Muesers Rants Begs My Question

[eppy4life]

For not getting the stadium in Dallas.

[Eagle1855]

yes, she is an arrogant moron. But Jerry Jones blows as well for "taking his ball and going home". I don't have time to write a long essay but they both dropped the ball, in my opinion.

The basketball and the baseball stadium are right next to each other in downtown Houston, and Reliant Stadium isn't too far away. Its nice having all the sports arenas in a somewhat central location and building them down there really added to the atmosphere of downtown. Plus, they are all fairly easily accessible by the Light Rail (public rail transportation), so you don't have to worry about parking if you live inside the city. Not to mention it encourages development around the stadiums themselves.

Dallas had a great opportunity to revitalize an area of the city that could really use it and blew it. Look at all the development in Victory Park and tell me Fair Park couldn't have used something like that. I think it's a shame, especially since the city seems to be trying to build-up downtown.

I know there is a lot more to it, but that's the gist of my thoughts on the subject.

Edited February 27, 2007 by Eagle1855

[BleedGreen64]

Dallas dropped the ball lonnnnnng ago when they let Dallas leave town in the 1960's. WEill they ever return?

[SilverEagle]

With the Cotton Bowl moving, this is going to look really bad for the current administration at Dallas City hall. This includes the city council as well. With this latest move, they only have the Texas/OU game at the stadium. Hardly worth the cost of refurbishing the old Cotton Bowl.

[Eagle1855]

With the Cotton Bowl moving, this is going to look really bad for the current administration at Dallas City hall. This includes the city council as well. With this latest move, they only have the Texas/OU game at the stadium. Hardly worth the cost of refurbishing the old Cotton Bowl.

and you can bet the Red River Shootout will eventually move to the Cowboy's new stadium as well.

"Dropped the ball" might be an understatement.

[emmitt01]

yes, she is an arrogant moron. But Jerry Jones blows as well for "taking his ball and going home". I don't have time to write a long essay but they both dropped the ball, in my opinion.

The basketball and the baseball stadium are right next to each other in downtown Houston, and Reliant Stadium isn't too far away. Its nice having all the sports arenas in a somewhat central location and building them down there really added to the atmosphere of downtown. Plus, they are all fairly easily accessible by the Light Rail (public rail transportation), so you don't have to worry about parking if you live inside the city. Not to mention it encourages development around the stadiums themselves.

Dallas had a great opportunity to revitalize an area of the city that could really use it and blew it. Look at all the development in Victory Park and tell me Fair Park couldn't have used something like that. I think it's a shame, especially since the city seems to be trying to build-up downtown.

I know there is a lot more to it, but that's the gist of my thoughts on the subject.

Revitalizing downtown? Hahahahaha The only major project going on downtown right now is the construction of a new mecca for the homeless. I'm sure the businesses are just lining up as we speak. Take it from a guy who works down there...Dallas is d-e-a-d as a tourist destination. Once TX/OU takes their ball and goes to Arlington to home/home you can kiss major football of any sort goodbye too.

[Evan]

Don't forget to blame Mary Kay cosmetics.........

Remember their threat to move their yearly convention elsewhere if Dallas raised any hotel taxes, helped drive a nail in the coffin for a new Stadium in Dallas......

Fair Park could have been a great draw with all of the Museums, exhibit space, etc.....It's a shame

[DeepGreen]

Once TX/OU takes their ball and goes to Arlington to home/home you can kiss major football of any sort goodbye too.

But isn't smuT football major college fo..............Oh, never mind.

[UNT_92_Fan]

Emmitt has a point. I just started working in Downtown Dallas and I honestly had only come down here for Mavs Games on a few occasions. This downtown area has its nice areas but overall is not that great. The new additions of the W and Victory Plaza dont' really do much for the whole downtown, but they do make the AAC pretty friggin nice. I like the new additions there. With the Cotton Bowl heading out and TX/OU shortly to follow, the recent 50 or 70 million dollar bond or whatever that just passed for renovations looks damn foolish. Why fix something if the only team playing in it is going to be a soccer team that doesn't draw well...or do they play in Frisco? I don't follow soccer....

Laura Miller is a moron!

[Evan]

Actually there is quite a bit going on downtown besides the Victory area. The Arts district is right in the middle of a building boom. The Mercantile transformation is another. Now granted a lot of it is residential.

Edited February 27, 2007 by Evan

[hickoryhouse]

It seems to me that Laura Miller has done nothing in her tenure in Dallas that would help to "revitalize" in any way. The areas surrounding Dallas such as Arlington and Fort Worth are definately viable tourist destinations far eclipsing any draw that Dallas may continue to have. I work in the hospitality and tourist industry in town and honestly I am very disappointed with the lack of care and pride and the Mayor seems to bring to this town. By missing this amazing opportunity with the stadium and by throwing away a fantastic chance to renew apart of town in fair park that is desperately in need of some help, she will in my opinion go down in the history of this town as a truly horrible, and destructive Mayor.

[Quoner]

Actually there is quite a bit going on downtown besides the Victory area. The Arts district is right in the middle of a building boom. The Mercantile transformation is another. Now granted a lot of it is residential.

The tower of the friendly mercan...tile.

Come on guys, no Laura Miller credit for the Wright Amendment compromise?

[UNTLifer]

Not being in the DFW area anymore, I didn't hear the news about the Cotton Bowl. I figured that would up and leave as soon as Jerry World was completed. Is this a done deal?

The difference in the city governments of Dallas and Houston are amazing. Moving to Houston 2 years ago, it has been refreshing to observe a city government that has a "get it done" attitude.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Laura Miller really is pretty dumb when it comes to sports. I heard this segment and agreed with pretty much all of it. I expect that the OU/UT game will move at some point to either Arlington, or to a home and home series.

[Quoner]

Not being in the DFW area anymore, I didn't hear the news about the Cotton Bowl. I figured that would up and leave as soon as Jerry World was completed. Is this a done deal?

The difference in the city governments of Dallas and Houston are amazing. Moving to Houston 2 years ago, it has been refreshing to observe a city government that has a "get it done" attitude.

The problem is that Dallas needs a strong mayor system like the one that lost.

It just doesn't need Laura Miller to BE the strong mayor....

Edited February 27, 2007 by Quoner

[UNT_playmaker]

Laura Miller blows.....

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Revitalizing downtown? Hahahahaha The only major project going on downtown right now is the construction of a new mecca for the homeless. I'm sure the businesses are just lining up as we speak. Take it from a guy who works down there...Dallas is d-e-a-d as a tourist destination. Once TX/OU takes their ball and goes to Arlington to home/home you can kiss major football of any sort goodbye too.

--- I have been to a lot of major cities.. both in Europe and the USA... and Dallas has the worse downtown of everyone of them,... even Ft Worth is far superior in the evening. I went to a convention a few years ago in downtown Dallas and I found it hard to believe how "dead" it was. Having been to a lot of major cities I can tell you that people feel a lot safer in cities where there are a lot of people circulating around... that is not the case in downtown Dallas. There is safety in numbers and Dallas has very few. It can spooky down there in the evening unless you are in the small area of West-End. The problem I see is there (first) are not much mass transportation into the area and not as many Hotels with people filing the streets as goes on other places. Because of those two problems there are few eating places or places to just hang out.

Edited February 27, 2007 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[gksmith]

Dallas is about to lose the Texas/OU game to Arlintgon. That is a huge loss to the city and State Fair. All because the city and county are draging their feet the way the city did for 40+ years with Central Expressway. Upgrading the Cotten Bowl should be high on someone's list. Instead, Laura Miller's legacy will be the Trinity River Project.

Oh wait...the TRP is not going forward EITHER.

Tourism is a viable revenue for the city and county. The State Fair is a big source for revinue. Watch the revenues for the State Fair drop because of this move. Someone lacks vision.

[NT80]

Many losers and winners in this new Cowboys Stadium deal.

Losers:

City of Dallas

Dallas City Council

City of Dallas taxpayers

Fair Park

Oak Cliff

Cotton Bowl

Downtown Dallas

NE suburb Cowboys fans

Arlington traffic on gamedays

City of Irving

Los Colinas

Winners:

City of Arlington

Arlington taxpayers

Arlington and GPM airports

Fort Worth and mid-cities fans

Ranger's ballpark businesses

[ParksAndRecRick]

Dallas played Chicken with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. They were confident another city wouldn't do the deal. Well, Arlington and the Vision of their Mayor and Council and City Manager stepped up to the plate.

The money that Arlington tax payers and those of us that eat, shop and have fun in Arlington contribute will add up to about $365 million. Jerry Jones will rise another 600 million. Arlington will be home for the Dallas Cowboys, A Super Bowl, The Final Four, The Cotton Bowl, and a host of Major Conference Football Games and other events.

Arlington deserves the credit! Dallas played chicken and lost.

No matter what you may have read two weeks ago in the Dallas Morning News....the "big dog" is Arlington! I'm proud to be their neighbor...

ParksAndRecRick

[Baby Arm!]

Sorry to get all "Plumm-like" with this reply but......

I really can't blame Jones for "taking his ball and going home", negotiations were at a stand still with Dallas county.

Read in the DMN that the real nail in the coffin for the Fair Park deal wasnt Laura Miller but the Dallas Commisiners court refusal to put the issue to a vote on the November 2004 ballot. Dallas city taxes couldnt be raised because the sales tax for Dallas is already maxed out. The financing would have to come from the county's increase of hotel/motel and car rental taxes. See Jones and the Cowboys wanted to get the issue on the Nov 04 election because they were in a hurry to get this done. They need to get funding finalized and make it a done deal so they could proceed with a bid for the a Super Bowl. Without a done stadium deal there would be no way to get that bid. Republican County Commisioners were reluctant to add the issue to the general election and wanted to schedule a special election later in the spring. Not just due to Republicans reluctance to raise taxes but also due to a stadium issue tending to bring a high voter turnout, most of whom are usually democratic voters. The Commisioners didn't want to risk a high voter turnout that would put them out of office. In the meantime Arlington comes along and says they'd be happy to put in on the Nov ballot, and would help to campaign for it passage. Jerry is nothing if not a shrewd businessman. He was offered a better deal and he took it. Who wouldn't do the same? In the end Arlington got the better of the deal. Their contribution was capped for half the cost at approx. $365 million, Jerry would pay the rest. But now the stadium cost is up to 1 billion, with Jones paying the extra cost. So Arlington is getting a billion dollar development for 365 million. Laura Miller that said she would never allow 365 million in taxes to go toward a stadium is now stuck justifying 50 million in renovations to a rotting stadium that only hosts 2 games a year. (Soon to be 0) When for only 300 million more she could have totally revitalized the Fair Park area, secured for years to come at least 8 Cowboy games + playoffs. A Super Bowl, The Cotton Bowl every year, TX/OU every year, dozens of high school playoff every year, concerts, a Final Four, Big 12 championship game, etc. I wonder how much sales tax revenue all those events would generate? Probably enough to pay for the Trinity River project and one or two of those designer bridges they are building and enough left over to repair the potholes, keep the libraries open, fix the Rec Centers, parks and public pools..

So in a nutshell it was good ol fashioned political self interest over the public good that killed any chance of a new stadium in Fair Park. If Laura Miller was a real mayor, she should have shown the leadership to sheppard this deal and get it done. It would have secured her legacy with benifits to the city of Dallas for generations... but in the end she couldn't get past her own muckracking agenda and shortsightedness.

Edited February 28, 2007 by Baby Arm!

[ParksAndRecRick]

Well stated Baby Arm!

Go Mean Green!

[FirefightnRick]

even Ft Worth is far superior in the evening. I went to a convention a few years ago in downtown Dallas and I found it hard to believe how "dead" it was.

Yep, one thing I still love about Fort Worth though is that it still has that "Town" feeling rather a big city. Still, I'll remind that it wasn't that long ago that the Panther was still sleepig on the courthouse steps in downtown Fort Worth. I remember back in the 80's on saturday nights that downtown was completely and utterly dead. Just dead. But the Bass family got the ball rolling and it's been an amazing transformation to watch over the years. It's small compared to major cities still but neat just the same.

Oh, and I completely agree with BabyArm about Dallas.

Rick

[gksmith]

Dallas played Chicken with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. They were confident another city wouldn't do the deal. Well, Arlington and the Vision of their Mayor and Council and City Manager stepped up to the plate.

...

Arlington deserves the credit! Dallas played chicken and lost.

From Hunt for Red October:

"Capt. Bart Mancuso: The hard part about playing chicken is knowin' when to flinch."

Laura Miller didn't know when to flinch.

At the rate of migration West for the Cowboys, in another 30 years they will be in Ft. Worth and another 60+ in Lubbock!

[vpackrats]

Nothing gets me on my soapbox faster than a Laura Miller thread about the Dallas Cowboys. BabyArm was on the money w/all his points (feels weird typing that). Anyway, is she not the worst mayor Dallas has had or what?!?!

I remember Laura Miller commenting about Jerry's discussions w/Arlington & that it was fine by her because nobody would vote to give Jerry the kind of package he was wanting. Yeah, right ... another missed forecast by Madame No. And now Arlington will have the crown jewel in the region while Dallas will have zippo. Our mayor fiddled while Rome burned.

Either that, or she wanted to prove she could be tough & stand up to a strong personality like Jones. Well, she sure did ... and the city will suffer for years because of it.

But hey, this is from the same mayor who was vehemently against the AAC project because the developers promised all this development & after the AAC was open for a few years she carped about where's the development? where's the development? The city got sold a bill of goods, etc. Well, I wonder what she's saying now about the project? IDIOT! The Cowboys could have done the same thing for Dallas. How great would that stadium look framed up against downtown Dallas?!?!?

I have to face the fact I live in a "can't do" city now. It goes for lots of things. Did we even TRY to keep the Dallas Burn in town? Nope ... see ya later. Now they're in Frisco. Having soccer games ... Jimmy Buffet concerts ... and so on. Could have been Dallas. Nokia Theatre? Could have been Dallas. It's just awful.

Where's Ron Kirk when you need him? If he were mayor I guarantee you the Cowboys would be playing where they should be. Well, at least he gave us the AAC!