Dallas, TX

Plano City Council votes to put Dallas Stars arena funding plan on November ballot

Published

1 month ago

August 11, 2026

Plano City Council votes to put Dallas Stars arena funding plan on November ballot

The Plano City Council has voted to move forward with a funding plan for the proposed new Dallas Stars arena. The vote was unanimous, 8-0.

The vote means Plano voters will get the final say in November on a package of taxes and fees that would help fund the proposed $3 billion development near Willow Bend.

The project would include a new Dallas Stars arena, along with restaurants, shops and public spaces.

“We will have many more opportunities to say no, but now is not the time to do that,” said Plano council member Bob Kehr.

Plano is proposing to put $700 million toward the development via:

A short-term hotel occupancy tax, up to 2%, resulting in a maximum combined hotel occupancy tax rate of 15%
A short-term motor vehicle rental tax, up to 5%
An event parking tax of up to $3 per vehicle
An admissions tax of up to 10% of the ticket price
A venue facility use tax of up to $5,000 per game on each member of a major league team that plays a professional sports game at the venue

Dallas Sport and Entertainment LP

“If citizens were to rent motor vehicles, they will be charged with those tax increases,” said Deputy City Manager Doug McDonald.

The city says Plano property taxes would not increase to pay for the arena.

“The proposed venue-related taxes would apply only to specific transactions and would not affect the existing property tax rate for Plano residents. The election does not determine the future of the arena,” the city said in a statement.

The City’s potential financing plan also includes new commercial property tax revenues generated within the Willow Bend Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) and other revenues generated by arena events.

Proposed Stars arena concerns residents

The proposal has drawn considerable concern from residents, especially regarding traffic. The city says more than 2,400 written comments came in during the public input process, with 84% focused on traffic.

“If you have a Dallas Stars game, expending 20,000 to 22,000 people, that’s 8 to 10,000 cars and there’s not a lot of public transit in that area,” said Michael Forner, a Plano resident.

Parking, noise, light pollution and the impact on nearby neighborhoods have also been major concerns.

“I think you will be reducing the attractiveness of Plano to families,” said Ileen Chivata, a Plano resident.

There will be an update on development studies at a meeting in October. The city said that it will include a traffic study.

Monday night’s vote does not approve the arena or its funding. It puts the funding plan on the November ballot, when Plano voters will have the final say.

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Dallas, TX

Examining the ‘questionable’ Dallas Goedert touchdown reception

Published

3 hours ago

September 14, 2026

Press Room

Examining the ‘questionable’ Dallas Goedert touchdown reception

The biggest offensive play of the game during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 24-22 Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders was a 43-yard catch-and-run by Dallas Goedert for a touchdown. It was a weird play that the Commanders complained about in-game, and the Washington Post called “questionable” after it.

Let’s just show the play first.

With just two seconds left on the play clock, Jalen Hurts killed the called play and checked to the play that was run.

When he killed the play, Dallas Goedert moved laterally toward the sideline (legal), and all five offensive linemen reacted in some way. Jordan Mailata pointed; while Landon Dickerson, Tyler Steen, and Lane Johnson all looked at Cam Jurgens to see his adjustment. Jurgens also pointed before snapping the ball. All legal.

Normally, when the quarterback checks to a different play, the offensive line adjusts, resets, and then the play is run. But because Hurts killed the called play so close to the play clock expiration, the play looked a little wonky, and the Commanders were caught off-guard.

If you look at the end zone view, linebacker Sonny Styles (52) is pointing at Goedert, like, “Hey he can’t do that!” as Goedert runs right by him. Meanwhile, Odafe Oweh (98) and Leo Chenal (54) basically do nothing.

From the All-22 sideline view, CB Rasul Douglas (29) is looking for a flag, and he kind of jogs over toward Goedert when the throw goes his way. It’s only when Douglas realized “Oh this play is live” when he begins to try to chase Goedert down. You can also see both safeties asking for flags after the snap.

“We had two plays called in the huddle,” Goedert said. “Jalen killed [the primary play] late. Right as he said ‘Hut’ I slid laterally, which is legal, but it probably gave the illusion of [a false start]. It seemed like the defense kind of froze their feet for a second and it played to my advantage, that’s for sure.

“I’ll probably be told not to [slide laterally] again, but when it works out sometimes the coaches will let it slide a little.”

Credit Hurts for making the correct check; as well as the Eagles’ offense for all being on the same page and reacting with poise even though the check was made under the duress of an expiring play clock.

“That’s football,” Jurgens said. “He checked to a touchdown.”

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Dallas, TX

Quinnen Williams, Caleb Downs circle what went wrong in Cowboys loss to Giants

Published

13 hours ago

September 14, 2026

Press Room

Quinnen Williams, Caleb Downs circle what went wrong in Cowboys loss to Giants

Before it was all said-and-done, the Cowboys’ defense allowed nine out of 11 conversions on third down, missed seven tackles (per NextGen Stats), allowed Dart to complete 23 of 29 passes with three touchdowns and a combined 165 rushing yards (54 rushing yards by Dart).

That is not the standard Christian Parker has preached throughout the offseason, and not the standard Williams is willing to accept from a personnel group he feels is better than the product they put on the field in Week 1.

“The guys we got in our locker room, especially on defense, are unbelievable when it comes down to taking constructive criticism and accountability, first of all, and let’s move,” he said. “We had a lot of mental errors, a lot of busts today, and just really need to be critical with that going into this week; and focus on getting better.

“We’ve already said it to each other, and we hold each other accountable to get better.”

That sentiment is echoed by Caleb Downs, the rookie 11th-overall pick seeing his NFL debut marred by a poor collective showing on defense, and the loss that came attached to it.

Downs isn’t accustomed to losing, but he also knows hanging his head won’t work toward solving any problems that cropped up in New York when the Washington Commanders walk into AT&T Stadium for the home opener in seven days.

“I mean, at the end of the day, in football, it always just comes down to who does their job better,” said Downs. “We’ve got to do our jobs better — as a defense and as a team. We get that fixed, and we’ll be good. It’s always frustrating as a defense when you don’t get off the field.

“That’s part of the job, and we didn’t do it at a high level today. … We need to see what we did wrong, execute what we need to fix, and then go do it better next week.”

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Dallas, TX

Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants Announcer Pairing & Referee Assignment For Week 1

Published

23 hours ago

September 13, 2026

Press Room

Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants Announcer Pairing & Referee Assignment For Week 1

The Dallas Cowboys are just hours away from kicking off the 2026 NFL season at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against the division rival New York Giants.

Dallas has a long history of taking the Giants to the woodshed, so the team is hoping to keep the tradition going. The Cowboys have never lost to Dallas in a primetime season opener and are 11-1 in their last two outings.

Of course, the last time the two teams faced off, the Cowboys were already out of the playoff mix, and suffered a loss on the road. Now, they will be looking to reverse course.

It’s a big day for the Cowboys, who will finally get the opportunity to unleash their new-look defense and highlight first-round pick Caleb Downs, who enters the season as a front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The announcers and referees can always become hot topics during a game, so it’s always nice to be prepared for what you may see throughout the night.

Cowboys vs. Giants, Week 1 announcer pairing

NBC Sports broadcasters Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth speak before a game between the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sunday night’s game will be called by the Sunday Night Football primetime crew led by play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and analyst Cris Collinsworth. Melissa Stark will be providing updates from the sidelines.

As for the men in the stripes, Carl Cheffers is leading the way.

Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants, Week 1 referee assignment

NFL referee Carl Cheffers during Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports

Carl Cheffers, an NFL official since 2000, will be leading the crew for Sunday night’s game. Cheffers entered the league as a side judge before being promoted to crew chief and ultimately head referee.

Last season, when Cheffers’ crew was on the call, the winning team had a 58.82 winning percentage, well above the league average. There were an average of 14.24 penalties per game for 109.29 yards.

All of the information you need to catch Sunday afternoon’s action can be seen below.

Cowboys vs Broncos, Week 1 Betting Odds & Viewing Info

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart greets Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott after the game at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
Start Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey
Venue: MetLife Stadium
TV Info: NBC | Peacock

Betting Odds: Cowboys -3 | O/U: 48.5 (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Cowboys -162 | Giants +136

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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