In a recent interview with Bob Costas Jerry Jones was asked whether he’d have fired himself as general manager following his team’s years of struggling. Jones replied, ”Well, I think so, because he was there to dismiss. I’ve always worked for myself and you can’t do that. You basically have to straighten that guy out in the mirror when you work for yourself. But certainly, if I’d had the discretion, I’ve done it with coaches and certainly I would have changed a general manager.”
This proves the man is self-aware and accepts he is a part of the problem. So why not do what any owner who wants what’s best for the team would do and hand the reins over to someone that actually knows the job. Not since Jimmy Johnson took the Cowboys to three Super Bowl in 90’s has any Cowboys coach had that kind of power. In a recent phone interview Jimmy Johnson clarified his role as head coach saying, “The time I was with the team, I had complete and total responsibility over the football operation,” he went on to say “That meant personnel, the draft, coaches, including the strength coach. Everything. It was always in my contract.”
This reinforces the fact that someone who knows football should be making those team decisions. Jerry Jones may know how to make money but he knows squat about building a championship team. Look at the way he has attempted to be everything to the organization and yet when things don’t mesh he fires and holds others accountable for the mistakes he via his own admission is making. Without a GM that will want what’s best for the team and not adulation for himself the Cowboys are doomed to continually come up short where it counts. He needs to make changes starting with himself and then his head coach. Jason Garrett is not a shot caller. His ineptitude as a coach is only magnified by the inefficient guidance he is getting from Jerry Jones. It’s the proverbial blind leading the blind.
There are two things that could make this all right. The first would be for Jerry Jones to climb down off his high horse and get a GM with a solid pedigree and let them do the job, have control and just take himself out of that picture entirely.
The second would be to replace Jason Garrett. Truth be told Garret was a mediocre player and is even a less then mediocre coach. I would love for the Cowboys go after someone like Sean Peyton. Someone that will tell Jerry to mosey his butt back to his box and let him do his job. We don’t need anymore “yes” men.
Will either of these things ever come to pass? Most definitely not. Jerry Jones is not the altruistic type. What does this mean for Cowboy fan’s everywhere? It means accepting the reality that this your existence as a fan and it will never improve as long as Jerry Jones owns the team. The most we could do is not show up at games or endorse our team and that’s a tough pill to swallow however a few more seasons of this and a few more grandiose statements from Jones fans may begrudgingly willing to take that medicine.
