Work in progress: The new Dallas Cowboys stadium

Also see

• Schedule
• On Sky TV
• Messageboards

I'm in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this week, which is a significant reference point because it's the epi-centre of hype surrounding the Cowboys' preparations for the new NFL season.

I include the neighbouring city of Fort Worth in particular because - a) It has real cowboys, as opposed to the modern gridiron warriors of the same name; and b) It is actually closer than Dallas to the team's new $1billion stadium, which is under construction in the suburb of Arlington (also home to baseball's Texas Rangers).

It was also the denizens of Fort Worth who supplied the first genuine insight into the current status of 'America's team', which is still struggling to shake off the hangover from January's shock playoff loss to the New York Giants.

And you don't have to dig very far below the surface in this area to unearth plenty of earnest evaluation of the Cowboys' chances for taking that extra step to the NFC Championship Game, and beyond.

Here's how you can best sum it up - a) It is expected; and b) It is expected they will continue winning all the way to Super Bowl XLV in 2011, which will actually be in Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington.

Therefore, Jerry Jones' sensational new stadium is intended to be (Super Bowls XLIII and XLIV in Tampa and Miami permitting) the first to host a title game featuring the home team.

So, no pressure there, then, for head coach Wade Phillips and his high-profile bunch of expensively-hired desperadoes.

Our Fort Worth hosts told me, in fairly civilised tones, how America's greatest sporting circus must deliver nothing less than championship teams for at least the next three seasons.

Consistent

In Dallas itself, the message was pretty much the same, although possibly delivered in more pithy, down-to-earth terms from the fans. The basic (and oft-repeated) memorandum can best be paraphrased as follows: a) "After they blew it last season, they can't afford to let us down again"; and b) "How much are tickets to Tampa?"

No one in this part of the country expects the Giants to repeat their near-miraculous run through the play-offs again; and no-one sees either Washington or Philadelphia as likely to maintain a consistent challenge, either.

That leaves the Cowboys up against, who? And here it's hard to argue with the Texas-based logic. Green Bay are about to be engulfed in a protracted 'Will He or Won't He' saga surrounding the recently retired (but for how long?) Brett Favre.

That will almost certainly destabilise a Packers team already struggling to come to terms with being without their marquee player for the first time in 17 years.

Can fragile New Orleans bounce back from collapsing under the weight of Louisiana expectation last season? Or how about the Minnesota Vikings backing up their defence with some consistent offence? And what about the NFC West?

The answer to all three, in the Dallas area, is No; Not a chance; and Who?

(Actually, the 'Who?' retort is hard to argue with, as the NFC West positively limped through last season and the only team to finish in the positive win column, Seattle, were pretty miserable when it came to the playoffs).

Expectations

So, if you believe the Lone Star State logic, it is already pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Cowboys will be on the plane to Florida around the end of January next year - and will be ready for a three-peat when the Super Bowl heads for Texas in 2011, and that stunning new stadium.

Which should all be good news for Phillips, you would think. Only you'd be wrong. Because very few people in the region expect the mild-mannered head coach to be still in Dallas this time next year.

The expectations for the 61-year-old former Buffalo head coach are along these lines: a) If he doesn't win Super Bowl XLIII, he will be out on his ear in no uncertain terms; and b) If he DOES win it all next February, he will take his leave and ride off into the sunset, the hired gun with a job well done and no taste to hang around and enjoy it.

It is a fairly formidable scenario for the likeable Phillips but, ultimately, he's in a no-win situation because the Cowboys have offensive coordinator Jason Garrett as the head- coach-in-waiting.

If the team struggles this coming term, Phillips will carry the can and, even if the team reaches its expected mark, Jones does not want to lose Garrett to any head-coach-hungry team at the end of the season, which means putting him in the Dallas top job anyway.

Once again, it all adds up to a season of complete drama both on and off the field in Cowboy country. No changes there then...

PS: Having driven past the construction for the new Cowboys stadium this week, if you get the chance to look up this truly amazing piece of construction online, head over to the Dallas Cowboys website where you can see various artists' impressions of the 430-yard-long finished article. Roll on Super Bowl XLV!