Roger Goodell is using the rules as an excuse for circumventing the very principles the NFL rules are designed to protect and promote. Goodell is a piece of crap and a whore for Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, among others.
Funny… The Colts were able to figure it out…
“Hmm… When we put a beam 90 feet above the field and our punter is able to hit it consistently, maybe we should look to an alternative option!”
How come the Cowboys couldn’t?
“This is just a scoreboard but what happened to Bob Kraft and the beloved PATS when they were caught (with proof) that they had cheated their ASSES off to win a lot of games and possibly a few superbowl wins as well”
^^^^^
Go back to what you BIRDSFANS do best, obsessing over the Cowboys, giving standing ovations for a dog torturing felon (with proof) and trying to run your franchise’s most successful QB ever out of town.
No Super Bowl should be allowed to be played there until that ridiculous scoreboard is raised. Imagine a Super Bowl being decided by a punt return that came on a do over.
Who will be the first coach to figure out that if nobody’s open, the QB can just bounce one off the scoreboard for a free play?
That thing ruins the stadium anyway. It looks stupid. They should just take it down completely.
This rule will screw over the Vikings, making them re-do a punt that will get blocked in the closing seconds of a playoff game. Assuming that Vikes dont have home field advantage.
It’s not preferential treatment for the Cowboys. It’s the league’s way of avoiding the blame for this one. As many have already noted:
-the league set the 85 ft. rule
-the league approved the stadium plans
The burden is clearly on the league to fix the problem. But instead of doing that, they come up with this cockamamie “do-over” rule because they’re too embarrased to say “our bad.”
Maybe Jerry jones has his toung up Rogers Goodell. Like ive said many times on this site Jerry’s a skank. I would bet he has his nose and fingers as well.
I would probably characterize it as refusing to pile on rather than giving preferential treatment.
Mediocrity doesn’t invite favors, only mercy.
Dan Rooney (& Art) has been a pioneer for the NFL. Please save your conspiratorials on the Steelers. The issue with the scoreboard is the time of construction vs the start of the season. The entire has always had stadium issues. None are perfect. thats’s why we play in snow & rain, etc. Florio, dude please stop trying to cause MORE Eagle dissention & lay off Dan Rooney. He’s a great man. He believes in preferential treatment: see Rooney Rule. Maybe you can write about what the league was like before that.
It was placed five feet above the league minimum.
If it’s a problem in 2009, it will be raised.
End of story.
Wow, sounds like a boring story.
Guess they will have to change the name to the “Do-Over Dome.”
It won’t take long for teams (especially the home team) to figure out how to use this “do over” rule to their advantage. Nothing like having your punter boink one off the scoreboard to see if the return team tips its hand in any way.
This has nothing to do with the rest of us not rooting for or liking the Cowboys. In general I really don’t give a crap about what they do or what there season is looking like, since there in the NFC and my teams in the AFC, but plain and simple if this was in any field, ANY FIELD, myself and many other football fans, (like 94%, due 6% being Cowboys fans), would consider it moronic and just an asshole move to not move the damn thing. PERIOD! So stop complaining it’s just about people not like in the Cowboys because that really has no bearing on this issue what-so-ever.
it is actually quite simple. the league approved 85′. jerry hung it at 90′. who’s fault is that? seems like the league f’ed this one all the way to sunday.
Thought: What if a visiting coach hates the “do-over” rule and tries to make a point by telling the punter to hit the board over and over and over again. what would the NFL and refs do than?
the cowboys/jerry jones/NFL clearly F’d up on this one…they made a mistake and they need to correct it…they’re all responsible for this blunder and need to take responsiblity for the good of the game
just raise the thing or get rid of it altogether…it was a retarded idea to begin with…
Jerry followed the RULES of the NFL & he put it 5′ higher then what was called for. its really sad when espn/pft/cowboy haters want to report bs stories that arent accurate with no source. you can blame the NFL for its rules but you cant blame Jerry or Dallas for following them. besides if it was such a huge problem then why didnt someone complain 2 years ago when all this was approved by the NFL? this scroreboard will be a huge success to the fans of Americas Team & all the haters can find something else to whine about..
the real story is that the NFL would have millions of dollars in law suits if that scoreboard was moved especially after all the luxary suites have been sold & all the people that bought tickets just experience the game up close.
i am glad the NFL realized that the ignorant rookie was just trying to get some face time on TV & if that punt wouldnt have hit the scoreboard it would have went maybe 20 yards(you forgot to tell that part). it wont be an issue when games count & if another punter is more concerned about hitting the scoreboard more then getting a good punt off then he can deal with the gunners on the plane ride home. DO OVER!
the Cowboys must look really good this year i havent seen this much Cowboys love since the 3 superbowls in the 90s : )
Spent time at training camp 2 years ago in San Antonio. Found out it’s all about Jerry and his family. Every part of the Cowboys.
He should leave the Cowboys to those who know football and get to the business side of things.
That includes a stadium with nothing to alter the game. He isn’t bigger than the game itself.
Raise the board. The league did give it’s OK and should pay for it.
I am not a Cowboys fan, just trying to be fair!
Great article….nice that your premise falls flat on it’s face.
See, you fail to mention that the height of the scoreboard is actually higher than that of what’s required by league standards….nice dude….and i’m a skins fan
Sometimes preferential treatment is the best way to go – hey, life ain’t fair. The Rooneys are probably the best ownership group in the NFL. Why not cut some slack for them to keep them in the league? Makes sense. Look what happened when the ’49′ers had to change ownership. That hurt the team, the fans, and the whole league – playing SF used to be a big game.
Rules said the scoreboard had to be at least 85′, Jones made it 90. Compromise would seem to be that the league pays to raise it and Jones doesn’t complain about lines of vision, and the like.
Shane Lechler and Mike Scifres are going to pummel this thing.
If only they’d had Jerry’s plastic surgeon take a look at the plans – the scoreboard would have been pulled up three or four times already.
Cowboys get preferential treatment…how so…horse collar anyone??????
And in other news, putting your hand on a hot stove will burn you…
The Cowboys receive preferential treatment???
DUH!
cowboys fan defense for any criticism of their franchise:
“you’re just a hater”
Cowboys are waiting to have the league pay for the move of the scoreboard, preparation for the Superbowl. Might be a cya for the league, agree to pay for oversight of specs when approving the stadium.
For anyone saying kick it over and over and over…
No kicker can hit this thing consistently for too long. Eventually one passes untouched (allowing the Cowboys to return one against an unawares coverage unit) or it shanks.
Jerruh can only hope a team is stupid enough to keep trying this until they Eff up.
Try to get too cute, and you eventually get burnt.
And if a lost game like this results in missing the playoffs, or an HFA… a coach could fired over that.
These are individual billion dollar enterprises. Coaches aren’t going to play games.
“….# SlipperyPete says: August 28, 2009 2:33 PM
I really hope it comes back to bite Double J and the Cowboys in the butt sometime this year. Like in the playoffs. Cowboys punt and hit the scoreboard. Then punt again, have it blocked, and run back for a touchdown. …”
Can’t happen, you said so yourself;
“…Cowboys … in the playoffs”
How about the fact that the league has no say in it this season because THEY SIGNED OFF ON IT AND IT MEETS THEIR OWN RULES AND REGS?
Now early in the offseason they can ask that it be moved, but halfway through preseason when everyone already bought their tickets and the jumbotron can be called part of the selling feature, the last thing the league wants is to throw a kink into this.
Wouldn’t changing the rules now open the NFL up to possible litigation? I know I would be willing to sue the NFL since my season tickets now could be seen as less valuable because the screen that I was shown in my pre-sales tour would not actually be where I was told it would be when I agreed to purchase tickets.
OMG how dare they not require Jerry Jones to stay more “within the rules” than any other team owner?
“Hell, Rooney got a hiring minority rule named after him despite the fact that Al Davis hired a black guy to coach his team almost 30 years ago, and he hired a hispanic guy to coach his team almost 40 years ago. But the rule is called the Rooney Rule because Rooney hired a black coach in 2007??? LOL.. Give me a break.”
Here’s your break..the rule was named after Rooney since he was the face for getting the NFL to require minority interviewing, which came before Tomlin was hired. It wasn’t because he hired a black coach.
Get your facts straight.
Jerry Jones, the Cowboys, and the vast majority of the Cowboy fanbase…are a menace to society and a threat to civilization.
“The Rooneys would not have placed such an ugly monostrosity in their stadium. ”
Um excuse me? Two huge ketchup bottles are ok but a huge video board is not?
There are other teams that built an expensive stadium within league specifications, and ran into some other unforseen problem that were immeadiately forced to perform an expensive alteration to their facility?
Oh, huh, no there aren’t any. So how the hell do the Cowboys get preferential treatment for a UNIQUE situation?
I hope the author of this article doesn’t think of himself as a journalist. If he does, he should absolutely be ashamed. Sensationalizing gossip to try to create a controversy where there is none.
If I was another team, I’d put some kinda annoying “mothership” up in my stadium and lower it to 85 feet ONLY when the other team is punting. Then raise it up when my team is punting. That would send quite a message, wear out the other teams punt coverage team repeatedly.
Just because someone is a “great man” or a pioneer of the game doesn’t mean they should get special treatment. You still have fans in Jacksonville, Buffalo, Tennessee, Arizona, Houston who pay tens of thousands of dollars to see their team have a fair and equal shot. This shouldn’t be taken away because of their location.
“a Scoreboard hangs so low that the punters in the league have to alter the way they kick the ball because some old fossil with deep pockets wants super-ultra-mega-big screens for his precious new stadium that oh wait… no one wants to sponsor anyway.”
Yeah, the stadium already has a bunch of sponsors. Pony up $8 million bucks and you can get a banner in the stadium, too.
You expect plenty of Cowboys haters on this site, and Florio milks them for every penny their worth, but the level of stupidity amongst the haters on this subject is unbelievable. I’m betting most of them only ever visit this site for news, as they’re obviously blissfully unaware of most of the salient facts that Florio leaves out for effect (see sentence one). Even if this is an issue, and many believe it isn’t – it’s the NFL’s fault. End of story.
By the way, for the morons talking about punters frequently and intentionally hitting the board, that will result in an unsportsmanlike penalty.
Tim Biakabutuka says:
August 28, 2009 4:19 PM
cowboys fan defense for any criticism of their franchise:
“you’re just a hater”
When people tell you you’re team should be punished for following the rules, what other option is there you moron.
If I was another team, I’d put some kinda annoying “mothership” up in my stadium and lower it to 85 feet ONLY when the other team is punting. Then raise it up when my team is punting. That would send quite a message, wear out the other teams punt coverage team repeatedly, as well as forcing them to punt line drives for a better return for my team.
I agree that Dallas complied with the rules mandated by the league, and i also agree it should be raised to avoid potential BS that could occur…I think Jones is a douchebag, and i think the majority of NFL owners are nothing but money hungry douchebags, but this comparison of owners is funny, you don’t know these men, any profits they reap you sure as hell aren’t going to see, you act as if they are your uncle and you have to defend the family……..Ok, you are a fan of your team, and maybe you’ve had success, but you act as if they should be annointed for sainthood…….They are just good businessmen, and you think they gives a rats ass about anything but your money…….If they sell the team tomorrow, are you going to not room for your team?……I think stable sane ownership is good for any corporation, any success can be attributed to that, but to sit here like a 12 year old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert is kind of weird…..
Steelers, 49ers, Broncos fans let them hear your cry!
WE MUST PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE GAME!
I can imagine how fast you morons would spin if the Cowboys got caught cheating the salary cap, LIKE YOUR TEAMS DID.
Why am I not surprised that a Raiders fan immediately chimes in with the Pat Bowlen conspiracy theory?
That’s right, everyone is out to get Al Davis. That’s why your team sucks. Not, you know, because they don’t play football well.
There are only a few owners that Goodell would give “reacharounds “too
killachap says:
August 28, 2009 2:32 PM
“Our own suspicion is that the league bowed to Jerry Jones on this one because the league sensed that he was prepared to go to the mattresses in order to preserve his football cathedral as it was designed and envisioned.”
Or maybe the league decided, “hey we screwed the pooch on this one” because the NFL APPROVED the design before it was built. Why is this so hard for people to understand!?!?!!?
_________________________________
It really shouldn’t be that hard but there are over 100 replies after you said this. They still don’t get it.
COWBOYS RECEIVE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO FOLLOW THE RULES.
IT IS THE FREAKING RULES…THE RULES ARE THE RULES…RIGHT BARRISTER FLORIO ESQUIRE!!!
Ok this is already old. I’m not a Cowboy or Jones fan but they have done nothing wrong. Get over it. Also, all those that think this would have a different result if say the board was hung somewhere like ArrowHead Stadium…You are wrong…The decision would be exactly the same. Let’s move on to something more interesting or at least something that actually deserves an argument. Let’s talk some real football already.
HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!
How dare Jerry Jones build a stadium that more than fulfills league requirments and then lets the league cook in their own stew. The man is as crazy as any fox on the planet!
The publicity that came in wake of Jeff Fisher and his decision to punt into the board has sold out the stadium and the boy’s are on everyones mind. You can’t buy that kind of publicity!
This isn’t a story, the board is FIVE FEET ABOVE THE LEAGUE MINIMUM. I’m not a Cowboys fan but a fan of common sense.
Bottom line – the stupid board sucks and needs to be moved. Somebody do it.
“No kicker can hit this thing consistently for too long. Eventually one passes untouched (allowing the Cowboys to return one against an unawares coverage unit) or it shanks.”
Well, as I mentioned above, the Colts wanted to put a similar board in their new stadium. To test, they put a beam 85-90 feet in the air above the field.
Hunter Smith was able to peg that beam with consistency when punting the ball.
As a result, the Colts scrapped the idea and went with an alternative option.
Preferential treatment for certain winning teams? C’mon Mike. Next thing you know they’ll be saying that there is a bias against Al Davis and the Raiders by NFL referee’s and the media.
AH YES! The Raider card. Even better than the race card.
The NFL is basically becoming the NBA but without the fixed games….. yet.
—————————————-
Yet? Last I checked, Dawgkilla is playing for the Eagles this year. Oh, sorry. He technically can’t start throwing games until Week 6. My bad.
look, i dont like or dislike the cowboys, so this thing looks pretty clear to me.
the cowboys complied within parameters that were set by the nfl. end of story.
should the height thing be changed? well – the rule, or the tv screen? if you change it, are the cowboys grandfathered in? thats usually how it works in general because they were compliant with the old standard. the new standard would not usually be retroactive.
would this all be fair?
yes – and this is from a broncos fan trying to make like switzerland on the issue.
unless the cowboys want to change it, it shouldn’t be a forced change. it was an nfl oversight, and now they’ve got to deal with it. and they did. and no one but the cowboys like it. but its fair. who cares about the implications? they really seem negligible when you look at every play of every game being played this year.
best!!
=h=
For all you people who say that most punters cant or wont try to hit it, the titans ROOKIE kicker hit it 7 times in a row in warmups. This is a rookie that cant kick as hard or as far as half of the extablished kickers. 7 do-overs will do a number on the returning team. Im not sayin that Jerry should have to pay to have the board moved, i would say he followed the rules and the NFL should have to pay if they want it moved. All that i am sayin is most kickers in the league could hit it on a frequent basis and it could be a total disadvantage for the Cowboys, seeing as they have to play half their games there.
“Funny… The Colts were able to figure it out…
“Hmm… When we put a beam 90 feet above the field and our punter is able to hit it consistently, maybe we should look to an alternative option!”
How come the Cowboys couldn’t?”
HMMMMMM?!?
http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/08/mat-mcbriar-does-not-believe-the-board-i.html
“Indy president Bill Polian said Hunter Smith, who is now in Washington, hit a 90-foot bar inside the RCA Dome as the Colts pondered a center-hung board for their new stadium, but Smith said it never happened.”
Bill Polian = liar.
F-Dallas says:
August 28, 2009 3:15 PM
“But, Dallas has a huge fan base. Fans that spend money, and lots of it, regardless of Dallas’ performance (zero playoff wins over the past decade or so) or Dallas’ identity (team full of thugs, pretty boys, and under achievers).
Money is good for the NFL, so the NFL will help teams that help them.”
To paraphrase, a fool and his money….
“For all you people who say that most punters cant or wont try to hit it, the titans ROOKIE kicker hit it 7 times in a row in warmups.”
Right. Because he was trying to hit it. He admitted it. Move on.
Eventually somebody is going to get hurt with this thing because now instead of just watching for what’s happening on the field the officials will have to look up in the air to keep an eye on if the ball is hitting the video screen. Once players realize the officials aren’t able to look as closely there will be some cheap shots and with the speed and danger of special teams already high this will only add to it. At some point during the season it will be an issue.
Erik the Red says:
August 28, 2009 3:33 PM
“This is not surprising. Roger Goodell is nothing more than a paper-tiger Commissioner. When it comes to player discipline, Mr. Goodell loves to trumpet his tough personal conduct policy as proof that he is a good Commissioner. It is easy for him to brag about this accomplishment because he is not disturbing the “power brokers” of the NFL by doing it. However, when it comes to dealing with team owners (and particularly team owners of the leagues more profitable and prestigious franchises) he folds like a cheap tent. Roger Goodell sold out the integrity of the game for the sake of keeping one the league’s most obnoxious and spoiled owners happy. Great sports commissioners like Kennisaw Landis or Pete Rozelle would be sickened by the poor leadership displayed by Roger Goodell. Landis and Rozelle made their legacies by standing against self-interested owners and makingt them see how important integrity is to the game and to the fans who pay lots of money to see those games. Regardless of what the NFL rules state regarding overhead obstacles in a playing venue, the integrity of the game should be the overriding concern – that is the very reason the NFL rules exist – to preserve the integrity of the game and to perpetuate fair play. In this case, Roger Goodell is using the rules as an excuse for circumventing the very principles the NFL rules are designed to protect and promote. Goodell is a piece of crap and a whore for Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft, among others.”
Couldn’t agree more. Goodell has shown his idea of “integrity for the game” only exists for the amount of money it brings in, not the game it’s self. See M. Vick punishment.
BFD – Jerry just wants to keep people talking about Dallas & the Cowtoys by any means necessary, since his teams’ on field deeds can’t get it done.
[yaaawn]
beating this to death….by the rules, yes. Much thought put into the blueprint or circumstances, No.
Vox and the rest of the boys fans who say it won’t affect the integrity of the game justify the rest of the NFL fans when they say boys fans are the dumbest in the league.
“…Strider says:
August 28, 2009 5:49 PM
HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!
The publicity that came in wake of Jeff Fisher and his decision to punt into the board has sold out the stadium and the boy’s are on everyones mind. You can’t buy that kind of publicity!…”
You can have your publicity.
We’ll keep our six Lombardis.
So, let’s see. There is one set of rules for the Cowboys etc and one for everyone else. The proof? Why, it’s the fact that the league didn’t invent a new rule to punish Jerry for following the rules, of course. It makes perfect sense!
Ridiculous, disgusting
What a bunch of garbage! The Cowboys haters just HAVE to have something to whine about!
If you want to be mad at somebody, be mad at Goodell and the league office. NOT because of “perceived” preferential treatment, but for making not making the height requirement higher than 85. feet.
And for ALL of you whiners out there complaining about the “eyesore” video board, I GUARANTEE you….if it were in YOUR stadium, you would LOVE IT!! It is extremely cool! I love the Cowboys, but I am not a fan of Jerry Jones. However, in this case, he’s 100% within his rights. Oh…and to the guy who only read part of the story about raising the videoboard for concerts, yes….they can raise the board BUT, it is inoperative when they do!!
For them to raise the board for display will cost roughly $2 million dollars. And the bill to do that would belong to the NFL and the NFL alone. Get over it, whiners!!
swervinmervin said Rooney incorrectly was given credit for Rooney Rule despite Al Davis hiring a black man and a Latino man decades prior. This is not accurate on several fronts, most notably the fact that he was given credit for that two or three years BEFORE Mike Tomlin was hired as coach and that the Rooney Rule applies only to INTERVIEWING opportunities for minorities from coaching staff to front office, where there is a glaring and ridiculous lack of employees despite 65% of the league’s players being black.
Sometimes, ignorance is NOT bliss.
The league gave in because they did not have a leg to stand on. They approved the height. If I am traveling 60 miles per hour on a road with a speed limit posted at 60, I can not get a ticket for speeding just because the Department of Transportation changes their mind. In no way should Jerry Jones be required to raise the TV. If they want it to be moved, change the rule to 100 feet, and next year the league will pay to have it raised.
And I do think that some teams get preferential treatment. They are the ones that bring in the most revenue. Fair or not, thats life. As a business owner I am more likely to allow a great employee more slack than one who contributes little. In life, there are winners and losers. The Cowboys, Steelers and the Pats are winners. They are the money makers of the league whether they win on the field or not.
Ifyou don’t like you don’t have to watch otherwise realise like the NFL that every new stadium has issues in the first season.
Things that look good on paper don’t always work in real life. I’m sure part of what went into their thought process is the time that it would take to move the screen. It may not be something that can be done in a week or two it may take a month plus the time to have enginers redisign how its hung so that it doesn’t fall. This is a large heavy object and you may not be able to just hoist it up a little higher. The leage relised that nothing can be done until after the season and I would not be surprised if its anounced that Jones is having it raised once the season is over.
Please have the ball hit the board on the first punt, I want a good laugh.
You gotta love all the publicity this video board incident is giving the Cowboys. Its better than the publicity they got for bringing in a speed reciever, Bob Hayes or bringing back the shotgun formation to give the QB a longer passing window. Now all teams use these proven winners. Just like they will install giant video boards in their stadiums soon. Just make sure the NFL likes your team or you had better install yours is 125 feet high because you don’t have the clout the Cowboys have. Just the way it is in America – All teams are not created or treated equally! Deal with it!
Well, the “do over” rule will probably settle the controvery over the video board. If the punter kicks straight up & DOES NOT HIT THE VIDEO BOARD then the ball will be put into play at the spot it comes down…… even if traveled on a few feet.
I think it only fair that the video board should be lowered to 85′ 1″ to give the punter a better shot at hitting the board.
I also believe that Green Bay and Chicago should be required to put a dome over their stadiums, because of snow,ice and extreme cold weather (Ice Bowl) & Seattle needs to have an umbrella over their stadium because of rain.
If the NFL requires the Cowboys to raise their board to 120′ then all teams would have to obey the same rule…. problem is that some stadiums are not much over 100′, moving all overhead obstructions (cameras, guy wires) to comply with the 100′ rule might cause a hardship on some teams.
Why was this video board installed without a way to move it? It should have been designed and installed with some system to raise and lower it.
This stadium is like a 1970′s Chevy. Lots of shiny chrome to mask the shortcomings. Jerry should name it the “Ego Dome”.
“Just the way it is in America – All teams are not created or treated equally! Deal with it!”
Yeah, some teams can get into the playoffs, and actually win a game in them. The Cowboys just have to learn, life’s not fair.
Yea, Jackal138, life’s not fair, them Cowboys having 5 SuperBowl victories.
Daglo says:
August 28, 2009 6:39 PM
For all you people who say that most punters cant or wont try to hit it, the titans ROOKIE kicker hit it 7 times in a row in warmups. This is a rookie that cant kick as hard or as far as half of the extablished kickers. 7 do-overs will do a number on the returning team. Im not sayin that Jerry should have to pay to have the board moved, i would say he followed the rules and the NFL should have to pay if they want it moved. All that i am sayin is most kickers in the league could hit it on a frequent basis and it could be a total disadvantage for the Cowboys, seeing as they have to play half their games there.
You said it yourself…ROOKIE! If you look today, the Titans CUT him. I guess he didn’t understand the importance of directional kicking in today’s NFL. One rookie kicker hits the board because he was trying to and this is an issue? Did any of you see how often the board was hit during the San Fran preseason game?? Oh yeah, it wasn’t hit!
The truth of the matter is this. The Cowboys, Steelers, and more recently the Pats are successful. When somebody is successful, people envy them, and form degrees of jealously. There is not a player, coach, or fan in the country that wouldn’t love for their owner to build a stadium like this for their favorite team. I personally visited the stadium a couple times, and I get chills each time I pass it. No matter who it was built for, it is still the premier sports venue in the entire WORLD, and anyone that visits it will admire it as so. Look at the interviews with Titan and 49er players after their preseason games, they were all amazed! The accomodations for players and fans is unmatched. The man that hates Jerry more than any of the rest of us, Jimmy Johnson, says this… “It is so dominating, but I think it’s so cool. I think it’s great.”
Shallow people really need to look at a situation as a whole before they judge it. Goodell said the rule will be evaluated after the 2009, and the height may be adjusted then. The fact is that a $40 million, worlds largest 1080P video monitor was hung up according to NFL league specifications, and it costs money to move it. Moving it does a number of things that impact the original design plans. Several things will be affected, including viewing angles, acoustics, and lets not forget the physics of an arc designed to hold a 170,000 lbs. monitor at 90 feet are slightly different than those of an arc designed to hold said monitor at 100 ft. I’m sure some of this won’t be a big deal, but it’s not a matter of simply raising it and being done with, it’s a matter of creating the greatest football watching experience, and being safe about it.
It’s ok to be loyal to your team, and hate your rivals, but people need to think logically and stop letting hate and jealousy cloud the facts…
Look, I hate the stinkin’ Dallas Cowpies, and I think the NFL does take every opportunity to kiss Jerry Jones’ a**, but this really isn’t his fault.
(However, LOL @ the poster above calling him a “smarmy peacock dipshit”!)
The NFL’s rule was met and exceeded. That’s not the Cowpies’ fault.
The Redskins are the most profitable team in the NFL, and are the 2nd highest valued team behind the Cowboys – only after Dallas’ new stadium. Now, the Forbes link I pasted here is from ’06, but if you look on Google you will see the ‘Skins have been #1 for a long, long time.
The only preferrential treatment the Redskins receive is they get to keep their name. And they haven’t won jack s*** in almost 20 years. And the Bucs are the only top 8 team with a Superbowl win this decade! So I really don’t think, as much as I dislike the Cowboys, this has anything to do with preferential treatment.
This clearly is a case of the league having approved the stadium design and now having to suffer from the results of their attention deficit disorder.
“They got a slap on the wrist for it. Just like Belicheck got for cheating. ”
Sorry, but you’re just being a hater there pal. Belichick personally was fined a Half a Million, the Patriots another huge chunk of change…
I believe a 1st round pick was also forfeited…
Not exactly a slap on the wrist.
Retief says: September 3, 2009 12:34 PM
Yea, Jackal138, life’s not fair, them Cowboys having 5 SuperBowl victori
———-
It’s really not fair that a whole fan base is forced to hold on so tightly to the past.
I mean, those rings were over a decade ago. People were listening to Prince and Madonna’s new albums and wondering if Bill Clinton really had sexual relations with that woman!
It’s not fair that JJ makes you whine and pine so hard about something that happened so long ago. I mean, how are the biggest d-bag fans in the NFL supposed to stay that way without a recent ring to brag about!? It’s just not fair!
“I mean, how are the biggest d-bag fans in the NFL supposed to stay that way without a recent ring to brag about!?”
I don’t know but eagles fans manage it pretty well.
it’s so obvious the cowboys get whatever they want. This way in his mind, JJ thinks he’ll psyche out opposing punters and have an advantage.
Meanwhile, i am wondering what my man danny snyder will do to top this one at fedex field. Maybe hire shanahan and draft sam bradford………..and put up a big new jumbotron so haynesworth will fit on the screen………………..
Next are people going to start telling me it’s too cold and unfair for other teams to play at Lambeau in the winter?? Or that the Denver Bronco’s stadium doesn’t meet NFL maximum altitude restrictions??
It’s football people, grows some balls.
This is the dumbest topic to argue over. It’s easy to speculate either way. Any idiot can speculate all he wants about what is going to happen next. Not much has actually even happened.
Personally, I don’t want to hear one more thing about this stupid over-sized screen. Come talk to me about real football news.
Given that the clock likely runs during the play, you could in theory take time off the clock by hitting it multiple times. It’s perhaps a bit of a stretch but if there are only a few seconds left it would be a decent idea … though it’s risky. You could take the time off the clock and then run a play instead of punting to take the remaining time off the clock.
The league definitely bowed down to JJ with the scoreboard thing to begin with. The League officially said that there was no discussions with JJ. They felt that the old rule, 125 ft high, was too high so they changed it. Sounds reasonable up until they say that they just picked another number that seemed better. That number was 85 ft and that is where they lose me and common sense. Why go from 125 to 85. 100 is a nice number and 75 is a good number. They went with 85 and what do you know, total coincidence by the Cowboys have a 90ft score board and it used to have signs hanging down to 85ft. Coincidence, my rear-end. Jerry’s designers told the league what the optimal height was and the league changed the rule to make Jerry happy.
Citizen Strange says:
August 28, 2009 2:32 PM
“The logical solution would be for Jerry Jones to sell the naming rights for Cowboy Stadium to Preparation H and hope that they would be able to do something to shrink that humongous hemorrhoid hanging from the ceiling.”
Not that was funny!!!!!!! lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well after watching the Cowboys lose to the Giants in their fantastic, absolutely incredible new stadium all I could say was what the hell Romo…do you miss Jessica or did you have jock itch…you are no longer entitled to rookie mistakes…and with Bushole watching…