Dallas Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith hopes to score $2.2 million for his mansion, with special perk

Cowboy Up!

Photo courtesy of Shoot2Sell for Douglas Elliman Texas

Have you dreamed of dining with Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith? You can make that dream come true — to the tune of $2.2 million.

But that dinner comes with a massive dessert: Smith’s mansion in Far North Dallas.

Smith just listed the 10,806-square-foot home for $2.2 million, a price tag that pays tribute to his No. 22 jersey number. And the buyer of the home will get the chance to sit down to dinner with Smith.

The mansion, at 15001 Winnwood Rd., features five bedrooms, five full bathrooms, four half-bathrooms, two offices, two living rooms, and a four-car garage. Built in 1995, the home sits on a nearly 1-acre site.

“One of my favorite aspects of the home is that it’s perfect for entertaining. With a large dining room table that fits 22 people, a media room, and a large game room, this home is ready for the new owners to create their own memories with both friends and loved ones,” Smith says in a news release.

The master bedroom offers a steam room, jacuzzi, multi-jet shower system, his and hers toilets, and three big closets.

Arthur Greenstein of Douglas Elliman Texas has the listing.

Smith played 15 seasons in the NFL as a running back. He spent 13 seasons with the Cowboys and two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. The three-time Super Bowl champ entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, six years after his retirement.

Today, he’s a real estate, construction, and tech entrepreneur. The 52-year-old Smith and his wife, Pat, have five children.

The home, located in Far North Dallas, is listed at $2.2 million, a nod to Smith's No. 22 jersey number.

Photo courtesy of Shoot2Sell for Douglas Elliman Texas

The home, located in Far North Dallas, is listed at $2.2 million, a nod to Smith's No. 22 jersey number.

Photo courtesy of Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones scores top spot among wealthiest NFL owners

Financial touchdown

The Dallas Cowboys might be having a so-so season, but owner Jerry Jones belongs to an elite team. Aside from being the fifth wealthiest resident of Texas, he’s tied for third richest among billionaire owners of NFL franchises, a new ranking shows.

The list, published November 10 by CNBC, puts Jones and Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, in the No. 3 spot. Each man’s net worth is estimated at $8.5 billion, CNBC says.

“On a landscape where many sports team owners make their fortunes elsewhere and then treat their team as something of a toy, Jones is the rare owner who generates enormous cash flow from the team itself,” Investopedia points out.

CNBC notes that Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989 for $140 million. In the 30 years since, the team has scored three Super Bowl victories, and its value has soared to $5.5 billion. That makes the Cowboys the most valuable team in the NFL.

“Ever since he purchased the team in 1989, Jones has forced his way into the spotlight whenever possible, making the Cowboys as much a brand as a football team,” TheStreet.com observes.

Jones grabbed headlines in early 2019 for his purchase of a $250 million superyacht that’s as long as a football field and named for his wife.

Jones isn’t the only Texan in the NFL billionaires club.

Stan Kroenke, who owns a ranch west of Wichita Falls, sits at No. 2 on the list. His net worth is estimated at $9.7 billion, CNBC says. His other sports holdings include the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche.

This year, Kroenke bumped Jones from his No. 4 perch in Forbes’ ranking of the richest Texans, knocking the Cowboys owner down to No. 5.

Rounding out the top 10 among NFL billionaires is Janice McNair, owner of the Houston Texans. Her net worth is estimated at $4 billion. McNair took control of the team following the death of her husband, Bob, in 2018. McNair paid $700 million for the Texans franchise, which is now worth $3.1 billion, according to CNBC.

So, who is the richest NFL owner of all? Scoring the No. 1 spot is David Tepper, owner of the Carolina Panthers, who is worth $12 billion.

Also on the team: Stephen Ross, Miami Dolphins owner (No. 5); Robert Kraft, New England Patriots owner (No. 6); Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons owner (No. 7); Terry Pegula, Buffalo Bills owner (No. 8); and Stephen Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens owner (No. 9).

Dallas Cowboys/Facebook

Texas football powerhouse breaks record as world’s most valuable sports team

How 'bout them Cowboys

It appears America’s Team also is the world’s team, at least from a monetary standpoint. A new ranking from Forbes magazine, released July 22, places the Dallas Cowboys at No. 1 among the most valuable sports teams on the planet.

The NFL team that Jerry Jones bought 30 years ago for a paltry $140 million holds the title, for the fourth consecutive year, of the world’s most valuable sports franchise. The current estimated value of the ’Boys: $5 billion. No other sports team has ever reached that milestone. The No. 2-ranked New York Yankees are worth a mere $4.6 billion.

“Jones has capitalized on the insatiable appetite for all things Cowboys,” Forbes declares.

While on-the-field success has fallen short of the team’s goals, its financial success has scored more than a few touchdowns.

Forbes notes that Jones & Co. has generated an estimated $340 million in sponsorship and premium-seat revenue at AT&T Stadium, which opened in 2009. That’s twice as much as any other team, the magazine says.

On top of that, nine of the 50 most-watched sports TV broadcasts in 2018 were regular-season games involving the Cowboys, according to Forbes.

Forbes reports the team’s value rose 4 percent from $4.8 billion in 2018. The franchise’s operating income totaled $365 million in 2017, or $1 million a day. The magazine says that’s a record amount of income for any professional sports team.

Back when Jones purchased the Cowboys in 1989, the team was worth a measly $60 million.

Donald Trump — now U.S. President, but then a New York real estate developer — once boasted that he could have bought the Cowboys for $50 million. But he passed on the deal.

“I feel sorry for the poor guy who is going to buy the Dallas Cowboys,” Trump told The New York Times in 1984. “It’s a no-win situation for him, because if he wins, well, so what, they’ve won through the years, and if he loses, which seems likely because they’re having troubles, he’ll be known to the world as a loser.”

The cash-cow Cowboys aren’t the only Dallas team on this year’s Forbes list.

The NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, owned by Mark Cuban, appear at No. 43 in the global ranking. Forbes pegs the team’s value at $2.25 billion, up 18 percent from 2018. Cuban’s team slam-dunked an operating income of $99 million in 2017.

Five places ahead of the Mavericks are the NBA’s Houston Rockets, tied at No. 38. Forbes estimates the value of the franchise at $2.3 billion, up 5 percent from 2018. Tilman Fertitta’s team netted an operating income of $103 million in 2017.

The NFL’s Houston Texans, meanwhile, are locked in a tie at No. 22. For 2019, the estimated value of the Texans is $2.8 billion — unchanged from 2018. The team, owned by Janice McNair, notched an operating income of $161 million in 2017, Forbes says.

No other Texas sports teams made this year’s Forbes list.

Rounding out the top five behind the Cowboys and Yankees are the Real Madrid soccer team (No. 3, $4.24 billion); Barcelona soccer team (No. 4, $4.02 billion); and NBA's New York Knicks (No. 5, $4 billion).

Forbes bases its valuations on each team's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization, known in business circles as EBITDA. This is a key measurement of a team’s financial performance.

Photo by Victoria Beauray Sagady

Sports Illustrated punts around possibility of San Antonio scoring an NFL team

On our turf?

Tony Parker's impending retirement is arguably the city's biggest sports news this week, but SI.com, the online platform of Sports Illustrated, is punting around the question of bringing the NFL to San Antonio or Austin.

In a new piece, “Which Cities Would Deserve the Newest NFL Expansion Team?”, writer Albert Breer floats the long-alluded-to idea of bringing an NFL team to Austin, one of the largest U.S. cities without a major-league football franchise. Others were Montreal; Portland, Oregon; San Diego; Oklahoma City; and a few out-of-the-arena-of-possibility candidates, like Anchorage, Alaska.

Breer calls the “San Antonio/Austin metroplex” (metroplex?!) the “best unoccupied market” in the U.S. for NFL expansion. Though he acknowledges San Antonio and Austin aren’t viewed as a combined market, he emphasizes they "are just a few Buc-ee’s stops away from each other" while highlighting the growth happening in joint suburbs like New Braunfels and San Marcos.

In making his case for an NFL team, Breer notes that Austin in particular fits the mold of a football-fanatical place (hello, Longhorns) with the “population, interest, and wealth to support a team.” In addition, he writes, Austin offers the “boomtown business potential” of two U.S. cities that secured expansion teams in 1995 — Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida.

Of course, a key consideration for any NFL team is the money scored through TV rights. On its own, Breer wrote, San Antonio ranks as a bigger TV market than four places with NFL franchises — Kansas City, Milwaukee (Green Bay), Cincinnati, and Las Vegas. Combine San Antonio’s TV market with Austin’s, and you eclipse the size of TV markets in the NFL cities of Miami and Denver, he noted. Considering Austin’s meteoric population growth, Breer surmises that the blended markets will only grow larger.

“With that [population growth] has come a tech boom and economic explosion in the region, smack in the middle of the most football-crazy state in America,” Breer writes. “And while Austin brings the cash and growth, San Antonio and its prominent Spanish-speaking community can serve as a gateway for the league into Mexico.”

Breer’s suggested name for the team: the Austin Coyotes. That’s a nod to the 1999 football movie Varsity Blues, which was shot mostly in the Central Texas towns of Coupland, Elgin, and Georgetown. The film centers on a high school football team named the Coyotes in the fictional Texas town of West Canaan.

Breer recognizes the resistance that an Austin-San Antonio team likely would meet from the owners of the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans, both of which have big fan bases across the state. And let’s not forget that a new stadium would need to be built; the price tag for a project like that easily could top $1 billion.

Now, we’ve heard talk before of NFL teams potentially landing in both San Antonio and Austin — namely the Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints. The Raiders are moving to Vegas, the Saints are staying put, and Central/South Texas still lacks an NFL team.

Over the years, a number of prognosticators have fielded Austin, San Antonio, or the "metroplex" as possible players in an NFL expansion, but no formal, sustained efforts have been organized to make that happen. At this point, the NFL has not green-lighted expansion beyond the current lineup of 32 teams.

Back in 2015, a study from American City Business Journals studied San Antonio in terms of the capacity to support an NFL team, as well as an NBA, NHL, and Major League Soccer team. The Alamo City garnered a Major League Soccer score of 100, an NFL score of 96, an NHL score of 92, and a Major League Baseball score of 44. San Antonio, of course, already has an NBA team, the Spurs.

Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker

Texas football legend's Hill Country home drives onto market for $1.36 million

In the real estate huddle

Attention, Dallas Cowboys fans: You can score coaching legend Tom Landry’s former getaway near Lake Travis for $1.36 million. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home, just south of Lakeway, overlooks the 18th hole of The Hills Golf Course, designed by golf icon Jack Nicklaus.

Dallas-based Foster & Meier Architects Inc. designed the 3,938-square-foot home for Landry. It features a white stucco exterior and a roof made of red-clay tiles. (By the way, Foster & Meier also designed the Dallas home of cosmetics queen Mary Kay Ash, who died in 2001.)

Landry’s former home was custom-built in 1983, six years before Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ousted the coach after 29 years. In fact, it was at this Texas Hill Country home where Landry was told in February 1989 by Jones, who had just purchased the team, and Tex Schramm, the team’s president, that he was being canned as the Cowboys’ first — and at that point only — coach.

Features of the former Landry home, at 28 Club Estates Parkway in the affluent village known as The Hills, include:

Renovated kitchen with new appliances, cabinets, and floors
Elevated, covered deck with a wood-beam ceiling
Separate guesthouse
Courtyard with a pool and firepit
Crystal chandelier in the dining room
Living-room fireplace
Floor-to-ceiling windows throughout
Hardwood floors
Library
Ivory-and-black Italian tiles in the master bedroom

Ginger Sofia, an Austin sales associate with Coldwell Banker United, Realtors, has the listing.

“The detail and careful design of this home is both elegant and practical, while the setting is made for those longing to enjoy the country club lifestyle,” Sofia says in a release. “The main house is connected to the guesthouse through a breezeway surrounding a beautiful courtyard that is [a] perfect outdoor entertainment space and offers plenty of privacy.”

Landry and his late wife, Alicia, also once owned a vacation home in Spicewood, about 35 miles northwest of Austin. The couple’s main residence was in Dallas’ Preston Hollow neighborhood.

Landry, instantly recognizable in his trademark fedora and stylish suit, died in February 2000 at age 75. The Texas native was a University of Texas alumnus.

The house features lots of outdoor space for entertaining.

Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker

The house features lots of outdoor space for entertaining.

Photo courtesy of Oceanco

Jerry Jones buys $250 million superyacht that’s as long as a football field

Having a ball

Jerry Jones, the high-flying billionaire owner of the Dallas Cowboys, lassoed one heck of a Christmas gift: a $250 million, helipad-equipped superyacht bearing the name of his wife.

Websites that cover the yachting industry report that Jones took delivery of a nearly 360-foot, Dutch-built yacht on December 20 somewhere in Scandinavia. It just so happens that the field at AT&T Stadium measures 360 feet in length. In other words, Jones’ new seagoing toy is, fittingly, as long as a football field.

Famed Italian yacht design firm Nuvolari Lenard drew up plans for Jones’ new vessel, with the United Kingdom’s Lateral Naval Architects assuming the naval architecture tasks and U.K. yacht specialist Reymond Langton Design handling interior design.

The superyacht is said to be the first yacht constructed in accordance with LIFE (Lengthened, Innovative, Fuel-efficient, Eco-friendly) standards. Dutch shipyard Oceanco built the hybrid-powered vessel.

Superyachts.com describes the design of the yacht as “dynamic, futuristic, and minimalist.” Nuvolari Lenard says the yacht’s exterior features “a stunningly sleek profile without sacrificing any interior space.”

Pascale Raymond, a partner at Reymond Langton Design, says in a November release from Oceanco that the firm “worked with artisans and craftsmen to create bespoke artworks, fabrics, and signature furniture pieces that all combine to create a warm, inviting environment on board for the [owner’s] family and guests.”

“The interior is a sophisticated, elegant, contemporary design that features light maple wood and white pearl lacquer with contrasting accents of walnut and ebony,” according to a December release from Oceanco.

Other highlights of the luxury ship include:

A helicopter landing platform.
A storage area for “water toys.”
A spa with a sauna, steam room, massage room, “plunge” pool and “rain” shower.
A lower-deck gym.
A “beach club” described as “generous and luxurious.”

The yacht — named Bravo Eugenia after Jones’ wife, Eugenia (better known as "Gene") — reportedly can sail at a top speed of 17.5 knots, equivalent to about 20 mph. By the way, that’s also around the top speed of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Bravo Eugenia’s cabins reportedly can accommodate an estimated 14 passengers and an estimated 20 crew members.

This vessel apparently replaces a Jones-owned yacht we told you about back in 2013. At the time, the 290-foot yacht, named Nirvana, was up for sale with a price tag of about $300 million.

As of January 2019, Forbes pegged Jones’ net worth at $6.8 billion. The Cowboys, valued at $5 billion, account for the largest chunk of his fortune.

Meet "Bravo Eugenia."

Photo courtesy of Oceanco

Meet "Bravo Eugenia."

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Sweet Los Angeles salad chain plants first San Antonio store

LETTUCE CELEBRATE

One of America's buzziest fast-casual brands has found its way to San Antonio. Sweetgreen, a Los Angeles-based chain known for locally sourced bowls and a contemporary brand identity, debuts at Quarry Village on June 6.

Founded in Washington, D.C., in 2006, the chain has become one of the U.S.'s fastest-growing concepts by reimagining fast food. Its menu focuses on gourmet grain bowls and salads augmented with healthier drinks and desserts.

Highlights include a spring asparagus salad overflowing with green vegetables and za'atar breadcrumbs, the warm Shroomami bowl with roasted sesame tofu and portobello, and a protein-packed green goddess salad with black lentils and chickpeas.

With a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2027, Sweetgreen commits itself to sustainable construction, a plant-heavy menu, and local sourcing when possible. The San Antonio newcomer works with local farms when possible, like Rio Fresh Farm, Fredericksburg Peach Co., Kitchen Pride, Village Farms, Bowers Shrimp Farm, and Banyan Foods.

That community commitment extends to working with locally serving nonprofits. For every meal sold on opening day, the restaurant will donate a meal to Brighter Bites, a national organization delivering fresh produce to underserved elementary school families.

Sweetgreen will also be bringing some opening day fun. The first 50 guests will receive a mystery box from Austin-based brand Kendra Scott, and the first 100 guests will receive a free print from local artist Maya Sokovic. Diners will also enjoy gelato and coffee from Paciugo and a live set from San Antonio deejay Alyson Alonzo.

San Antonio is a city with so much history, with a vibrant food and dining scene to match, and we couldn't be more excited to be joining the community," said Sweetgreen cofounder and CEO Jonathan Neman via a release. "We look forward to continuing our commitment of connecting residents in Texas to real, healthy, convenient food."

Once opened at 340 East Basse Rd. #101, Sweetgreen will have daily hours of 10:30 am- 9 pm.

Photo courtesy of Sweetgreen.

Sweetgreen greets visitos with a fresh, clean aesthetic.

Controversial comedian Dave Chappelle plots out 4 Texas arena shows, including San Antonio

Chappelle's Show(s)

Comedian/actor Dave Chappelle will soon bring his "Dave Chappelle Live" stand-up comedy show to arenas in four cities in Texas, including the AT&T Center in San Antonio on July 12

Other dates include the American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 29, the Toyota Center in Houston on July 1, and the Moody Center in Austin on July 14.

Chappelle is a complicated figure who's been celebrated for his trailblazing comedy and vilified for his controversial stances. Chappelle's Show, which ran from 2003 to 2006 on Comedy Central, was widely praised, and Chappelle remained extremely popular despite the abrupt end of the show and him choosing to recede from the spotlight in the following decade.

His re-emergence in the late 2010s brought success in the form of three straight Grammy wins for Best Comedy Album, but also continued jokes aimed at transgender people. He has been the subject of multiple protests over that material, and has even had a show canceled by a venue in Minneapolis after receiving criticism for hosting him.

As if to underscore the contentious nature of his comedy, no cellphones, cameras, or recording devices will be allowed at any of the four shows. All phones and smart watches will be secured in special pouches that can be unlocked at the end of the show. Anyone caught with a cellphone in the venue will be immediately ejected.

Tickets for the four shows will go on sale at 5 pm on June 5 at ticketmaster.com.

Endless creativity of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse keeps superhero story in overdrive

Movie Review

The blast of pure fun that was 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse accomplished several goals, but none more important than reclaiming the character from being part of just the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By not participating in the never-ending connecting stories of the MCU, the filmmakers could do whatever they wanted, first and foremost using Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) instead of Peter Parker as its main character.

It was also at the forefront of multiversal storytelling that has become the rage in the MCU and elsewhere. Given the multitude of Spider characters that have existed in the comics over the years, it was uniquely suited to telling a story with people from multiple universes. That concept is taken to the nth degree with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, a film that has seemingly limitless levels of creativity.

Miles, having separated from Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), and other Spider-people at the end of the first film, is doing well as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, casually protecting people from threats big and small. But when a highly unusual villain named The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) proves especially tricky, a series of events has Miles follow Gwen into a portal where he encounters every other Spider character in existence.

Lest you think that’s hyperbole, among the people he meets are Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman (Issa Rae), Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac), Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya), Ben Reilly/Scarlet Spider (Andy Samberg), and Spider-Man India (Karan Soni), and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Revelations made while meeting all of them lead Miles to a whole new understanding of himself and the multiverse in general, with far-reaching consequences.

The filmmakers, once again led by writers/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, fill the screen with so many visual elements that at times it can be overwhelming, but in the best possible way. Unlike most animated films, there are multiple different styles employed throughout, and never knowing what to expect gives the film a kineticism that borders on manic, although it always stops short of being incomprehensible.

The storytelling is much more complex this time around, no surprise since it involves so many more characters. But the personal stories of each of the Spider characters, especially Miles and Gwen, maintain a grounded nature that keeps the plot anchored even while delving into increasingly fantastical territory.

Although this film deals with some darker themes, there is still plenty of humor to be had. The intersection of so many Spider characters highlights their differences, and the way they interact can’t help but be entertaining. Miles is still a 15-year-old kid, and the way he navigates the world(s) has a lightness to it that is a sharp contrast to the various adults in his life.

Moore, who’s not as well-known as some of his co-stars, has proven to be the perfect voice for Miles, making him relatable and powerful at the same time. Everyone else gives similarly great performances, although the fact that many of them are famous for their non-voicework doesn’t really play a factor in how well they come across here.

A third film, Beyond the Spider-Verse, is teased with a cliffhanger, and unlike other franchises where multiple films are unnecessary, there are no such reservations here. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse equals the success of the first film, and there is no doubt that the filmmakers will bring the same level of attention to detail to the end of the trilogy.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now running in theaters.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

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