During a stadium roof test, debris has fallen down onto the pitch ahead of the Cowboys game. Thankfully, this was done long before the game started, allowing the staff to clear the damage.
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With plenty of time to spare, staff opened up the enormous roof of the Dallas Cowboys stadium. As the roof pieces were irised apart, rubble started to fall through the gap. Large pieces of building material rained down onto the pitch.
Lisa Salters reported on the event on ESPN's Monday Night Football. "Bits of debris started falling from the sky. They were opening the roof here and you could see big chunks of what looked like dust, paper, plastic, and then all of a sudden a big piece of metal floated down and fell onto the field."
Thankfully, there was nobody on the pitch during this time, and nobody was hurt. However, if this had happened during the match, or even while fans were filtering in, it could have been fatal. The metal plate that 'floated' from the stadium roof collapse was enormous.
A Simple Explanation For Stadium Roof Damage
It is a little concerning when the roof of a stadium that cost $1.4 billion to build starts to collapse. You would expect a little more structural integrity with something of that cost. However, debris still rained down onto the field.
The Dallas Cowboys stadium roof hadn't been opened for two years before this. The rubble that fell onto the field had collected during this time. The Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said "Wind gust all day long. We opened and shut the door long before anyone came in there. We do that to avoid those fans and risk ... The piece was loose from the heavy winds."
He blamed it on the wind from that day. However, if it hadn't been opened for two years, it could have been anything in all this time. They really should have sent someone up there to have a look first.
Thankfully, they tested the Cowboys's stadium roof hours before they were set to play their game. They had three and a half hours to clear the problem and get ready for the match. The roof remained shut for the game.
