Jerry Jones is born again. For four years he was a man in limbo, unable to do things that were fundamental to his existence. Humans are generally social creatures, some more than others, none more than Jerry Jones. Quite simply, the man likes to talk. And he’ll hold court on most anything, but nothing thrills him more than to talk about the Dallas Cowboys. He spent four years subverting his nature in hopes that Bill Parcells would bring him a Super Bowl trophy, because that’s the one thing Jerry likes to talk about most. The Cowboys and Super Bowl victories. Now Bill and Jerry are divorced, and Jerry Jones is once again free to do what he likes best. He’s a born-again talker, and yesterday was his opening act.
Sure Jerry talked to the press during the Parcells’ era, probably more so than most owners. But the content was always modulated, washed through the Tuna filter before given to the public at large. No more. Seriously, imagine what would’ve happened if Parcells had been sitting there yesterday listening to Jerry tell everybody the Cowboys already have two offers to move out of the first round. Not that it’s a big deal, but in Tuna World, that’s a capital offense. Parcells ran things with all the openness of a Soviet Union-era Politburo. Jerry Jones is more akin to a group-therapy confessional session. I don’t know when the exact moment would have occurred, but somewhere early on in yesterday’s press conference the Tuna's head would’ve taken a page from the movie Scanners, and literally exploded. Jen Floyd Engel’s headline would’ve read "T.O. manipulates Jones into exploding Parcells’ head", or something like that. I just know T.O. would be mentioned as the culprit. I then would’ve written an obituary along the lines of: "It’s probably not the way the football legend wanted to go, he of the two Super Bowl victories, legendary temper and biting wit. But at least it was quick and painless. The medical examiner concluded that the time it took between Mr. Parcells processing what Mr. Jones had said, and the moment of his head exploding, was almost certainly instantaneous."
Luckily for everybody, Bill wasn’t there yesterday. Neither was Wade Phillips. I like to think he was too busy in his laboratory, cooking up the newest incarnation of the Phillips 34. Besides, there was no need for anybody else because Jerry talked for an hour and looked like he was just getting warmed up. The newest incarnation of Jerry Jones is that of a "football guy." Did you catch Jerry up there flexing his football guy chops? His opening statement was all about the scouting structure, how players are evaluated, and the detailed process of preparing for the draft. It was almost like he was reassuring us that in the absence of the Tuna, we still know what we’re doing. And in a way, it worked on me. I’d like to believe that four years with Bill Parcells has imparted some invaluable knowledge to Jerry Jones, and that Jones has internalized that knowledge and come out a smarter GM on the other side.
Whatever the case, Jerry Jones is now free to talk again. And he looks ready to take advantage of that in the fullest. Free at last, free at last, get your popcorn ready, Jerry Jones is free at last.