Party Pass Riot At Sunday's Dallas Cowboy Game

Before the game started on Sunday's NBC telecast of the Dallas Cowboy's first defeat in their new stadium, we were treated to an interesting bit of nonsense on the gigantic video boards.

A voice intoned...

"The Manmade Wonders of the World"

"The Parthenon"

"The Great Wall"

"Taj Mahal"

"Roman Coliseum"

"And Now Cowboy Stadium"

"What the Roman Coliseum was to the 1st Century
is what Cowboy Stadium is to the 21st Century."

Yikes! It's like shooting fish in a barrel, so I'll just say this about that. There have been some rather incredible edifices erected in Dubai in the 21st Century and in a few other locations.

On an entirely different, yet related note. I have long been fascinated regarding what a horrible newspaper, journalism-wise, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is. I've lost count of the number of things, about which I have had first hand eye witness knowledge, only to read an article totally distorting reality in the Star-Telegram.

I think of the Star-Telegram as being like the old Soviet Union's Pravda. Pravda means Truth in Russian. Pravda rarely printed the objective truth. Instead Pravda printed the party line.

I read both the Star-Telegram and the Dallas Morning News this morning. I was curious how the papers reported yesterday's near riot by people possessing Party Passes, but denied entry to yesterday's game, until near rioting forced the stadium to open.

The Star-Telegram printed a Roses & Sunshine version about the Party Pass People. I'll print what the Star-Telegram had to say, followed by what the Dallas Morning News said about the same subject...

The atmosphere in the end zones recalled the excitement of a major college football game — the type of spirit that team owner Jerry Jones hopes to repeat throughout the season and for years to come.

"You’ll see this thing flow so easily, in and out and up and down. We’re going to have a collegiate-type atmosphere, and it will create an appealing atmosphere for the people who have seats as well," Jones said.

At 5:50 p.m., the 120-foot-tall glass doors parted in each end zone, and the retractable roof opened. The Party Pass fans let out a collective sigh as Cowboys Stadium was converted from a climate-controlled dome to an open-air facility and refrigerated air from inside poured through the giant openings and rushed over their painted faces and sweat-stained jerseys.

I must say that, even though the Dallas Morning News does mention the problem with the Party Passes, its version differs greatly from what was shown last night on the CBS Channel 11 local news. The Dallas Morning News article says Party Pass people were let in after 15 minutes of complaining. The Channel 11 news said Party Pass people had been waiting for hours, many giving up, in anger, leaving and vowing never to return, some collapsing, removed by ambulance. And now, what a more responsible local newspaper, the Dallas Morning News, had to say about the Party Pass incident.

That monumental crowd, however, came with a price and some tense moments.

About a half-hour before kickoff, several hundred angry ticket holders gathered outside the stadium, unable to get in. The glass doors at Section G were locked.

Fans yelled, "Let us in, we've got tickets," said Justin Diaz, a concessionaire near the entrance. "They were going crazy. For some reason, they didn't want to let them in until kickoff."

Security officers kept saying, "You'll have to wait," Diaz said.

After about 15 minutes, officers let the people in, he said.

"I was getting nervous," Diaz said. "I've got all this money here. What am I supposed to do if they all start rushing me?"

Some season ticket holders said they were upset with the long lines and congestion caused by the thousands who spent $29 each for the standing-room-only Party Passes.

For many fans, taking bathroom breaks or buying concessions became harrowing treks into uncomfortably crowded corridors. It was an unacceptable proposition for fans paying thousands for their seats.

"All these people pay $30 and then come in and take all the concessions," said Chuck Elhoff, 63, a financial adviser and a season ticket holder from Southlake.

So, there you have it, the local news on Channel 11 showed what looked like a riot of disgruntled Party Pass people. While the Star-Telegram makes no mention of any Party Pass problem, while the Dallas Morning News does mention the problem, but does not seem to match the visuals and words, seen and heard on Channel 11.