Just Move the Video Board Already

We all know how this is going to end. Roger Goodell is going to tell Jerry Jones in the very near future that the video board will have to be raised 10-20 feet before the start of the season. He may have privately already told him to do it, but I have to believe that Jerry is fully aware that the board will have to be raised.

I think I know why Jerry Jones is being difficult. $2 million doesn't sound like much to fix the problem when you look at the overall cost of the new stadium. I know I don't like to spend money when I don't have to...especially when I don't think I should be the one paying. Since the NFL reviewed and approved the stadium plans they are at least partially at fault for the problem that the Cowboys now face. If I have to guess I would think that the cost will be shared between the team and the Cowboys.

The "do-over" rule for dealing with a punt hitting the board is the only fair solution but it raises way too many issues to be a viable option. I'm sure at some point in the very near future the board will be raised and the media frenzy over the board can die down. Maybe at that point people will begin to understand and appreciate what an amazing stadium that Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have created for the league.

Hey, it wouldn't be the Dallas Cowboys if something that should be a minor fix isn't blown out of proportion and made into national headlines and a SportsCenter lead. How 'bout them Cowboys!

Update: In a shocking decision, Roger Goodell has decided against requiring the Cowboys to raise the video board. I don't agree with that decision, and I hope that this doesn't become a bigger issue down the road.

The New Home Will Be Cowboys Stadium

At least for now. I honestly don't care what the name is right now because I know it will be changing soon anyway. The only reason I even mention the name here is because there are so many people who seem to be upset about the name choice. Some think Jerry Jones is being greedy by not making a deal now for the naming rights. Some people think the temporary name should have more meaning. I actually think Jerry is doing the best thing he can do right now to maximize his revenue from the new stadium and to keep more people from hating him.

Would you make a deal for say $25 million over 20 years if you knew that by waiting a year or two you could make $50 million over 20 years? You have to put yourself in the shoes of Jerry Jones to really answer that question because I'm sure Jerry Jones has all the money he needs to maintain his lifestyle indefinitely. So he can wait for the best deal to come to him as soon as the big corporations start offering him big money when the economy improves. If you look at it that way, he is making the smart choice financially.

Now let's think about what would happen if the temporary name was meaningful. Like maybe Tom Landry Stadium. How mad would some people get if the name was Tom Landry Stadium and then two years from now Jerry had a press conference to announce that that name was changing to AT&T Stadium or Capital One Stadium? There would be some people seriously upset about something like that going down. That is exactly why you choose a name that is completely nondescript and forgettable.