Sporty Stuff

NFL ramps up draft picks with a Bachelor-worthy event in Arlington

A music stage will feature performances by the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

Like some mash-up of football and The Bachelor, the 2018 NFL Draft is coming to AT&T Stadium in Arlington on April 26-28.

This is the first time the draft will take place at an NFL stadium — and also the first time it will air on broadcast television, with Fox and NFL Network carrying a simulcast featuring personnel from both the NFL Network and Fox Sports.

Watching games is not enough; you can now see who gets the rose. This will enable football fans to view team selections in-person and attend what a release calls the league's largest free football festival.

Admission is free with registration, at NFL.com/FanMobilePass. The opportunity to win free seated tickets inside the NFL Draft Theater closed on March 14, but registration remains open for NFL Draft Experience presented giving fans a chance to win standby theater tickets.

NFL senior VP Peter O'Reilly says in a release that they're taking the event to another level.

"By collaborating closely with the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Sports Commission, we are creating a record number of free experiences and enabling the largest live audience ever to view the NFL Draft," O'Reilly says.

"We are thrilled to host the 2018 NFL Draft and bring together football fans from not only Texas, but also the entire country," says Charlotte Jones Anderson, VP/brand officer of the Dallas Cowboys.

"For those who believed last year's NFL Draft created an amazing atmosphere, just wait until this year's event," said former Dallas Cowboys player Drew Pearson, calling it the "largest free football festival in league history."

For those who have no idea what happened at last year's NFL Draft, it took place held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which ugh, a museum? Seems totally off-brand. Player selections were announced from an outdoor theater; it was the first time an entire NFL draft was held outdoors.

For the 2018 version, the NFL is creating a larger-than-life atmosphere by transforming the areas inside and outside of AT&T Stadium, with a Draft Theater that will be built on the field, creating opportunities for more fans than ever to watch the event live and in-person.

New this year, all 32 teams will send some of their most passionate fans to sit in the "Inner Circle," an exclusive area for select fans to watch from seats on the field. This special area will feature team rivalry zones; chances to celebrate the picks with NFL players and Legends; and opportunities to showcase team spirit on national television. You might get to be on TV.

A "selection square" will be located inside the theater and feature team tables where representatives from each club will make their selections throughout the three days.

There will also be an exhibit space spanning the size of nearly 26 football fields, with immersive games, virtual reality experiences, free player autograph sessions, and more.

If you register for a "Fan Mobile Pass," you get to enjoy an enhanced experience, with a personal scan code that gives you exclusive access to NFL Draft Experience attractions, and have the chance to receive standby tickets to the NFL Draft Theater.

The games area includes competitions where you can come to terms with the fact that you are completely unfit to be a football player yourself. They include:

Vertical Jump, where you jump as high as you can and hit the corresponding flag to discover your vertical reach just like at the NFL Scouting Combine
40-yard dash, where you race down the field against your opponents and digital NFL players on a giant 40-yard long LED wall
Hail Mary, where you test your long-distance accuracy by throwing a deep pass over defenders into a drop-in net
NFL Training Camp, where you race through a series of obstacles and train like a pro.
Touch Pass, where you master one of the most difficult throws for an NFL quarterback by throwing the ball on an arc over a defensive player and into a net
FedEx Air Challenge, where you test your passing accuracy on specially designed targets.

The NFL PLAY 60 Zone is only slightly less demanding, but it's for kids. It includes:

Gear Up & Go: Try on NFL equipment and feel what it’s like to get dressed for gameday
Kids’ Extra Point Kick: Test your ability to kick a field goal through scaled down NFL uprights
Kids’ Long Snap: Test your ability to snap the ball like a pro
Kids’ Quarterback Challenge: Test your passing skills

There's also an app station, obstacle course, videogame area, and on-field clinics, open to kids from 6-17 years old.

Other attractions include autograph sessions; photo ops with Super Bowl trophies and with oversized helmets; and a replica locker room you can visit. Will it smell sweaty?

A music stage will feature appearances by NFL team mascots, cheerleaders, drumlines and local musical talent, and you can buy beer from the Bud Light Ice House. You can also visit the NFL Museum with all of the features that entails.

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Turkey Day news

Dallas eats up top-5 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of Razzoo's

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Dallas is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

Dallas ranked No. 5 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12. The city made a huge leap over its 2023 ranking as No. 17, and remains the highest-ranking Texas city.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The category that Dallas ranked the highest in was the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 2), and the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 9), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 82). Other categories that determined Dallas' overall ranking were affordability (No. 60), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 26).

Dallas restaurants are getting prepared for their big Turkey Day feasts, and CultureMap has rounded up a thorough list of all of the local restaurants hosting holiday feasts, from brunch to dinner.

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, Dallas will be fully decked for the December holidays. Dallasites who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. Dallas-Fort Worth goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Across North Texas, three Dallas-area cities also made big improvements from their 2023 rankings. Irving moved up 10 spots to claim No. 19 this year, and Garland jumped up 21 spots on the list as No. 34. Arlington made the biggest improvement in the region, moving from No. 78 last year to No. 55 this year.

Meanwhile, Plano and Fort Worth slipped in the rankings, falling into No. 44 and No. 45 in 2024, respectively. Plano previously ranked No. 38 in 2023, and Fort Worth was No. 36.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

dallas fort worth thanksgiving wallethub rankings