Cowboy Nation: Owner Edition

River City Dreamin'

Camp is just days away in the wonderful city of San Antonio, Texas.  When thinking of the previous location, Oxnard and the years that training camp has been spent over there, the only thing that comes to mind is: screw California.  The Raiders, Chargers, 49ers and a Governor who tried to kill Christian Bale in the latest Terminator movie.  Yuk! 

My hatred of that west coast state aside, there is nothing like a Texas team preparing for the upcoming NFL season in Texas.  That being said, I think it's time to take a look at the Dallas Cowboys from the Owner down to the towel boy (Mickey Spagnola).  Part one, JWJ.

Jerry Jones

Jerrel Wayne Jones was born on October 13, 1942 in Los Angeles, California.  Jerry's family came to their senses and relocated to Arkansas when he was just a baby boy.  In his teens, he was a star running back at North Little Rock High School, and was awarded a football scholarship from the University of Arkansas. 

As co-captain and starting guard of the 1964 squad, the team went 11-0, beat Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl, and won the national championship.  Following his graduation in 1965, Jones was hired as an executive vice president at Modern Security Life of Springfield, Missouri, his Father's insurance company. 

He passed on an opportunity to buy the AFL's San Diego Chargers in 1967, opting to further his degree at Arkansas.  He received a master's in business in 1970, and then ventured into oil and gas exploration in Oklahoma.  After two decades in the oil and gas game, Jones entered the world of professional sports in 1989, purchasing the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Stadium for $140 million.

New Owner

It was here that Jerry infuriated Cowboy fans by firing the beloved Tom Landry.  Tom's team had declined for some time up to this point, but he still was the father of the Cowboys, making the decision to fire him all the more unscrupulous.  However painful this change was for fans, it was the right one to make, and the installation of a new coach, Jimmy Johnson, the first coaching change since the Cowboys inception in 1960 showed that Jerry had what it takes to make the tough decisions. 

He was the "Decider" before W would take that distinction.  Jimmy's first year as coach left a lot to be desired, and thus a 1-15 opening record proved to many that Jerry was out of his element.  This would only inspire Jerry to take the team to new heights.  While Tom Landry's teams had appeared in five Super Bowls and won two, Jimmy Johnson's teams had appeared in three Super Bowls, winning every one of them.  I say Johnson's teams because, even though he coached only two, that third Super Bowl, coached by Barry Switzer, truly belonged to Jimmy since it was the team he built. 

And here is where the downfall begins. 

A Decade Plus

Did Jerry Jones lead the Dallas Cowboys to victory?  Or is Jimmy Johnson the true hero of this story and Jerry simply the owner that acquired Johnson for his team?  We've had 14 long years to consider this question.  14 long years to separate fact from fiction, to extract the truth and lay all the cards on the table. 

Let there be no misunderstanding, Jerry Jones is not, was not and will never be the savior for the Dallas Cowboys.  If there is anyone out there in Cowboy Nation that disagrees, I strongly urge you to email me with your reasons at [e-mail]. 

The one person that I'm absolutely sure disagrees is Jerry himself.  The question of whether it was Jerry or Jimmy has been answered year after year for over a decade.  Jimmy was the one.  He came on at the right time, with the right team and the owner simply wrote checks.  But the owner robbed every Cowboy fan of further success by firing Jimmy, allowing his ego to overcome his senses. 

We have long since paid the price for Jerry Jones' stupidity.  With each year passed, every experiment, every coaching change, every ridiculous signing, Jerry Jones has proven, without a reasonable doubt, that he is simply the golden calf that stands in the way for true Cowboy success.  People believe that Jerry is so blind that he can not see the main problem. 

I disagree.  Jerry knows he is the problem.  However, his ego is so great that it will not allow him to admit it.  He is so blind with ego, that he will hang a player, fire a coach, blame the builder of collapsed structures to avoid the truth.  Instead he simply terms the team's failures a challenge.  It is a challenge and one he can easily overcome. 

He should simply retire. 

Let Stephen, his son, take over.  For there is one truth, that a younger Jerry Jones would recognize: youth is king. 

In 1989, Tom Landry's time had past him by, and even though it was difficult to see him leave, it was the right move for the Dallas Cowboys.  Again, we stand at a crossroads.  Jerry Jones, time has past you by, make the right decision and step down.  I will even accept you as president, as long as you hire a real general manager, preferably one who knows football, unlike yourself. 

Above all Jerry I ask you this, do not let yourself complete the transformation into Al Davis, because if I see you in a Cowboys track suit in San Antonio, I will vomit.  And after that, after the nausea clears, I will know that there will be no hope for Dallas.



Next on Cowboy Nation:  He's new, he's improved, he's the defensive coordinator and the head coach: Bum Jr.  Cowboy Nation takes a look at Wade Phillips' amazing transformation from cupcake to, well, ring ding?  And an outlook on Cowboy camp in San Antonio.

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