Cowboys shut stadium roof after metal panel drops ahead of ‘Monday Night Football’
The roof at AT&T Stadium was intended to be open for “Monday Night Football” but had to be closed following a scary incident.
The Dallas Cowboys are set to play against the Houston Texans in an intrastate rivalry on Monday night, and for the first time in over two years, they decided to open the stadium’s retractable roof. The stadium’s social media account celebrated the moment.
However, things took an alarming turn. According to various reporters present at the stadium, shortly after the roof opened, a metal sheet fell onto the field. Fortunately, no one was injured, but it was reported that it narrowly missed some production staff.
Additional videos shared by reporters revealed another loose piece of metal hanging in the rafters of the stadium.
Soon after the metal sheet dropped, the roof started to close again at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys confirmed in a statement, relayed by KDFW television, “A piece of metal became detached and fell onto the field (along with some smaller debris) while the roof was opening. There were no injuries. We are currently reviewing the situation, and we will determine if it is safe to reopen the roof at a later time.”
ESPN footage captures the metal panel falling at AT&T Stadium
Salters mentioned that the other loose metal piece near the roof would need to be secured before the game started, and that was addressed.
The kickoff for the game is set for 8:15 p.m. This incident adds to the stadium’s ongoing issues, especially after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reacted sharply to inquiries regarding the sun’s glare in the stadium after the team’s heavy loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10.
“Well let’s just tear the damn stadium down and construct a new one?” Jones remarked sarcastically. “Are you serious?”