King Jerry Jones

OPINION By Monte Walker

We all knew it was coming. Everyone except Jerry Jones could stomach what was inevitable. He had to admit he was wrong.

I wrote the following on Nov. 11, 2010 when I had a blog instead of a weekly publication:

“People say that Jerry will be forced to hire a big named head coach to ensure that people will be enticed enough to come to the games and spend money. But I think they have just their bignamed guy in Jason Garrett. He's not big-named in 2010...but in 2020, he'll be either heralded as one of Jerry's greatest moves in keeping him or one of Jerry's list of growing blunders.

Never underestimate the power of Jerry's ego. The only thirst he has greater than winning is being able to tell people he was right and should get credit. He hired Garrett before Wade (Phillips) and if he is successful, he can say his model still works. If he turns it over to Cowher or Gruden, he essentially admits his structure doesn't work. That's why Garrett will be here forever. He'll even rebuild with Garrett if need be. But he will not let his model of structure take the blame.”

Back here in 2020 we have the hindsight from that 10-year stretch of a lot of poor football teams that would have finished most seasons 5-11 without one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL in Tony Romo. The delusional Cowboys fanbase (me included) who have been sold a Super Bowl caliber preseason pile of dung by Jones each year brought their expectations so high and out of whack, that they blamed Romo for a badly assembled team even though Romo single-handedly could be credited for about three wins per season to get the team to 8-8—all while taking the blame if he made one mistake. That’s on Jerry.

But as Jerry Jones will (one day perhaps) choke back tears as he announces Garrett will no longer be with the organization, it took me back to my youth as a 13-year -old Dallas Cowboys fanatic who saw the new owner acquire “my team” and immediately fire “my coach” Tom Landry in a hastily, rude way with complete disregard and disrespect. King Jerry made his presence known in Dallas.

Tom Landry was the Dallas Cowboys and no one would ever think otherwise as long as he was the coach of the team. That’s why he was terminated to make room for a college coach making the jump to the NFL. Jimmy Johnson, Jones’ former teammate at Arkansas, in an amazingly short period of time became the new Landry and was synonymous with the Dallas Cowboys as he quickly assembled a team that would win two Super Bowls. But when Johnson received the credit for the Cowboys success, Jerry

showed him the same fate as Landry. No one can be bigger than King Jerry.

The Cowboys went through several servants to Jones including Barry Switzer who won a Super Bowl with Jimmy Johnson’s team. But then it went south very quickly with Chan Gailey and Dave Campo at the helm—each of which he hated to let go because Jones wanted to win—but only on his terms with all roads leading to King Jerry.

But everything changed on Sept. 8, 2002. That night the brand new Houston Texans opened their beautiful shiny stadium with a win over King Jerry’s team. Jones realized he wasn’t even king in his own state. It was that night, with an aging Texas Stadium at Loop 12 and an embarrassing notion of America’s Team not even being Texas’ Team, he made plans to build a new stadium—one fit for a king. But with his fan base already knowing that Jerry was incapable of winning with “his” style, even King Jerry made a concession and hired a honest-toGod proven NFL football coach for the first time in Bill Parcells.

Parcells did what he was hired to do—he got the franchise back on track by stripping it down and rebuilding it into a playoff team. when Jones got approval for what he truly wanted—his new stadium, King Jerry wanted back in the day-to-day football operations and forced Parcells to rethink their relationship after thrusting “The Player” Terrell Owens on him. Jones used T.O. as a sword to regain his throne as King Jerry.

A king’s ego will allow for him to depart hastily with the greatest leaders so that he can be surrounded by servants and be king in his own small world. After Parcells, he hired Jason Garrett immediately without even naming his position. The former Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator was hired as a possible head coach or possible offensive coordinator. Only then did Jones hire Wade Phillips to be the “head coach.” From the outside, it appeared that he hired himself an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator and

King Jerry, himself, served as “head coach.”

Parcells did what Jimmy did—he assembled arguably the best team in the NFL and the 2007 Cowboys under Parcells would have had an excellent chance to compete for a Super Bowl. King Jerry thought that he could take that talent and win a Super Bowl and get the credit for it in the same fashion he tried with Barry Switzer in 1995. But he never received that golden-laced credit he craved because fans still credit Jimmy Johnson for a third Super Bowl. The strange chain of command at Valley Ranch in 2007 led to another disappointment.

Phillips was dismissed to make Garrett the head coach which would extend King Jerry’s tenure as Mr. Dallas Cowboy. But Jones knew Garrett was his last chance to win a Super Bowl and still receive credit. He loved Garrett so much that he eventually even stepped back from the day-to-day roster decisions. When the Cowboys drafted Zack Martin instead of Johnny “Football” Manziel in 2014, the sirens went off that Jones had stepped down from the throne for the betterment of the organization. Over the past six seasons, the Cowboys have drafted well and have once again built a good football team. The only thing in the way of reaching the next level is dismissing a servant head coach and giving complete and total control to another proven NFL football coach. If Jones will do that, the Cowboys have the roster to compete for a Super Bowl title. But if that happens, don’t expect the ride to last long. Because it is well proven that King Jerry will again take the throne at some point and the only thing he desires more than winning a Super Bowl is getting the goldenlaced credit.

Photo credits: CBS Sports

Howe’s That

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older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time. Don't interfere with something' that ain't bothering you none. Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance. If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'. Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got. The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every morning'. Always drink upstream from the herd. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in. If you get to thinking' you're a person of some influence, try ordering' somebody else's dog around. Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and enjoy the ride. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just shoot you!