Jerry Jones dumps on son for yucks

I do appreciate that Jerry Jones will actually get in front of a microphone and talk to the people. It’s something that his brethren in NFL ownership refuse to do, and maybe if they did they would have the most valuable sports franchise in the entire world. Is Jones talking for the sake of transparency in a way that other team owners would never, like say on a weekly radio show, or does he do it because that’s how this particular billionaire satiates his ego? I’m not here to judge what goes on in Jones’ head, but what he says into microphones, that’s public information.

He was sitting in front of the media on Tuesday to the far right, with his son Stephen to the far left and coach Mike McCarthy in the middle. Nice try with the seating arrangement, but you’re not fooling anyone.

A reporter did a callback to something that Jones said earlier in the press conference. He said that the phone isn’t ringing but they’re calling in regards to making moves in the draft. She acknowledged that he might have been joking but she threw the phrase back to him, and asked Jones if he’s calling anyone in regards to moves in the draft. He joked again that the phrase came from a country song, and maybe it’s Rusty Jones’ “If the phone don’t ring you’ll know it’s me.” That’s kind of deep cut though with only 2,000 YouTube views and it’s from 2012, and Jimmy Buffet’s 1985 release of a song with a similar title is definitely not a country song.

Regardless, Jones then proceeded to talk for an entire four minutes and 15 seconds about how being risk averse makes a team average and how everyone from executives to coaches are included in the process. He punctuated this soliloquy by throwing his son under the bus. Jones took credit for the Micah Parsons selection last season — first-team All-Pro as a rookie — and put the 2017 selection of Taco Charlton at the feet of son Stephen. Charlton may not have worked out for the Cowboys, but Cowboys Nation was absolutely having fun with those Taco Bueno commercials before he even played a game.

Also, while it’s not common for billionaires to answer any questions by us peasants, Jones should realize that he is talking from the clearest glass house in America while taking a quick jab at his son. The very man sitting between them, coach McCarhty, is a bad decision made on his watch. The Green Bay Packers were successful under McCarthy’s watch, but did not sniff a Super Bowl after that win in 2010. Aaron Rodgers may be a less sincere Kyrie Irving, but he’s also one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Once much of the talent on that team got old, McCarthy had no counter.

Never forget, the Packers had to start wide receiver Ty Montgomery as a running back in an emergency because their backfield was decimated by injury. McCarthy saw 451 yards in 10 regular season starts and 91 yards in three playoff starts as a reason to grant a wide receiver from Stanford the starting running back position the following season. He gained a grand total of 271 yards and only started five games.

Also, which of the Cowboys draft mistakes are on Jones? I’ll cut him a little slack on Felix Jones’ injury (even though Rashard Mendenhall was much better), but what about Bobby Carpenter? Was it Stephen’s choice to select Gavin Escobar in the second round of the 2013 draft to possibly replace Jason Witten? What about trading three draft picks to select Roy Williams who I remember most because Dez Bryant refused to carry his pads?

While on the subject of trades, how did that Joey Galloway thing workout? Jones traded two first-round picks for a wide receiver in 2000. The ACL injury wasn’t Jones’ fault, but the forgoing of a first round pick two consecutive years for a wide receiver when Troy Aikman hadn’t made a Pro Bowl since 1996, he can get all the blame for that.

And let’s not forget Jones’ biggest mistake, firing one of the greatest coaches in football history over an ego battle. Jimmy Johnson should’ve coached the Cowboys until he decided to coach no more. Instead it has been a bunch of Barry Switzers, Dave Campos, Jason Garretts, and now Mike McCarthys marching to the beat of Jerry’s drum.

I get the joke, and just how much ego it takes to desire to give public statements when you’re worth so much money you don’t have to talk to anyone but your assistants. But Jerry, I mean congratulations on the Parsons pick and the other successes that you’ve had, Tyron Smith, Dak Prescott, etc. However, the most valuable sports franchise in the world hasn’t sniffed a championship since your Pizza Hut commercials with Deion Sanders. That is most certainly not Stephen’s fault.