The unofficial online home for fans of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Dallas is ugly. Endless, flat miles of strip malls, truck stops, and prefab buildings and sprawl. The drive between Dayton and Cincy now doesn’t seem so miserable.

ATT stadium is impressive. Gigantic. But who wants to sit in that upper deck so they can watch the game on the big screen?

Relatively short line in the club area, but a 45 minute wait for a $21 burger, bag of chips and pop. Seriously.

Outside of the immediate stadium area, Arlington is a dump.

Other than Dealey Plaza, Downtown Dallas at 10am on game day was a surreal ghost town.

Not impressed with the city itself. Good to be home.

Stayed in Fort Worth and had a great time. Lots of restaurants and bars in and around downtown. And the nice weather was great for outdoor dining/drinking. The stockyards was an ok touristy thing to do but wouldn't go back. Had great bbq at coopers though. Nothing really bad to say about the gameday experience other than lack of porta potties at the tailgate.

(01-02-2022 05:51 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  Stayed in Fort Worth and had a great time. Lots of restaurants and bars in and around downtown. And the nice weather was great for outdoor dining/drinking. The stockyards was an ok touristy thing to do but wouldn't go back. Had great bbq at coopers though. Nothing really bad to say about the gameday experience other than lack of porta potties at the tailgate.

The pregame was enjoyable. Where were all the Bama fans hiding? Didn’t see them until we got inside.

Wow. I've never been there but it sure looked cool when JR and Bobby were there.

YOU MEAN TV LIED ??????

(01-02-2022 08:29 PM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  

(01-02-2022 05:51 PM)Racinejake Wrote:  Stayed in Fort Worth and had a great time. Lots of restaurants and bars in and around downtown. And the nice weather was great for outdoor dining/drinking. The stockyards was an ok touristy thing to do but wouldn't go back. Had great bbq at coopers though. Nothing really bad to say about the gameday experience other than lack of porta potties at the tailgate.

The pregame was enjoyable. Where were all the Bama fans hiding? Didn’t see them until we got inside.

I am reminded of when we went to the Sugar Bowl and I didn’t see hardly any Florida fans until game time. I sat next to a Florida at the game and he explained their fans have been to so many of these types of bowls they don’t come to all the festivities anymore, they just show up for the game. Makes sense when you think about it.

I thought Jerry’s World was sterile. It’s a commercial sports facility. You can play football, basketball and soccer in it or have a convention or do anything. But it has no charm. It’s just a giant arena with no character.

I thought the stadium was awesome. Outside of Nippert, it's in my top 3. The one thing I noticed was the lighting. I have trouble seeing at night. I always have, for whatever reason. I could see the field 20/20. Better than I can with natural sun light. I was worried about the big screen being a distractions. It really wasn't at all. It was super helpful, and I really appreciated it being there. When we went to the Military bowl, we also stopped to see a Ravens' game. We sat in the endzone, and I kept noticing I was watching the big screen across the field instead of the game right in front of me. That didn't happen in Dallas. It's really a top notch facility, and makes Paul Brown Stadium look embarrassing.

The city itself, I don't think I really need to go back. The highway system is confusing as hell. I kept getting off one highway, onto another highway, then having to dive across 4 lanes to get on another highway. I admittedly didn't go exploring, and probably didn't give it a fair shake. There just wasn't anything that I saw that looked interesting to me.

All of the Alabama fans were massed at the back of the stadium during pregame. I really didn't care for being confined to one section of the stadium and not being able to explore the UC sections. We were seated in the end-zone to the side of the ESPN set. We tried walking on the concourse over to the UC side but couldn't get past the armed guards....WTF

We ended up staying outside of Dallas before and after the game due to the prices of rooms near the stadium. The area around the stadium was OK. I was surprised to find a Wal-mart on the parking complex of the stadium. However, it was relatively easy getting in and out of the complex once we got to our cars.

(01-03-2022 12:32 PM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote:  All of the Alabama fans were massed at the back of the stadium during pregame. I really didn't care for being confined to one section of the stadium and not being able to explore the UC sections. We were seated in the end-zone to the side of the ESPN set. We tried walking on the concourse over to the UC side but couldn't get past the armed guards....WTF

We ended up staying outside of Dallas before and after the game due to the prices of rooms near the stadium. The area around the stadium was OK. I was surprised to find a Wal-mart on the parking complex of the stadium. However, it was relatively easy getting in and out of the complex once we got to our cars.

we must have been seated near each other, I was the bald 60 year old with the 6 and 3 year old boys ( also with wife , daughter and son in law)

I was the big guy at the end of the aisle having to stand up every 5 minutes to let the guys out that can't hold it until the end of the quarter.

I was impressed by the females that chose to dress for the occasion. I'm guessing you see that more in the SEC, but I wish we'd see that more at the NIPP.

I did not go partly based on Dallas. Been there saw no reason to return. Had we played at Miami we would have gone. Drive over from Siesta Key is not bad.

(01-03-2022 01:20 PM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote:  I was the big guy at the end of the aisle having to stand up every 5 minutes to let the guys out that can't hold it until the end of the quarter.

I was impressed by the females that chose to dress for the occasion. I'm guessing you see that more in the SEC, but I wish we'd see that more at the NIPP.

At Nippert, I swear some people come in and out multiple times every quarter. Then during the early part of the 4th they come stumbling through to stay their good-byes. Why even come to the game? Save your money and go from the tailgate to the bar.

(01-03-2022 01:56 PM)Z-Fly Wrote:  

(01-03-2022 01:20 PM)Edgebrookjeff Wrote:  I was the big guy at the end of the aisle having to stand up every 5 minutes to let the guys out that can't hold it until the end of the quarter.

I was impressed by the females that chose to dress for the occasion. I'm guessing you see that more in the SEC, but I wish we'd see that more at the NIPP.

At Nippert, I swear some people come in and out multiple times every quarter. Then during the early part of the 4th they come stumbling through to stay their good-byes. Why even come to the game? Save your money and go from the tailgate to the bar.

We get that in the Club Seats too. Our seats are at row end so everyone must pass. Time after time.

(01-03-2022 01:35 PM)doss2 Wrote:  I did not go partly based on Dallas. Been there saw no reason to return. Had we played at Miami we would have gone. Drive over from Siesta Key is not bad.

You saw no reason to see us play in the CFP? The biggest event in our school's football history?

Fort Worth is where it's at, I said so pre-game in a thread. Sunset Square downtown is great for night life. Stockyards are touristy, had been there previously when I was working in the area for weeks on end. During the Cotton Bowl the Stockyards were far, far more crowded than my previous visits and made it not as fun as previous visits I'd had. Still can't beat H3 is the Stockyards for steak... the bone-in ribeye cooked over a hickory fire just melts in your mouth.

Went to a ton of BBQ joints; Hard 8 IMHO is still the best. When we went to Hard 8 the place was packed with Bearcat fans (so word got out about the BBQ), several OL and their families were there for one of the few meals the Bearcats allowed players to attend with their families. Jim Kelly the voice of the Bearcats was there as well.

Speaking of Jim Kelly; he is a great ambassador for the University. I had spoken with him 2 times previously. The 1st time Coach Dantonio and him came to the west side to talk to a gathering of Cincinnati based football coaches. The 2nd time was at the Oregon State game in 2007 when I arrived early and at that time was one of the the only fans at the game. I was watching pre-game and he came over and started talking to me. Flash-forward to the Cotton Bowl and he was sitting one table over at Hard 8 and came over with his wife (my 1st time meeting her and also a wonderful person) and we talked for 20-30 minutes. He was the one that told me about the radio show him and Dan Hoard were doing from the Gaylord Hotel and told us to make sure we showed up. We did, standing room only and a great showing by our fan base.

Only time we went to Arlington was for the game... never went to Dallas this trip, not a fan. I agree with Z-Fly; AT&T is a great venue and stadium. I would recommend if you are ever in the area to pay for and take the stadium tour. Spend a little extra $ and get the insider tour and they take you into the locker rooms (Cowboys and the Cheerleaders) as well as Jerry Jones Box. You get a Souvenir portrait on the Star as well. You'll come to appreciate several of the unique features that are football only there with the tour.

Went to the Fort Worth Zoo on Wednesday prior to the big game. Decent Zoo and Wednesday turned out to be 1/2 off day. Nice 4 hours spent walking and talking with my sons. Outside of the game it was a great trip. Lots of bonding.

Agree with the take about dressing up for the game; the SEC does it right. However our fan base showed up well and represented the city as well (obviously no Xavier girls went)... LOL

The region of Texas itself is really pretty but my God they seem to think the answer to every city planning question is to just build it in a field and build a massive highway system to get there. We have friends who live north of the city, we stayed south of Arlington trying to split the gap between Jerry World and Downtown Dallas. Total disaster. Otherwise cool trip, cool city with a lot to do. Texas Live for new years was pretty cool.

Bama fans are so...uninspiring? Is that the word? No **** talking, no tailgating, no real sense of actual gameday atmosphere. One of them told us "don't feel bad, these trips get expensive" as we left. Either way, damn proud of everyone for the effort.

(01-03-2022 04:45 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  The region of Texas itself is really pretty but my God they seem to think the answer to every city planning question is to just build it in a field and build a massive highway system to get there. We have friends who live north of the city, we stayed south of Arlington trying to split the gap between Jerry World and Downtown Dallas. Total disaster. Otherwise cool trip, cool city with a lot to do. Texas Live for new years was pretty cool.

Bama fans are so...uninspiring? Is that the word? No **** talking, no tailgating, no real sense of actual gameday atmosphere. One of them told us "don't feel bad, these trips get expensive" as we left. Either way, damn proud of everyone for the effort.

Sounds a little like the guy with a Florida shirt when checking into the hotel before the Sugar Bowl - who looked like he couldn't care less about the whole thing, and when I asked his response was - when you go to a number of these things after a while it's just another game. I don't think I'll ever get that blasé.

(01-03-2022 03:06 PM)Crewdogz Wrote:  Fort Worth is where it's at, I said so pre-game in a thread. Sunset Square downtown is great for night life. Stockyards are touristy, had been there previously when I was working in the area for weeks on end. During the Cotton Bowl the Stockyards were far, far more crowded than my previous visits and made it not as fun as previous visits I'd had. Still can't beat H3 is the Stockyards for steak... the bone-in ribeye cooked over a hickory fire just melts in your mouth.

Went to a ton of BBQ joints; Hard 8 IMHO is still the best. When we went to Hard 8 the place was packed with Bearcat fans (so word got out about the BBQ), several OL and their families were there for one of the few meals the Bearcats allowed players to attend with their families. Jim Kelly the voice of the Bearcats was there as well.

Speaking of Jim Kelly; he is a great ambassador for the University. I had spoken with him 2 times previously. The 1st time Coach Dantonio and him came to the west side to talk to a gathering of Cincinnati based football coaches. The 2nd time was at the Oregon State game in 2007 when I arrived early and at that time was one of the the only fans at the game. I was watching pre-game and he came over and started talking to me. Flash-forward to the Cotton Bowl and he was sitting one table over at Hard 8 and came over with his wife (my 1st time meeting her and also a wonderful person) and we talked for 20-30 minutes. He was the one that told me about the radio show him and Dan Hoard were doing from the Gaylord Hotel and told us to make sure we showed up. We did, standing room only and a great showing by our fan base.

Only time we went to Arlington was for the game... never went to Dallas this trip, not a fan. I agree with Z-Fly; AT&T is a great venue and stadium. I would recommend if you are ever in the area to pay for and take the stadium tour. Spend a little extra $ and get the insider tour and they take you into the locker rooms (Cowboys and the Cheerleaders) as well as Jerry Jones Box. You get a Souvenir portrait on the Star as well. You'll come to appreciate several of the unique features that are football only there with the tour.

Went to the Fort Worth Zoo on Wednesday prior to the big game. Decent Zoo and Wednesday turned out to be 1/2 off day. Nice 4 hours spent walking and talking with my sons. Outside of the game it was a great trip. Lots of bonding.

Agree with the take about dressing up for the game; the SEC does it right. However our fan base showed up well and represented the city as well (obviously no Xavier girls went)... LOL

Sat next to female Bama fans dressed like they were headed to an upscale chain restaurant. I don’t get it.. Put on your team’s jersey and cut the phony friendliness crap. There’s a name for these women, but it’s not to be spoken outside a kennel.

Had lots of fun at Texas Live, but it’s a place to go as a tourist, but not if you live there.

The thing I really like about Texas is the excellent Mexican food. It drops off after that.

Personally I got a lot of enjoyment out of hearing the Cincy girls throw shade at the Bama girl outfits.

(01-03-2022 07:03 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  Personally I got a lot of enjoyment out of hearing the Cincy girls throw shade at the Bama girl outfits.

The cosmetics applied to Bama twirlers and dancers - burn victims wear less makeup than those girls did. It was like Jon-Benet Ramsey creepy.