By Steve Davis, KERA 90.1 Commentator
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-570649.mp3
Dallas, TX –
All the chatter lately over a Super Bowl potentially landing in North Texas has once again exposed a regional weak spot: Dallas has no local sports commission.
With a little vision and the right political punch, such a commission would serve as the lead chase car in pursuit of Super Bowls, Final Fours, amateur championships and other A-list sports happenings.
These sports commissions began sprouting in the United States in the 1980s. Not only can these bodies help lure marquee events, they also assist in execution. For instance, they may lend expert guidance with the labyrinth of transportation and hospitality challenges attached to major happenings. And symbolically, they demonstrate a region's power to unite in a cause.
Mostly, they drive aggressive recruitment of events amid a crowded field of suitors. Organizers of these plums don't just say to cities, "We know you're here. We'll tell you when it's your turn."
Efforts through the years to form a sports commission in Dallas have foundered, or failed to gain traction if they did leave the assembly plant.
Back in 1989, the heavily-financed and well-supported Dallas International Sports Commission was born, guided ceremonially by former Cowboys coaching legend Tom Landry. It chased a few big fish but never landed anything substantial and was quietly dismantled about six years later.
Around 1998, regional leaders cobbled together the new DFW Sports Commission. But political jostling and lack of a comprehensive business plan diminished interests in surrounding communities, and that group never became a player.
So, now we have this gap, with no sports commission.
What else could a strong commission do? It could have guided negotiations back in 2004 as the Cowboys contemplated building their $800 million complex at Fair Park.
It could have supported a local group's interest in developing a downtown Dallas minor league baseball stadium. Most importantly, of course, it could have helped attract and support a few more money events, such as the Breeders Cup held in Grand Prairie in 2004.
Now Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants the 2011 Super Bowl for his new stadium in Arlington.
NFL owners will vote on a site in May, and Jones' 80,000-seat facility - popularly dubbed "Jerry World" - remains a strong contender.
But it's not a slam dunk. Phoenix and Indianapolis are also contenders for 2011. The Indy bid is shepherded by the highly successful Indiana Sports Corporation.
The Cowboys got a lukewarm reception when they approached the city of Dallas in early February, seeking official support. Some city leaders still want financial guarantees negotiated into the official bid document, which is due in early April.
A fully functioning sports commission would have long ago identified the potential flashpoints - and could have been quietly eliminating them. It could have served as a buffer between the city of Dallas and the Cowboys, diluting any lingering ill will over those failed stadium negotiations of three years back. Then, a guy like Roger Staubach wouldn't have to stand humbly before the city council and convince Dallas leaders to support a Super Bowl bid, as the former Cowboys quarterback did recently.
Dallas has already fumbled plenty of chances to land high-profile events, and will continue to squander opportunities unless someone grabs the lead and builds a strong regional sports commission - and finds a way to make it work this time.
Steve Davis is a freelance journalist and a former sports writer for the Dallas Morning News.
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