Trim the trash, Pacman and Tank. Cut your losses, TO , Roy Safety. Stay conservative but make necessary changes at coaching level; fire defensive coordinator and keep HC and OC, acquire new Special Teams Coach. Invest in the future by giving young guys a chance at WR and DE and DT and defensive secondary. Wise move at backup QB, and a trade to make sure securing Kitna was in fact accomplishd; getting rid of overpaid and over the hill corner Henry. Replaced TO by making key move in last season. Preparing for the uncapped year with contract extensions . . . preparing for post Jerry ownership and management roles for his son and others. The draft war room is functioning well as proven by last year’s A plus draft class and there is stability here. Key is that Jerry proved this in the most gut wrenching environment; last season and its aftermath.

On the funny side is the BOTOX a misconception too??

Dude… NOBODY thinks that. If anything, the perception is the opposite. But I digress. Your post makes alot of sense. It pains me to read those ‘Jerry is turning into Al Davis’ articles that the mediots are always drumming up.

I’ll take Jerry over any owner. Any day of the week. The guy wants to win.

I’ve always considered Jones to be one of the best owners in professional sports.

but any Cowboys fan already knows all this.

Great Topic and Great Read..a real pleasure. In an era of articles hell bent on furthering negative misconceptions, this article dives beneath it and grabs some truth.

and I am getting more comfortable with GM Jones. Last 13 yrs. of 1st round draft picks.
94-Shante Carver
95-N/A
96-N/A
97-David Lafleur
98-Greg Ellis
99-Ebenezer Ekuban
00-N/A
01-N/A
02-Roy Williams
03-Terence Newman
04-N/A
05-D.Ware/M.Spears
06-B. Carpenter
07-A. Spenser
08-F.Jones/M.Jenkins
Using a 1st (and a 3rd) for WR Roy Williams I was ok with.

When do you think that Jerry started thinking about cutting Owens? Was it before the Williams trade, after the trade but during the season, or after the season had finished?

I thought this was a very well-written and insightful column, HOWEVER, the one key perception of Jerry Jones that happens to actually be true was not adressed in this excellent post.

Jerry Jones undermines the authority of his head coach by allowing players to “go over the head of the coach” and come straight to Jones about this and that. When Parcells was here this didn’t happen, but with Coach Marshmallow, it does, and it’s detrimental to the team. It’s obvious that the players as a whole don’t have the necessary respect for Wade Phillips and the other coaches, as evidenced by the seemingly non-stop parade of media bytes where players blame this system or that system for last year’s failures. Well, the systems and the designers are still here, and are seemingly clueless in regards to how to get a handle on this situation. (I don’t believe Parcells would have done any better; his stubborness to adjust from a base 3-4 in the midst of 3 and 4 WR sets was remote-smashingly frustrating…you can earn respect and instill acountability without being a collasal p—-k.)

Another key perception that is negative and true and is symbiotically tied to the first perception above is the culture of a lack of accountability that has pervaded throughout the organization, and Jones is letting this happen and even helping foster it. When players don’t stand up and take blame, when coaches don’t stand up and take blame, and the buck gets passed faster than a Dan Marino skinny post, then that starts at the top with the man who lets it happen. Sure, Jones cut Pacman, Tank, T.O., Reed (ST coach), and Stewart. So what.

I love Jerry as an owner, and even as a GM, but he needs to let his coaches coach, and not get in the way, because this team will never win until he stops all of the nonsense that allows a direct path between him and the players and enforces a foundation of accountability.

Jean Jacques Taylor may be reading…haha!

Guess I got a little too vitriolic. My bad. I happen to agree with JJT, though when it comes to Wade Phillips as a Head Coach. He’s not a leader of men. He’s fantastic at Xs&Os.

that his interference hasn’t hurt more than helped this team. For all the maneuvering, and all the draft picks and money he’s spent on the O line and the defense, they’re still not solid. There’s a huge question mark about the coaching staff, particularly WP. If you’re going to credit Jones for the good moves, then he should also get blame for the bad. It has still been more than 12 years since the Cowboys have had a playoff win; players and coaches have come and gone (sometimes really, really quickly); the one constant presence in that time has been Jerry Jones. Do I think he’s learned some things? Yes. Do I think he’s a great businessman? Yes. Do I think he’s a great GM. Not yet.

Have to laugh every time I hear that Jerry needs to bring in a football guy. At what point of being the GM for 20 years does Jerry get to become a football guy. There are more than a few general manager football guys in the NFL that do a pitiful job with their team.

Jerry has his problems but he seems to be working to become a better GM. He listened to his scouts last year in the draft, and signed good free agents as this article illustrates. He now needs to work on letting the coach lead the team. Maybe this year he makes progress in that direction by telling some TO wanna be that comes whining to his door- ‘take it to the coach’. Will it happen? Hope springs eternal!

I have NEVER fallin in love with anyones writing style other than our very own Rafeal Vela, im actually pretty disspapointed that hes nolonger the only writer cuz i used to come daily in anticipationn like a four year old before chirstmas just to read his posts… HOWEVER GD, with a few more posts like these, you will definatly have made me have a man crushh on your writing. good stuff buddy, glad to have you

That was a fantastic article. You make a ton of sense.

He will not balk at spending whatever is needed to improve the team.It seems that he has learned to listen to the football guys on draft day.Maybe he learned his lesson when Quincy Carter nearly made him a laughing stock on draft day and beyond.

I hope he is through meddling in coaching decisions.I still wonder why Parcells left like he did.

The bottom line on Jerry is he wats to win as much as we fans do.Many love him and many hate him but he is what we have and we have to take him or leave him.We could have a Snyder or Davis you know.

I for one liked all his moves so far this year with addition by subtraction.He has made us a contender now it’s up to Wade and Tony to get to the playoffs and win.

A wise man once said it is better to know nothing than to know what ain’t so.

Too many Jerry bashers rant about stuff that just ain’t so.

Thanks for spelling it out.

by him being the one he can afford to strategize for the long term. Look at all the GM’s that come on a four year plan, bring their own coaches, start churning the rosters and in year 3 their teams still suck. Than in year 4 they throw the sink because they know if the team doesn’t win they are out. (case in point Jets last year, signing all the big name FA’s and ultimately crashing). JJ has the luxury of not looking over his shoulder and make prudent decisions that wouldn’t handicap the team in the long haul.
Now, one can make the case that exactly for that reason he can be complacent as a GM.
In my opinion he’s become better, and he’ll do whatever necessary to win soon in the new stadium. A championship team will fill many many seats and bring many many corp. sponsors, everything else is semantics and debatable

this forum and blog notwithstanding and other minority exceptions, sports journalists tend to be more reactionary, driven by “gut” instincts (nevermind those instincts are nothing more than biases and prejudices), and deterministic in their outlook than their peers in financial journalism, etc. The worst perpetrators of this form of journalism are ex-players posing as analysts on TV. They are TERRIBLE. Only a few have any insight into the larger picture of a game and all have a license to call themselves experts. Some are even driven by anger, rage, and vindictiveness (you know who they are).

I like this forum because of its objectivity and focus on game technique. None of this “they have to get TO involved to win” when opposing defenses have 3 players in the deep and there is no way TO will catch a pass with any gain.

Im a big fan of Rafs writing, and like another fan posted earlier, log on everyday in anticipation of his articles. I now find myself doing the same with your posts. Keep up the good work.

I tottally agree with your article. JJ is misrepresented and turned into a punch line. One that you forgot that has had the air out of a little was the “Jerry loves those Players from Arkansas” bullshit. That one use to fire me up. Considering before Felix we had never drafted a guy from Ark. Before Hamlin we never had a starter from Ark. Take away that FA QB and I couldnt ever find one on our roster. Yet you heard it daily like it was the gospel.

Im not an apoligist for JJ. When he makes a move I dont like I rip him. I just think he is alot better than given credit for. Yes he was a disaster for several years after the firing of Jimmy. Bad drafts, coaching hires, ects… but how many men on here at one time or another in their life thought they were a lot smarter than they really were. I think he has proven the ability to admit his mistakes and to learn from them. I think we are a very good organization because of them. I think because Steven was there for this roller coaster ride that it will pay off big for many years too come.

 Rooneys are probably the gold standard for Owners in todays game. Go check out the mistakes and club records of the Steelers in the 50s 60s and tell me whats golden about them. Their old man mades tons of mistakes yet he died with 4 SBs and his sons have 2 with lots of success and stability. I like where we are currently at and where we are heading. All the post was about was JJ is much better than advertised it wasnt about him being great or flawless.

I have been one of those fans in the past that has called for Jerry the Owner to fire Jerry the GM. He has learned and grown and gotten better because of the fire that burns in him to hold the Lombardi trophy again. I think the release of Owens, Pacman and Tank has sent a clear message to the rest of the team. TO was a player that Jerry personally loved, but cut him for the sake of his team’s long term health. Now the pressure is on Red Ball, Romo and RW. Let the games begin.

Jerry Jones doesn’t want to win. If he wanted to win, he wouldn’t have run Jimmy out of town! Or, when Parcells came aboard, he wouldn’t have undermined him with TO. This past season Jerry (during on of the many Cowboy Controversies) got on TV and said that ‘we like this kind of stuff and that’s why he has a few select writers travel with the team.’ THAT’S WHAT JERRY LIKES!!! He likes the drama. The attention. The publicity. The limelight. That’s Jerry Jones. Oh sure. He’d LOVE to win. But only on his terms. Only doing it his way. What way is that, you ask? The Jerry Jones way. The one where everybody knows that (genius) Jerry is calling the shots. Not morons like Jimmy and Bill. And winning while leading the league in drama, controversy and publicity. (Oh, and also in hiring “Yes-Men” HC’s who SURPRISE! really aren’t qualified as HC’s).

Wake up SHEEPLE!!!!

I spend a lot of time on Niner sites cause I LOVE Mike Singletary. Now THAT"S who Jerry Jones should have gotten as HC when he had the chance.

When I (somehow) saw this post I couldn’t resist. Jerry’s a great guy. I’m real good friends with a family in South Phoenix. Their son played for the Cowboys in the late 90’s and he’s always spoken highly of Jerry. Jerry’s problem is this: He (and Dan Snyder) are the Vince Lombardi’s and Bill Parcell’s of “Franchise Marketing.” Nobody does it better than those guys.

And that what Jerry SHOULD have done. Stick to the business side and leave the football side to guys that really know what they’re doing.

Any owner that has hired a cast like this (Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo and Wade Phillips) as his HC should have to pee in a cup on a regular basis!

the title of this post is"Jerry Jones and the Great Misconception." That’s my WHOLE POINT! There IS no misconception!!!!!" “It is what it is.” “You are who you are.” Things like that. The point of my post “Wake up SHEEPLE” is simply this: Unless Jones does an almost complete “about face” (not very likely) the Cowboys will NEVER win big or often again! Period.

“Lumping him in with Snyder undermines your credibility. They are both salesmen but that is where the similarity ends.”

That’s the ONLY place I compared those two. As “Salesmen” for their teams. My credibility is perfect. Maybe you didn’t read this sentence correctly:

 He (and Dan Snyder) are the Vince Lombardi’s and Bill Parcell’s of "Franchise Marketing." Nobody does it better than those guys.

Where do you see me comparing those two on “football, on-the-field matters?” That’s right, you don’t.

Singletary is coaching a 3/4 in SF. Here’s the LARGER issue. One that Jerry, for all of his CONSIDERABLE intelligence (you don’t become a billionaire by being stupid) has NEVER FIGURED OUT. The HC (Like Jimmy, Parcells and an up and coming Singletary), MUST, absolutely MUST, First & Foremost, be a LEADER of MEN! Not some “wimp” (like Campo, Gailey and ESPECIALLY Wade)! If NOTHING else, get a LEADER OF MEN as HC. Then get an OC and DC and run any kind of scheme you and your new HC want to run. Want to run a 3/4? Get a 3/4 DC and make sure BEFORE you hire your new LEADER OF MEN, that he’s comfortable with a 3/4. If he is, hire him. If not, get another LEADER OF MEN who is.

Since Jimmy left Dallas (Switzer won 1 SB with Jimmy’s team. The players were on record as saying that they won “in spite of Switzer, not because of him”) and Ditka/Ryan left the Bears, those two GREAT franchises have won . . . NOTHING!!!!!!!!! In 15-20 years. Why? Dave Wannstedt. Dick Jauron. Lovie Smith. Chan Gailey. Dave Campo. Wade Phillips. Not a true LEADER OF MEN in the whole lot! It’s crystal clear (to me).

The day Jones FINALLY figures this out, and the day he concentrates on running the business and not the players (and coacches) is the day that the Cowboys will begin to have a realistic chance to regain their former greatness.

I wouldn’t advise anyone in Dallas to hold their breath waiting for that day to come.

And answer my question (are you hjappy with past Cowboy coaches) which of course you DIDN"T do.

Now allow me clarify. Everybody says how guys like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder WANT to win (cause they’re not cheap and so on). I AGREE. However, and this is HUGE, Jerry (to me) really doesn’t want to win if it means standing off to the side and letting somebody like Jimmy Johnson get most/all of the credit. Good God, he doesn’t want to win THAT bad. No he wants to win . . . his way. He can’t do it. He’s not qualified enough with regards to talent evaluation and more importantly, he (listen REAL close) he hires, non-threatening, yes-men coaches to lead his team. Those guys are GREAT at letting Jones be front and center. Unfortunately, those guys aren’t very good HC’s.

It’s REALLY hard to win in the NFL with weak guys as HC. As Jerry Rice famously said about another weak HC (Norv Turner, whom Rice briefly played under in Oakland): ’He (Turner) could not motivate the players. He had NO control."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement (know what’s funny. Sounds almost EXACTLY like Wade Phillips).

Parcells NEVER had complete control. You don’t have that with Jones. TO would NEVER have been a Dallas Cowboy if Parcells had complete control. NEVER. In a MILLION years. You saying that Parcells had complete control tells me that you really don’t understand the situation. At all.

How did he undermine Parcells. Most notablly by bringing in “The Cancer” TO. Just that move, would have been enough to undermine Parcells in Dallas. Just that one move (although I’d bet there were more) Regardless, that one move had UNDERMINE written all over it.

Bill Parcells, throughout his HC’ing career, NEVER had flashy, me-first, players. He was always team first. Read his book “The Final Season” to get some insight here.

Parcells had many good/excellent players. Only one true SuperStar. LT. Regardless, when you played for Bill, it was team first and the player . . . a distant second.

COMPLETELY opposite of TO!

I didn’t insult you. Actually, if you read back, you insiulted me with the “mastermind” comment.

A). All’s you can do is play who’s on the schedule.

B). A chance to win on the last play of the game is a little bit different than saying that any NFL team has a chance to win any game. If the 0-16 Lions last year, lost every game, but had the ball on the final play of the game where a (reasonable )shot at a TD would’ve won it, they’d still be 0-16 but people would look at them a little bit differently.

C). Never said it was groundbreaking. Just a fact.

D). Former greats, current players, much of the fan base (who quite honestly, almost gag at the concept of Singletary’s stated goal of playing run-oriented, smash mouth football on the same field where Bill Walsh, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice did their thing primarily through the air). Even most fans that lament the fact that the 49er style under Singletary is going to be almost diametrically opposed to their past greatness, conceed and applaud his “leadership” abilities and see them as welcome relief.

Now, answer the question, please. Are you happy with Gailey, Campo and Phillips as HC of the Cowboys?

It’s a SIMPLE question. Answer it honestly.

about the Singletary (mastermind) comment. I stand corrected. I’m bouncing around between things.

Personally, this is how I feel. I try to help my Bear friends at WCG, to little avail. A little while ago, Singletary and the 49er GM made a slight comment about leaving the door open towards signing Mike Vick when he’s cleared to play. Just a little slight comment. And most of the fan base went crazy (emailing their opposition to 49er headquarters about Vick).

Magically, a few days later, the Niners issued a statment that they had NO interest in signing Vick. Public pressure. It worked.

Actually, there’s an interesting connection between the Bears and the Cowboys. When Mike McCaskey took over the Bears after the death of George Halas (even though he had NO qualifications for the job) he somewhat modelled himself after Jerry Jones.

If Cowboy fans REALLY wanted to win, and if Bear fans REALLY wanted to win, they would start a campaign to publicly pressure the front offices of both of those teams to hire “better, more qualified, HC’s.” Period.

Say it loud and say it proud: WE DESERVE BETTER THAN (lol) WADE!!!!!!!!!

It might not help, but maybe if Jerry jones and The McCaskeys heard enough of their fans screaming for better coaching, it MIGHT happen. It’s worth a try.