Dallas, TX
How Dallas Cowboy and Houston Texan players graded their organizations
SAN ANTONIO – What does it take to win a Super Bowl?
It takes a lot of really good players, a coaching staff that can bring out the best in those players and an organization willing to pay for bringing in good players and good coaches.
The Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans have one thing in common this century: neither franchise has won or been on the doorstep of playing in a Super Bowl.
Despite the lack of on-field success, how do players rate their experiences playing for the Cowboys and Texans? Surprisingly, pretty well.
Report cards? What is this, grade school?
The National Football League Players Association released its second-ever team report cards for the 2023 season on Wednesday. According to NFLPA president and Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter, the report cards serve as a kind of “‘Free Agency Guide’ that would illuminate what the daily experience is for players and their families at each team.”
Response for last year’s report cards was modest. Tretter said more than 1,300 players, or approximately 60% of the league, participated in the survey. The team surveys seemingly made a positive impact league-wide because 1,706 active players, or 77% of the league, filled out responses this year.
The players evaluated their own organization by several key factors: its treatment of players’ families, food/cafeteria quality, nutritionist/dietician quality, locker room conditions, training room conditions, weight room conditions, training staff capabilities, quality of the team’s strength coaches, travel accommodations, quality of each head coach and quality of each owner.
Each player assigned a letter grade ranging from an A+ grade, indicating the very best a team has to offer, to an F- grade, indicating the very worst a team has to offer.
How did the Dallas Cowboys do?
Owner Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys may seem like they only care about keeping a moderately good football team in the headlines, but this year’s survey indicates that, for the most part, Cowboy players like playing for the Cowboys.
Dallas checked in at No. 12 overall out of 32 in the survey. Players highlighted the team’s facilities (locker room: A; weight room: A) and head coach Mike McCarthy (grade A) as a person players enjoy playing for. They also indicated how well the organization treats players’ families (grade A-), the quality of its strength coaches (grade B+) and how food and dieting best suits each player (food/cafeteria quality: B, nutritionist/dietician: B).
Cowboys weren’t exactly enthusiastic about everything the team provided. Two areas in need of serious improvement are the organization’s training room (grade C-) and training staff, whose D+ grade is tough to stomach. According to the survey, only 62% of Cowboy respondents felt they received enough one-on-one treatment from the training staff.
Traveling on the road appears to be another headache for Cowboy players. Only 72% of players felt they had “a comfortable amount of personal space during flights,” the survey said. Additionally, the Cowboys are one of seven NFL teams that require some players to have roommates the night before a game.
Dallas lost all five of its regular season games on the road in 2023. Maybe there’s a connection here.
How did the Houston Texans do?
The start of the 2020s did anything but roar for the Houston Texans, who rolled off an impressively futile run of four different head coaches in the first three seasons of the decade.
However, it looks like the franchise may be turning a corner. The Texans hired DeMeco Ryans to be its head coach, drafted a quarterback in C.J. Stroud who might be on the verge of superstardom and qualified for the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs this past season.
Based on the survey, the Texans came in at No. 7 overall out of 32 teams. Players offered rave reviews of the team’s cafeteria food (grade A-) and dietary advice (grade A-). The survey said that the Texans are the only team in the NFL that “had every player feel they received an individualized plan from their dietician.”
The aforementioned Ryans, a former Houston Texan player, showed himself to be a cerebral coach players wouldn’t mind going into the trenches for (grade A-).
The training room and training staff were also a source of pride for players. Over 90% of players felt the team had enough full-time trainers, enough full-time physical therapists, enough hot tub space, enough cold tub space and received enough one-on-one treatment. One area for improvement: Players would like to see the team add a sauna and/or steam room, which according to the survey, are both “standard at nearly every other facility in the League.”
Texans players who responded to the survey did not grade any category listed as anything worse than a B-.
What the survey can do
There has been some positive organizational change caused by the NFLPA releasing its report card information to players and the public. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ overall grade was ranked 28th out of 32 last year, in part, due to players reporting a rat infestation at EverBank Stadium, the team’s home stadium. This year, the Jaguars’ grade jumped to fifth overall after the team upgraded its facilities over the last calendar year.
On the other hand, great on-field success isn’t always the best indicator of a well-run organization. Players ranked the Kansas City Chiefs, who earlier this month won their third Super Bowl title in the last five years, 31st overall out of 32. According to the survey, head coach Andy Reid was voted as the lone positive while players lamented the team’s lack of “quality care” and “out-of-date facilities.”
If the survey is teaching a lesson, the lesson is: What you see might not be what you get.
A full list of letter grades and rankings for each NFL team can be found here.
Copyright 2024 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
Dallas, TX
Public frustration grows as Dallas leaders debate billion‑dollar City Hall fix or relocation
Cardi B, one of hip-hop’s most outsize personalities — and one of its most reliable hitmakers — is coming to Dallas.
The New York City-born rapper broke through in 2017 with the hit single “Bodak Yellow,” launching a chart-topping run that soon included “I Like It” and the blockbuster hit “WAP.” Her Grammy-winning debut album, Invasion of Privacy, cemented her as a defining voice in contemporary rap, blending brash humor, confessional storytelling and club-ready production.
The 33-year-old’s success helped boost the profile of women in a genre long dominated by men, encouraging record labels to sign more female rappers. She has frequently teamed up with rising female artists, including GloRilla, FendiDa Rappa and “WAP” collaborator Megan Thee Stallion.
Cardi’s stop at American Airlines Center is part of the arena run supporting her second studio album, 2025’s Am I the Drama? Recent shows in the “Little Miss Drama Tour” have leaned into spectacle, with elaborate staging, surprise guest appearances and a set list that spans her entire career.
Fans can expect a high-energy performance built around booming trap beats, pop hooks and Cardi’s signature unfiltered banter — the same mix that has helped her sell out dates across the tour and turn concerts into party-like events.
DETAILS: March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Tickets start at $334.10, but some verified resale tickets are cheaper. ticketmaster.com.
Pop legend Diana Ross performs March 7 at the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
Sarah Hepola
OTHER CONCERTS
Bluesy psychedelic rock band All Them Witches performs March 7 at House of Blues Dallas.
Travis Pinson
ALL THEM WITCHES March 7 at 8 p.m. at House of Blues Dallas. ticketmaster.com.
DIANA ROSS March 7 at 8 p.m. at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. winstar.com.
RICH BRIAN March 7 at 8 p.m. at The Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum. axs.com.
TRACE ADKINS March 7 at 10 p.m. at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. billybobstexas.com.
AFROJACK March 8 at 3 p.m. at It’ll Do Club in Deep Ellum. eventbrite.com.
LITHE March 8 at 8 p.m. at House of Blues Dallas. ticketmaster.com.
CONAN GRAY March 10 at 8 p.m. at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. ticketmaster.com.
MATISYAHU March 10 at 8 p.m. at the Granada Theater in Dallas. prekindle.com.
OUR LADY PEACE, WITH THE VERVE PIPE March 12 at 8 p.m. at Tannahill’s Tavern and Music Hall in Fort Worth. ticketmaster.com.
PAUL WALL March 12 at 9 p.m. and March 13 at 10 p.m. at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth. billybobstexas.com.
The fiercest legislative primary fights Tuesday in North Texas were inside the GOP.
In Dallas County, two moderate GOP incumbent representatives faced challengers after being censured by their own county party.
In Collin County, several Republican state House members were fending off rivals running to their right.
The Dallas Morning News will provide live election results this evening when the polls close at 7 p.m. Results will be updated throughout the evening for statewide races and Dallas, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Kaufman, Rockwall and Tarrant counties.
Dallas County, House District 108
Republican Morgan Meyer, first elected in 2014, was challenged by attorney Sanjay Narayan in a district that includes the Park Cities, Oak Lawn and Preston Hollow.
Narayan criticized Meyer for backing renewable energy expansion and for being censured by the Dallas GOP last year.
Meyer was among House Republicans targeted after disputes over the House speaker vote and chamber rules. He and other lawmakers called the censure effort unconstitutional.
In the campaign, Meyer focused on property tax relief and emergency preparedness after the Camp Mystic tragedy.
Small business owner Allison Mitchell is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Dallas County, House District 112
Republican Angie Chen Button, who has represented the district covering parts of Dallas, Richardson and Garland since 2009, drew three primary opponents.
Button has highlighted her support for small businesses and public schools and her bipartisan record. A senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, she would play a key role in the state’s property tax debate if reelected.
Dallas-area delegation in the Texas House of Representatives on Sunday, May 30, 2021, showing State Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Garland, in the chamber.
Bob Daemmrich / Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto
Opponents Chad Carnahan and Tina Price attacked Button for being censured by the Dallas GOP last year, a move she and other lawmakers have criticized as an internal party power struggle.
Carnahan, a businessman, said he wants to lower property taxes and prevent Shariah in Texas.
Price said she would improve public schools and spur the re-use of old buildings. Also in the GOP race: Perry E. Barker Sr.
Democrat Zach Herbert was unopposed.
Collin County, House District 61
Two Republicans are seeking to represent the district that covers most of McKinney and parts of Frisco and Celina.
Incumbent Keresa Richardson, who was elected in 2024, and former state Rep. Frederick Frazier both support eliminating property taxes.
Richardson, an entrepreneur, said she would expand the Texas voucher-like program for education.
Frazier, a former police officer and McKinney City Council member, was more cautious about expanding the program.
Frederick Frazier speaks as Rep. Keresa Richardson looks on during a candidate forum for Republicans in Collin County ahead of the March primary election at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
Anja Schlein / Special Contributor
Two political newcomers, Jackie Bescherer and Brittany Black, are running in the Democratic primary. Both oppose Texas’ voucher program and vow to increase public education funding.
Collin County, House District 67
Republican Rep. Jeff Leach, first elected in 2012, faces Matt Thorsen in a district that includes parts of Plano, Allen, McKinney and Melissa.
Leach has highlighted his conservative record, including legislation barring Shariah in Texas courts. He also served as a House impeachment manager during Attorney General Ken Paxton’s 2023 trial, a role he has defended amid backlash from activists.
Thorsen, a small business owner and former youth pastor, helped lead the effort to censure Leach last year. He has criticized Leach’s impeachment role and accused him of siding with Democrats on House rules.
Both support eliminating property taxes, expanding education savings accounts and oppose the development formerly known as EPIC City. Two Democrats are also running, though the district has leaned Republican.
Collin County, House District 70
Three Republicans are competing for the nomination to run against incumbent Democrat Mihaela Plesa, who is running unopposed in her party’s primary.
Democrat Mihaela Plesa responds to questions during a District 70 Candidate Forum hosted by Raise Your Hand Texas at Plano ISD Academy High School in Plano on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022.
Liesbeth Powers / Staff Photographer
George Flint, a former district judge and Collin County Republican Party Chair, emphasized eliminating property taxes and securing the border in his campaign.
Jack Ryan Gallagher, an attorney, said he would attract companies to North Texas, improve public schools and partner with local law enforcement if elected.
Michael Hewitt, an attorney, said he would gradually lower property taxes and work to keep Texas a business-friendly state.
The district includes parts of Plano, Richardson and Far North Dallas.
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