Cowboys news

Homer Simpson joins Dallas Cowboys in Monday Night Football spoof

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Homer and Bart Simpson will square off in the Cowboys-Bengals game.

Courtesy photo

Ay, Caramba! Bart and Homer Simpson, meet Monday Night Football. The Dallas Cowboys' game against the Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium on Monday, December 9 will also air from Atoms Stadium in Springfield as part of an alternate telecast.

The Simpsons Funday Football telecast will be streamed live on ESPN+ and Disney+ while the Cowboys-Bengals game airs on ESPN and ABC.

This is the second year ESPN has done an alternate broadcast for an NFL game. It used the characters from Toy Story for last year's Sunday morning game from London between the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars.

In this iteration, Homer will join the Cowboys while Bart teams up with the Bengals.

"For most of the game father and son will let their new Cowboys and Bengals teammates manage the action, but they will also select key opportunities to play on offense or defense," ESPN explains. "In addition, Marge and Lisa will interview players during the game and Maggie will fly the SkyCam, while popular characters, show references and aesthetics will bring a Sunday-night-with-the-Simpsons feel to Monday Night Football."

Producers for The Simpsons will also have original content for the telecast that will be utilized before, during, and after the game.

The telecast will be entirely animated, with the players’ movements in sync with what is happening in real time on the field. That’s done through player-tracking data enabled by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats system and Beyond Sports.

Ultimate Cowboy fan party
Local Cowboys fans who aren't at the game in Arlington that night can cheer them on (and commiserate?) at The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. Presented by Verizon, The Tailgate takes place from 6-9 pm Monday, December 9 at the Empire Room, and tickets are already on sale.

Attendees will enjoy sports-inspired bites from some of their favorite Dallas-area restaurants, premium cocktails, memorabilia from Texas legends, and plenty more game-day fun - including watching the Cowboys take on the Bengals.

The event will shine a spotlight on other local sports organizations, too, including the 2023 World Series champs Texas Rangers, who will be raffling off an autographed baseball to fans. The Frisco RoughRiders' mascot, Bull Moose, will be on hand for fun giveaways. And Former FC Dallas soccer star Kenny Cooper will kick it with fans in a meet-and-greet.

A limited number of Early Bird tickets are on sale now at discounted rates of $35 for general admission (regularly $50) and $60 for VIP (regularly $75).

All tickets include bites by participating restaurants, complimentary premium beverages, and access to fun activities throughout the event. VIP tickets come with one-hour early entry, access to a dedicated VIP bar, a meet-and-greet with a top Dallas athlete, and more perks for an elevated experience.

Head here to buy your tickets now.

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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

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Festival News

North Texas Irish Festival leaves Dallas' Fair Park and heads north

Photo courtesy of North Texas Irish Festival

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The long-running North Texas Irish Festival has decided to pull up stakes from its home in Fair Park and relocate to Denton, starting with its 2027 edition.

According to a release, the 2027 event will be held at the North Texas Fairgrounds on March 13 and 14.

Produced by the Southwest Celtic Music Association, the festival has been in existence since 1983, growing into one of the largest Irish festivals in the United States.

The festival was the second-largest annual event at Fair Park, behind only the State Fair of Texas.

In a phone interview with CultureMap, North Texas Irish Festival entertainment director Sheri Bush, who has been with the event since 1997, said the impetus for the move was when Fair Park First took over management of Fair Park in 2019.

Prior to that year, Bush said, Fair Park allowed the North Texas Irish Festival to handle all of the logistics of the event, from ticketing to concessions to security. But that changed under Fair Park First, which - among other things - raised ticket prices to a degree that it was affecting attendance, she said.

Bush said the loss of control, combined with the deteriorating condition of Fair Park's buildings, attendees' perception that the area was unsafe, and what she described as a lack of promotion by the city of Dallas, ultimately made relocating a more appealing option than staying.

The city of Denton has shown an enthusiasm for the event that has been lacking from Dallas, and all logistics will once again be under the festival's control, Bush said.

The move to Denton will not change anything about what the festival has to offer, including including multiple stages of live Celtic music, Irish step dancing performances, cultural demonstrations, storytelling, shopping, authentic food and drink, and more.

"We’re honored that the North Texas Irish Festival has chosen Denton as its new home," said Denton Mayor Chris Watts in a statement. "This move reflects our city’s commitment and reputation as a premier destination for arts, culture and community events."

Festival organizers say in the release that Denton's renowned arts and music community makes it a natural fit for the North Texas Irish Festival.

"Denton is known for embracing music and creativity," Bush said in the release. "Those values align perfectly with what the North Texas Irish Festival has represented for more than four decades. We're excited to become part of the Denton community while continuing to welcome attendees from across Texas and beyond."

Additional details, including the performer lineup and ticket information will be announced in the coming months.

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