Stadium #2: AT&T Stadium and a Saints Takeover in Dallas
Stadium #2: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
Saints vs Cowboys - September 15, 2024
Our second stadium. Our first regular season game. And what a game it turned out to be.
After the preseason warmup in LA, Gene and I were ready for the real thing. The stakes were higher, the atmosphere more intense, and as we quickly learned, the Texas heat in September is absolutely brutal.
A Lesson in Weather Planning
It was hot. Seriously hot. Texas-in-September, standing-in-a-parking-lot-wondering-why-we-did-this hot.
This taught us an important lesson for the journey ahead: we need to be smarter about scheduling. Southern cities in early September? Not our brightest move. Going forward, we’re saving the warm-weather stadiums for later in the NFL schedule when temperatures are more forgiving.
Lesson learned.
Pre-Game: Keeping It Simple
Since I still live in Dallas and Gene used to call it home, we skipped the full tourist routine this time. We’ve both seen the major sights already.
We stayed downtown, walked around a bit, and checked out the Giant Eyeball, a weird public art installation that everyone in Dallas either loves or hates. No in-between. We’re in the “it’s entertainingly weird” camp.
Other than that, we kept it low-key before heading to Arlington for the game.
Game Day: Saints Nation Shows Up
New Orleans is only about six hours from Dallas, and it seemed like half of the city made the drive. But what really stood out wasn’t just the number of Saints fans, it was how you could identify their tailgate parties by the music.
You’d be walking through the parking lot and suddenly hear funk, jazz, and bass pumping from a setup, and you’d know: Saints fans. The music was completely different from the typical tailgate soundtrack. It had that New Orleans soul to it, and as a Saints fan myself who loves that style of music, it felt like home.
AT&T Stadium: Jerry’s Monument
Walking into AT&T Stadium is an experience as the place is massive. There’s a reason the locals call it “Jerry World”.
But the real showstopper is the jumbotron. This thing is absurdly large. So large that there were times during the game when it was honestly easier to watch the jumbotron than what was happening on the field. The clarity, the size, the way it dominates your field of vision, it’s a spectacle.
Despite that, the stadium itself offers great seats all around. No matter where you sit, you’ve got a good view. The whole place feels like walking into a modern marvel of sports architecture.
The Game: Historic Blowout
And then the game happened.
Saints 44, Cowboys 19.
We weren’t expecting to win. We definitely weren’t expecting to blow them out in their own stadium. But that’s exactly what happened.
Here’s the best part: it was a scorigami. For those unfamiliar, that means the final score had never happened before in NFL history. 44-19 was a first.
My first scorigami! I was thrilled. There’s something special about witnessing a piece of NFL history which excited the math nerd in me.
By the end of the game, the stadium was full of black and gold jerseys. Cowboys fans had quietly left, and the Saints faithful stayed to celebrate. The energy was incredible with people hooting and hollering, chanting, and even a parade in the streets afterwards with fans marching around celebrating.
It was an away game that felt like a home game by the fourth quarter.
Victory Celebration
After the game, we weren’t ready to call it a night. We headed to Revelers Hall in Bishop Arts, a spot that brings New Orleans culture to Dallas.
We caught a live New Orleans-style jazz band, and the place was packed with Saints fans still riding the high of the blowout win. The music, the energy and celebration was perfect.
Then we went to Chimichurri Latin Bistro & Bar and absolutely stuffed ourselves. Victory and great food is a winning combo.
What We Learned
Stadium #2 taught us some valuable lessons:
Weather planning is crucial. We’re being smarter about when we visit southern cities going forward.
Fanbases travel with their culture. Saints fans didn’t just show up, they brought New Orleans with them, music and all.
Home field advantage isn’t guaranteed. The Cowboys got demolished in their own house.
Scorigamis are real and exciting. Witnessing NFL history, even in the form of a unique score, is special.
AT&T Stadium’s jumbotron is no joke. It’s worth the hype.
The Journey Continues
Two stadiums down. Twenty-eight to go.
We’ve experienced preseason warmth in LA and regular season heat in Dallas. We’ve seen our first blowout, witnessed our first scorigami, and learned valuable lessons about planning.
Gene and I left Dallas exhausted, full, and already planning the next trip.
Stadiums Visited: 2/30
Scorigamis Witnessed: 1
Lessons About Planning: Multiple
Next Stop: Acrisure
Follow along as Gene and I continue our journey across America, one stadium at a time.