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Moore: Conflicted Jerry Jones talking from both sides of his mouth
David Moore
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Jerry Jones will settle into his seat early this evening and crane his neck to peer past all of those fans wearing cheese heads.
Once the game is over, he will make his way to the Cowboys' locker room. The moment the doors open to the media, Jones will be cornered by reporters hungry for his thoughts.
What will he say, what impact will it have on the rest of the season and will anyone be able to interpret what he means?
Jones is difficult to decipher in the best of times. At 1-6, these are not the best of times as the Cowboys brace for their game with the Green Bay Packers.
Jones ties himself into a verbal knot as he responds to questions about the future of coach Wade Phillips. The confusion comes from the fact he serves different masters.
The owner in him plays to the fan base. That Jones must acknowledge fan unrest and let them know he shares their pain and frustration.
The general manager role is different. That Jones can't allow public opinion to influence a football decision.
Jones has found it increasingly difficult to separate the two. He shifts back and forth between owner and general manager as he answers questions about the team, Phillips and the coach's future.
If you can figure out which hat Jones wears for any given response, you have a chance to crack the code. Let's start with what he said on his radio show heading into the weekend.
Asked if Phillips will finish the season, Jones told KRLD-FM, "Yes."
It is the shortest answer Jones has given to any question since he said "I do" to his wife, Gene, nearly 50 years ago.
Some take that as proof Phillips is safe regardless of what happens these next two months. But it could be argued that one-word answer is the most tepid show of support since NBC executives told Conan O'Brien he could host The Tonight Show.
That meek response came from Jones the general manager. It came from an executive who can't afford to undercut the coach in the eyes of the players at this critical moment.
These Cowboys have been outscored 69-32 in the last six-plus quarters. Even Phillips said his team didn't "play with enough passion, enough effort, enough fortitude to compete" after the loss to Jacksonville.
Does anyone truly believe a coaching change won't be made during the season if this trend continues? That's when Jones the owner overrules Jones the general manager. That's when he placates the constituency that buys luxury suites and tickets.
Jones won't let the one-word answer of his general manager stand in the way.
Jones began to work through these issues publicly one week ago in the wake of a loss to the Jaguars. He spoke of how history shows coaching changes during the season rarely work out. He talked about the real world, where the Cowboys are now and how he expects them to respond.
That was the GM.
The owner spoke of how this is the most disappointing season he's endured since purchasing the club. He apologized to the fans, assured them he is strong enough to make any change needed and began to rhapsodize about the future.
"You start to walk around this room, there are a double-handful of reasons to be excited about the future of the Dallas Cowboys," Jones said.
General observation: When the owner raves about the future with nine weeks left in the regular season, the coach is on shaky ground.
So what will Jones have to say late this evening at Lambeau Field? It depends on how the game unfolds.
It depends on who does the talking.
David Moore
Archive | E-mail
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Jerry Jones will settle into his seat early this evening and crane his neck to peer past all of those fans wearing cheese heads.
Once the game is over, he will make his way to the Cowboys' locker room. The moment the doors open to the media, Jones will be cornered by reporters hungry for his thoughts.
What will he say, what impact will it have on the rest of the season and will anyone be able to interpret what he means?
Jones is difficult to decipher in the best of times. At 1-6, these are not the best of times as the Cowboys brace for their game with the Green Bay Packers.
Jones ties himself into a verbal knot as he responds to questions about the future of coach Wade Phillips. The confusion comes from the fact he serves different masters.
The owner in him plays to the fan base. That Jones must acknowledge fan unrest and let them know he shares their pain and frustration.
The general manager role is different. That Jones can't allow public opinion to influence a football decision.
Jones has found it increasingly difficult to separate the two. He shifts back and forth between owner and general manager as he answers questions about the team, Phillips and the coach's future.
If you can figure out which hat Jones wears for any given response, you have a chance to crack the code. Let's start with what he said on his radio show heading into the weekend.
Asked if Phillips will finish the season, Jones told KRLD-FM, "Yes."
It is the shortest answer Jones has given to any question since he said "I do" to his wife, Gene, nearly 50 years ago.
Some take that as proof Phillips is safe regardless of what happens these next two months. But it could be argued that one-word answer is the most tepid show of support since NBC executives told Conan O'Brien he could host The Tonight Show.
That meek response came from Jones the general manager. It came from an executive who can't afford to undercut the coach in the eyes of the players at this critical moment.
These Cowboys have been outscored 69-32 in the last six-plus quarters. Even Phillips said his team didn't "play with enough passion, enough effort, enough fortitude to compete" after the loss to Jacksonville.
Does anyone truly believe a coaching change won't be made during the season if this trend continues? That's when Jones the owner overrules Jones the general manager. That's when he placates the constituency that buys luxury suites and tickets.
Jones won't let the one-word answer of his general manager stand in the way.
Jones began to work through these issues publicly one week ago in the wake of a loss to the Jaguars. He spoke of how history shows coaching changes during the season rarely work out. He talked about the real world, where the Cowboys are now and how he expects them to respond.
That was the GM.
The owner spoke of how this is the most disappointing season he's endured since purchasing the club. He apologized to the fans, assured them he is strong enough to make any change needed and began to rhapsodize about the future.
"You start to walk around this room, there are a double-handful of reasons to be excited about the future of the Dallas Cowboys," Jones said.
General observation: When the owner raves about the future with nine weeks left in the regular season, the coach is on shaky ground.
So what will Jones have to say late this evening at Lambeau Field? It depends on how the game unfolds.
It depends on who does the talking.
