It’s been a busy week for Jerry Jones following the NFL draft. First, there are the three days of the draft, as grueling as that whole process can be. Then Jones drafted tackle Tyler Smith with the No. 24 overall pick and was immediately questioned by almost everyone in Dallas. And to justify the selection, Jones decided to show the media Dallas’ draft board during a press conference. A few days later, Jones found himself in the hospital following what’s been called a minor traffic accident. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Jones is reportedly doing well and back home.
Luckily for Jones, no severe injuries were suffered in the accident. The only thing that seems to have suffered a hit over the past week is Jones’ ego. The criticism he’s received, especially from local media, seems to have struck a nerve with Jerry. Jones is proud of every business move he makes, and selecting Smith in the first round this year is no different.
But Jerry and the Cowboys’ front office seem to be the only ones that are confident they made the right pick. Maybe Jones is correct, and perhaps we’ll see this kid blossom into a great player over the next couple of years. Right now, no one else really seems to feel that way.
Long-time Dallas reporter and radio host Bob Sturm said (in jest) that he’d hand in his retirement papers if Jones used his first-round pick on Smith. Following Day 1 of the draft, Smith called into Sturm’s show on 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas and had some fun with him over the retirement pledge. Now that I think about it, maybe Jones took Smith 24th overall to stick it to Sturm. I know that’s unlikely, but Jerry hears everything said about the Cowboys around the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
One clear thing is Jones’ ego taking a hit over the criticism that followed. Jerry was so bothered by the questioning of his choice that he showed off the Cowboys’ draft card in the middle of a presser to show us just how highly coveted Smith was, internally. This is a big no-no around the league, as teams usually don’t want this information floating freely.
I believe everyone has a measurable amount of ego to some extent. And that amount can grow with success. Jones has been a very successful businessman and NFL owner in his 79 years. And he probably has the most enormous ego of any professional sports executive in North American sports over the last 25 years. And that’s without winning any Super Bowls during that time. Radio show
Jerry’s been a catalyst in helping the NFL reach new revenue heights never seen before. Jones played a significant role in getting the Raiders to relocate to Las Vegas and manufacturing the Rams’ move to Los Angeles. Don’t get it twisted; Jones has his handprints on plenty of big NFL money-making moves. Hell, Jones is the only NFL owner with his own weekly radio show. Jerry has the most enormous ego in any room he enters. So, of course, he’d feel some type of way about the media and fans questioning his football acumen.
Regardless of how we feel about Jones’ draft picks, he will continue to do it his way. He actually has a pretty good track record in the draft over the past decade, especially. And besides that, Jerry is making money hand over fist, and if you can’t win championships, you might as well get richer along the way. So, carry on, Jerry.
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