My Day At Texas Stadium

Discussion in 'In The Stands' started by LonghornLawyer, Jan 14, 2008.

  1. LonghornLawyer

    LonghornLawyer 500+ Posts

    So I don't go to Texas Stadium very often, but the GIANTS playing their first playoff game ever against the Cowboys was worth it to me to get out of the darkened bar and take my New York native fiancee out there. My family used to have season tickets back in the pre-Barry days, but I haven't gone to a lot of Cowboys games since. And there have been plenty of changes in the past decade, making for one of the most bizarre game presentations in sports. Just a few thoughts:Parking is an absolute nightmare: So LonghornLawyerette and I head out from the house in Lakewood around 1:45--plenty of time to get to the Corral and have a pre-game beer or two. Or so we thought. We hit the backup on 183 at around 2:10 and stop. And stay stopped. 2:30 comes and goes, and I've moved about 100 feet. But I figure it's still an hour til kickoff, I'm just kicking myself for not packing a few beers for the ride. At around 2:45, the social order breaks down entirely, with SUV's driving by on the median and people desperately jockeying for position in a grand bottleneck. And I'm not talking about one or two people--I'm talking about everyone taking turns shooting around the shoulder and median. So, figuring that the social contract between drivers had been irreparably broken, I took LonghornLawyerette's Volvo on a nice off-roading experience, bypassing everyone else, until I whip onto 114 and shoot by everyone on 114 to get into the Red/Cash parking lot.I must say, I'm not proud of my actions, and I certainly understand that everyone still sitting in line was pissed. But as it was, we got into the parking lot at 3:20 and barely made it to our seats in time for kickoff. And anyway, I still needed to buy tickets, which brings me to . . .The scalpers couldn't give their tickets away: That's actually what one scalper said to another as we were walking into the stadium. There were literally hundreds if not thousands of tickets available, and almost no buyers. When I put up two fingers, I was swarmed. I had a wad of cash, and by God, I was going to spend it. So we found the best seats we could and paid $150 apiece for them--$30 below the $181 face value. Great seats to: Section 27, row 34--right at the 47 yard line.

    Now think about this--these are some of the best seats in the stadium. These are the seats for which Jerry expects people to shell out $100,000 per seat for a PSL in JerryWorld. And I could walk up moments before a playoff game and get them for less than face. And that's been my consistent experience on the few occasions I go out there. So it occurs to me--why in the hell would you ever have Cowboys season tickets?

    The Cowboys Cheerleaders are hot:
    That is to say, they're hotter than I remember them being. I wonder if they've made some minor alterations to the uniform over the past decade, or whether they've just changed their criteria to get more, shall we say, endowed cheerleaders. But whatever--it's working.

    That place was loud:
    I always remember it being a somewhat sedate crowd. But perhaps it was the fact that it was a playoff game, but that was one of the loudest crowds I've ever been a part of--maybe as loud as Ohio State. At night. In the 'Shoe.

    George Dunham sucks as a PA announcer:
    Truly--he's the worst PA announcer I've ever witnessed, taking the spot on my list away from the UCF announcer. He's constantly doing voices, which are neither funny nor particularly good. And he's often off on the down and distance call. He just sucks.

    That is an odd game presentation:
    From the guys in white shirts and tight jeans running around with white Cowboy flags to the musical selection, which was seemingly either gangsta rap or country with no in between, it's an odd game presentation.

    The strangest thing is that every damned thing is sponsored--and I mean everything. Even the back of the "Dallas" and "Cowboys" signs that they used before the game to get a stadium chant going (the signs are helpfully sponsored by Papa John's Pizza--call now to have your Papa John's pizza delivered fresh when you get home from the game).

    The Corral was packed after the game:
    I just find this odd, because if my team had lost, I wouldn't have been able to get out of there fast enough. Just strange.

    Cowboy fans are pretty cool:
    All of the ribbing I got was good natured--nothing terribly ugly like what you will get in Philadelphia or Ohio State. I do hate the Cowboys, but it's kind of tough to hate their fans.
     
  2. TrashMaster G

    TrashMaster G 250+ Posts


     
  3. Nuclear Bear

    Nuclear Bear 1,000+ Posts


     
  4. Bobby_Bouche

    Bobby_Bouche < 25 Posts

    The couple of times I've been to a Cowboys game the parking experience was bad enough to put a damper on the whole trip. The one huge line forms and the cash lots are at the very back. Took us about 3 hours to navigate it and we missed the first quarter the first time I went. Amazing to me you don't see a noticeable portion of the crowd missing at opening kickoff. Maybe I'm just not smart enough to figure it out but Reliant in Houston is so much better. Hopefully the new Cowboys Stadium will have a better system.
     
  5. LonghornLawyer

    LonghornLawyer 500+ Posts


     
  6. win1

    win1 25+ Posts

    I grew up over in Lakewood and went to many of the Cowboy games in Irving. We'd leave one hour prior to kickoff. We'd cruise in, hit the bottleneck to get in, but still be in our seats 20 mins before kickoff.
     
  7. bluto

    bluto 500+ Posts

    not trying to thread ****, but DAMN that sounds like a beating. I have been to one or two cowboys games and the only reasons were free tix, freeze booze, and i didn't have to drive. you NFL fans are some real troopers to put up with that bs. (as if Tx gamedays are a cakewalk these days)
     
  8. ThrowittoRoy

    ThrowittoRoy 100+ Posts


     
  9. UT-69745551

    UT-69745551 250+ Posts


     
  10. LonghornLawyer

    LonghornLawyer 500+ Posts


     
  11. Lone Star

    Lone Star 500+ Posts

    If you think Texas Stadium is bad, JerryWorld is going to amplify the beating. Texas Stadium is at least served by three freeways (183, 114, and Loop 12/Spur 244). So you can always drive past the exit and circle back.

    JerryWorld is about 1 mile south of IH-30 – so to access the lots you will need to exit IH-30 and travel on Cooper to the JerryWorld lots. IH20 up on Cooper is a LONG way. Park at the Ballpark? Then you are walking at least a mile.

    We have 45 yardline seats at the Cowboy games and are not going to pay the extortion on a 30 year seat license. You can scalp in easy, especially when they up the seats to 85,000+.
     
  12. Nuclear Bear

    Nuclear Bear 1,000+ Posts


     
  13. notanative

    notanative 1,000+ Posts


     
  14. Nuclear Bear

    Nuclear Bear 1,000+ Posts


     
  15. dfw75201

    dfw75201 250+ Posts

    Sunday was also my first trip to Texas Stadium in 10+ years. I landed free tickets the morning of the game, so I didn't have really good plans.

    We went up Loop 12 at about 2:00 and breezed in to cash parking. We were at the gate in plenty of time to stop by the coral and then get to our seats. First comment: the stadium is a dump. I understand it is being replaced but that does not excuse their not having people attending to bathrooms to deal with backed up toilets and sinks. Complete lack of customer service.

    After the game, getting out of cash parking was as big of a clusterfuck as I can remember. We were silly enough to think that getting out was going to be as easy (or close to as easy) as getting in. We sat in our spot for over an hour before we began to inch out. A few parking attendants could have made all the difference, but again, no customer service.

    The new stadium may be beautiful, but unless they WANT to make the experience good for the fans, it will continue to suck and I will continue to not go (knowing full well that Jerry doesn't give a **** and doesn't need my money)
     
  16. LonghornLawyer

    LonghornLawyer 500+ Posts


     
  17. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts


     
  18. Horn9497

    Horn9497 100+ Posts

    Cowboys games are relatively easy to get into. First, get blue parking. That is far more important than game tickets. Second is to avoid the lines for cash parking or the red lots. People get a bit annoyed that you are using the median to avoid the lines but you aren't going to the same lots they are so it really doesn't matter to them. As for leaving, either bust your *** to get to your car and out immediately after the game (a lot easier with blue parking) or spend an hour in the corral and relax for a bit and then go. Blue parking is the key, however. Spend your $50 in advance for that (they sell passes on stub hub and the like).
     
  19. UTEE

    UTEE 1,000+ Posts

    I've tailgated before and after Cowboy games I've attended, so no problems with traffic.
     
  20. LonghornLawyer

    LonghornLawyer 500+ Posts

    The scalpers were getting more for blue parking than they were for tickets. They were asking $150 for a blue parking pass, and you could easily pick up lower bowl seats for less than that.
     
  21. THEU

    THEU 2,500+ Posts

    Longhorn Lawyer is right about many 'back ways' into Jerryworld in Arlington. I will assume there will be decent access off of SH360 from the East as well as from I30. I can already think of an easy way to get to the new stadium via, SH360 AND also coming up Collins from I20. There is also the possibility of coming Randal Mill.

    Also, I don't think Six Flags is going to hate it. I could very well be wrong, but I thought Six Flags was open Friday and Saturday on the fall weekends as well as Sunday. Sunday I am going to assume is much slower than Saturdays, and the fall is NOT where they make their big money anyway. You are talking 8 home games (plus any home playoff games) that would coincide with 8 pretty slow Six Flags business days.
    Walking from The Ballpark parking is NOT far.

    And yes the parking situation is horrible as it is now.
     
  22. evolujohn

    evolujohn 100+ Posts

    I agree - They are hot!

    [​IMG]
    Starr Spangler - my daddy named me...
     
  23. Luke Duke

    Luke Duke 1,000+ Posts

    Yes there is a back way into Texas Stadium.

    I know that it is too late for this info, but here is the best way to get in and out of Texas Stadium. Parking on Northgate is free and, probably, closer than some of the official lots. I'll bet that someone could get from the 635/I-35 intersection to inside the stadium in 30-45 minutes.
     
  24. Lone Star

    Lone Star 500+ Posts


     
  25. THEU

    THEU 2,500+ Posts

    Lone Star, I haven't have a problem leaving Rangers games. I generally park just south of the stadium and head on over to Division. Takes me maybe 15 minutes to be out of all traffic.
    Last time I went to a Cowboys game it took us over 2 hours to get out of the parking lot!
     

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