The Dynasty That Was……… A Billion Dollar Stadium, Jerry Jones And a Pro Football Team Lost In Big “D”!    by Greg Wenzel

in Sports / Football    (submitted 2011-11-02)

"2-3" is all that needs to be said to a Dallas Cowboy fan at the end of the 6th week of the 2011 NFL season. The simple quote of the current record of the iconic team from Dallas will put anyone of interest on the same page.

The once bright and shining emblem of "America's Team" has regressed to a dim and dimmer vision of what once was… Back to back losses in the last minutes of the 4th quarter have become the norm in "Big D" and Tony Romo has become somewhat predictable in his ability to fall short of what it takes to win.

Strategists of the game have to wonder what Jason Garrett is thinking when he calls 3 running plays in a row on the 3 yard line with the same plays that have failed consistently on previous offensive possessions. During a recent conversation it was asked "If you have Dez Bryant at 6'6", Martellus Bennett at 6'8", Jason Whitten at 6'4" and Miles Austin at 6'2' and all with superb athletic ability….. would you call 3 running plays in a row that lost yardage on each attempt??" This is a reasonable and logical question to ask and many wonder where the play schema originates in that situation.

The head coach Jason Garrett is a Princeton University graduate, past quarterback for the team he currently coaches, has experience working under numerous coaching personalities and has been raised in a football coaching environment his entire life. This pedigree of football professional has the experience, knowledge, statistical forecasting and intuition to make a favorable mathematical and strategically favorable play call in clutch situations. Based on this season's record thus far the football pedigree calling the shots has had the odds stacked against him and the "winning hand" has taken a leave of absence the majority of this season.

Some ask if Jason Garrett is the originator of the play scripting. Many ask if there is another layer of managerial strata involved in the overall strategy as well as the specifics in situations such as 1st and goal on the 3 yard line.

Is Jason Garrett running the show or is he merely a figure head? Yes, a figure head in the lineage of Wade Phillips who clearly lost his way in 2010 and was removed at mid point in the season. Wade Phillips' game strategy indicated he couldn't find his way to a winning play with a map and compass!

Once again a consistent question is asked….. Is there an unseen and unspoken influence on game strategy and play calling that lives outside of, or beyond, the coaches office?

Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips both worked their way through the trenches which eventually lead to the hot seat in the corner office with a conference table and a nice view. They both arrive at their current posts with the respect and admiration of many sports enthusiasts and peers. When brought up in conversation comparing the likes of Jason and Wade to Jimmy Johnson or Tom Landry…….. "HA HA - are you joking?" is the typical response.

Although Tom Landry was relieved of his station as the only head coach the Cowboys ever had upon the teams' transfer of ownership to Jerry Jones, he remains to this day an icon and emblem of what is "America's Team" A Hall Of Fame inductee, esteemed coach, and respected personality - Tom Landry remains emblematic of what the Cowboys once were.

Then there is Jimmy Johnson. Coach Johnson took the helm of the Cowboys organization in his first opportunity to coach in the NFL. Just as Landry built from the ground up, Jimmy Johnson created a new Dallas Cowboys organization with such names as Aikman, Irvin, Smith, Novacek and other notable football stars.

Jimmy Johnson plays the part of a no nonsense coach who strives for excellence and gets that excellence or makes adjustments until he does. Jimmy Johnson's success with the Dallas Cowboys is undeniable. Back to back Super Bowl Championships and a prolific performance from players who state they will do "anything for Coach Johnson".

Then after 2 amazing seasons and Super Bowl wins Jimmy Johnson decides to make a change and resigns as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys???

The word behind closed doors is that Jimmy Johnson and his past Arkansas Razorback roommate, and current owner of the Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones, couldn't seem to get along in a reasonable manner and thus parted ways. Jerry Jones allowed Jimmy Johnson to exit the organization after the results he produced and the team he developed over several years leading to 2 Super Bowl victories?

Something doesn't make sense to the fans and it is intimated in both television commentaries and print articles alike. Is it simply that Jerry Jones thinks he's the responsible party for the Dallas Cowboys success and has met his match attempting to mold Jimmy Johnson into the "figure head" persona to which his most recent head coach incarnations have arrived?

Most experts know the answer though they may not speak it aloud in public places!

This brings us back to strategy, play calling and influence on the coaching process. Jimmy Johnson is not someone who is manipulated into thinking he's the coach when he's not. He is straight forward and results oriented and if he doesn't get the results, he makes adjustments until he does. His last adjustment with the Dallas Cowboys was walking out the door to view a decaying dynasty from afar.

Of course Jimmy's view from afar was from the perspective of head coach on a different side line via a competing and successful NFL franchise.

One thing is certain - the Dallas Cowboys have not duplicated the success of the Jimmy Johnson era since his departure. The legacy of success passed down to a short lived staging by Barry Switzer has devolved to the current state of affairs we experience in Cowboy Stadium this season,

2-3…. The only thing that remains consistent in the Dallas Cowboys franchise is coaches who have all the responsibility and none of the authority, Jerry Jones and Jerry's ego.

There is however something new with the Dallas Cowboys - a bigger… better… billion dollar Cowboy Stadium to host both Jerry's team and his ego that no longer fit inside of Texas Stadium.

© 2011 Greg Wenzel | Bison Media Group

About the Author

Chief Operations Officer at Bison Media Group | Prime Productions
COO | Executive Campaign Manager | Conditional Partner at EM Inc.
Instructor - Department of Health and Human Performance at University of Houston
Director Of Operations | Project Manager at Distributed Network Services Corp

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