Stadium had 2.7 million visitors in first year Brad Biggs
If there was an elaborate party, we can’t find any reports of such, but Dallas Cowboys Stadium turned one on Saturday.
Maybe Jerry Jones was there to blow out a candle, who knows? This much can be sure, after a giant buildup and amidst some speculation, the stadium has been bigger and better than advertised for the Dallas Cowboys owner, making him the envy of the National Football League for once again finding ways to generate new revenue streams.
The $1.15 billion palace has gotten all sorts of attention and it opened a year ago with a George Strait concert that drew 60,188 fans, according to the Dallas Morning News. More than 2.7 million visitors have passed through the gates since and Super Bowl XLV this coming February will be another in what should be a long line of marquee sporting events to be held in Jerryworld.
When the NBA All-Star Game was held in the building on Feb. 14, there was a crowd of 108,713. What was striking about the game was that every time they interviewed a top guest, they marveled about the venue more than the game itself. A Final Four could be in the near future and on the heels of five college football games last year, more are expected. Top boxing and international soccer have already taken place in the building, and top concerts too. Tennis is scheduled there later this summer.
“What we were able to gain in terms of the size (of) crowds (we) have here, what that means to the franchise and the team, is every bit as much as I would have suspected," Jones told the Morning News. “I think the most rewarding thing is the recognition our stadium got and the great place we have for our Cowboys fans and our team to play in. They deserve that.”
The Giants and Jets will share a stadium they co-own in the Meadowlands beginning in preseason. The $1.7 billion structure is the most expensive privately financed stadium in the country. It is the primary reason why the collaborative bid by the Giants and Jets for Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 was successful last month at the owners meeting. But Jones stands alone as the owner of his new stadium, which put him ahead of many of his fellow owners in vision. Of course, now we can wait and see what the Giants and Jets plan for a first birthday party in East Rutherford, N.J.
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