Let’s add punting to the list of things that Jerry Jones knows less about than he thinks he does. And the placement of HD Jumbotrons in his new stadium. And…well, I’ll just stop there, because we could go on all day like this with issues that aren’t really relevant to the story at hand: while the debut of the new Cowboys Stadium might have been a success last night, ESPN says the stadium is a punter’s nightmare because of the enormous, low-hanging HD screen in the middle of the stadium.
In fact, Titans punter A.J. Trapasso managed to hit the screen with a punt in third quarter in Tennessee’s preseason game against Dallas - the debut of the new stadium. And while Trapasso has a leg on him, this wasn’t a display of punting prowess like Ray Guy hitting the screen at the Superdome, either - this seems like a problem that is going again and again.
Video of Trapasso’s punt plunking the video screen after the jump:
And it wasn’t just one punt: both Trapasso and starting Titans punter Craig Hentrich said they hit the screen multiple times with punts during warm-ups, with Hentrich adding that there is no way this set-up is going to work:
“I hit it probably a dozen times in pregame,” Hentrich said. “Probably somewhere around a five-second punt is going to hit it and some of the guys in the league wouldn’t be able to punt here if it’s not raised, they’d just be non-stop hitting it. I don’t know what the people were thinking. I guess they should have tested things out before they put that thing in place. It’ll have to be raised.”
“Don’t know what people were thinking”? Let me tell you something, Mr. Fancy Pants Punter, that person was Jerry Jones, and clearly he knows a lot more about the fine art of punting than you ever will:
Jones said a punter needed to kick the ball “straight up and hard” to have any chance of making contact with the board. He didn’t understand why anyone would take that approach.
Yes, because I can’t imagine why a punter would want to kick the ball hard, or high in the air. Distance and hang time are such underrated stats for punters anyway. (Which explains why Cowboys punter Matt McBriar never came close to hitting the scoreboard in warm-ups - it’s the Cowboys innovative “low and soft” punting style that is sure to revolutionize the game.)
And let’s keep in mind that in the course of three preseason games, Trapasso has managed to execute the greatest fake punt ever and hit a scoreboard. And somehow this guy is probably going to get cut! Seriously, if this kid isn’t punting somewhere in thew NFL by the end of the season, I’m not watching ever again.
4:05 pm on August 22nd, 2009
classic cowardly response from jones. HE SCREWED UP BUILDING THE STADIUM AND WONT OWN UP TO IT!!!
you just have to love those rich people. so full of themselves and can do no wrong.
11:29 pm on August 22nd, 2009
Maybe Tennessee should be more worried about the fact they got their ass kicked and not how high the video screen is.
11:50 pm on August 22nd, 2009
Its pre-season, scores mean nothing. Cowboys will go nowhere again this year
12:12 am on August 23rd, 2009
You ARE aware that the screen can be moved higher and lower, right? Apparently the only real screw up was them leaving it down after the recent concert shown there. So Jerry Jones doesn’t plan on altering it, just moving it up. Maybe you should get your information from someone aside from Matt Mosley, who does everything possible to dig on the Cowboys.
7:28 pm on August 28th, 2009
Trevillion, maybe YOU need to double check your info. They don’t have an automatic adjustment on the screen. It cost a boat load of money to move it. The screen needs to be raised for a U2 concert not lowered. It has always been at that height! They did not lower it for anything! Don’t throw out where people should look for info if you don’t even know how to find it on your own!