drawandstrike
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Fun fact of trivia showing how much useless information is in my head: When he owned the Cowboys, H.R. 'Bum' Bright made it condition that he would only sell the team to somebody who would fire Tom Landry. That condition caused all prospective buyers to back off and shut down negotiations except for ONE: Jerry Jones.
Every other prospective buyer freaked out at hearing Bright's condition. "Fire God's Coach? Are you freaking kidding me? I'd instantly become the most hated person in the state of Texas. I'd be more hated in Dallas than Lee Harvey Oswald!"
Far from backing off or balking at firing Landry, Jones actually responded enthusiastically to this condition for buying the team. He excitedly told Bright that he'd already planned to bring in his good friend Jimmy Johnson to coach the team if he became the owner. This is why despite the fact several other prospective buyers offered more money, Bright sold the team to Jerry Jones. Because Jones was the only one who promised Bright that he'd fire Tom Landry.
When he first bought the team in 1984, Bright was a huge fan of Landry. Over the next 5 years though, Bright found Landry and GM Tex Schramm to be incredibly arrogant. As the team's fortunes plunged in the late 1980's, Bright wanted to make some changes. He was told in no uncertain terms to mind his own business, keep his mouth shut and just keep signing the checks.
Landry was so big in Dallas, even when he began to fail, nobody could apply any pressure to get him to change how he was doing things. And Landry resented even having to deal with Bright or hear any criticism from him. Cowboy's owners were neither seen nor heard from, as far as Landry was concerned.
Landry fully expected to be the Cowboy's coach until he was good and ready to hang it up and retire on his own.
Landry let Bright know this, of course. Shut up, keep signing the checks, mind your own business, and when I'm ready to ride off into the sunset in my own sweet time, I'll let you know.
Bright came up with a way to fire Landry without his fingerprints every being involved where the public could see it.
Jerry Jones took all the heat at the time. Not until years later was it revealed that Bright had made firing Landry a condition of selling the team.
1 reason I respect Jerry: he could have shifted a LOT of the heat he took for firing Landry by telling the truth: Bright made it a condition of selling me the team. I had to do it or he wouldn't sell it to me. Instead Jerry kept his mouth shut and took all the heat.
For years it was just assumed to be an amazing coincidence that Bright sold the team to the 1 guy who had no problem firing Tom Landry and replacing him with an old college buddy.
Every other prospective buyer freaked out at hearing Bright's condition. "Fire God's Coach? Are you freaking kidding me? I'd instantly become the most hated person in the state of Texas. I'd be more hated in Dallas than Lee Harvey Oswald!"
Far from backing off or balking at firing Landry, Jones actually responded enthusiastically to this condition for buying the team. He excitedly told Bright that he'd already planned to bring in his good friend Jimmy Johnson to coach the team if he became the owner. This is why despite the fact several other prospective buyers offered more money, Bright sold the team to Jerry Jones. Because Jones was the only one who promised Bright that he'd fire Tom Landry.
When he first bought the team in 1984, Bright was a huge fan of Landry. Over the next 5 years though, Bright found Landry and GM Tex Schramm to be incredibly arrogant. As the team's fortunes plunged in the late 1980's, Bright wanted to make some changes. He was told in no uncertain terms to mind his own business, keep his mouth shut and just keep signing the checks.
Landry was so big in Dallas, even when he began to fail, nobody could apply any pressure to get him to change how he was doing things. And Landry resented even having to deal with Bright or hear any criticism from him. Cowboy's owners were neither seen nor heard from, as far as Landry was concerned.
Landry fully expected to be the Cowboy's coach until he was good and ready to hang it up and retire on his own.
Landry let Bright know this, of course. Shut up, keep signing the checks, mind your own business, and when I'm ready to ride off into the sunset in my own sweet time, I'll let you know.
Bright came up with a way to fire Landry without his fingerprints every being involved where the public could see it.
Jerry Jones took all the heat at the time. Not until years later was it revealed that Bright had made firing Landry a condition of selling the team.
1 reason I respect Jerry: he could have shifted a LOT of the heat he took for firing Landry by telling the truth: Bright made it a condition of selling me the team. I had to do it or he wouldn't sell it to me. Instead Jerry kept his mouth shut and took all the heat.
For years it was just assumed to be an amazing coincidence that Bright sold the team to the 1 guy who had no problem firing Tom Landry and replacing him with an old college buddy.
