Dallas Cowboys from WFAA Sports
Cowboys: 'Party Pass' doesn't guarantee view of game
10:41 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 22, 2009
STORY: Party pass fans unhappy
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ARLINGTON — Fans say the Dallas Cowboys misled them. Now the City of Arlington reportedly wants the team to dramatically reduce the number of standing room only tickets it sells to future games.
Some fans holding a "Party Pass" got unruly when they were delayed getting in to Sunday night's game at the new Cowboys Stadium. Others complained they could never see the field.
For all the planning that led to the NFL debut of Jerry Jones' billion-dollar sports palace, fans say the Cowboys did not manage expectations.
"They never should have oversold it," said one woman. "It was just money-grubbing and annoying."
The Cowboys sold 30,000 Party Passes, but fans complained that the available area just couldn't hold them all, and any view of the game itself was challenging at best.
"Honestly, there's no way to see the field," one fan told News 8.
The Cowboys advertised the $29 Party Passes with a picture of the field, implying that standing room guests would be able to view live football.
"You can stand there and watch the game and look down at all the things going on below you, so it's a fun place to be," team owner Jerry Jones said in a July interview with the Associated Press.
But this week, Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels conceded that not all fans holding a Party Pass will be able to see the game — they simply ensure that you can "experience" the game. "We're not guaranteeing you have a view on the rail," he said.
The official Party Pass Web site says the ticket "includes access to six giant party decks, public concourses, concession areas and over seven acres of outdoor plaza space. Fans will experience the sights, sounds and energy of a live Dallas Cowboys game."
Fans say they wish the distinction between what they could and couldn't see had been made more clearly.
The Cowboys say they'll learn from Sunday's experience, but they haven't yet agreed to reduce sales of standing room only tickets.
The Arlington City Council meets Tuesday afternoon at 2:30, and while this issue is not on the agenda, it is likely to come up.
WFAA-TV reporters David Schechter and Darla Miles contributed to this story.
E-mail jwhitely@wfaa.com




