Dallas Cowboys Make Headlines Thanks to Controversy, Accidents, and Bad Weather

Over the years, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys made headlines for a variety of reasons, both good and bad. Despite the new stadium, staff changes and hopeful fans, the club cannot seem to reclaim even a glimmer of the glory days. The Dallas Cowboys and the stadium itself regularly make headlines because of accidents and problems.

Here is a brief review of unfortunate happenings involving the Dallas Cowboys since Jones announced the move to the stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Jan. 2007 Construction Worker Falls
A man dropped 20 feet from scaffolding and fell to the field.

Aug. 2007 Crane Cables Strike Man
Crane cables struck a construction worker in the back, sending him to the hospital.

June 2008 Crane Accident Injuries Three
A crane connector failed, injuring three workers as they jumped from the crane's cab to flee falling materials.

June 2008 Journeyman Electrician Fatally Electrocuted
Timothy Mackinnon reportedly touched a high-voltage wire, causing him to fall and become trapped between his ladder and the wall. Although co-workers administered CPR and emergency personnel promptly arrived on the scene, Mackinnon was later pronounced dead at Arlington Memorial Hospital.

May 2009 Valley Ranch Training Accident
The Dallas Cowboys had already played their last game in the old stadium in Dec., but the team continued to practice at the Valley Ranch facility near Irving, Texas. Despite the bright skies, a violent storm ravaged the area causing a large tent-like structure to collapse, injuring twelve, including scouting assistant Rich Behm, who sustained a life-altering spine injury.

Aug. 2009 "Jerrytron" Takes a Hit
The ostentatious, four-sided display hanging above the center of the field held the distinction of being the world's largest video board, but Jones' crowning glory took a hit when, as reported by Chris Chase, Tennessee Titans player A.J. Trapasso kicked a ball into one of the giant scoreboards. Although Jones implied Trapasso purposely targeted the screen, the incident left some questioning whether the stadium was fit for professional football.

Dec. 2009 Two Workers Fall
Two workers slid on the icy, domed roof and suffered injuries when a gutter broke their fall.

Oct. 2010 Tony Romo Cracks His Collarbone
The Cowboys were already having a tough season when New York Giants linebacker Michael Boley plowed Romo's left shoulder into the turf during the second quarter. A medical examine later revealed Romo fractured his left clavicle. Although it is not unusual for football players to sustain injuries, this one happened at a home game, leaving Romo to recover for several weeks while Jon Kitna served as replacement quarterback.

Feb. 2011 Snowstorms and Power Outages Hit North Texas
From celebrity parties to restaurant specials to charitable fundraisers, the Super Bowl hype led to plenty of events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Nearly a week of unprecedented winter weather put a damper on things, canceling flights at DFW Airport and Love Field. Five inches of snow fell on Friday with more precipitation in the forecast for Super Bowl Sunday. Although TxDOT acquired extra deicing materials and pooled state resources, road travel remained difficult.

Following strong demand for electricity, ERCOT implemented rolling blackouts to keep from overloading the electric system. Although the stadium and certain businesses--including some hotels--were exempt, there was no advance notice, leaving residents and businesses without power for varying amounts of time.

Feb. 2011 Sheets of Ice Injury Six
As the sun heated the roofs of neighborhood homes and businesses, icicles and large chunks of icy snow fell to the ground. The same phenomenon happened on a larger scale at Cowboys Stadium, but came as a surprise. As reported by WFAA, sheets of ice fell from the 660,800-square-foot roof, injuring a photographer and contract workers readying the stadium for the game.

Firefighters cleared the roof to eliminate any potential hazard to fans. (See video here.)

Sources
Michael A. Linderberger, "Worker Dies at Dallas Cowboys Stadium Site", The Dallas Morning News
"Cowboys Scouting Assistant Paralyzed After Practice Facility Collapse", Associated Press
"Workers Were on Top Hatch", Associated Press
Chris Chase, "Punt Hits Video Screen at New Cowboys Stadium", Yahoo! Sports
Chris Chase, "Romo Suffers Broken Collarbone in Monday Night Game", Yahoo! Sports
Texas Department of Transportation, Facebook
"News Wrap: Winter Weather Disrupts Super Bowl Travel in Dallas", PBS
"Grid Condition Improving But Conservation Still Urged", ERCOT
Gary Reaves and Rebecca Harris, "Firefighters Blast Away Ice Atop Cowboys Stadium", WFAA