Moving Screen?
Other Than For U2 Concert, Video Board Staying Put

August 24, 2009

ARLINGTON, Texas - One of the most popular questions surrounding the new stadium this summer was answered in the first football game.

Yes, a punt can hit the new video board that overhangs the playing field at Cowboys Stadium.

But that answer has now opened up a variety of other questions concerning the future of the board, and its 90-feet height.

The NFL's regulation for hanging scoreboards is 85 feet. For now, Cowboys officials are saying the only plans to raise the board involve the U2 concert on Oct. 12, but only on a temporary basis.

"At the end of September, we will be temporarily disconnecting and raising the board for the U2 concert to accommodate their 100 foot stage," Cowboys Stadium spokesman Brett Daniels said. "The board will be inoperable at that height and will not be utilized during the show.

"Following the U2 concert, the board will return to its standard height of 90 feet above the field."

In the statement, Daniels discussed the reasoning for the initial height of the board, and the recent construction work of the board, which has raised speculation the Cowboys are considering a permanent move.

"We worked closely with the league office in establishing the height of the video board," Daniels said. "The league recommended a height of at least 85 feet above the field. The board was installed at 90 feet. We believe in a competitive game situation, the height of the board will not be a factor.

"For the last month, we have been in the process of installing equipment that will permit the lowering of the board in the future, allowing us to maximize the board for a variety of special events other than football games. This work will continue into early October."

Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones declined to discuss the video board when talking to reporters Monday at Valley Ranch.

After the game Friday night, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wasn't concerned about the situation.

"I'm very comfortable that our height on our scoreboard is OK because that's the conditions we have here," Jerry Jones said Saturday night after the Cowboys' 30-10 win over the Titans in the inaugural game. "We built our stadium to league specifications and the league took into account whether it's cameras or other things that might impede play, it's played over. That's the simplistic part of it."

Tennessee punter A.J. Trapasso boomed a punt that ricocheted off the board in the third quarter Saturday night. And in the pregame warm-ups, both Trapasso and veteran punter Craig Hentrich had punts hit the board as well.

But the Cowboys, including Jones, have said it appeared the Titans punters were aiming at the board, something that likely won't occur in a regular-season game.

"If you look at how you punt the football, unless you're trying to hit the scoreboard, you punt the ball to get down field," Jones said. "You certainly want hang time, but you punt it to get it down the field. You sure don't punt it down the middle. You punt it off to the side."

That's why the Cowboys aren't that concerned, considering Mat McBriar is more a directional punter. Although he will be focusing on more hang time this year, higher but even shorter punts, he's not too worried about the board.

"I really don't think I will think about it much," McBriar said. "It's not going to affect how we punt the ball. But other teams might be. I think it'll be a situation that comes up once or twice a game."

What concerned Titans coach Jeff Fisher the most was that none of the officials saw the ball hit the board, forcing him to throw his challenge flag onto the field. After a discussion, the down was played over.

Yet, that could become a problem, too.

"We can't have games going on for three and a half hours because we're re-kicking all the time," said receiver/punt returner Patrick Crayton, who muffed a punt in Friday's game. "It's going to take some time getting used to. It's not easy catching those punts when they get way up there. But I don't think it will be a huge problem."

- Dallascowboys.com Staff Writer Zach Buchanan contributed to this story
source: dallascowboys.com