Plankton
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I went down to Dallas for the game on Sunday, and was able to take a tour of The Star/Ford Center in the morning before going to the game. I'm not sure if anyone has gone and done this yet, but I thought I'd share what I was able to see.
First of all, the place is unbelievable. The facility will be a terrific recruiting tool for free agents going forward. They spared no expense in building the place, and there continues to be a lot of development in the surrounding area. When you walk up on the facility, there is a small field turf field on the outside, with a large video board on the front entrance, which they had highlights playing back on:
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4018_zpsxv1wlkn5.jpg
When you enter to begin the tour (doors are under the video wall), you will see at the header of the wall overlooking the practice field pictures/listings of Cowboy greats. One of the cool things about them is that it lists their high school statistics. It's done as a reminder/inspiration to the high school players from the Frisco high schools (9 total) that use the Ford Center for playing their football games. Here are some of those pics:
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4025_zpsa922lsgr.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4026_zpsqaigqfrt.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4030_zpsqtcwn9io.jpg
Below these pictures, you can see the field from an elevated perch. The field is used for practice for the Cowboys when they need to be inside, and for game for the Frisco high school teams. The roof top is high, and each end has an LED video board at the top of the walls behind the end zones (they weren't on when we toured the facility).
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4036_zps1m7jzpyr.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4039_zpsgk1ki3ft.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4043_zpso2ieqsew.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4041_zpsqcm8qm3o.jpg
This is my son.
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4044_zpsevo6h5tw.jpg
When you go under the Ford logo, and through those doors, it becomes a no picture, no video zone. It sucks because there's a lot of great stuff to see/show. As you come through the doors, to the left and right, are large photos of the offensive line in action. As you move through another set of doors, there is a two story high ceiling, and adorning the wall entering this area is a large picture of Jason Witten without his helmet from the 2007 game against the Eagles.
As you move forward, you can see the two practice fields - one field turf, one grass. We were not allowed to go onto the practice fields (it was raining anyway, so it wouldn't have been great). At Dan Bailey's request, one of the goal posts on each field is half the width of a standard goal post.
In front of the doors entering the practice field is a large silver star over a white etched block that reads, "It's a privilege to play, work and coach for the Dallas Cowboys." It's sort of set up like Howard's Rock at Clemson when players can touch it as they go out to practice.
To the left of these doors are displays called Cowboy Firsts. They range from a copy of discourse between Clint Murchison Jr and Bedford Wynne, the original owners of the team, and the NFL from when they applied for a franchise. The original franchise agreement is also encased here. There's also a display with one of Tom Landry's fedoras, a prototype of one of the original helmet concepts (a silver helmet with a decal of a Ranger type of star/badge inside of a boot). Glad they didn't choose that one. They also had copies of the first game program and tickets in these displays.
These displays run in the training table area. They have a full out cafeteria with different seating areas (all leather - some tables, booths, high chairs, etc.). Apparently they serve the rough equivalent of 8000 chicken breasts per month in protein for the players during the season.
Alongside the training table area, just off the hallway that we originally entered, is the large meeting room where game film is reviewed with the team. It's stadium type seating with leather chairs equipped with retractable desk tops. They played one of the Finish The Fight videos when we were there, and the surround sound was off the hook.
Along the wall facing the practice field is a display for each position, listing the Pro Bowl berths earned by the Cowboys over the years. The display is separated by offense/defense/special teams, and has a larger display for the player at a position with the most berths. The others are represented by, in effect, one liners showing their years in the Pro Bowl.
Across the hall from the meeting room was the weight room (humongous) that overlooks the field. Within it they have a sponsored Gatorade smoothie bar. Across from the weight room is first, a display of each of the Super Bowl wins, with newspaper clippings, the Sports Illustrated articles, and something showing the average price for a Super Bowl commercial for each of the appearances (ranged from 81k in 1972 to 1.8M in 1996).
Next to this is the locker room. The locker room is in the shape of a football, with dark brown wood all over the place, indications of Pro Bowl berths on the players nameplates, and a opening in the locker cabinets for their helmets to be vented from below. Each locker has a padded seat with a fold up foot locker. It didn't smell like a typical locker room, and it is huge. Around the corner from this, is where the practice squad guys suit up (they have very spartan lockers in comparison). On the wall leading out of the locker room, are two large TV sets showing the NFL Network (or at least that's what was on when we went through). Once garish aspect of this setup is outside the locker room, where Jerry Jones' quote from the Saturday Night Massacre is in large letters on the wall (We MUST win, We WILL win, win is the name of the game).
On a side note, as we exited the locker room, who walked in? David Irving. I think that was the last time I saw him all day.......
From there, we walked through the training table area to see a wall with all of the team pictures through the years. There's a staircase along side it, with holograms showing a frame by frame capture of the Hail Mary catch by Drew Pearson going up the two story staircase. We then went through the Nike sponsored Starwalk, where they had commemorations of events through the years (winning the Super Bowl in 1977, 1992-93, 1995, Emmitt Smith becoming the all-time leading rusher).
Along this route, we saw Dave Campo walk down the hallway. He had just finished a hit with one of the TV stations. He actually stopped, said hi to everyone on the tour, and shook everyone's hands. Very nice man.
First of all, the place is unbelievable. The facility will be a terrific recruiting tool for free agents going forward. They spared no expense in building the place, and there continues to be a lot of development in the surrounding area. When you walk up on the facility, there is a small field turf field on the outside, with a large video board on the front entrance, which they had highlights playing back on:
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4018_zpsxv1wlkn5.jpg
When you enter to begin the tour (doors are under the video wall), you will see at the header of the wall overlooking the practice field pictures/listings of Cowboy greats. One of the cool things about them is that it lists their high school statistics. It's done as a reminder/inspiration to the high school players from the Frisco high schools (9 total) that use the Ford Center for playing their football games. Here are some of those pics:
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4025_zpsa922lsgr.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4026_zpsqaigqfrt.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4030_zpsqtcwn9io.jpg
Below these pictures, you can see the field from an elevated perch. The field is used for practice for the Cowboys when they need to be inside, and for game for the Frisco high school teams. The roof top is high, and each end has an LED video board at the top of the walls behind the end zones (they weren't on when we toured the facility).
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4036_zps1m7jzpyr.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4039_zpsgk1ki3ft.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4043_zpso2ieqsew.jpg
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4041_zpsqcm8qm3o.jpg
This is my son.
http://i1253.***BLOCKED***/albums/hh589/bpcomerford/IMG_4044_zpsevo6h5tw.jpg
When you go under the Ford logo, and through those doors, it becomes a no picture, no video zone. It sucks because there's a lot of great stuff to see/show. As you come through the doors, to the left and right, are large photos of the offensive line in action. As you move through another set of doors, there is a two story high ceiling, and adorning the wall entering this area is a large picture of Jason Witten without his helmet from the 2007 game against the Eagles.
As you move forward, you can see the two practice fields - one field turf, one grass. We were not allowed to go onto the practice fields (it was raining anyway, so it wouldn't have been great). At Dan Bailey's request, one of the goal posts on each field is half the width of a standard goal post.
In front of the doors entering the practice field is a large silver star over a white etched block that reads, "It's a privilege to play, work and coach for the Dallas Cowboys." It's sort of set up like Howard's Rock at Clemson when players can touch it as they go out to practice.
To the left of these doors are displays called Cowboy Firsts. They range from a copy of discourse between Clint Murchison Jr and Bedford Wynne, the original owners of the team, and the NFL from when they applied for a franchise. The original franchise agreement is also encased here. There's also a display with one of Tom Landry's fedoras, a prototype of one of the original helmet concepts (a silver helmet with a decal of a Ranger type of star/badge inside of a boot). Glad they didn't choose that one. They also had copies of the first game program and tickets in these displays.
These displays run in the training table area. They have a full out cafeteria with different seating areas (all leather - some tables, booths, high chairs, etc.). Apparently they serve the rough equivalent of 8000 chicken breasts per month in protein for the players during the season.
Alongside the training table area, just off the hallway that we originally entered, is the large meeting room where game film is reviewed with the team. It's stadium type seating with leather chairs equipped with retractable desk tops. They played one of the Finish The Fight videos when we were there, and the surround sound was off the hook.
Along the wall facing the practice field is a display for each position, listing the Pro Bowl berths earned by the Cowboys over the years. The display is separated by offense/defense/special teams, and has a larger display for the player at a position with the most berths. The others are represented by, in effect, one liners showing their years in the Pro Bowl.
Across the hall from the meeting room was the weight room (humongous) that overlooks the field. Within it they have a sponsored Gatorade smoothie bar. Across from the weight room is first, a display of each of the Super Bowl wins, with newspaper clippings, the Sports Illustrated articles, and something showing the average price for a Super Bowl commercial for each of the appearances (ranged from 81k in 1972 to 1.8M in 1996).
Next to this is the locker room. The locker room is in the shape of a football, with dark brown wood all over the place, indications of Pro Bowl berths on the players nameplates, and a opening in the locker cabinets for their helmets to be vented from below. Each locker has a padded seat with a fold up foot locker. It didn't smell like a typical locker room, and it is huge. Around the corner from this, is where the practice squad guys suit up (they have very spartan lockers in comparison). On the wall leading out of the locker room, are two large TV sets showing the NFL Network (or at least that's what was on when we went through). Once garish aspect of this setup is outside the locker room, where Jerry Jones' quote from the Saturday Night Massacre is in large letters on the wall (We MUST win, We WILL win, win is the name of the game).
On a side note, as we exited the locker room, who walked in? David Irving. I think that was the last time I saw him all day.......
From there, we walked through the training table area to see a wall with all of the team pictures through the years. There's a staircase along side it, with holograms showing a frame by frame capture of the Hail Mary catch by Drew Pearson going up the two story staircase. We then went through the Nike sponsored Starwalk, where they had commemorations of events through the years (winning the Super Bowl in 1977, 1992-93, 1995, Emmitt Smith becoming the all-time leading rusher).
Along this route, we saw Dave Campo walk down the hallway. He had just finished a hit with one of the TV stations. He actually stopped, said hi to everyone on the tour, and shook everyone's hands. Very nice man.
