The Shorthorn - Jerry Jones isn't all bad

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Jerry Jones isn't all bad

Written by Caleb Gremmer

Tuesday, 20 November 2007 09:17 PM

It is with the return of the holidays that we can again stop and reflect on all that we have. Along with the normal feast, this year there is actually something to be thankful as a Dallas sports fan, as opposed to a year ago when many of us were ready to throw in the towel.

With the Mavericks’ game-seven exit from the NBA Finals and the Cowboys sitting at 6-4, the local fan base was getting restless. But this holiday season should be easily more bearable, and, dare I say, it may actually be because of one of the region’s often-criticized owners.

In the past, Cowboy’s owner Jerry Jones has been occasionally regarded as a distraction for the team, but in the last 11 weeks, the Cowboy-faithful are again remembering why they tolerate him. I’m not quite ready to send him a turkey dinner, but at 9-1, the Cowboys are looking as good as they ever have, and with one more win, they will have the best start in franchise history.

Much of the team’s success can be attributed to Jones’ knack for ignoring the media and making decisions that may not make him popular but that in the end help his team. I didn’t like the move to get Keyshawn Johnson, and I definitely didn’t like Terrell Owens, but after years of careful observation, I have finally come to see his thought process.

He sits each Sunday perched in his tinted Texas Stadium Skybox, contemplating the team’s next move, only to have memories rush back from the glory days when Aikman, Irving and Smith roamed the turf and brought home rings and trophies. And it is with those moments reminisced that Jones seems to have remembered the formula for victory — find the meanest, most disreputable but most talented players, put them together, and win.

With that strategy in place, Jones’ ability to take charge of troubled squads is shining through. As he did 10 years ago in the Michael Irvin and Nate Newton days, Jones has pieced together a team that may operate in a moral gray area but that can win from week to week. If T.O. and Tank Johnson stay quiet, we will be in for an interesting winter.

As for the competition, the Cowboys have no easy road ahead of them. Actually in the holiday spirit, it seems fittingly complicated. Hosting the Packers and going on the road against Detroit and Washington will certainly show which team is at the top of the NFC.
For this week, Jones has us ready. Them ’Boys look good, and the buffet line should be open Thursday against the 2-8 New York Jets. So as you sit down to your dinner, remember Jones and his ability to make the tough decisions as something to be thankful for this year.

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Comments (1)

1 Come on!!!!
Written by Chris Whitley, on 11-26-2007 10:30
Caleb, you're a fantastic writer, but you've got to be kidding me. Jerry Jones isn't just a bad owner, he may be the devil incarnate.

This is the same guy who fired Tom Landry and then hours later addressed the media like he relished the kill.

This is the same guy who brought in his college buddy to coach, saw him build one of the best teams in NFL history up from nothing, then take the credit himself.

This is the same guy that then said 500 coaches could lead this team to the Super Bowl, forcing Jimmy Johnson to leave in anger.

This is the same guy that brought in thug after thug -- yes, even during those '90s teams, TO is only the latest -- which led people to joke at the time, "What do you call the Dallas Cowboys in a huddle? A chain gang."

This is the same guy who thanks to his impeccable GM credentials went 11 years without winning a playoff game -- the longest such streak in franchise history, which is still going on by the way. Say what you want about the Landry/Schramm/Brandt era, but they had won a division title three years before their ouster (when it was much harder to do)...and they never went 11 years without a playoff win.

This is the same guy who played Dallas against Arlington for the rights to Jerry World, convinced Arlington residents that it was worth the higher taxes, all so that Jerry Jones could go from millionaire to billionaire. And to make sure he'd win, he let Texas Stadium go years without needed repairs. He only painted the roof after the election.

Now, all of a sudden, he is to be knighted for producing a winning team? Credit Bill Parcells for bringing in this group. Credit Wade Phillips for being a terrific manager.

But Jerry Jones should only be credited for the effective way he makes himself more money.

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