Jerry: ”I didn’t know it was going to be this tough”. Why it is this tough

[DallasEast]

He needs to look in the mirror. The emperor is naked.

Question: Know what a narcissist sees whenever they glance at himself or herself in a mirror?
Answer: Someone irreplaceable.


General manager for 30 years and counting. And narcissism is an inexhaustible fuel. Keyword here is inexhaustible.

 

[Stash]

Good post. Not to pile on but I would add, mis-management of personnel to the list.

Being overly loyal to personnel should definitely be included.

 

[LittleD]

Some of you guys are just silly. McClay is the defacto GM and manages all of the talent acquisition. Stephen negotiates the deals
and Jerry just signs the checks. McClay does the shopping so stop wailing.

 

[Redball Express]

In a recent interview with Jon Machota, the Cowboys beat writer from the newspaper we cannot mention here, Jerry Jones said one of the more revealingly stupid comments (even for him!) he’s ever said about why his team hasn’t been in a Super Bowl in 23 years:

“I got involved (with the Cowboys) to win. I must tell you, I didn’t know it was going to be this tough..... It is just absolutely a stunning thing to me to think of why we’re not there (playing in Super Bowls) with what we commit and what we do to win Super Bowls.”
​

What is stunning to me is not that the Cowboys haven’t been in a Super Bowl in 23 years. What’s stunning is what is obvious to anyone who pays attention to how pro sports organizations who win consistently run their organization, is somehow not apparent to this 76 year old billionaire.

It’s actually easy to explain why this team hasn’t been to a SB in so long. It’s amazingly simple- in today’s NFL, having a kind hearted owner who also serves as its primary decision maker is inherently detrimental to winning. If you don’t have a steely eyed decision maker who does not allow sentimentality to influence decisions to run the team, you’re behind the 8 ball.

Below are the things most responsible for the last 23 years:

1. Excuses made and accepted at the top of the organization- Remember JJs famous quote calling a loss to Denver in 2013 “a moral victory”. Or excusing his HCs failures after 2015 and 2017 being tied to injuries and suspensions? An organization whose top executive makes and accepts excuses is killing itself. Our HC has 2 wild card wins in 8 seasons and our owner GM dreams of that guy being his “Tom Landry”. It’s delusional.

2. Nepotism and favoritism blinds the organization- when your organization has no one at the top who can question the leader, it’s deadly to success. And when the leader hires his children and favorite friends for sentimental reasons, it makes objectivity very difficult. There is a reason NEPOTISM is illegal in many workplace situations- it doesn’t work well. Who tells Jerry he’s wrong and is hurting this team?

3. A complete lack of real accountability at the top- Name another pro sports General Manager with 23 years of mediocrity who still has a job. Which NFL Head Coach could still have a job after winning two wild card games in 8 seasons? In fact, the only accountability in the organization is with assist coaches and mid- bottom level players.
​

So in order to get back to the glory days of the past, this organization just needs do the opposite of the above 3 disasters:

1. Never make nor allow excuses...ever.
2. Stop being sentimental and allowing yourself, family and select friends to have “special privileges” without proving they are capable or without the ability to help us win.
3. Hold people at the top accountable for failure. A lack of results must be dealt with or failure will continue. People in key jobs, like HC, cannot be given special treatment.
​

I know Jerry probably won’t take proper action to right his failures as a leader but he shouldn’t act surprised when the ship sinks every year either. He needs to look in the mirror. The emperor is naked.

It's tough because Jerry is about profit and winning comes second.

All you have to do is see where he has changed his emphasis.

It's in major real estate deals like the Star and AT&T Stadium.

Not about SBs.

SBs are a means to an end.

Not the goal.

The Cowboys are a tool to leverage wealth for him.

If they win..it enhances his bottomline.

If they do not..the money is there to keep moving.

As fans we do not understand this reality.

I have accepted long ago Jerry Jones is not Yogi Berra.

He is Bob Ucker.

The joke is on us.

Get it straight in your head and just enjoy the entertainment it provides.

My best advice.

 

[Diehardblues]

What’s actually sad to me is fans haven’t made the Football Idiot more directly accountable.

Instead we’ve given him a pass for his early success and rewarded him thru the worst era in Cowboys Football.

It’s diificult for Jerry to grasp we aren’t happy when we’ve help make the Cowboys the wealthiest team on the planet.

Perhaps we are sending him the wrong message?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Jerry is a massive liar. You can't believe him when he says winning is the most important thing to him. It obviously isn't when he hires family friends and sycophants like Garrett to do critical jobs.

What Jerry really wants is to make tons of money and be comfortable and have fun while doing so. He's checking all of those boxes and has for the last several years, so it's no wonder nothing of consequence changes.

Just don't be suckered in when the modern day PT Barnum tells you how much he feels your pain. He doesn't. It's just another sales job.

 

[fansince68]

Jeff Fisher had 2 playoff wins in 9 years at Tennessee. Some coaches can just talk their owners into keeping them around, I guess....

He he...wasn't Jeff Fisher on our list of wanted coaches at one time?

 

[Melonfeud]

Amen& yeppers @Bobhaze , as I wholeheartedly agree to the fact that our FOOTBALL DAD has proven to be an impedance to this franchise's success as of ,,,er,,,lately,due to his overbearing imperial dictates/tightly guarded loyalties/death grip on the reins of control,,,now,,, appointing a hungry no nonsense FOOTBALLISH tactician to have a free hand as the General Manager (5 year projection/plan) should've been implemented 10 years ago,,,


* I still love,admire& respect that MAN regardless of these apparent shortsighted failings concerning longterm competitiveness, though, I reckon some could consider that an inherent character defect,Too!

 

[Diehardblues]

Cowboy fans have a funny way of showing they aren’t happy with Jerry as we continue to be #1 in Revenue.

 

[blueblood70]

Glad you are happy with the only GM in the NFL who doesn't watch game film. Glad you are happy with zero playoff wins in 23 years. Glad you are happy with a GM that spends most of his time chasing tail and trying to land concerts and boxing matches while real NFL GMs are trying to make their teams better. Glad you are happy with Kellen Moore and Garrett getting the opportunity to "learn on the job" instead of hiring proven coaches with a winning track record.

The Pats are not the only successful team the past 23 years. The Bucs won "A" Super Bowl with 2 coaches and a HOF roster, the lowly Raiders made it to a Super Bowl. Which part of Hazey's truths make you mad?

glad you read what you wean into my posts, didnt say I was happy..SMFH

Now really you going to pull out a one win from TB how long ago was that? raider got to one, you hanging on to that? you should have maybe said San Fran and Seatles little burst or something but its Sad you are ripping jerry and using those Comps..horrible judgment on your end, you are high with hate..
NE is the only consistent franchise that has bucked the trend.. you using two teams to show how bad jerry is because of our drought? it shows that Jerry and The Cowboys are lumped in with many teams as the norm to chow how hard it is to make or win SBs..

thats my Point , JJ isnt perfect and not agreat GM but no way hes the reason we arent winning Sbs because it it were the case so many teams every years would be making and winning SBs that never have..philly 1 in 60years so how does that rank their GMs? even since 1997?

 

[Diehardblues]

Would Cowboy fans like to know how we forced change in the late 80’s?

 

[CouchCoach]

exactly, I was about to comment on that. he traded for casilas sp? from atlanta, and then jerry took credit for it implying he made the trade
and that was the start of their bickering.

Actually started before that when he suggested to Johnson that he look at him before making any picks to get his approval. Johnson had to be talked into coming into the war room by Wannstedt but the entire coaching staff knew what they were dealing with and he wonders why they refused to show him respect in the bar that night when it all finally unraveled.

What's so amusing is that as much as Booger would like to have anyone believe he was the architect of that team, the longer he has tried to prove he knows how to build a team, the further away he is. Nobody in their right mind would believe he was anything more than the check signer.

He took the opportunity to show his "tough owner" mode with Emmitt's deal and damned near buried a defending SB team and Johnson had to intervene to get that done while Booger hid in the alcoves taking death threats seriously. Guess that Arky hillbilly learned Texans do think football is a religion because someone was thinking of sending him to say howdy to Jesus.

That "didn't think it was going to be this tough" is self forgiving for incompetence and a true misunderstanding of the real problem with the team. His response to the question everyone wanted Hansen to ask him "why won't you hire a GM"? was a hint at why, not the complete answer. He said another GM wouldn't be willing to take the risks he was willing to take and would be fearful of losing their job. And that is exactly the problem. He has no fear of failure because he can't be fired and is never accountable or responsible for the poor decisions he makes beginning with not bringing in a real HC in to run the football side of it and letting him run it.

 

[Sydla]

NO stop the BS

the easy and very obvious answer it is tough, teams like Philly just one their FIRST in 60 plus years of existence, outside of NE its very tough..period end of story..Bret Farve played 19 season and won one, Pmanning had one until he was brought it to not mess up and was handed one after also 19 years..these are quick off the top of my head answers but its not easy to win SBS or even get to them if you are not NE..

Has not much to do with Jerry himself..anyone keep pointing that out explain why all the other franchises arent getting there and winning either , some never have some have 1 in their entire existence.. what the Cowboys havemt been back in 25plus years and still 3rd all time for SB appearances and wins? all these teams have had chance over 24-30 years to show the Cowboys how jerry holding them back but cant..theres no formula..sometimes it is hitting it right and having luck and circumstances fall into place, not always the best team with best coaches and players get there..you catch lightening in bottle , for the Boys they seem to have used up the luck and have had the opposite but the teams have been talented enough at least 5 years to make the SB..we have Talent we have been good enough, just have not had the extra luck to out us over the top..

Not saying JJ hasnt made mistakes from 1999-2003 should have fired himself as GM, over 2003-2007 it got better but not perfect but really the last 10 years the entire drafting, FA, Cap, and winning a lot more has basically given us a shot and thats better then tons of teams out there..

LOL. You stop with the BS. Forget Jerry's lament about playing in multiple SB appearances. How about just 1 appearance? Chew on these facts over a 23 season period:

- 19 teams, yes, 19 different teams, have played in a SB. 12 of those 19 teams have played in multiple SBs.

- In the NFC, 13 of the 16 teams have played in a NFC Title game over those 23 years. 12, yes TWELVE, of those 13 have played in multiple NFC Title games. Only the Cowboys, Commanders and Lions have not been in a NFCCG over 23 years.

- If you expand that to the entire NFL, in 23 years, 24 of the 32 teams in the NFL have been in at least 1 conference champ game. If you expand that to multiple conference champ games, 21 of those teams have played in multiple conference title games.

This isn't about catching lightning in a bottle. It's not about luck. It's not an anomaly. It's simply mismanagement at the highest levels by the Cowboys. It's the result of a flawed setup where the owner is the GM and makes many of the assistant coaching moves. It's the result of a misguided approach to how to build a team, how to pick a coach. It's a flawed philosophy where the owner essentially dictates the day to day football operations because he fancies himself a football guy.

Jerry's arrogance that he knows what he's doing is the single biggest reason this franchise has wandered aimlessly with no post season success after the teams that Jimmy built with Jerry were gone. And apparently even today, he still doesn't understand that he's the reason why this franchise hasn't done squat in 23 years.

 

[CouchCoach]

Would Cowboy fans like to know how we forced change in the late 80’s?

Wouldn't work, some of the most dissatisfied fans with his handling of the team post about going to games or which jersey they're buying. Why should he worry? According to the ratings and revenue, he's the best owner in the NFL.

Threads like this are all about venting and I want one to vent about everything coming out of that awesome person's mouth being posted here. Getting harder to avoid exposure to his asinine ramblings just to appease his 76 year old starlet's ego.

 

[Sydla]

Some of you guys are just silly. McClay is the defacto GM and manages all of the talent acquisition. Stephen negotiates the deals
and Jerry just signs the checks. McClay does the shopping so stop wailing.

This is false. Jerry has admitted he makes the call on personnel and the draft. Stephen is in his dad's ear.

This notion that McClay makes the decision on who to sign and who to draft is false. McClay provides insight and information, he sets up the team's final draft board after working with the coaches and scouts but in the end, it's Jerry who has sends in the draft ticket after taking information from all the sources.

 

[BotchedLobotomy]

NO stop the BS

the easy and very obvious answer it is tough, teams like Philly just one their FIRST in 60 plus years of existence, outside of NE its very tough..period end of story..Bret Farve played 19 season and won one, Pmanning had one until he was brought it to not mess up and was handed one after also 19 years..these are quick off the top of my head answers but its not easy to win SBS or even get to them if you are not NE..

Has not much to do with Jerry himself..anyone keep pointing that out explain why all the other franchises arent getting there and winning either , some never have some have 1 in their entire existence.. what the Cowboys havemt been back in 25plus years and still 3rd all time for SB appearances and wins? all these teams have had chance over 24-30 years to show the Cowboys how jerry holding them back but cant..theres no formula..sometimes it is hitting it right and having luck and circumstances fall into place, not always the best team with best coaches and players get there..you catch lightening in bottle , for the Boys they seem to have used up the luck and have had the opposite but the teams have been talented enough at least 5 years to make the SB..we have Talent we have been good enough, just have not had the extra luck to out us over the top..

Not saying JJ hasnt made mistakes from 1999-2003 should have fired himself as GM, over 2003-2007 it got better but not perfect but really the last 10 years the entire drafting, FA, Cap, and winning a lot more has basically given us a shot and thats better then tons of teams out there..

Congrats, You have stepped into the "How to be a Perfect Cowboys Fan by Jerry Jones" bucket. You have accepted moral victories, you have the "I am ok with getting close" attitude, you embrace the bad luck excuses and to top it off, you think that since we are not NE, 23 years without sniffing a SB is normal.

 

[Zordon]

Jerry is a massive liar. You can't believe him when he says winning is the most important thing to him. It obviously isn't when he hires family friends and sycophants like Garrett to do critical jobs.

What Jerry really wants is to make tons of money and be comfortable and have fun while doing so. He's checking all of those boxes and has for the last several years, so it's no wonder nothing of consequence changes.

Just don't be suckered in when the modern day PT Barnum tells you how much he feels your pain. He doesn't. It's just another sales job.

I wish I could like this post 100x.

Jerry at his heart is a salesman. He can seduce you with his words. Please for the love of God don't fall for it. Every off-season he goes on these sob tours through the media whining about how much he wants a Super Bowl and how there is a huge sense of urgency because of his mortality. Then he brings back Jason Garrett and reality sets in that this man is unwilling to put his ego to the side to win.

 

[Diehardblues]

Wouldn't work, some of the most dissatisfied fans with his handling of the team post about going to games or which jersey they're buying. Why should he worry? According to the ratings and revenue, he's the best owner in the NFL.

Threads like this are all about venting and I want one to vent about everything coming out of that awesome person's mouth being posted here. Getting harder to avoid exposure to his asinine ramblings just to appease his 76 year old starlet's ego.

I understand but still feel it’s worth mentioning since fans continue to provide The Football Idiot a stamp of approval.

 

[LittleD]

This is false. Jerry has admitted he makes the call on personnel and the draft. Stephen is in his dad's ear.

This notion that McClay makes the decision on who to sign and who to draft is false. McClay provides insight and information, he sets up the team's final draft board after working with the coaches and scouts but in the end, it's Jerry who has sends in the draft ticket after taking information from all the sources.

I said McClay is in charge of talent acquisition and shops for the groceries. Jerry signs off but, McClay finds the pieces that Garrett wants.

 

[Diehardblues]

I wish I could like this post 100x.

Jerry at his heart is a salesman. He can seduce you with his words. Please for the love of God don't fall for it. Every off-season he goes on these sob tours through the media whining about how much he wants a Super Bowl and how there is a huge sense of urgency because of his mortality. Then he brings back Jason Garrett and reality sets in that this man is unwilling to put his ego to the side to win.

Right . He’s the greatest promoter of this era. And the fans are the fools if they expect him to change.