Jimmy Johson: "Hit Me In the Head With a Hammer - the next time"

[John813]

Jerry is clearly a great businessman who has had a huge monetary impact on the NFL. It’s why he’s in the HOF. But I laugh when some people talk about the NFL owners having the “risks” of business ownership. Owning the Dallas Cowboys is one the absolute lowest risk-high reward situations in capitalism. Owning an NFL franchise is not like owning a local bar or something.

Jerry always brags about the story when he bought the team, it was “losing a million dollars a day”, which is true. And he did make some outstanding financial moves. But he didn’t own a mutt. He didn’t own the Cleveland Browns or an XFL team. He owns a team that had already established itself and its brand as “America’s Team” long before Jerry bought it. Yes, he has made a ton of money with his business innovation. But he didn’t build this thing from scratch.

Seriously. Owners have the public funding the bill for the stadiums while they reap the rewards in their net worth. Owners are at the peak of crony capitalism.

 

[CouchCoach]

Do these guys have a choice between MIT grads and Stanford? The image of the dumb jock isn't accurate but there seems to be a pretty high % of football players that are just that. Most can't help it and pro sports is the great financial equalizer against the people born smart.

No one had to tell anyone that Gregory was just flat dumb. They took a chance on a guy that decided smoking pot and not doing the masking that the smarter players do the week of the draft was a swell idea. Who cares? All he needs to do is rush the QB, dumb can work. Dexter Manley was illiterate and he did OK as long as there were pics in the playbook.

The problem with dumb is that it cancels out smart. It sends the message to the team of just where the standards are set. However, there have been some dumb players that were really talented football players and coaches hope they're getting one of those because in every draft there is a healthy % of dumb jocks. Want proof? Check how many are Sports Management majors. Well hell, someone's got to check the bolts on the jungle gym before recess.

 

[Ranching]

I dont think jerry had to approve that trade or any other. Jimmy had total control over all that.

Now Ranch let me ask you this, whos Idea do you think it was to trade walker ??
Do you think if jerry had hired any other coach, would they have traded walker?
Also part of that trade being great was jimmy not playing the guys he got in the trade, which gave him extra draft picks, or higher ones.
That was the part that surprised everyone. Do you think jerry would have done that with another coach?

Jerrys credit was for hiring Jimmy, and giving him full control, that was his part, but he wanted more than that. He got greedy.
Jerry wanted jimmy the SB wins, and to be more involved and to take credit even for things he didnt do lol, like the casillas trade.
Jimmy made that trade and jerry took credit for it with media.

And about Jimmy in miami, he did build a good defense, was stuck with a old marino,and had already achieved his goal of SB wins, so he wasnt as
driven.
Then he was only there 3 years, so who is to say what might have happened in 5-6 years time. In 3 years with dallas he did the same thing as with miami,
built a defense, and got team in playoffs, and lost. Next year was a SB win.
Jimmy quit cause his mom died and he wished he had spent more time with her, but didnt because of coaching, so he quit.

I get all that, and I respect it. My personal view is that Jimmy's ego was big and he could not get a long with his employer reaping the benefits. I have a problem with that. What do you think Jimmy would have done if Norv Turner wanted to take all the credit for the offense?

 

[OmerV]

Theres one point here...sure he did what he did business wise, but then tried to show up Johnson by figuring he could do his job too.

Dont act like that wasnt what ended the relationship.

Let me know when he gets there.

There are PLENTY of people in the world who have made fortunes, and good for them....

How many have lost sight that they need certain people to handle certain areas of expertise, and not figure since you did something you deem as more difficult, that you could do anyone's job effectively?

He CANT....and HASNT, and if you're impressed by Jerry's billons....great for you....I'm not.

He needs to hire someone to run football ops, and his failure to see that makes him a failure at this.

Go make another billion, and try to go to a store and buy a Super Bowl. He isnt the guy to take them there and he will never admit it.

without a doubt Jerry bears a lot of blame for ending the relationship, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get any credit for creating it to begin with. It took Jerry’s money and vision for Jimmy to even have the opportunity to do what he did with the team. Neither did it independent of the other.

 

[Ranching]

Right, and many more people have accumulated wealth that have been a "decent" NFL head coach.

The smart ones have done both. Jerry is still around and Jimmy is fishing. I think they both did ok.

 

[CouchCoach]

Yes, Taco is dumb. It was a well known fact that he has major issues learning.

Yep, that was the rap on him at MI and the same with Tapper at OU. He had all the physical talent but he couldn't get it mentally and they kept trying with him. I wonder if that's a Hill issue as well?

Can't blame a player for being dumb, only the team that selects him and expects him to get smarter. The mistake they make is thinking dumb people lack self awareness, they do not. And they don't want to be dumb and are not happy being dumb.

 

[Ranching]

Theres one point here...sure he did what he did business wise, but then tried to show up Johnson by figuring he could do his job too.

Dont act like that wasnt what ended the relationship.

Let me know when he gets there.

There are PLENTY of people in the world who have made fortunes, and good for them....

How many have lost sight that they need certain people to handle certain areas of expertise, and not figure since you did something you deem as more difficult, that you could do anyone's job effectively?

He CANT....and HASNT, and if you're impressed by Jerry's billons....great for you....I'm not.

He needs to hire someone to run football ops, and his failure to see that makes him a failure at this.

Go make another billion, and try to go to a store and buy a Super Bowl. He isnt the guy to take them there and he will never admit it.

Just keep supporting the cowboys. Jerry is worried about ratings and not about people being impressed. Lol!!!!!

 

[fivetwos]

Just keep supporting the cowboys. Jerry is worried about ratings and not about people being impressed. Lol!!!!!

Yeah I agree. It's quite the conundrum.

I've had many internal battles over it over the years.

In the end I figure I was here first, and I'm just not gonna buy anything that lines his pockets until he does the right thing.

Ita akin to pissing in the ocean, but not much else I can do.

 

[Ranching]

Do these guys have a choice between MIT grads and Stanford? The image of the dumb jock isn't accurate but there seems to be a pretty high % of football players that are just that. Most can't help it and pro sports is the great financial equalizer against the people born smart.

No one had to tell anyone that Gregory was just flat dumb. They took a chance on a guy that decided smoking pot and not doing the masking that the smarter players do the week of the draft was a swell idea. Who cares? All he needs to do is rush the QB, dumb can work. Dexter Manley was illiterate and he did OK as long as there were pics in the playbook.

The problem with dumb is that it cancels out smart. It sends the message to the team of just where the standards are set. However, there have been some dumb players that were really talented football players and coaches hope they're getting one of those because in every draft there is a healthy % of dumb jocks. Want proof? Check how many are Sports Management majors. Well hell, someone's got to check the bolts on the jungle gym before recess.

The best player I ever coached couldn't read. I would help him with his assignments and had to read him test questions. He had over 70 sacks in three seasons. Two times all state and 12 years later he is gainfully employed and doing very well for himself And his wife and three kids. Doesn't take a genius to succeed on or off the field.

 

[Ranching]

Yeah I agree. It's quite the conundrum.

I've had many internal battles over it over the years.

In the end I figure I was here first, and I'm just not gonna buy anything that lines his pockets until he does the right thing.

Ita akin to pissing in the ocean, but not much else I can do.

I'm not trying to bust your balls, I'm big on loyalty. Jimmy is gone and Jerry is still here. I was a coach and I had an ego too, so I know how Jimmy felt. That said, my dad taught me to respect authority and not to bite the hand that feeds you. Salud!

 

[CouchCoach]

without a doubt Jerry bears a lot of blame for ending the relationship, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get any credit for creating it to begin with. It took Jerry’s money and vision for Jimmy to even have the opportunity to do what he did with the team. Neither did it independent of the other.

Agree, does another GM let Johnson walk in and trade the, by far, best player on the team and only star? Some would have thrown him out of the office.

Booger gets a bad rap about Johnson, that was a two way street and Johnson pissed on something Booger values highly, loyalty. He also didn't realize how strong the need was, as we've found out over the years, for recognition for Booger. What the hell? What's the harm is throwing some light his way, he did put everything on the line in buying the team and he went against the prevalent thinking at that time about hiring college coaches, regardless of their records.

I think Johnson was completely blind to one overwhelming need that Booger had, validation. He was hated in Dallas, he's the man that fired the legend and Johnson caught none of that heat. He tried to manage his expenses early on and got death threats in dealing with a purely mercenary player. He sweated going the way of Bright in having to sell his life long dream and face failure. He let some of that vulnerability show when he was drunk in a bar, in front of witnesses, and all they did was make it worse.

I do not know what it was like to be around him or why those coaches chose to disrespect him in public but it was no longer about the business to Booger, it got personal. And he reacted and ended up turning to an old friend and former coach of his to soothe the pain. We can say that team was Jimmy's but that's Booger's ring.

 

[CouchCoach]

The best player I ever coached couldn't read. I would help him with his assignments and had to read him test questions. He had over 70 sacks in three seasons. Two times all state and 12 years later he is gainfully employed and doing very well for himself And his wife and three kids. Doesn't take a genius to succeed on or off the field.

No, it doesn't and I wouldn't have a problem if I were a coach working with the less smarter players because they're like the majority of society. I know a lot of smart people that don't work hard at it, they think their smarts or in some cases, looks, are good enough.

"I was so blessed with so much intelligence, I don't have to use all of it".

 

[Ranching]

No, it doesn't and I wouldn't have a problem if I were a coach working with the less smarter players because they're like the majority of society. I know a lot of smart people that don't work hard at it, they think their smarts or in some cases, looks, are good enough.

"I was so blessed with so much intelligence, I don't have to use all of it".

Nothing sadder than a kid that wants to learn and they can't. This kid would ask me, why am I stupid, coach? Broke my heart, but I busted my butt to get him to walk the stage and get his diploma. 12 years later, he still calls me just to talk. I loved my job!!!

 

[Loso86]

Watching "A Football Life" with Jimmy Johnson again - and he is talking to Bill Belichick on the his boat - and he says the one thing about drafting that I think is forgotten over and over again - "Hit me in the head with a hammer the next time I take a dumb guy". And Belichick said "you taught me that well"! Truer words have never been spoken. Belickick also said "you can't fix that". Johnson said you can't reason with dumb.......

While I think Dallas has drafted extremely well for about the last decade, there are still a couple of examples of this simple drafting mistake that might fit what Jimmy was talking about.

Anyone care to give examples of draft picks that fit that category above? In some cases the dumb and unreasonable probably only shows up after they are drafted (say the right thing in original interview, have support of a few coaches in College, or fool a few .....)....

Jimmy's psychological training and ability to treat and motivate unique players differently were examples of his amazing coaching.

Every team draft guys like that. It just happens

 

[glimmerman]

I loved Jimmy, I'm just big on loyalty and I don't think he had much of that. Works great when you have talent, not so much when you have to develop it.

I wonder how much the salary cap had to do with it. Or was there no cap for a while when they built the team.

 

[cern]

Tom Landry invented the flex defense. What did Jimmy Johnson do. Required Charles Haley. That was the best move team ever did . Oh yeah the Herschel Walker deal LOL people forget how fat. Jimmy cheated refused to play players and required draft picks for it For cheating’s OK because it’s the Cowboys LOL

right out of college, prior to his first draft, jimmy came up with the value assessment chart still used by nfl teams today. jimmy also won as many superbowls in 5 years at it took tom to do in 29 years. jimmy specifically did not play some of the players brought in from minnesota because the language of the contract allowed him to do so. that was his intention all along. he wanted the draft picks. vikes thought his team was so bd (it was) he'd play them. vikes were simply outsmarted.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

Some of you guys may be confusing book smarts with boneheads. It's the boneheaded dumbness that coaches should avoid. The guys that doesn't want to practice hard or perfect a certain technique. If you let one guy slack of in practice and still start or play on game day then you're establishing a bad precedent. So it's the Taco Charlton type boneheads you want to stay away from. But Taco being a bonehead doesn't mean he's not book smart.

 

[landroverking]

Jerry and Jimmy drafted their share of overly stupid players.

 

[joseephuss]

Jimmy's last draft was in 1999. He picked Cecil Collins in the 5th round that draft. That guy wasn't too bright. That doesn't offset all the good, smart players he collected in his pro coaching career.

 

[visionary]

Don't ever hire a lawyer.

.....or a plumber, car mechanic, doctor, electrician,.....

If Jerry Jones bought a five star restaurant, he'd make himself the Head Chef. When the real chefs disagreed with his culinary choices it would be time for them to go. Hopefully, they wouldn't get stampeded by the customers on their way out the door.

It was Jerry himself who said in 1989 that "Nobody can own the Dallas Cowboys". He claimed that the team belonged to the fans and he was merely a "caretaker".A professional team is a partnership between the owner and the host city or region. If the city in which the Cowboys operate ever decided to terminate their agreement then Jerry would have to negotiate with a different city. Does this mean Jerry is an employee of the city?

The team's business relationships go far beyond that of employer/employee. When it involves a contract, the proper definition would be that of an individual contractor. Head coaches are offering their services on a limited basis and under specific terms. these terms can be in the contract and therefore enforceable. They can be verbal in which case, one way to resolve the dispute is to end the relationship.

Jimmy wasn't fired. He didn't "walk away". Jerry Jones admitted partial fault by way of a separation agreement that paid Jimmy a lot of money. Employers don't do that for employees.

When it came to what they were there to do, every single coach hired by the Cowboys were better than Jerry Jones.

“every HC” except Garrett who was a total tool and moron