Super Bowl activities (Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington: transport, county, town)

[JJG]

Originally Posted by Scarface713

The trolls won't stop and it looks like the mods have given up.

Yep.

But to your point about Mayor Cluck.... of course's he's gonna think everything went smoothly. But hey, I don't blame him for NOT wanting the attention after that chant. You can have that one, D-town.

[portyhead24]

Originally Posted by Scarface713

LMAO, anyone see this?

Arlington Mayor's Take on Super Bowl XLV (http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/020711-arlington-mayor%27s-take-on-super-bowl-xlv - broken link)

The end (from two minutes on) was priceless.

hahahaha omg that's too funny. If I had been there I would have definitely let them know they are in ARLINGTON and let them know where the true blame lies. I had a feeling it was going to be a crazy fiasco and my prediction came true partially.

I definitely understand these poor people's plight though. I went to the Coachella festival 3 years ago and through some computer snafu the line came to a very very slow progression, bascially amounting to me standing in line for 6 friggin hours in the hot desert sun while missing alot of shows and bands I wanted to see because they were inept. It's really annoying.

[JimBaker488]

I've read quite a bit about this now and realize that even as much as the weather, the basic problem with this SB that prevented it from being considered a success is that the NFL and North Texas people were trying to make it the "Dallas SB" even though the game was being played in Tarrant county and the week-long SB activities were mostly based in FTW. When and if the DFW area does this again, they should base things in Dallas, but how can that be done without the FTW/Arlington crowd raisning hell and being totally upset and uncooperative ?
So you see it boils down to this - Dallas & FTW really are 2 seperate cities with their own self-interest that often are at odds with each other.
In other words it's the Love Field/DFW airport Wright amendment redux.

[ETex2]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

I've read quite a bit about this now and realize that even as much as the weather, the basic problem with this SB that prevented it from being considered a success is that the NFL and North Texas people were trying to make it the "Dallas SB" even though the game was being played in Tarrant county and the week-long SB activities were mostly based in FTW. When and if the DFW area does this again, they should base things in Dallas, but how can that be done without the FTW/Arlington crowd raisning hell and being totally upset and uncooperative ?
So you see it boils down to this - Dallas & FTW really are 2 seperate cities with their own self-interest that often are at odds with each other.
In other words it's the Love Field/DFW airport Wright amendment redux.

"the weeklong SB activities were mostly based in FTW"???

The "NFL Experience", which is the venue that always gets the most visitors and is generally the highlight of every Super Bowl outside of the game itself, was in the DALLAS Convention Center. I'm pretty sure it drew more crowds than all of the other activities combined.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by ETex2

"the weeklong SB activities were mostly based in FTW"???

The "NFL Experience", which is the venue that always gets the most visitors and is generally the highlight of every Super Bowl outside of the game itself, was in the DALLAS Convention Center. I'm pretty sure it drew more crowds than all of the other activities combined.

This isn't me being a homer, but I kinda doubt that.

And if the NFL Experience did get more crowds, I wouldn't think it was more than the other activities COMBINED.

[jtltke137]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

Dallas & FTW really are 2 seperate cities with their own self-interest that often are at odds with each other.

FW = Fort Worth
FTW = For The WIN!

[jtltke137]

Originally Posted by rantanamo

I really would not mind if Fort Worth took the reigns of everything. The problem is, Fort Worth does not have the overall venues nor anywhere close to the number of hotel rooms, even high end hotel rooms to keep the bid from being spread out again. Spreading things out to the west really took away the focus on some of the better hosting opportunities away with Dallas being such a north focused city.

The next bid will have some advantages not enjoyed this time around that are certainties:

1.) Relevant rail expansions. DART rail to DFW's terminals will be open. DART rail directly into Las Colinas will be open. Hopefully the lessons learned will be applied. The streetcar system downtown and to Oak Cliff will be open. This could have a huge impact on how people perceive and move around a more centered bid. Places like North Park and Galatyn Park that could nicely host events open up with a more eastern, rail centered bid. The next bid committee MUST emphasize option along the rail and streetcar lines and rail authorities MUST heed lessons learned. Neither was done.

2.) Omni-Hotel Dallas. I imagine the NFL Experience will land at the Dallas Convention Center again. It has been one of the bright spots of the bid. The newly attached hotel would allow the Media Center or NFL HQ to be attached to the same building and a covered attached rail stop. This simple move for the media would likely end the bitching that has been taking place all week. This would also allow a center to the bid, which many are saying is simply missing. Lastly this extra 1,000 plus rooms allows more of a shift east, perhaps freeing up the Sheraton to host the NFC team and allow the AFC team to stay in Las Colinas.

3.) Cowboys indoor facility. This goes along with the end of the last paragraph. The NFC team was to practice at valley ranch originally. Perhaps a shift east would allow the AFC team to practice at a new Valley Ranch indoor facility.

4.) Irving Convention Center. Here is another Dallas County facility that will be accessible by its own rail station. Perhaps not large enough for the NFL Experience, it may be a possible Taste of the NFL host that is directly accessible by its own rail stop and is only 15 minutes from Downtown Dallas.

5.) Museum of Science and Nature and The Park. I think the Arts District expansion was a huge coup as far as tourism in the Downtown Dallas area is concerned. The new museum being one of the most visible and best located venues in the area and presents a significant shift of a world class district to the Woodall Rogers corridor. The mantra that there's nothing do in Dallas pretty much ends at that point for the people in the area. The Park will be street car accessible and perhaps serve as a staging area for some events. Dallas MUST sell this area.

I simply believe this would be a far superior and much more successfully focused bid than having events in every other suburb. This would make not having a car in town much more easy. I would like to see a hotel built in the West Village area as well. Really great opportunity that would open up Uptown to visitors. Deep Ellum also needs one, especially having such a large hospital nearby. It would only help the Fair Park area as a host again and put the vast majority of events in permanent venues because you move the bid to include north Dallas and its suburbs more. Irving, Garland, Richardson even points in North Dallas grossly underutilized because of the feeling that the bid needed to be spread westward. Tarrant County is growing, but it has far less venue-wise than the connected points north. I think the committee got caught up in 3 things; Pleasing points west because of the location of the stadium being in Tarrant County(its only a couple of miles from the Dallas County line), Trying to make this a tourism exercise when it should have been treated as a business exercise, and trying to show people how spread out and leisurely the area is. We also put our low self-esteem as an area on display. Saying that Dallas can't host these types of events is a bunch of hooey. Every year, 14 million business travellers show up to Dallas. Every year, the State Fair is hosted safely and without a hitch and millions pass through the gates there. We host TX-OU every year. We host two NASCAR events every year. We hosted the NBA All-Star game last year that had an attendance bigger than the Super Bowl will have, that had 2/3 of the Super Bowl events and even happened during an all-time record snow fall, and it went off with a hitch. Stop the low self-esteem crap. This area has almost 7 million residents, one of the largest and busiest airports in the world, over 100,000 hotel rooms, one of the largest downtown areas in the country, and one of the largest rail systems in the country(yes it is). We need to get over ourselves and realize this area is big and growing.

As for Miami. There were a ton of complaints with the rain the last two Super Bowls. The NFL has basically threatened, no roof no Super Bowl. Voters actually voted down the roof plan, so the Super Bowl is in real danger of not returning. Here are the plans

so, yes, even in places like Miami and LA, its about the stadium first, at least for this NFL regime. New Orleans had a similar threat, and the Super Dome is going through extensive renovations including a totally rebuilt lower bowl.

You also have the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park opening. I don't know what the final design is, but there is some free space to put some party tents up or whatever with a kick-ass view of downtown.

NOTE: I had no idea who Woodall Rodgers was [nor did I know there was Woodall Rodgers Plaza?], so I looked him up on Wikipedia:

James Woodall Rodgers (May 11, 1890 in New Market, Alabama (USA) – July 6, 1961 in Dallas (USA), Texas) was an attorney, businessman and mayor of Dallas.

He received his B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1912 and his LL.B. from the University of Texas in 1915. He began his law practice in Dallas in 1916, but at the outbreak of World War I, Rodgers joined the United States Army. He was honorably discharged in 1918 as a Major in the artillery. He married his wife, Edna Cristler on November 9, 1920.

Upon his return to Dallas, Rodgers became an associate with Saner & Saner but left in 1925 to found his own firm that specialized in oil and gas law. His firm would eventually come to represent Standard Oil in legal matters.

In 1939, Rodgers was elected mayor of Dallas, a position he held until 1947. Under his tenure, Love Field underwent expansion, construction began on Central Expressway (US 75), the Dallas Public Library and the Garza-Little Elm Reservoir, which is currently one of Dallas's largest water supplies.

Rodgers also held positions as a trustee with the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts (now the Dallas Museum of Art) and as a director of the Dallas Symphony, the State Fair of Texas and the Dallas Public Library. He was also the founder and first president of the Greater Dallas Planning Council.

He died after a lengthy illness on July 6, 1961.

Woodall Rodgers Freeway, which runs north of downtown Dallas, between U.S. Highway 75 and Interstate 35E is named in his honor, as is Woodall Rodgers Plaza, which connects the West End with Victory and runs under the highway that also bears his name.

[Lakewooder]

Woodall Rodgers home was at 5750 Swiss Avenue:

http://www.swissavenuewomensguild.com/homes/5750.php

His successor Mayor Wallace Savage (Woodrow '29!) lived at the other end of that block on the north side at 5703:

http://www.swissavenuewomensguild.com/homes/5703.php

[JJG]

Ok, here are those pics I promised (what seems like) a LONG time ago....

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http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/169035_1684122916367_1636466644_1603041_875781_n.j pg (broken link)
Texas High School atheletes that made it to the pros...
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[JJG]

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/168409_1684124676411_1636466644_1603051_5602878_n. jpg (broken link)

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Temporary "Lids Super Bowl Store"
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In a Cowboys Pro Shop (Blasphamy!)
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If ya look closely, you'll see a Steelers jersey on that rooftop cowboy...
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MORE BLASPHAMY!
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