Dallas Cowboys: Has Jerry Jones Destroyed 'America's Team'?

Respecting the Star and respecting the owner are two completely different things.

Jerry Jones has owned the Dallas Cowboys for 23 years. In those 23 years, Jones’ Cowboys have eight NFC East Championships, 12 playoff appearances and three championships.

Those numbers may be a little tainted since the Super Bowl victories were with teams that he didn’t put together.

Since the mid 1990s the Cowboys have been a poster child for mediocrity.

Owner Jerry Jones has single-handedly turned the Cowboys from an elite football franchise to afterthought cash cow. 

Think about it, revenue is up, as the Cowboys are the most valued NFL franchise, but wins are down and so is fan support.

So what gives?

This weekend was an Armed Forces Rally Day at Cowboys Stadium. This event was intended to help honor the men and woman who serve in the military or their local communities (police officers, fire fighters, medics, etc.). So imagine my surprise when I found that the cheapest amount you could pay to enjoy the festivities was $17 plus parking. 

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that?

The Dallas Cowboys as an organization used to stand for something. “America’s Team” was a moniker that the Cowboys embraced, putting together winners on the field and a classy organization off of it.

In the '70s and '80s the Cowboys were still marketable. It’s not like they weren’t a valuable franchise, but they did put winning in front of merchandising.

I can’t say that is true today.

The point here is that fans have had enough. Enough Victoria's Secrets in a stadium, enough $100 tickets for nosebleeds and certainly enough failed expectations.

Every year the Cowboys are picked to win the division and be conference contenders. Every year they show us that they’re not. The talent is there but the commitment to excellence isn't.

We tend to want to blame the coach or the players, but what models do they have to follow? 

The front office isn’t concerned with football because football isn’t the main cause for revenue anymore.  Not with NCAA bowl games, NCAA basketball tournament games, concerts and other large events paying the bills.

So, Jerry, this is a call to you.  It’s time for a refocus on the investment you made. Not on the monetary benefit you saw, but on the fans who believed in you when you were new to this world. The ones who loyally stood by you through Chad Hutchinson, Quincy Carter and Vinny Testeverde. The ones who’ve invested in you.

Fans, it’s time that we make a change as well. Instead of berating Jason Garrett or Tony Romo and calling for their heads, understand the challenge that they are faced. 

The writing on the wall has been clear for years now. The Cowboys aren’t champions because Jones isn’t committed to making them champions. Until, he is the Cowboys will continue to America’s Mediocre Team.