DO Blog: Cowboys' New Video Board is Big. But Is It High Enough?

[WoodysGirl]

By Richie Whitt in Dallas Cowboys
Thursday, May. 21 2009 @ 8:00AM

While the Dallas Cowboys held this week's minicamp at their temporary home (Carrollton's Standridge Stadium), their new home is about to become a really cool home.

Cowboys Stadium will today officially debut as the world's biggest media room.

This afternoon owner Jerry Jones will press the power button on Jonestown Coliseum's 60-yard video boards. (Having just bought a new 1080p HDTV, I'm guessing that baby runs at least $3,000 at Best Buy.) It weighs 600 tons, will be suspended 90 feet over the field and stretches from 20 to 20-yard line.

If the sneak preview above is any indication, even Matt Moore handing off to Tyson Thompson for a a 2007 pre-season touchdown will be riveting.

Wait, 90 feet?

Doesn't seem right, does it? I was on the field at the San Antonio Alamodome a couple years ago when the Cowboys had Mat McBriar punt the ball as high as he could to determine how high the new stadium's scoreboard needed to be. Seemed like it took six or seven seconds for the ball to come back to Earth.

Surely he was booting it higher than 90 feet. That's the distance from home plate to first base. That's 30 yards.

I'm notoriously hideous at gauging distances and obviously I'm missing something here, but doesn't it seem like McBriar could produce a punt that travels 30 yards up and 50 yards out?

Aeronautical physicists, let's hear from you.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/sportatorium/2009/05/cowboys_new_video_board_is_big.php

 

[Hostile]

90 feet is roughly an 8 story building height. Do people really think McBriar could punt a ball on top of an 8 story building?

 

[YosemiteSam]

90 feet is roughly an 8 story building height. Do people really think McBriar could punt a ball on top of an 8 story building?

I have punted a ball over this building.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I have punted a ball over this building.

I always wondered what Uncle Rico's screen name here was.

 

[Hostile]

I have punted a ball over this building.

I hate kickers. You just put a bullseye on your back.

 

[skicat1898]

McBriar could probably hit it, if that were the goal, but a punt that high would not be a very productive game situation punt. No way a punt achieving that height is going to travel a distance that would make the punt practical,,,, hang time would be impressive.

Look at it this way, if you are punting from your 40, you don't want your opponet fielding that ball at thier 40.

 

[THUMPER]

90 feet straight up is a lot farther than most people would think. As Hos said, it is equivalent to an 8-story building. No one is going to be hitting the bottom of that thing.

Ray Guy was the only one who could hit the scoreboard at the SuperDome but I think that is like 70 feet above the field (don't quote me on that though). I wonder if Reggie Roby did it too, I just remember Guy being the guy.

DOH! Found this bit on Wikipedia:

At the 1976 Pro Bowl, Ray Guy became the first punter to hit the Louisiana Superdome video screen. Officials raised the screen from 90 feet to 200 feet.

To be fair though, Guy was trying to hit it in a game that didn't really matter. In a regular game you wouldn't want to punt it straight up like that.

Found out that Guy could also throw the ball over 80 yards (according to John Madden) and was the Raiders 3rd string QB for many years. That I did not know.

 

[superpunk]

I'm alot more worried about Buehler hitting it on kickoffs than I am McBriar hitting it on punts.

 

[Cowboys22]

When you see photos of the scoreboard, the scale of the thing makes it look lower than it is. If you see a photo that has a person standing on the ground underneath it, you get a whole different perspective. That things is definately high enough. To hit it, a punt would have to go straight up and nobody is going to punt the ball straight up in a game.

 

[AsthmaField]

90 feet straight up is a lot farther than most people would think. As Hos said, it is equivalent to an 8-story building. No one is going to be hitting the bottom of that thing.

Ray Guy was the only one who could hit the scoreboard at the SuperDome but I think that is like 70 feet above the field (don't quote me on that though). I wonder if Reggie Roby did it too, I just remember Guy being the guy.

DOH! Found this bit on Wikipedia:

To be fair though, Guy was trying to hit it in a game that didn't really matter. In a regular game you wouldn't want to punt it straight up like that.

Found out that Guy could also throw the ball over 80 yards (according to John Madden) and was the Raiders 3rd string QB for many years. That I did not know.

Just as an FYI... Last I saw, Ray Guy was selling used cars here in Hattiesburg. I talked to him a little bit a few years ago. He said he probably couldn't punt the ball 20 yards now (although I'm sure he could).

I never knew that about his arm though.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I hate kickers. You just put a bullseye on your back.

Actually, I played flanker back in the day.

 

[THUMPER]

Actually, I played flanker back in the day.

I was a Blocking Back and Nose Guard. :geezer:

 

[Alexander]

I'm alot more worried about Buehler hitting it on kickoffs than I am McBriar hitting it on punts.

Buehler concerns me because when he takes off to fly down the field and reverse earth's axis at the same time, the vapor trail itself is capable of ripping the video board down. I hope he's careful.

 

[Chief]

Buehler concerns me because when he takes off to fly down the field and reverse earth's axis at the same time, the vapor trail itself is capable of ripping the video board down. I hope he's careful.

:laugh2:

He's going to wreck Jerry's new stadium.

That's like letting a rhino into a day care center.

 

[bbgun]

I have punted a ball over this building.

I kidnapped a beautiful blonde and dragged her to the top of that thing.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

I kidnapped a beautiful blonde and dragged her to the top of that thing.

I always thought you were the big, hairy type.

 

[Arch Stanton]

I have punted a ball over this building.

So David Bueller does post at the Zone.

 

[Arch Stanton]

I always thought you were the big, hairy type.

:laugh2:

 

[peplaw06]

When you see photos of the scoreboard, the scale of the thing makes it look lower than it is. If you see a photo that has a person standing on the ground underneath it, you get a whole different perspective. That things is definately high enough. To hit it, a punt would have to go straight up and nobody is going to punt the ball straight up in a game.

The other thing you can't tell is how wide across the field it is... I think if McBriar directionally punts even a bit it's going to be off to the side of it. He'd probably have to be what right down the middle ten yards of the field and straight up?

 

[CowboyMike]

I have punted a ball over this building.

You haven't.

But David Beuhler has.

Twice.

And it traveled so far it hit him in the back of the head, too.