The Jerry/Jimmy Dynamic

[Bob-Lillys-War]

As good as Jimmy Johnson was, he was didn't win a SB with Marino at dolphins .

Jimmy , it seems , needed his nemesis Jerry to win SBs .

 

[Outlaw Heroes]

Jimmy didn't have to worry about salary caps,so building a powerhouse was easier.

Yes, that too. Plus, Jerry hadn’t yet grown into his fully developed meddlesome self. He apprenticed under Jimmy before starting to pretend he was a football guy.

 

[GenoT]

Have to disagree as he could quite actually be the worst owner/GM in the league. He bought a highly respected and popular franchise that had been struggling and temporarily assigned the right person (coach) to successfully run it and win like a well oiled machine. He had the blue print and then his own ego slowly tore it apart to appease himself and family by hiring his own FO and coaches so JJ could be called a great GM/football guy. The fact is the franchise has fallin into mediocrity over the past 20+ years. Ironic that his own worst enemy is there in the mirror every morning and he cannot get past his ego to see it. Truly sad that he's taken thousands and thousands of life long fans all over the world to mediocrity with him.

Agree totally about GM.

As far as owner, Jerry has built his franchise into a flagship model of pro sports in America...even while, unfortunately, putting a mediocre product on the field. Yet fans continue to buy what Jerry $ell$.

He owns the team, he owns a state-of-the-art stadium and training facility, he has led the way in how NFL franchises are marketed, his team continues to be at or near the top in every revenue stream you can mention and he has built the Dallas Cowboys into the far-and-away most valuable sports franchise on the planet.

Other than the lack of winning on the field, Jerry Jones is winning — like it or not.

 

[big dog cowboy]

For those who are too young, or have forgotten, here’s how the ‘90s Cowboys were built.

Forgotten?

 

[big dog cowboy]

I still wonder where the franchise would have gone without the Herschel trade.

That's a great question.

 

[GenoT]

Forgotten?

If it applies, yes. If not, obviously no.

 

[xwalker]

For those who are too young, or have forgotten, here’s how the ‘90s Cowboys were built.

From back-in-the-day, in real-time:

https://www.si.com/vault/1990/10/15/106781988/the-nfl

There is also a story at that link about Marcus Dupree.

For anybody that does not know about him, I suggest checking out his OU highlights.

Dupree was one of the All-Time Great athletes to play college football. He had size. speed, power, agility and terrific balance.

He played a couple of years in the USFL but injuries and mental/emotional issues caused him to retire.

He was such a freak that in 1990 after not playing football since 1985 and his weight getting up over 300 pounds, he lost 100 pounds and had a comeback with the Rams. He ran a 4.3 forty then. Imagine what he ran in college at 6-2, 225.

I think he played parts of 2 seasons in the NFL but injures again derailed him.

 

[plasticman]

I have also referred to this very article as proof it was a Jimmy who was the driving force.

But you have to understand that Jerry gives himself crredit for hiring Jimmy Johnson. Actually, Jimmy would have gone anywhere else he chose if Jerry hadn't given him full control and he had many, many other opportunities. It was Jerry's initial non-interference that brought Jimmy in. It was his eventual intereference that drove him off.

 

[BAT]

Jimmy didn't have to worry about salary caps,so building a powerhouse was easier.

If it was so easy then why wasnt every NFL team building dynasties or “powerhouses” before Jimmy?

 

[Runwildboys]

If it was so easy then why wasnt every NFL team building dynasties or “powerhouses” before Jimmy?

I didn't say "easy", I said "easier"...and the reason is that Jerry was more willing to spend big money than most owners were. I think anyone who was around then knows that.

 

[BAT]

I didn't say "easy", I said "easier"...and the reason is that Jerry was more willing to spend big money than most owners were. I think anyone who was around then knows that.

So you implying that Eddie DeBartolo, Robert Kraft, Wayne Huizenga or Paul Allen were adverse to spending money back then?

If it was “easier” to build powerhouses then why weren’t owners who were wealthier than Jerry getting their rings instead of a novice NFL coach straight from college ranks. Jimmy was not just winning, he intimidated the entire league in the process.

 

[Runwildboys]

So you implying that Eddie DeBartolo, Robert Kraft, Wayne Huizenga or Paul Allen were adverse to spending money back then?

If it was “easier” to build powerhouses then why weren’t owners who were wealthier than Jerry getting their rings instead of a novice NFL coach straight from college ranks. Jimmy was not just winning, he intimidated the entire league in the process.

As I said, Jerry was more willing to spend money. DeBartolo spent money too, which is why the 49ers had a dynasty.

I'm not saying Jimmy wasn't a great coach, and team builder, just that he had an advantage, with Jerry as an owner. Do you think the Walker trade could have happened in today's league?

 

[noshame]

As good as Jimmy Johnson was, he was didn't win a SB with Marino at dolphins .

Jimmy , it seems , needed his nemesis Jerry to win SBs .

True, but Dan was done and Jimmy had too keep him.

 

[dckid]

For those who are too young, or have forgotten, here’s how the ‘90s Cowboys were built.

From back-in-the-day, in real-time:

https://www.si.com/vault/1990/10/15/106781988/the-nfl

How can we ever forget? This was my formative years... 8th grade when Jerry bought the team and hired Jimmy... all the way through high school. What a ride that was. Jimmy was all about CULTURE, he flushed all the old and brought it new. I think half my posts on this site are in some way a reference to Jimmy Johnson.
A lot of you have already mentioned his innovation.. gotta hit the big gorilla in the mouth with all you got. His leadership, innovation, flipping the losing culture, no tolerance for losing.. How many times have we heard how bad the week was after a loss. The players loved him and he was a disciplinarian.. He was the perfect coach. His 5 year run brought us 3 SB's. We went from having the least talent in the league in 1988 3-13, to the most talented team in the league. We can never give him enough accolades, I still cant believe he is not in the ring of honor, and not in the HOF. If Terrell Davis is in the HOF as a RB who dominated for a short period that should translate to coaches also. He changed the way teams drafted and even looked at the draft. He came up with the concept of wheeling and dealing, the value chart that is still used today.

 

[Diehardblues]

As good as Jimmy Johnson was, he was didn't win a SB with Marino at dolphins .

Jimmy , it seems , needed his nemesis Jerry to win SBs .

Just another great example of how even the greatest coaches need the talent.

 

[Diehardblues]

As I said, Jerry was more willing to spend money. DeBartolo spent money too, which is why the 49ers had a dynasty.

I'm not saying Jimmy wasn't a great coach, and team builder, just that he had an advantage, with Jerry as an owner. Do you think the Walker trade could have happened in today's league?

Great question. I’m not even sure Landry would have made that deal. I think he probably would have tried to build around Aikman, Irvin and Walker would could have been a dynamic trio in itself.

The Herschel trade accelerated the rebuild accumulating more picks which included Emmitt and Maryland. If we don’t use those picks wisely the results aren’t as favorable.

 

[Diehardblues]

So you implying that Eddie DeBartolo, Robert Kraft, Wayne Huizenga or Paul Allen were adverse to spending money back then?

If it was “easier” to build powerhouses then why weren’t owners who were wealthier than Jerry getting their rings instead of a novice NFL coach straight from college ranks. Jimmy was not just winning, he intimidated the entire league in the process.

It wasn’t just about spending money it was about talent evaluation and of course the two big trades which culminated in additional picks resulting in more talent.

The Herschel trade is of course Iconic but fans forget that trading Walsh to Saints also delivered more picks.

Talent talent talent

 

[Diehardblues]

If it was so easy then why wasnt every NFL team building dynasties or “powerhouses” before Jimmy?

It wasn’t so easy. It wasn’t about just spending money. It was about talent evaluation and accumulation of talent. The additional picks Jimmy aquired with two big trades accelerated the process much like Gruden is attempting to do in Oakland.

 

[Diehardblues]

That's a great question.

The best answer I have is without the Walker trade it would have been a slower process.

 

[Diehardblues]

I’m not a Garrett basher, but compare that statement to our current ‘process’. Jimmy basically gave himself a two-year deadline. And he was very public about it. SI was undoubtedly the most widely read sports periodical of the day.

Of course it helped that he knew he had 13 picks in the first 3 rounds of the next two drafts. Still, the dude was not lacking in confidence.

Makes me wonder if Garrett’s ‘process’ is sufficiently ambitious.

There was a greater sense of urgency in 1989. The Cowboys we’re losing about a Million bucks a month and needed a quick turn around which Jimmy provided with one of the greatest flips in NFL history from 1-15 to 7-9 earning him Coach of the Year honors.

Fans may forget how close we came to making the playoffs in 1990. The Saints on the final game of the year on Monday Night needed a win to finish 8-8 or the Cowboys would have got in on a tiebreaker at 7-9 which would have been remarkable considering the 1989 season and the fact we lost Troy for the final 2 games which Babe lost.