Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones found himself in hot water recently after comments he made during a Wall Street Journal interview left fans seeing red.
The Comments That Stirred the Pot
Jones raised eyebrows when he told the publication, “There’s $100 billion present value with (natural) gas out there. That’s why I’m talking to you on the telephone rather than trying to fix our defense with the Dallas Cowboys.” Given Dallas’s defensive woes this season, the timing couldn’t have been worse for such a remark.
Jones Fires Back at Critics
Never one to let criticism slide, Jones took to the airwaves Friday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas to set the record straight. His message was clear—everything he does circles back to helping America’s Team win games.
“Me sitting here talking on this phone with you, the visits I’m having with my fans through this radio interview, that’ll help score touchdowns. In the real world, Santa Claus doesn’t put the tricycle under the Christmas tree. We all know that. You have to have juice to make it go,” Jones explained, bringing his trademark blend of folksy wisdom and business acumen to the defense.
The 82-year-old owner didn’t mince words about his dedication to the franchise: “Every day, every time I can, I’m looking for ways to give advantages to the Dallas Cowboys. Anyone who says I don’t focus on the Cowboys is just reacting out of frustration, and I understand that. I’m frustrated too.“
True to form, Jones even managed to slip in some self-deprecating humor, quipping, “You know where I ought to be—what did we spend 15 minutes away from trying to help that defense?“
Team Leaders Weigh In
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott walked a careful line when addressing his boss’s controversial comments. While acknowledging fan frustration, he offered Jones the benefit of the doubt.
“That can definitely be frustrating. But the guy has never really lied about who he is or what he’s trying to do. Hopefully, he was referring to one particular moment. Maybe during those five minutes, he got a chance at a $100 billion opportunity, and I would take five minutes to answer a call too. That’s probably what he meant. But I can see how it might annoy some people,” Prescott said diplomatically.
The veteran quarterback kept his focus squarely on football: “For us players, we control what we can control. This doesn’t affect us right now. Our job is to prepare for Monday night and be the best team possible when we face the Cardinals.“
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer brushed off any concerns about Jones’s remarks affecting team chemistry. The coach painted a picture of robust communication between ownership and the coaching staff.
“We meet every Monday for 90 minutes to two hours and every Friday for 45 minutes to an hour, meetings that include Stephen Jones, Jerry Jones Jr., and the coordinators. We’ve had some of the best communication over the last couple of weeks. At the end of the day, nobody wants to win more than Jerry. The communication is constant and never ends. We’re always on the phone—Stephen, Jerry, Will McClay. Jerry is the owner, and he can say what he needs to say. He is a busy man, like all of us,” Schottenheimer noted.
Reported by Jon Machota, staff writer for The Athletic covering the Dallas Cowboys.
