To me this ROH snub of Jimmy by Jerry underscores what makes Jerry a petty and disrespectful NFL owner.
He sees the Dallas Cowboys as his personal plaything rather than seeing that while he owns the financial rights to the Cowboys, he also has a responsibility to value the team’s greater community- its fans and the taxpayers who have made huge contributions to making the Cowboys the most valuable franchise in sports.
Here is what I mean:
- Owning a professional sports team is NOT like owning a typical family business like a restaurant or a lumber company. Those kind of family businesses were built completely on the risk, sweat and decision-making of its owners. NFL franchises on the other hand are an extremely low risk, high reward business that is not built completely on the owner’s financial investment.
- Conversely, the Cowboys although they were purchased by JJ, he has benefitted greatly by the taxpayers of both Irving and Arlington for the stadiums the Cowboys have played in. Jerry has a responsibility to the Dallas-Ft Worth community which has supported the team financially for decades.
- Owning an NFL team has responsibilities to the communities in which they reside.
So all that to say this: Jerry acting like the ROH is “his” and that everything associated with the team is “his” is a slap in the face to every Cowboys fan. Especially the taxpayers and season ticket holders who have helped make him the richest man in sports.
Jerry owns the financial rights to the Cowboys and he’s certainly upgraded the team’s financial standing. But he also owes the community more than his dictator-like hold on the team. Keeping Jimmy Johnson out of the ROH is a slap in the face to every long time Cowboys fan.