Admittedly, I am a big Dallas Cowboys fan. And things are not going as one would think in the 2008 season for the team. This always seems to happen at this time of the year, going on a good part of the decade now. As a fan, it's something you come to see and expect almost. One thing I think many don't really see or expect, is a team's General Manager trash talking, publicly at that, about the toughness of one of the main stars on a team.
Yesterday, Jerry Jones, the owner and General Manager of the team came out publicly, questioning the toughness of Marion Barber, the starting running back of the team, after a very late in the game and disappointing loss to the Steelers. What I find ironic about the motor mouth GM and owner is that Marion Barber wasn't the one and has never been one turning the ball over 4 times, and he's not the one dropping back passing the ball. What all sports fans just saw, was an old, broken down, vile, vengeful, old man, lashing out at whatever he could because the team he owns, failed to close out a game, late in the game at that, having a lead, on the road. He's looking for someone to blame for the loss, and what is really sad here, the first place I think some more established and sound teams look at a time like this, is the management, not the players actually.
Let's take a look at Jerry Jones actually. To start with, this guy has never played a single down or play on the professional level, and never was drafted either. Yes, he played in college at the University of Arkansas, with the man he hired first to coach the Cowboys, Jimmy Johnson. This alone makes me have to say, I don't know who this man thinks he is, going to start talking about the toughness of a NFL player, when he himself never even played in the league. I'm a veteran of the Army myself, and find this to be on the same level of citizens of the USA start talking about soldiers, that have never served in the Armed Forces themselves. In short, my point is, people that love to do talking like that, have those rights yes, but it's a very hypocritical right at best.
Looking further then that, the only and I do mean ONLY reason Jerry Jones is even the General Manager of the team, is simply because he is the owner, not becuase he's qualified to do so. Yes, he made millions in the oil industry as a very savvy businessman. However, a successful businessman in one industry, does not make you qualified to be a General Manager in another, especially one where you are lacking experience in. If Jerry Jones, was not the owner of the team, and in fact tried to apply for the GM of any other team he didn't own, before being the owner of the Cowboys, he probably would have been laughed out of the interview, and told, thank you for applying, and we'll be happy to see you again when you gain some more qualified experience.
His actions and decisions made on the Cowboys, as General Manager, and general pest, have not been in the best interests of the team. It was in fact, 90% Jimmy Johnson, the man he hired as head coach of the team to start with, and some from the previous coach, a legend in the game itself, Tom Landry, that build the early going of a team that won 3 Super Bowls in the 90's. Even then, the team that was built from those 2 men, should have won more, but Jerry Jones, the pest, ruined all that on his own. The awesome machine built by Jimmy Johnson and Tom Landry was slowly wrecked once Jerry Jones ran Jimmy Johnson out of town, because of an excessive ego problem. In any other sport, it's more likely the GM would have been looking for a new job, rather then the coach that had just won back to back Super Bowls. Instead, Jimmy Johnson said he had enough of Jerry Jones, and his overunning mouth, and left the team.
This was all Jerry Jones, and his self serving ego. While Barry Switzer came in, failed on his first try, with the team built by other men to win it all, and in fact probably should have won the 94 Championship game, he did win it all in 95. The team made the playoffs again the next year to defend the title they won, and were escorted out of the playoffs in the first round, by a first year team in the NFL. When things like this occur, yes we look at the coaches, but not only just that, the management as well have a hand in these things. I think this was the first sign of what we as Cowboys fans got, when Jerry ran Jimmy out of town. Jerry Jones, the self serving GM, now had his way when it came to drafting. All one needs to do is look at the records and playoff failures of the team, since Jimmy has left to know, this is and only is, the results of an unqualified GM/Owner, calling the shots and running the team.
Looking at the many people drafted and the outrageous number of busts that have come out of Jerry Jones having a heavy hand in who got drafted, again, one has to ask, if this were not an owner GM, would a GM on any other team be still holding that job with such horrendous drafting choices? Quincy Carter? Drew Henson? Ebenezer Ekuban? Even the players he's brought in. Ryan Leaf? Terell Owens? Tank Johnson? Adam Jones? I mean come on here. Dud after dud drafted or brought in, any other GM would have been let go from his job long ago. Are we at a point in society that we are powerless to do something about an out of control ego? Bill Parcells, one of the very very few smart choices made by the guy was brought in to turn things around. Bill did re-assemble a great team, and eventually, even a legend like himself, was run out of town a gain, by the massive giant ego of Jerry Jones.
So in closing, again I have to ask, just who is this Jerry Jones, to go questioning a running back, which the team made their starting running back after a few years of hard, tough, brutal running, late in games to keep control of the ball, and control the clock. Who is this owner that seems to think that because he owns the team, but hasn't played a single play in the NFL, he can question the toughness of the main running back, just because the team lost. Who is this guy, nothing more then a glorified pay check signer, that seems to think it's his God given right to throw a temper tantrum because the team he owns failed yet again to win a big game late in the year? Again, Marion Barber doesn't throw the ball, make the offensive play calls, or plays defense. If there is blame to be blamed here, instead of actually looking at how well the team did play, and try to extract something positive, instead of piss, moan and cry about not winning, then put the blame on the management, the play calling, and the poor decisions made by said management over the years. I don't find it to be smart football to question the toughness of a guy, who's clearly injured and would have been there if he could, that has a history of being tackled with the defender going backwards, not himself at the end of a play. Especially not from an owner/self appointed GM that's not even qualified to be one, and extreme ego maniac, childlike temper tantrum throwing Jerry Jones. If anything, I think it's long been time that Jerry Jones be escorted out of Dallas and professional football.
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