Super Bowl 2011 / Cowboys Stadium

Youth Education Towns a lasting legacy for Super Bowl host cities

I finally finished editing this video shot while the North Texas delegation was in south Florida for Super Bowl XLIV. 

It features Brenda Fulmore, the director of the NFL YET -- or Youth Education Town -- in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Fulmore and Lynda Hamilton, manager for NFL charities, graciously spent a sunny afternoon giving me a tour of the 10-year-old facility, which is run under the umbrella of the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Arlington will get its own YET in conjunction with Super Bowl XLV, and I wanted to try to give North Texans an idea of what to expect.

The details of the Arlington center are far from complete, including where it will be built, who will run it and how much connection it will have with the Boys & Girls Clubs. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his wife, Gene, have pledged $1 million toward construction of the center, and the National Football League kicks in another $1 million.

For now, though, it's enough to enjoy Fulmore's enthusiasm for her job and "her" kids. The real learning moment in this video is that it's the people who will make the YET a success. You have to spend only a few minutes with Brenda Fulmore to understand that.

-- Kathy Vetter

In 'Super' moment, Staubach to throw out first pitch for Rangers

If there was any doubt that the next 10 months will be all Super Bowl, all the time, the Texas Rangers' decision to have former Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach throw out the first pitch at next Monday's home opener should erase it.

Staubach, of course, is chairman of the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee and the man tapped by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to bring the 2011 game to Cowboys Stadium.

The Rangers take on the Toronto Blue Jays at Rangers Ballpark on April 5, with Scott Feldman scheduled to be the starter.

On Feb. 6, 2011, the world's attention will be right there in north Arlington, just a few blocks away from the Rangers home.

-- Kathy Vetter

(Photo of Staubach at Super Bowl XLIV by Tom Fox/Dallas Morning News)

I-30 could become "Super Bowl Highway" to celebrate 2011 game

Super Bowl organizers are proposing to add the words "Super Bowl" to the "Tom Landry Highway" signs on Interstate 30 later this year to celebrate the big game's debut in North Texas, transportation expert Michael Morris told the Arlington League of Women Voters on Tuesday.

Six of the new green and white signs, complete with the legendary coach's iconic fedora, would be erected -- two in Dallas, two in Arlington and two in Grand Prairie, said Morris, who is in charge of the Super Bowl Host Committee's transportation planning.

The Texas Department of Transportation has approved the signs, but the plan has yet to be presented to the NFL, Morris said.

The signs are scheduled to be unveiled at a news conference next month and could go up in April or May.

Frank Supovitz, the league's vice president of events, is scheduled to be in town in early April to meet with the Host Committee.

The current signs (which, of course can't be seen in Arlington at the moment thanks to all the construction on I-30) read:

IH 30

Tom Landry

Highway

The proposed new signs would read:

IH 30

Tom Landry

Super Bowl Hwy

Of course, it's important to note that the stretch of I-30 between Dallas and Arlington was renamed the "Tom Landry Highway" in 2001, long before talks began to move Cowboys Stadium to the city.

-- Kathy Vetter

An awed Bob Arum praises Jones, puts Cowboys Stadium in the big fight mix

Jerry Jones got the crowd and the response he was looking for now it seems it will be only a matter of time before another big time boxing match comes to Cowboys Stadium.

Top rank promoter Bob Arum had nothing but praise for Jones and his $1.2 billion facility, possibly signaling a change of venue for boxing events from the Las Vegas casinos to big stadiums.

Certainly the new Yankee Stadium and other venues will get a look but last night's fight between Manny Pacquaio and Joshua Clottey showed the Cowboys Stadium has now become a major player for boxing matches. The crowd of 50,944 was spectacular and so was the big screen, which is the largest in the world.

"This was one of the grandest spectacles in the history of boxing," Arum said. "I have never seen boxing presented the way it was tonight.

The lighting, the music, the entrances was really something special. People around the world saw something out of the ordinary. They saw something very special."

Pacquiao bests Clottey by unanimous decision

Folks, this was an incredible bout. And if anyone thought Clottey wasn't up to the task of this fight, he proved everyone wrong.

But Manny was Manny, and his furious stream of punches was just too much for Clottey, who has earned the admiration of everyone here this evening.

Scorecards, by the way, were 119-109 across the board, favoring PacMan.

-- Tracey Myers

Pacquiao-Clottey updates

PacMan is starting quick, landing a bunch of body blows while Clottey seems content to pick his spots. I wouldn't wait long if I were him.

The "Manny" chant went up almost immediately, as this crowd has been waiting for this one. Clottey made sure his gloves were up at all times, not allowing Manny many shots to the head.

Round 2: Pacquiao got in a good amount of body and head shots on Clottey, who was looking a little wobbly with about a minute remaining in the round. Clottey got his punches in toward the end, including one flush to Pacquiao's face.

Round 3: This was an entertaining one. Here's basically how this is going: Manny's landing a bunch of punches, Clottey's getting in a choice few in retaliation. All of them are making an impact. Manny came with a flurry of shots with just under a minute in the round, and Clottey came back with a mean left hook to Manny's jaw that brought a collective "ooh" from the crowd.

Round 4: Manny just dominated this round, landing so many punches that at one point he gave Clottey a double punch in both ears (my dad always said "I'll box your ears in" when I was young. Now I get it).

Round 5: Clottey has found some success with that left jab, but Pacquiao is still landing those incredibly quick shots with rapid succession.

Round 6: Pacquiao didn't land quite as many this round, but he's still getting those wear-'em-down shots in over and over again on Clottey. Clottey's best combo attempt was blocked by Pacquiao.

Round 7: Thought Clottey was going down with about a minute remaining in the round, when Pacquiao landed a couple of punishing shots that had Clottey falling into his own corner. But Clottey's still standing, and still landing that left now and then.

Round 8: Pacquiao is taking over, of course that's just my opinion. Still, Clottey is taking it all somehow, and he's absorbing a lot of tough shots to the head from Pacquiao. Clottey didn't endear himself with two shots: one a low blow, and at the end of the round it looked like he got Manny in a bit of a headlock and gave him a punch. Manny shrugged it off.

Round 9: Clottey lands a few combos of his own early, and it looked like it was going to be his round. But with 45 seconds remaining, Pacquiao was leaving Clottey reeling again with his quick strikes. Clottey almost went down with about 30 seconds remaining, but caught himself along the ropes.

Round 10: I think Clottey is winning over some folks with his performance here tonight... or it may have been that series of punches that had Pacquiao on the rare defensive. Pacquiao was still tremendous, and it seems like he's done everything to Clottey except land the knockout blow.

Round 11: Folks, this has been incredible. I wasn't sure who was going to knock who out on that round. They both came close. Here we go...

The entrances...

Joshua Clottey was movin' and groovin' his way to the ring. All the way to the ring and into the ring. Either the man is working off nervous energy or he's one of the coolest customers ever to step inside the ropes. We'll find out soon.

Moments later, Manny Pacquiao entered to "Eye of the Tiger" and to a thunderous ovation by the nearly 51,000 here at Cowboys Stadium. No moves, no grooves, just that familiar trot to the ring. Pacquiao put up his gloves to receive bumps from well-wishers, but otherwise it's all business from a man you'd expect nothing less.

-- Tracey Myers

Soto beat Diaz by unanimous decision

Humberto Soto was consistent throughout this one, and his few strong shots late in the 12th round put Diaz down on the canvas. Diaz got up and was given the green light by the referee just as the bell sounded, and the two fighters embraced in the middle of the ring.

All the scorecards were for Soto (115-111, and two with 117-109).

Soto wins the WBC Lightweight title, becoming a three-time champ.

-- Tracey Myers

Jerry Jones wins: Third best indoor boxing attendance in US history

Jerry Jones bet big that boxing would be a hit a Cowboys Stadium and he delivered a knockout Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium.

The announced crowd of 50,944 for the Joshua Clottey-Manny Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight title is the third largest for an indoor boxing event in United States history.

Ranking No. 1 was the heavyweight title bout between Muhammad Ali and Leon  Spinks in 1978 that drew 63,350 to the Superdome in New Orleans.  Second was the 59,995 that came to the Alamodome in 1997 to watch Julio Cesar Chavez take on Pernell Whitaker.

Just think if Jones could have pulled off a matchup between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, it would have easily broken the record. Don't fret because Jones is still lobbying to make that fight happen.

Clarence E. Hill Jr.

Diaz-Soto updates

Round 1: We got a big "oooh" moment from the crowd when Soto landed a big hook to Diaz's chin that knocked the Chicago fighter to the canvas. Many more like that and this fight won't last long either.

Round 3: Soto landed a few more shots that had Diaz buckling a bit midway through the round. Diaz goes down into a semi-crouch, and a few times Soto has gotten in some perfectly timed shots just as Diaz is standing straight up again.

Round 4: Diaz has sustainied an abrasion above his right eye. Looks like his trainers were just cleaning it up a bit as they come out for Round 5.

Round 5: Soto had a flurry of punches right at the end of the round, as this one is getting a little chippy. Diaz's trainers were once again looking at that right eye, which is beginning to swell a bit.

Round 6: Soto closes out another round with an impressive round of jabs. Meanwhile, they glimpse quickly to Manny Pacquiao's room, where he and his group are praying.

Round 7: Soto missed on some punches at the end of this one, which was pretty quiet compared to the rest.

Round 9: Diaz started to land a few more shots, including some body blows while Soto was up against the ropes. He landed a shot to Soto's jaw just before the bell.

Round 10: Soto went down about 30 seconds into the round as Diaz continues to pounce. Soto's gotten caught along the ropes too often lately, and Diaz has taken advantage.

Round 11: Diaz is feeling good about that one, and probably for good reason. More of the same from him that round.

-- Tracey Myers