The most famous seat in AT&T Stadium will not belong to Jerry Jones on Tuesday, and that is exactly the point. The World Cup has not just arrived in Arlington, Texas; it has temporarily taken over the place, right down to the suite where Jones usually watches the Dallas Cowboys from the 50-yard line.
For a building Jones presides over like a personal kingdom, that is a rare little reality check. AT&T Stadium opened in 2009 at a cost of $1.3 billion, and normally the owner gets to enjoy the best view in the house from his private suite. But this is FIFA’s tournament, and FIFA’s tournament contracts gave it near-total control of the host venues. So when Tuesday’s World Cup semifinal between Spain and France comes around, Jones’ usual spot will be serving a very different audience.
FIFA took the seat
Years ago, FIFA looked at Jerry Jones’ suite and decided it was perfect for the VVIP area. That tells you everything you need to know about how much control the governing body expected to have over these stadiums. Jones may own the place, but for this month, the World Cup has been calling the shots. It has already brought nine World Cup games to AT&T Stadium over the past month, and it has done so on its own terms.
Chad Estis said on Monday that Jones might get “a little emotional” and “super-proud” when he sees the stadium come alive for Tuesday’s semifinal. He also said, quite rightly, that “it’s all worked out really, really well.” That is the diplomatic version. The blunt version is that FIFA walked into Jerry’s suite and, in Estis’ words, basically said, “Well, wait a minute, whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you serious?” Then came the punchline: “They came into our stadium, and they walked into Jerry’s suite, and they said, ‘Well, this is just perfect for the VVIP area.’”
That is a very World Cup solution. It is also a reminder that these events are never quite as home-court as the owners would like you to believe. Jones has been in a separate spot on the stadium’s Silver Level during this World Cup, which is fine for a guest, but not exactly the throne room treatment he gets on Cowboys Sundays. Still, there is something fitting about it. FIFA came to Dallas, took the best suite, and made its own rules. Jerry Jones, for once, is not the most important man in his own stadium.
The owner will be elsewhere when Spain and France walk out on Tuesday, and the sight of AT&T Stadium full and roaring will no doubt still please him. But the bigger story is the shift in power. This is what happens when a global tournament lands in a venue built for spectacle: the spectacle belongs to the tournament first, and the owner second. That may be uncomfortable for Jones, but it is also the clearest sign yet that the World Cup has fully taken over Jerry World.
