Over the years, the Dallas Cowboys have been no strangers to controversy. Despite the team’s overall mediocrity, the organization continues to dominate news headlines and sports talk shows daily. The team is certainly the most polarizing in all of the NFL. They have not advanced to an NFC Championship game since 1996, yet they find a way to stay relevant within the sports world. This is thanks, in large part, to 82-year-old owner and general manager Jerry Jones. His constant media input and controversial personality have made him an owner most Cowboys fans find annoying, to say the least. His most recent move, trading All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, solidified his reputation as one of the least competent general managers within the league.
Trading away arguably his best player is one of the many ill-advised moves Jones has made over the years. Whether it is holding out on key player contracts or publicly feuding with his own quarterbacks, Jones has constantly aggravated fans with his “my way or the highway” mentality. He has shown a commitment to making moves out of spite and has continued to run the team based on his own pride. Jones regularly admits he would pay anything to win a Super Bowl, yet he routinely handicaps the team with his own incompetence.
While there are numerous criticisms of Jones’ ability to own and manage the team, there is one that clearly stands above the rest. As unfortunate as it may seem, it appears that Jones has valued the Cowboys’ financial success above all else. Despite no deep playoff runs in the last decade, the team’s financial value has continued to skyrocket to $12.5 billion. The Cowboys are atop the sports media world daily, and they are by far the most valuable franchise in all of sports. Though it can be hard to accept, financial prosperity is clearly all Jones cares about in his late age. His constant referral to the team’s growing value serves as a symbol for the Cowboys’ losing mentality.
Whether it is trading away superstars because of pride, or valuing money over winning, Jones has clearly lost his edge as an NFL general manager. The once championship-winning owner is now nothing more than a mascot for the team he continues to run. His refusal to step down has left countless fans in a state of hopelessness and grim, as they know their team will not succeed with the 82-year-old mogul at the helm.
