If you are a Dallas sports fan and have followed the Dallas Cowboys for any length of time, you’ve probably seen either a picture or heard a story about Jerry Jones and his affinity for Johnny Walker Blue. I’ve never had Johnny Walker Blue but something tells me if it’s good enough for Jerry then it’s probably pretty smooth but that’s not the point. I also wonder if Jerry was drinking Johnny Walker Blue that time he “accidently” took suggestive pictures with with two women half his age in a restroom but again, not the point.
The point is that one week ago, Jerry Jones could do nothing right. He had spent the morning trying to convince the Dallas Media, Cowboys Fans, and maybe even himself that he had run a competent coaching search and that Brian Schottenheimer of all options was the one candidate who was worthy of being the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Not only was no one buying it, it felt like not even Jerry was buying it as he opted to go on defense of his decisions and rambled incoherently when asked why he chose Brian Schottenheimer over several other more qualifed candidates. Jerry was facing a deserved barrage of fan rage that felt like it had reached a new peak. Not that any amount of attention positive or negative would stop Jerruh from only caring about the bottom line, but none the less, the negativity was intense.
Now, Brain Schottenheimer seems like a nice guy and the decisions he’s made since being hired not only signal that he’s serious about changing the culture and identity of this team but they also signal that Jerry may actually be letting his new coach choose his own staff. What a novel concept, right? Again, though, this is all beside the point.
Now, Brain Schottenheimer seems like a nice guy and the decisions he’s made since being hired not only signal that he’s serious about changing the culture and identity of this team but they also signal that Jerry may actually be letting his new coach choose his own staff. What a novel concept, right? Again, though, this is all beside the point.
The point is that the list of things that it would take for DFW Sports fans to forget about Jerry’s botched coaching search was extremely short and most of those things involved Jerry doing something else stupid to one up his own stupidity. See Jonathan Mingo for a fourth round pick amidst an already lost season as exhibit A. Honestly it would’ve been hard to look past the Cowboys and their incompetent owner and GM because prior to Saturday night, DFW fans had the luxury of three teams being run by extremely competent and sought after leadership.
The Rangers, one season removed from a World Series title with up and coming President Chris Young who has orchestrated an off season full of hope that has Rangers fans feeling that Bruce Bochy’s streak of World Series titles ever other year has some legs this season. Jim Nill has kept the stars relevant with aging stars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin taking the back seat to young talent like Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson and until Saturday Mavericks fans were thrilled with Nico Harrisons ability to build a true contender around Luka Doncic. Nico hit a home run with Derek Lively in the draft and brought in key pieces like PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.
Life was good. Jerry Jones was the villain that was the rightful source of all DFW sports hate and it was bearable because we had Luka and the stars and the Rangers sitting their with competent leadership and the realistic possibility of a title.
Then Saturday happened and the more that information is released about how this shocking trade came to be, the more it is clear than Nico Harrison, unchecked by the Mavericks new ownership, made the most shocking decision that perhaps a general manager will ever make. It’s a decision he will have to live with forever. He will always be the GM who traded Luka first. He is now enemy number one and it’s not even close.
For all Jerry Jones faults and there are many, he has never made a decision remotely close to what Nico just did. He may be concerned more with the value of his franchise than their success on the field. He may be defiantly persistent in his unproven and inept methodology until he is physically unable to lead the team but he has never betrayed his fanbase like this and now, just a week after being enemy number 1, no one cares. The Cowboys off-season will follow its usual pattern and by training camp we will all be fully locked in ready for a season that might just finally be the year we break through. Meanwhile as Mavericks fans, we will never recover, nor will Nico, and I think it’s safe to say no one can accomplish worse for DFW sports fans. For that, I think Jerry owes Nico a drink.
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