Texas - OU Cotton Bowl Contract Renewed Through 2036

[Lidig8r 1,873]

26 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Jerryworld is nice but I absolutely hate getting in and out of there and Arlington sucks shit. I have no interest in their fake Live whatever chain restaurant gimmick. What pisses me off is all the money they keep pumping into the Cotton Bowl for one fucking game. They should have just passed the tax and built Jerryworld there. Not only OU-Texas but Dallas Cowboys at the state fair. I lived in Dallas at the time and voted for it, when it failed the city started to lose its luster for me when deciding whether to stay there for work or move to a smaller market. Fuck Jerry Jones either way.

First, it is Texas - ou.

Second, the Deathstar is an abomination symbolizing all that is evil and unholy about pro sports and reflects the narcissistic hubris of a Jed Clampettian family.

It is soulless, and is the antithesis of what one of the greatest college football rivalries epitomizes. Texas - ou is raw emotion, hatred, joy, laughter, tears. It is uncomfortable and subject to the elements. It is college bands, crappy State Fair foods, it is a hillbilly band playing its insipid two word fight song ad nauseum. It IS history and tradition. The Deathstar is nouveau turdition, it is fake, it is plastic, it is everything that cheapens not just college football, but life itself.

Edited March 26 by Lidig8r
cuz I caint spel

[Frank Drebin 5,643]

An NFL stadium but at the Fair Grounds instead of Arlington would suck too. 

[Longboard Horn 40,330]

47 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Jerryworld is nice but I absolutely hate getting in and out of there and Arlington sucks shit. I have no interest in their fake Live whatever chain restaurant gimmick. What pisses me off is all the money they keep pumping into the Cotton Bowl for one fucking game. They should have just passed the tax and built Jerryworld there. Not only OU-Texas but Dallas Cowboys at the state fair. I lived in Dallas at the time and voted for it, when it failed the city started to lose its luster for me when deciding whether to stay there for work or move to a smaller market. Fuck Jerry Jones either way.

Jerryworld is not a college football venue. Hell when we played OU there in the rematch for the Big 12 championship in 2018 it didn't have that classic Red River rivalry feel. It felt like a glorified pro game. 

One game at the Cotton Bowl? Let me tell you about soccer.... whenever CONCACAF has a Leagues Cup, Nations League or Gold Cup match there a good amount of the stadium fills up. 

[Longboard Horn 40,330]

14 minutes ago, Frank Drebin said:

An NFL stadium but at the Fair Grounds instead of Arlington would suck too. 

THIS! The fairgrounds would charge like $60 minimum to park probably. Not to mention how expensive beer and other concessions would be.  

[mdmost 43,004]

1 hour ago, 'stache said:

Jerryworld is nice but I absolutely hate getting in and out of there and Arlington sucks shit. I have no interest in their fake Live whatever chain restaurant gimmick. What pisses me off is all the money they keep pumping into the Cotton Bowl for one fucking game. They should have just passed the tax and built Jerryworld there. Not only OU-Texas but Dallas Cowboys at the state fair. I lived in Dallas at the time and voted for it, when it failed the city started to lose its luster for me when deciding whether to stay there for work or move to a smaller market. Fuck Jerry Jones either way.

So you lived here and voted for something that actually was never put up for a vote because the Dallas County commissioners didn't want it added to the November ballot and risk Dallas voters voting straight party at the time and voting them out of office? It didn't fail, Jerry walked away because the best deal he could get was with Arlington. Arlington gave him whatever he wanted like all the parking revenue and he used Dallas to get exactly that. 

And it's funny you're upset about something a city you don't even live in chooses to spend money on for two teams you don't even go to games for. Never mind this was part of a larger bond to fix up the entirety of Fair Park, not just the Cotton Bowl. So it's not just the City spending money on one stadium for one game a year. 

Edited March 26 by mdmost

[DigglerontheHoof 21,202]

texzilla seems like he sucks. 

[TrashMaster G 17,559]

1 hour ago, 'stache said:

Jerryworld is nice but I absolutely hate getting in and out of there and Arlington sucks shit. I have no interest in their fake Live whatever chain restaurant gimmick. What pisses me off is all the money they keep pumping into the Cotton Bowl for one fucking game. They should have just passed the tax and built Jerryworld there. Not only OU-Texas but Dallas Cowboys at the state fair. I lived in Dallas at the time and voted for it, when it failed the city started to lose its luster for me when deciding whether to stay there for work or move to a smaller market. Fuck Jerry Jones either way.

Somebody didn't enjoy their visit to JerryWorld in December.

[closetojumping 62,744]

1 hour ago, 'stache said:

Jerryworld is nice but I absolutely hate getting in and out of there and Arlington sucks shit. I have no interest in their fake Live whatever chain restaurant gimmick. What pisses me off is all the money they keep pumping into the Cotton Bowl for one fucking game. They should have just passed the tax and built Jerryworld there. Not only OU-Texas but Dallas Cowboys at the state fair. I lived in Dallas at the time and voted for it, when it failed the city started to lose its luster for me when deciding whether to stay there for work or move to a smaller market. Fuck Jerry Jones either way.

Hahahahaha. What the fuck? I'm always kind of stunned when I see your posts and there are so many words. It must take forever with the use of only one hand, since the other one appears to be clutching your pearls at all times. 

[Vic Mackey 47,080]

Jerryworld is not a college football venue. Hell when we played OU there in the rematch for the Big 12 championship in 2018 it didn't have that classic Red River rivalry feel. It felt like a glorified pro game. 
One game at the Cotton Bowl? Let me tell you about soccer.... whenever CONCACAF has a Leagues Cup, Nations League or Gold Cup match there a good amount of the stadium fills up. 

Jerry World is a terrible environment for high school and college. Texas Stadium was much better.

[DigglerontheHoof 21,202]

NFL games suck there too. Jerry World just flat-out sucks. 

[Vic Mackey 47,080]

5 minutes ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

NFL games suck there too. Jerry World just flat-out sucks. 

Agreed. Unfortunately, most the new stadiums seem to be built this way. Huge and lifeless. And they all look the same. Bland and boring. No personality at all like the old stadiums.

Jerry built that stadium with much more in mind than the Cowboys. They host events year around, concerts, other sports events, the list is long. I can't imagine watching a concert in there and sitting up beyond the 2nd level.

If you are in the 3rd and 4th level, you are getting way up there and that monstrosity of a video board is at your eye level so you have to train your eyes not to look at it and look down at the field. But the view might be better on the screen with how high you are up. You feel so far away in the seats for these games and events.

Also, fuck Jerry and his hillbilly family. 

['stache 21,818]

36 minutes ago, TrashMaster G said:

Somebody didn't enjoy their visit to JerryWorld in December.

I haven’t been since the 2013 Cotton Bowl. Equally disappointing.

[Ghost of LL 15,539]

1 hour ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

NFL games suck there too. Jerry World just flat-out sucks. 

That stadium is now 15 years old.  As in, it's halfway through its anticipated life.  And when you look at the newer stadiums (e.g., SoFi), it looks dated.

Point being--don't expect this game to go to Jerryworld ever now that it is sewn up at the Cotton Bowl through 2036.  In 2036, Jerryworld is going to be 27 years old and Stephen is going to be actively seeking a site for a new stadium.

[mdmost 43,004]

Info about the renovations which kicked off today.

Cotton Bowl Stadium to undergo largest renovation in its 84-years. What's changing?

Renovations are scheduled to be completed at the 84-year-old stadium by the start of the 2025 State Fair of Texas

By Alanna Quillen • Published March 28, 2024 • Updated on March 28, 2024 at 10:56 am

 

NBC Universal, Inc.

The renovations are scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2025 State Fair of Texas. NBC 5’s Alanna Quillen has the details.

On Thursday, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and Fair Park First will soon begin the most comprehensive renovation of the legendary Cotton Bowl Stadium.

The groundbreaking marks the beginning of a two-year, $140-million project to upgrade the historic 84-year-old venue. The project is part of the largest financial investment in Fair Park during the 137-year history of the fairgrounds.

According to city officials, the project aims to preserve the legacy and heritage of the landmark stadium, while establishing its future as the incomparable outdoor venue in Texas.

"You know, it's one of the signature elements, in my opinion, in the entire city -- the iconic Cotton Bowl," said Ryan O'Connor, Assistant Director of Partnership & Strategic Initiatives for Dallas Park & Recreation. "So it's important that we continue to treasure it, invest in it and to make sure it's got a great future."

The highly anticipated renovations focus on enhancements to the visitor experience including:

• The addition of 14 new escalators
• Construction of new multi-story entries at the two west entrance gates
• The upper west concourse will be increased to three times the current square footage and include two outdoor terraces with views of downtown Dallas.
• The main concourse on the west side of the stadium will be doubled in size, featuring new art deco artwork to augment the venue’s classic style.
• Restrooms and concession stands will get a makeover and more will be added
• Creation of new premium seating environments and a newly expanded press area in the South endzone
• Improving the in-stadium Wi-Fi signal

Overland Partners

Other renovations are planned for the surrounding Fair Park, including a privately funded Community Park Complex and upgrades to the Music Hall at Fair Park and the African-American Museum.

The venue projects will be funded by the Brimer Bill as part of 2022's Proposition A referendum.

"This is the first cog in the wheel of a greater mechanism, providing funding for the future of the campus," said Darren L. James, Fair Park First board president in a press release in the fall. "Unlike previous renovations, which centered around increasing capacity, this project amplifies the fan experience for everyone who visits Fair Park. We are committed to steward this project collectively, creating a catalyst to the Fairground's future economic impact on the surrounding neighborhood and region."

Dallas city leaders said these changes are long overdue, especially as Dallas grows and gears up to host big sporting events like the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

"So the real thinking here is that it's important to make these improvements to not only maintain the kind of historic games that are played there but also to make the stadium more marketable for additional events that we're interested in attracting like soccer matches or concerts," said O'Connor. "So the intent of the investment is to position the stadium for success going forward."

O'Connor said they also want to maintain the history of the stadium and surrounding Fair Park that has made the area so iconic.

"You may not know that Fair Park is the largest collection of Art Deco structures anywhere in the world. So it's important for us to kind of always remember that. And when we're making changes and improvements to the building to be sensitive to that," said O'Connor. "It's a national historic landmark. It's not only important to us at the city, but it's important to a ton of folks in the city that everyone is aligned to ensure it continues to look great while preserving the history that's been a part of that place for so many years."

Overland Partners is the lead in designing renovations for the stadium, in collaboration with McAfee3 Architects, Modus and Norman Alston Architects.

The two-year restoration will be conducted in two phases, allowing the stadium to host annual events without interruption during the 2024 State Fair of Texas, the Red River Rivalry, and the Grambling/Prairie View games.

Renovations are scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2025 State Fair of Texas.

[texifornia 56,989]

On 3/26/2024 at 9:20 AM, 'stache said:

Jerryworld is nice but I absolutely hate getting in and out of there and Arlington sucks shit. I have no interest in their fake Live whatever chain restaurant gimmick. What pisses me off is all the money they keep pumping into the Cotton Bowl for one fucking game. They should have just passed the tax and built Jerryworld there. Not only OU-Texas but Dallas Cowboys at the state fair. I lived in Dallas at the time and voted for it, when it failed the city started to lose its luster for me when deciding whether to stay there for work or move to a smaller market. Fuck Jerry Jones either way.

The whole city lost its luster for you based on where they built an NFL stadium?

[Longboard Horn 40,330]

Increasing the Wifi will be nice. It's too much a concrete jungle currently. The press box is a joke. When I was working a game there we were given ethernet cables for our laptops because the wifi signal was so bad. Hell I questioned if the Cotton Bowl even had any.

[mdmost 43,004]

Which is ridiculously ironic given AT&T was the sponsor for more than a decade. You would think they would try to increase the wifi presence in the stadium given they own a good amount of infrastructure to do just that. 

[Longboard Horn 40,330]

17 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Which is ridiculously ironic given AT&T was the sponsor for more than a decade. You would think they would try to increase the wifi presence in the stadium given they own a good amount of infrastructure to do just that. 

Speaking of AT&T, the cell phone service was pretty bad too. If you were in the upper deck it was fine, but once you went to the lower deck you either had 1 bar or no service. 

[NeverMarryAStripper 21,907]

Try watching the game instead of playing on your phone; sometimes, it's actually a pretty good game.

[bluto 4,932]

Not sure how to feel about these renderings

 

[WBT 20,606]

2, 1

[mr. sunshine 2,827]

Haven't attended regularly since the 80s when OU was usually kicking the ever living shit out of us by halftime. Back then you could park in somebody's grandma's yard reasonably close to the Cotton Bowl for $5. Then you'd be accused of running over some kid's foot. They'd settle out of court for $20

[Ignatius 4,017]

On 3/29/2024 at 9:19 AM, texifornia said:

The whole city lost its luster for you based on where they built an NFL stadium?

And said city hadn’t had an NFL team playing in it since 1971….

[ousux 5,597]

Not sure how to feel about these renderings
 

I like it. Seems to retain most of the historic feel. It's just a renovation, they aren't tearing down the Cotton Bowl and starting from scratch.

[Ravishing Rick 1,129]

Hopefully they’re keeping the horse troughs for pissing in the bathrooms. Such a flex for me to whip out my crank for the little-dicked OU peekers. 

[GreenspointTexas 9,637]

On 3/29/2024 at 2:23 PM, bluto said:

Not sure how to feel about these renderings

 

Keeping it art deco is fucking awesome

 

You do know that fair park is a natl historic landmark because of the art deco, right?

[bluto 4,932]

I don’t hate the aestheti. It’s the concourse bar island pic that looks like American Airlines center and makes me think they’re missing the mark on it all. All for the More/better bathrooms, better concourse flow, and better entrance gates… but the vibe in those pics looks like an attempt to church it up. 

[mdmost 43,004]

4 minutes ago, bluto said:

I don’t hate the aestheti. It’s the concourse bar island pic that looks like American Airlines center and makes me think they’re missing the mark on it all. All for the More/better bathrooms, better concourse flow, and better entrance gates… but the vibe in those pics looks like an attempt to church it up. 

I think they're just going for more permanent concession options. I'm assuming that "bar" is on the lower level concourse near the 50s. I'm going to assume they're will be concessions added in the new open terrace areas. Anyone that's tried to get even a bottle of water on the upper level knows it can be a 20 minute ordeal. We'll grab about 4 waters before the game kicks off just to not have to bother with getting some later. 

[bluto 4,932]

1 minute ago, mdmost said:

I think they're just going for more permanent concession options. I'm assuming that "bar" is on the lower level concourse near the 50s. I'm going to assume they're will be concessions added in the new open terrace areas. Anyone that's tried to get even a bottle of water on the upper level knows it can be a 20 minute ordeal. We'll grab about 4 waters before the game kicks off just to not have to bother with getting some later. 

I hear ya on the struggles, a small army of roving vendors would help a lot.
 

I feel like there’s a hell of an opportunity for concession innovation with events like this that are one off type - bigass banks of vending machines for non booze items. Or some kind of Amazon locker setup text your order/pay and get notified when it’s ready. 

[MissingInAction 25,106]

1 hour ago, Ravishing Rick said:

Hopefully they’re keeping the horse troughs for pissing in the bathrooms. Such a flex for me to whip out my crank for the little-dicked OU peekers. 

At the end of one of Mack's pucker games I was so fucking housed I dropped my pants down to my ankles at the trough. Totally ass out. Had to throw those jeans away.

[Ignatius 4,017]

Anything at all they do to increase the size of the concourses is welcome. The exterior of the stadium needs to maintain the awesomeness that is the entire fairgrounds architecture, but just like pre-1996 DKR, there’s nothing awesome about the concourses, bathrooms, or concessions of the underbelly, and hasn’t been for decades…

[Tex Pete 20,393]

1 hour ago, bluto said:

I don’t hate the aestheti. It’s the concourse bar island pic that looks like American Airlines center and makes me think they’re missing the mark on it all. All for the More/better bathrooms, better concourse flow, and better entrance gates… but the vibe in those pics looks like an attempt to church it up. 

If you can actually walk through there without being pressed against another human, they will have hit the mark. 

Edited March 30 by Tex Pete

[Tex Pete 20,393]

6 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

Anything at all they do to increase the size of the concourses is welcome. The exterior of the stadium needs to maintain the awesomeness that is the entire fairgrounds architecture, but just like pre-1996 DKR, there’s nothing awesome about the concourses, bathrooms, or concessions of the underbelly, and hasn’t been for decades…

Yep. You can’t see shit except other people before or after the game. There is no aesthetic in the concourses currently. 

[NTVTXN 1,432]

On 3/29/2024 at 9:22 AM, mdmost said:

Which is ridiculously ironic given AT&T was the sponsor for more than a decade. You would think they would try to increase the wifi presence in the stadium given they own a good amount of infrastructure to do just that. 

LOL, my now 14yo has mentioned this every year for the past three years. 
“Dad, isn’t AT&T an internet provider?” 
Me-“most of the time”

😂

[SubliminalHorn 6,806]

16 hours ago, Tex Pete said:

If you can actually walk through there without being pressed against another human, they will have hit the mark. 

God I remember how bad it was before the most recent renovation. If you didn’t head to your seats at least an hour before kickoff, you were for sure going to be stuck in a fucking cluster. That feeling of being smashed up against everyone combined with being hot and drunk fucking sucks

[TrashMaster G 17,559]

19 hours ago, Ravishing Rick said:

Hopefully they’re keeping the horse troughs for pissing in the bathrooms. Such a flex for me to whip out my crank for the little-dicked OU peekers. 

So, you like when other guys look at your dick.

Got it.

[Dbeasy 15,068]

Recently, I had missed a few years of the Texas OU game for various reasons before finally going again last year.

The place was always crowded and a mess, but holy shit the misery was about 2x what I remember. The bathroom lines, the food lines, the area around Big Tex. It was terrible. I don’t remember it being that crowded, and I had been going for over 35 years before missing those few games. 

[gmr548 16,580]

2 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

Recently, I had missed a few years of the Texas OU game for various reasons before finally going again last year.

The place was always crowded and a mess, but holy shit the misery was about 2x what I remember. The bathroom lines, the food lines, the area around Big Tex. It was terrible. I don’t remember it being that crowded, and I had been going for over 35 years before missing those few games. 

It was pretty clusterfucky. I mean, it's always clusterfucky but especially last year. I chalk it up to being the highest profile matchup between the two teams for a while, and the first really big one post COVID. In 2021 Texas had some of the wind taken out of its sails when they got rolled by Arkansas, and it was hot as fuck. 2022 OU was a train wreck and everyone knew it. 2023 was a matchup of top 10-12 teams (don't remember where exactly OU was ranked), Texas was #2 or #3 and obviously the profile was riding as high as it had since 09 with the Bama win. College Game Day, perfect weather, all that. 

[mdmost 43,004]

The State Fair has got to tell Gameday that they can't setup in front of the stadium any longer. It creates too much of a bottleneck in an already tight area. Make them set up by the Texas Star or the Museums. You'll still have a decent shot of the Cotton Bowl from there. 

[Ignatius 4,017]

30 minutes ago, mdmost said:

The State Fair has got to tell Gameday that they can't setup in front of the stadium any longer. It creates too much of a bottleneck in an already tight area. Make them set up by the Texas Star or the Museums. You'll still have a decent shot of the Cotton Bowl from there. 

Jesus Christ, fucking this. They need to set up where they used to, that Gate 1 entrance was always a sucker bet but it’s unholy now…

[TrashMaster G 17,559]

1 hour ago, mdmost said:

The State Fair has got to tell Gameday that they can't setup in front of the stadium any longer. It creates too much of a bottleneck in an already tight area. Make them set up by the Texas Star or the Museums. You'll still have a decent shot of the Cotton Bowl from there. 

The far end of the Esplanade fountain would be great.

[Evil Bill Obrien 3,286]

On 3/29/2024 at 2:32 PM, WBT said:

2, 1

come'on Overland, could have at least given the rendered chicks some bigger cans...

[Ignatius 4,017]

On 3/31/2024 at 2:31 PM, gmr548 said:

It was pretty clusterfucky. I mean, it's always clusterfucky but especially last year. I chalk it up to being the highest profile matchup between the two teams for a while, and the first really big one post COVID. In 2021 Texas had some of the wind taken out of its sails when they got rolled by Arkansas, and it was hot as fuck. 2022 OU was a train wreck and everyone knew it. 2023 was a matchup of top 10-12 teams (don't remember where exactly OU was ranked), Texas was #2 or #3 and obviously the profile was riding as high as it had since 09 with the Bama win. College Game Day, perfect weather, all that. 

Last year was also the worst I’ve ever seen (every year sans Covid since 1984) for stadium workers not giving a fuck about who strolls in after halftime. There had to be another 5,000 people jammed into the walkways in the 2nd half. They’ve got to get a handle on that shit…

[Wally Pryor 5,261]

Yeah, it was the worst. And ditto on the walkways, least over in the section 19 and 20 area. "Walkway" was a fucking misnomer as they effectively became SRO areas. 

[dcar00 14,233]

On 3/30/2024 at 4:32 PM, bluto said:

I don’t hate the aestheti. It’s the concourse bar island pic that looks like American Airlines center and makes me think they’re missing the mark on it all. All for the More/better bathrooms, better concourse flow, and better entrance gates… but the vibe in those pics looks like an attempt to church it up. 

well that day and location is kinda like church for a college football fan.

[dcar00 14,233]

On 3/31/2024 at 7:54 PM, Ignatius said:

Jesus Christ, fucking this. They need to set up where they used to, that Gate 1 entrance was always a sucker bet but it’s unholy now…

it was perfectly fine in front of the hall of state/near big tex but they didn't have a cotton bowl shot.  

[AllenTx75 20]

Need more Giant screens outside the stadium . It is ridiculous how few TV screens are placed outside if you cannot get a ticket . 

Edited April 3 by AllenTx75

[mdmost 43,004]

Well, the idea is to get a ticket. If you go towards the Hans Mueller tent, there are tons of TVs over there. 

[utee94 15,831]

16 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Well, the idea is to get a ticket. If you go towards the Hans Mueller tent, there are tons of TVs over there. 

At this point I don't think the TX-OU game is in danger of failing to sell out any time soon.  

But yeah, there are options for TVs throughout Fair Park.

[TrashMaster G 17,559]

14 minutes ago, utee94 said:

At this point I don't think the TX-OU game is in danger of failing to sell out any time soon.  

But yeah, there are options for TVs throughout Fair Park.

I can't imagine going through the hassle of getting to Fair Park and dealing with the crowds of annoying Okies without having a ticket to the game.

Then again, I'm old and grouchy.