Dan Pompei

When the Taj Mahal of NFL stadiums hosts its first regular season game Sunday night, the football watching world will be drawn to the star on the middle of the field.

The Dallas Cowboys always have been regarded as one of the premier franchises in professional sports, the Yankees of the NFL. But Cowboys Stadium — this takes it to another level.

It also may enhance the Cowboys’ competitive advantage, both in regular games and in offseason games. For a cool $1.2 billion, it should.

Opposing players may be a bit wide-eyed when they walk into this palace. And the crowd noise appears to be louder than it was at the old Texas Stadium.

“I think it’s put some gas in our tank as far as motivation to have pride in our home field and making it a special place to play and have an advantage over visiting teams,” Cowboys president Stephen Jones said.

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Cowboys linebacker Bradie James put it this way, according to the San Antonio Express-News: “You pull up to a stadium like this, and guys are going to get amped.”

Cowboys players have raved about almost every aspect of the stadium, from the locker room, to the magnificent video board, to their pathway on and off the field through the concourse that enables them to interact with fans.

“Our players think it’s the best of the best,” Jones said. “I don’t think they could be any happier.”

Opposing players have been impressed as well.

“I love how they have a stage in the end zone for the cheerleaders to put on a show,” said 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes, who visited the stadium in preseason. “If you are season ticket holder, that's the best way to get the most bang for your buck by sitting in that section.”

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Cowboys Stadium is the largest ever built in the NFL, and has a capacity for more than 100,000 fans. It features a retractable roof, the largest HD screens in the world and works of art from renowned artists.

The video board has been the most talked about feature in the stadium because of the controversy that started when a preseason punt bounced off it. Controversy aside, the video board is one of a kind. It spans 60 yards, hangs between the 20s and is seven stories high.

“It’s a pretty cool spectacle,” Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo says.

The bigger issue is whether or not the stadium will slant the field towards the Cowboys in free agency. Players from around the league who play in substandard facilities may take a look at Cowboys Stadium and say, “Wow, I’d love to play there.”

You could imagine the Cowboys impressing free agents by bringing them to their new stadium and putting on a show.

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Said Jones, “I think it helps. The Cowboys always had an advantage just because we’re the Cowboys. We play more national TV games. We get more than our share of visibility. But I think this takes it to another level. If all things are equal, we might have an advantage. They might want to come here even if it means playing for a little less.”

Spikes, however, has a slightly different take. “As far as free agent recruiting, it's a good pitch in the beginning but the ultimate enticement will be the money and the wins,” he said.

Another way to look at it is the Cowboys Stadium will give the team more money, which could lead to more wins, which could lead to more free agents.

Cowboys Stadium has to be a very good thing for the Dallas Cowboys.

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