- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,265,426
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Jerry Jones will finally use blackout curtains at AT&T Stadium but not for the Cowboys originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
AT&T Stadium has a sun problem that Jerry Jones has spent years refusing to fix. FIFA needed about five minutes to decide it wasn't acceptable.
Per a person familiar with the organization's thinking who spoke to The Dallas Morning News, FIFA will deploy blackout curtains for the June 25 World Cup group stage match between Japan and Sweden, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
The organization will work with the stadium to determine if curtains are necessary for any other matches, though it likely won't be required since the other eight games at the venue are scheduled at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., or 10 p.m. ET.
AT&T Stadium will host more World Cup games than any other venue in the tournament, which runs across North America from June 11 to July 19. Because of FIFA’s strict regulations, the venue will be renamed Dallas Stadium for the event and workers will install a natural grass pitch over the artificial turf.
Here's where it stings for Cowboys fans. AT&T Stadium already has blackout curtains built into the facility. They've been used for concerts, basketball games and other events. But Jerry being Jerry has strictly banned their use for Cowboys games.
It features massive west-facing windows that create a blinding glare on the field during late-afternoon football games. The most vivid example came in Nov. 2024, when wide receiver CeeDee Lamb dropped a wide-open touchdown pass against the Philadelphia Eagles after losing the ball in the light.
Following the game, Lamb stated he completely lost sight of the ball due to the sun, saying, "Couldn't see the ball. Couldn't see the ball, at all, The sun." He added that he was "one thousand percent" in favor of using curtains.
Jones dismissed the issue at the time. "Well let's tear the damn stadium down and build another one?" he told reporters via Jon Machota of The Athletic. He doubled down on his weekly radio appearance, calling the sunlight a feature rather than a flaw.
"Every venue has certain things that at certain ways and times in the contest can create an advantage," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, per Dallas News. "That really goes under the category of home-field advantage. I don't want to adjust it."
The 83-year-old owner has long ignored the fact that his own receivers are forced to run routes into a blind spot during late-afternoon home games. However, he is now left with no choice but to deploy the blackout curtains due to pressure and regulations from FIFA.
But whether the Cowboys will get blackout curtains is still a million-dollar question. And this unequal treatment has deeply frustrated the community and drawn criticism from the local community.
More NFL news:
- George Pickens’ true feelings about Cowboys finally revealed after latest insider update
- Cowboys may have quietly started preparing for life after their 2-time Pro Bowler
- Deshaun Watson just crashed Shedeur Sanders’ dream and here’s why
- Jerry Jones under fire after Romo’s ex-teammate rips Cowboys drought
- Jerry Jones’ unusual take on Cowboys’ overseas trip is hard to ignore
Continue reading...
