Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Obviously Not Expecting Football Games in 2011

Since taking over the Cowboys in 1989, Jones has been at the center of the parade and has generally done a masterful job of marketing the team. He has spent big money and also brought hope to the biggest fanbase in the NFL even in years past the Super Bowls. The results have obviously been mixed, especially considering trades and head-coaching hires. But you get the sense that Jones, in the wake of yet another head-coaching search (if we can even call it that), is just sort of mailing this one in.

Apparently Jones will name his “adopted” son, Jason Garrett, the eighth head coach in the history of a once-fine franchise that surpassed all others in terms of fan loyalty, visibility and achievements. This will happen as soon as Jones has “interviewed” a couple of African-American assistants from here and there.

Sadly enough, Ray Sherman and now Todd Bowles will play the part of Rooney Rule enablers while knowing full and well that they will not get the job. Why go through that process, I ask? Sherman is one thing because he actually works for Jones, at least at the moment, but Bowles? Well, he did work under former head coach Bill Parcells so he must be in Jerry’s world as well.

The idea that Jones will not even look into qualified coaching candidates is starting to make sense, especially when you look around the league. It has nothing to do with Jason Garrett’s tepid track record as an offensive coordinator or interim head coach. It has everything to do with money though.

The Minnesota Vikings had a remarkably similar season to the Cowboys in 2010. A team that lost in the NFC Championship Game last season was returning most everybody and was supposed to take the next step. They went backwards, and in a big way. Like former Dallas head coach Wade Phillips, Brad Childress was let go just two weeks after Phillips. So who do the Vikings turn to? Leslie Frazier, the defensive coordinator under Childress.

Let’s go down to Houston, where the Texans were finally supposed to unseat Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. In short, nothing close to that happened. In fact, one of Dallas’ six wins in 2010 came against the Texans in Houston. So one would expect that the Texans would be looking to replace head coach Gary Kubiak, right? Nope. Kubiak is staying despite the fact he has never finished better than 9-7 in five seasons with the Texans.

Huh?

Now, there are other openings around the NFL and there could still be more to come. But does it not seem like the bar has been set rather low concerning head-coaching changes? In other words, any other year I strongly believe that guys like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and Brian Billick would have already been hired by somebody if they wanted to coach again. That is not the case this year and I think it has everything to do with the pending labor dispute between the owners and players that is about to start firing the first real missiles.

How excited would you be to start paying on a mortgage for a house that you could not live in for another year or so? I’m going to guess that you would not even consider it. Same goes for expensive coaching hires that could involve paying two head coaches while there is no product to sell.

When something does not seem to make sense, it always makes perfect sense; you just have to look at all angles. In this case, it’s not exactly a wild theory of mine that there may not be football in 2011. It is highly probable there will not be football in 2011. How else does a guy like Jason Garrett become permanent head coach with nothing resembling a track record that would justify this?

Spare me the 5-3 record as interim head coach. Garrett is solely responsible, and always has been, for Dallas’ struggles on offense, some being absolutely elementary in their lack of fundamental wisdom. Factor in that 5-3 record as an “off the hook” interim head coach and Garrett goes 10-6 in 2010 from the beginning. Ask the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers where that record gets you. The answer is home for the playoffs.

Jerry Jones is smart enough to know that hiring Garrett will cause a significant drop-off in the overall interest of his franchise. But if the owners are truly expecting to engage in a hunger strike that they will survive long after the players, then what’s the big deal?

Now, I’m sure that somewhere deep down Jones thinks that Garrett might be a decent head coach, and maybe he will be. Right now he’s definitely not and the only way that one would come to this decision without talking to anybody more qualified than Garrett is if you are not expecting much in the short term.

Maybe there will be an NFL season in 2011…I sure wouldn’t hold my breath though.