Pittsburgh in Dallas: 5 Things the Dallas Cowboys Can Learn from the Steelers

Dallas Cowboys fans across the world are sulking in their tears of despair right now as the Pittsburgh Steelers are headed to Arlington to play in their record-tying eighth Super Bowl.

Cowboys fans hate Pittsburgh, as they were bitter rivals back in the '70s, and now the famous Black and Yellow has the chance to win their seventh Super Bowl in the stadium the Cowboys call home.

To add insult to injury for Dallas fans, the Steelers will have their own end zone in Cowboys stadium and it will probably have Pittsburgh’s famous yellow color to it. That’s probably enough to make any Cowboys fan have daymares at night.

But while many suffering Dallas fans are coming to grips with a reality of the possibility of another Steelers Super Bowl win, they may want to sit back and study the NFL’s most successful franchise.

Pittsburgh a strong history of stability, consistency and, most of all, winning.

Here are five things the Cowboys (especially Jerry Jones) can learn from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

How to Hire Head Coaches

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 23: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers holds up the Lamar Hunt trophy after the Steelers defeated the New York Jets 24 to 19 in the 2011 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field on January 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Penns

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches in the past 40 years: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and now Mike Tomlin. Who knows how long Tomlin will be in Steel Town, but with two Super Bowl appearances in the past few years, I think it’s safe to say he’ll be there a while.

As a comparison, the Cowboys have hired and fired six head coaches since 1989. Jerry can probably learn something from the hiring practices of the Rooney family.

Drafting and Signing Quality Players

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 15: Linebacker James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates after stopping running back Willis McGahee #23 of the Baltimore Ravens on a play during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Heinz Field on January 15, 2011 in

Not that Dallas hasn’t done a great job with drafting players; I mean, after all, Jerry chose Dez Bryant, DeMarcus Ware, Marion Barber and Felix Jones, just to name a few.

But since the retirement of Troy Aikman, the team has struggled to find a quarterback or a steady player at running back, and the secondary is currently a mess.

In Pittsburgh they have a franchise quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker, safety, cornerback...you get the picture. Where is this stability in Dallas?

Media Access

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IRVING, TX - DECEMBER 14: Terrell Owens #81 of the Dallas Cowboys walks on the field against the New York Giants at Texas Stadium on December 14, 2008 in Irving, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Ever since Jerry Jones has been the number one show in town in Dallas the Cowboys have been a traveling media circus.

At times that’s a good thing as the Cowboys are the highest-grossing team in the league. But Dallas doesn’t have the shiniest reputation amongst NFL fans due to Jerry’s intent on his team always being front and center.

The Steelers are a blue-collar team and their players represent that moniker proudly. Big Ben had his issues this summer and was suspended four games because of his behavior. But the Rooneys and Tomlin kept that team together and the media didn’t tear it apart, as evidenced by their impending Super Bowl appearance.

Meanwhile in the D, the Cowboys were thrown off when news broke that Tony Romo and his then-girlfriend took a trip to Mexico to relax before a playoff game. Maybe it’s a good thing if the Cowboys take a step back from the limelight for a little while.

How to Run a Franchise

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 05: Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys looks on in warmups prior to the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Ok, I know that sounds terrible but isn’t it the truth? I understand the Cowboys have one of the most successful franchises in NFL history but they have one playoff win in the past 15 years.

Dallas hasn’t sniffed a Super Bowl since the '90s and the only thing Jonesy can hang his hat on is that his team is the NFL’s cash king.

Stability and consistency have been the Steelers' calling cards, and the Cowboys can’t really say much about either.

Hire a General Manager

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HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, left, watches warm ups prior to a game against the Houston Texans with this sons Stephen, center, and Jerry Jr. at Reliant Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Get

Pittsburgh has one owner, one GM and one team president. The Cowboys have one: Jerry Jones.

Jerry only has to answer to himself while in Pittsburgh there is an obvious chain of command. Maybe if there is a GM in Dallas Jerry doesn’t choose to bring in Terrell Owens or Roy Williams.

The Steelers have managed to sign key free agents like James Farrior and Ryan Clark and held on to cornerstone players like Hines Ward.

Dallas has a lot of holes to address this offseason and maybe its due to the team’s lack of a GM.