Sportretort's Blog

Shining the Star 03/06/2009

JJ and TO

Ok, who is this guy?  And what has he done with Jerry Jones?  Perhaps spending a billion dollars on a new play house has made Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones refocus on what it takes to win in the NFL.

All the headlines about the Boys are focused on the release of  Terrell Owens.  Lost in the backwash was the other move made yesterday.  Safety Roy (burn me deep and often) Williams was also let go.  These two were the head ringmasters of what had become the biggest circus in the league.  Also gone are Pacman Jones and Tank Johnson.  I guess  Jerry Jones was serious when he asserted that next year brings a new stadium and a new attitude.  With the departure of these egos, have the Cowboys remembered that football is a TEAM game?

This new attitude change may be for real.  Or it may be just a temporary lull in the madness.  Only time will tell.  For all the egos sent packing, all the distractions tossed out of town,  all the lockerroom divisiveness dumped, the overlord of all things Cowboy, good and bad, is still in charge.  The biggest ego remains.  Since he purchased the team 20 years ago, Jerry Jones has ALWAYS been the guiding hand on the rudder.  He was responsible for the Super Bowl wins.  And he was responsible for the circus last year.  The true test is can he put his ego aside and allow this franchise to return to the form that made them America’s Team.  This is not a trivial matter.  To get back to the level he wants the Cowboys to reach, he is going to have to address the coaching situation. 

And that’s the problem.  Three years ago, then coach Bill Parcels, for example, did not want TO.  After Owens was forced on him, Parcells kept referring to him in press conferences as ‘the player’.  Few coaches will put up with the level of control that Jones has maintained in the recent past, and that’s the issue.  Come on, who would you rather have leading your team, Bill Parcels or current coach Wade Phillips?   Yep, me too.  Right now, good coaches do not want to work for Jerry Jones.  Just like they won’t work for Oakland owner Al Davis.  Jones has taken many chances on players and undermined the authority of his coach on many occasions.  Most coaches will not knowingly put themselves in a situation where they can be undermined.  It is not good for their authority and discipline.  And it is not good for team chemistry.  Jones’ challenge is to demonstrate that he is serious about the attitude change.  If he can do that, there may be a Mike Shannahan in his future.  If he can not do that, than 5 years from now, Cowboys fans may look back and pine for the good old days of  Wade Phillips.