Indiana winning the Natty was the biggest preseason long shot to win a title in at least 25 years. Seattle was 6,000-to-1 to win the Super Bowl. Miracles clearly happen in sports.
So why does it feel like miracles can’t happen for the Cowboys?
I honestly think it comes down to the Jones family. An 85-year-old GM running football ops in today’s NFL just isn’t sustainable, and Jerry’s pride seems to be the biggest obstacle keeping this team from winning a sixth Lombardi.
At what point do we stop blaming coaches and players and acknowledge the constant is ownership and control?
Thoughts?
A very antiquated....albeit understandable outlook on what it takes to win. And the irony is....his former players support this outlook and all that does is convince him his approach is the right one....because these players won in the past (90s), so surely, they know what they're talking about. Jerry believes your paycheck is a predicator on how you should AND.....AND.....WILL perform. If I pay you more than anyone else..or you're making almost more than anyone else...then you possess the ability to cover up any holes or weaknesses of the lower paid man next to you......regardless of how average or below average that player is....because you are the highest or one of the highest paid players in the league. Additionally, if you are getting paid and you are NOT performing to your paycheck...Jerry will force you to "keep at it"...so it does not "look" like HE made a mistake in paying you.
And this is not speculation...he has pretty much said it....you just have to listen carefully. I will never forget during the Romo negotiations, Jerry sweetened the deal because the offensive line was not good...and he felt paying Romo EXTRA would help him overcome a poor o-line.
He said the new stadium he built would provide the Cowboys the extra boost to overcome the opposition because it was state-of-the-art....not considering that the new stadium and the star on the helmet would not invoke career performances from the opposition
I remember Zeke Elliot out there on one leg (we would find out at the end of the season his PCL was torn), because he held out the prior offseason and Jerry had to pay him more. We had a perfectly capable Tony Pollard that could and should have spelled Elliot while he healed...but because Zeke was the either the top earning or close to it....RB in the NFL...he had to "earn" it. Jerry was asked prior to one game the status of Elliot...and Jerry said "Zeke is fine and I EXPECT him to carry his normal load". Once Zeke got paid, he was not allowed to be hurt or be spelled by someone else....because of his paycheck
I remember Marco Rivera playing like a traffic cone...I think it was a playoff game against Seattle...because he hurt his back on the treadmill...but because he had just received a bonus or an extension (can't remember exactly)...a Marco Rivera WHO COULD NOT MOVE...was better than a backup making the vet minimum.
I remember Stephen during the CeeDee negotiations wondering out loud how many targets and touches CeeDee would HAVE to have to justify his paycheck!!! That sent a message to the coaches AND the player about how often CeeDee needed to touch the ball for the Jones family to feel as if they got their money's worth. So that impacts coaches playcalling....using CeeDee as a decoy would not be a good "excuse"...using him on jet sweeps would be a strategy that had to be employed (he got hurt on a jet sweep) to increase his touches...forcing him the ball when the right answer was to go to Pickens happened way too much.
Jerry complaining during the Parsons negotiations that "paying him" does not guarantee him that Parsons would be "available" every week. Newsflash Jerry....that is the case for every player and team in the NFL..whether you make the most or the least...it's called football for a reason...and it's dangerous....and injuries happen...it's the same reality EVERY team in the NFL faces....so no one wants to hear you complain about it.
Getting burned by Brandon Carr is WHY the Jones have not participated in free agency since. That convinced them that you do NOT get your "money's worth". Paying Carr did not mean he would become Deion...it just meant Carr was free agent at the right time for him...the Cowboys had a need at CB...so the Cowboys, like any other team, would have to pay the going rate! Would I have loved for him to play like Deion? Sure! But more money was not going to improve his 40 time, his vertical or his ability to flip his hips!
Jerry has held on to coaches when EVERYONE knows they should be fired because he does not want to pay them and their coaching staff to sit at home while having to pay a new staff. So, we have had several lame duck coaches which essentially means you've punted away the season.
I can still hear Jerry and Micheal Irvin, Emmit Smith (NEVER Troy Aikman)... say before big games over the past 30 years...that the keys to the games was your big money players had to show up in crucial moments. In theory you would LOVE for that to be the case. But honestly, you just want to win..and every man on the 53 man roster is needed. No matter the lack of talent at key spots...or the amount of penalties the Cowboys over the years commit at critical times (we are always the most penalized)...our highest paid players should be able to overcome this. And I often come on here after losses and hear fans completely gloss over some of the worst timing EVER when it comes to penalties....and look straight at the player with the biggest paycheck as the reason we lost. Jerry makes paying someone such a dramatic event...it essentially sets them up to be the "fall guy" when something does not work...and this fanbase has adopted that outlook. I will never forget Tonry Romo going toe to toe with Peyton Manning. He through for 400+ yards and something like 5 TDs....but threw an interception on the last drive and the fans were like "that's the problem with Romo". Completely glossing over the fact that it took 5 TDs and 400+ yards to have a chance on the last drive!!!!
Sorry this was so long...but we have 30 years of this nonsense. And there are many more examples I have left out (never forget Jerry did not want to pay the most important piece to 90s Super Bowl run, Emmit Smith!!!) Jerry has consistently shown he does NOT like to pay....and he will pay when he is FORCED to....and when he does...delivering is not optional...because Jerry does not like to be "robbed". I mean who does?.. but that is the risk that comes with being an owner of a sports team..there are no guarantees!
