FIGHTING FOR
PASSION By Alex Gilbert
Passion. Triumph. Defeat. Exhaustion. Exhilaration. Athletes and fans alike know these words well. Whatever the sport, emotions run high and can change in moments. When you love a sport, you grow attuned to every detail and shift in the game. Your emotions soar high and low as the game evolves. Even when you’re crushed in defeat – your team losing the World Series in game 7 level defeat – you love it. The agony makes us love the sport more. In 2020 and 2021, we all felt our share of defeat. The whole world rode the same roller coaster for a fleeting, devastating, life-changing moment. Along the ride, we had to change. Sports had to change. Athletes had to
perform without their fans or families cheering from the stands. Whole communities had to live in a bubble for weeks or months at a time. The world evolved. This evolution affected us all in different ways, but one thing remains common between everyone. We will fight to keep what’s important to us. Can’t have fans in the stands? Livestream it to the world. Travel restrictions? Compete virtually. Need to space out? Add more courts. From the smallest soccer tournaments to the Olympics, the sports world adapted and weathered the storm. We fought for our passion.
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Take a look back with us at just a few of the incredible Dallas sports moments from 2021:
over 2,000 kills, 2,500 digs, 350 blocks, and more than 150 aces throughout the competition.
Athletes Unlimited
Adidas Lone Star Classic
Dates – February 27 - March 29, 2021 Venue – Fair Park Coliseum Recap – The inaugural Athletes Unlimited volleyball season featured 45 of the best volleyball players in the world. Players included six Olympians from the U.S., Puerto Rico, Brazil, Great Britain, and the Dominican Republic. Jordan Larson won the inaugural Champion, and Nomaris Vélez Agosto was named GEICO Defensive Player of the Year through a fan vote. Players recorded
BEHIND THE BANNER DECEMBER 2021 EDITION
Dates – April 10 – 18, 2021 Venue – Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas Recap – Returning for the first time since 2019, the Adidas Lone Star Classic took over the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas in April. As one of the largest National Qualifiers with over 1,700 teams, the Lone Star Classic attracts college recruiters from all over the US. 2021’s tournament looked slightly different with limited attendance and mask mandates, but the athletes persevered to compete.
021 Dallas Cup
Dates – March 27 – April 4, 2021 Venue – MoneyGram Soccer Park, Richland College, and Toyota Soccer Center Recap – The Dallas Cup is one of the most competitive youth soccer tournaments globally. The invitation-only tournament draws exceptional talent every year, and 2021 was no different. To offset the lack of international teams able to compete, the Dallas Cup chose to expand their US team participants. This year’s tournament also included a girls bracket, launching their initiative to expand the tournament as a prestigious event for female soccer players. Seven of this year’s champion teams come from Texas, with a total of 252 teams competing.
Concacaf Gold Cup
Dates – July 2021 Venue – Cotton Bowl Stadium, AT&T Stadium, and Toyota Stadium Recap – The DFW region regularly hosts international soccer matches and was honored to host the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2021. North Texas hosted a record nine Gold Cup Matches throughout the metroplex, including the US Men’s National Team quarterfinal match. Over 41,000 soccer fans traveled to AT&T Stadium to watch the quarterfinal match between US MNT and Jamaica. The US MNT went on to win the entire tournament for the seventh time.
State Fair Classic
Dates – September 25, 2021 Venue – Cotton Bowl Stadium Recap – The annual State Fair Classic returned to the Cotton Bowl Stadium in September of this year. The game between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Prairie View A&M University Panthers of the Southwestern Athletic Conference is the highlight of a full week of events each fall. This year, Prairie View A&M took an early lead and held strong through the game for a 24-10 victory over the Tigers.
Red River Showdown
Dates – October 9, 2021 Venue – Cotton Bowl Stadium Recap – One of the most historical rivalry games in college football, the Red River Showdown, was back to full capacity in 2021. Almost 100,000 fans attended the game this year, where OU fought for their 55-48 victory over UT.
BEHIND THE BANNER DECEMBER 2021 EDITION
Red Bull Show Run
Dates – October 16, 2021 Venue – PNC Plaza & Harwood District, Dallas Recap – The Red Bull Racing Show Run took over the Harwood District area for an unforgettable experience. Close to 20,000 passionate F1 fans traveled to Dallas to see a spectacular show run by Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez.
FIFA World Cup Site Visit
Dates – October 23-24, 2021 Recap – The Dallas FIFA World Cup bid committee hosted a FIFA delegation to answer inquiries and highlight the best North Texas has to offer the soccer community. The delegation toured practice facilities, National Soccer Hall of Fame, potential fan fest sites, Fair Park’s proposed International Broadcast Center footprint, and the crown jewel of the bid, AT&T Stadium.
2021 EVENT
RECAP IWLCA Presidents Cup
Dates – November 19-21, 2021 Venue – MoneyGram Soccer Park, Harold Patterson Sports Center, and Lewisville Railroad Park Recap – The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association brought their premier tournament, the Presidents Cup, to North Texas for the first time. The first-time event put down roots in Texas for women’s lacrosse, and the 700-team tournament impacted lacrosse in Dallas for years to come.
70 Events Booked
718K
Total Attendance
333K Hotel Room Nights
50th BMW Dallas Marathon Festival
Dates – December 10-12, 2021 Venue – Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas & Dallas, Texas Recap – The BMW Dallas Marathon Festival returned for the first time in two years to celebrate its 50th anniversary. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of Scottish Rite for Children, one of the Dallas Marathon’s partners since 1997. Over 40,000 people, including international athletes, traveled to North Texas to attend the festival. The weekend had 10 events over 3 days, 26,000 runners, and well over 100,000 spectators.
$465M Total Economic Impact
THE PROS AT HOME IN JANUARY SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
S AT 1
12:00 PM
2
3
VS. ARI 6:30 PM
9
7:30 PM
4
VS. DEN
12
VS. CHI 16
17
6:30 PM
7:30 PM
24
18
7:30 PM
19
VS. MTL
6:00 PM
8
7
25
7:30 PM
26
1:00 PM
VS. FLA 13
VS. PIT 14
15
20
9:00 PM
21
22
VS. PHX 27
28
8:00 PM
29
VS. WSH 31
VS. BOS
BEHIND THE BANNER DECEMBER 2021 EDITION
8:30 PM
VS. ORL
VS. TOR
VS. MEM 30
7:30 PM
7:30 PM
VS. SEA
VS. OKC 23
6
VS. GSW 11
10
6:30 PM
5
6:00 PM
VS. IND 29
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NCA High School Nationals
// Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas
FEBRUARY 6 -13 ATP Dallas Open
// Styslinger Altec Tennis Complex
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BEHIND THE BANNER DECEMBER 2021 EDITION
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