Twenty years ago this week, Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. After a good early run that included three Super Bowl championships and a roster of hall-of-famers, the Cowboys are now one of the most inept franchises in sports, and Jerry is the one fans are blaming, according to a recent poll.
Jerry said the fans are wrong. “They need to blame my inflated ego,” Jones said.
“I was just happy to be here, with all the paved roads and indoor plumbing,” Jones, who originally came from Arkansas, said. “Next thing I know, I own the Dallas Cowboys, I hire a friend of mine (Jimmy Johnson) to put football skins (three Super Bowl titles) on the wall, and I’ve got this tremendous legacy to live up to.”
Jones admitted he cracked under the pressure of trying to live up to his own hype, and out came the old ego. Jerry said his ego had to fire Johnson because Johnson was getting too much credit. It’s the same reason Jones says his ego has to dabble in player personnel decisions.
“I can’t say my ego’s been too bad,” Jones said. “I’ve got one of the most valuable franchises in sports, and I just built the Jerry Jones Bowl for $1.1 billion. Yeah, that’s right, since I can’t sell the naming rights, I’m just going to name the new stadium after myself.”
The downside to his ego, Jones said, is the expectation that he will be the lone voice of the Cowboys organization. “My ego issued the gag order, barring players and coaches from talking to the media,” Jones admitted. “And after that, sometimes I wonder what the hell I’m talking about.”
