NFL Fans Watch the Continuing Saga of ‘Da Boys
~ Amy Lignor
When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, the period of evolution is on everyone’s mind. And when it comes to the die-hard Cowboy’s fan, they want the evolution to be over with (already!) so they can go back and see the Super Bowl live and in-person, while routing for their home team.
Everyone still speaks, even after all this time, about Jimmy Johnson. This may not be a surprise considering the amazing work he did while part of the organization, but Switzer can claim one Super Bowl after Jimmy’s time was at an end. (I know, I know, it was only because he was working with the already established and wonderful Johnson team, but still…).
We speak of this because of the articles that raced across the internet in regards to the twentieth-anniversary of the Johnson/Jones divorce. This is one anniversary I can not believe the Cowboys or their fans wish to remember, but still…
The facts will never go away that the Cowboys were once the masters of the football universe. Of course, they were masterful under the great and unforgettable Tom Landry, but they mastered the arts in recent times under Mr. Johnson. It was in 1989 that Jerry Jones (the one piece of the Dallas Cowboys history that I think will be the one no one ever forgets), entered the NFL as the brand new sparkling owner of the Cowboys and, oddly enough, friend and fellow teammate of Jimmy Johnson during their time at the University of Arkansas. It was not then a shock to see Jones ask Johnson to lead his new team.
Johnson was most likely not shocked either by the request. And he was more than happy, I would assume, considering he got to reunite with Irvin (one of the three players everyone remembers as being the best of the best in Cowboys recent history). Of course, the addition of a QB by the name of Troy Aikman who could not seem to get the ball into the end zone made for a tough first year at the Cowboys to say the least. The record was 1-15 (a record that some teams would be grateful to receive IF it would guarantee them that the next season would make them into one of the best teams football has ever seen).
Which is exactly what occurred. Aikman became ‘THE QB’, not simply ‘A QB’, and when Johnson traded the famous Herschel Walker in order to gain six draft picks, bringing on people such as Jay Novacek who ended up to be a favorite receiver when it came to Aikman’s throws – the Cowboys’ 1-15 season was wiped off the record and a new legend began.
Johnson did Jerry Jones proud, even with all their supposed picking on each other behind the scenes. After all, the biggest Johnson fact will always remain that he is one of only six men in NFL history to coach consecutive Super Bowl wins. Yes…the ‘triad’ coach has not been found as of yet, but no one is giving up on the Seahawks, OR the Niners from coming back and winning three in a row under their beloved coach with Kap at the helm.
Now Jason Garrett, the coach of the Cowboys, has been spoken about as not having a future with the team if this season ends up to be as mundane as the last few. But Garrett is definitely one coach who does not grandstand or begin to yell and get nervous regarding his or the team’s future under Jerry Jones. The team seems to get along with the man, and Jones is keeping Garrett’s potential cut from the team after next season’s results under wraps.
It is completely certain that Jerry Jones not only craves but needs his team to stop the 8-8 slide that they have recorded for the past five seasons, and return to the ‘grand stage’ where Jones assumes at all times his team belongs. And with the building of the grand stadium causing the knock-down of the historical Irving stadium (bad choice, Dallas!), Jones must prove to himself, fans, and his pocketbook, that it all was worth it in the end.
As you read about the anniversary and the still-raw, apparently, Jones/Johnson divorce, fans and Jerry Jones, especially, need to focus on one very important fact: It is not important that Johnson may have walked because he was bored or simply did not want to be a part of the organization anymore. It is not important that Johnson is long gone (and has been for two decades.) What is important is the team of Jerry Jones needs to reach the playoffs. And this means…continuing to yap about, or still show jealousy regarding Johnson, is a whole lot of wasted time.
Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy