Cowboys: Jerry Jones' stance on Ring of Honor is utterly pathetic
"While I'm alive?" was all Dallas Cowboys former head coach Jimmy Johnson could come up with as a response when Jerry Jones affirmed on national TV that the coach that built the 90s dynasty would be in the franchise's iconic Ring of Honor back on August 5th, 2021. At that moment, Jones was wearing his […]
"While I'm alive?" was all Dallas Cowboys former head coach Jimmy Johnson could come up with as a response when Jerry Jones affirmed on national TV that the coach that built the 90s dynasty would be in the franchise's iconic Ring of Honor back on August 5th, 2021.
At that moment, Jones was wearing his Gold Jacket befitting a member of the Hall of Fame. Days later, Johnson would wear a similar attire after being selected as part of the 2021 Hall of Fame class.
Almost two years removed from making the Cowboys owner that question, the two-time Super Bowl champion coach still has no answer. That won't change in 2023, per Jones' latest comments.
Per ESPN's Todd Archer, Jerry said there is no plan to add anybody to the Ring of Honor this year.
At this point, the yearly omission of Johnson's name in the Ring of Honor is utterly pathetic. What Johnson meant for the franchise couldn't be more obvious. His scheme and recruiting prowess fueled a team that won two Super Bowls with him leading the way and left the foundation for Barry Switzer to step in and take what was essentially Johnson's team to a third championship in the 90s.
I get it. Feuds in football and sports happen when groups of people reach the type of success the Cowboys found in that era. That is more than understandable. Heck, even the poisonous comments – like Jerry's famous "500 coaches could have won the Super Bowl with that team" one-liner – are passable given the context of when they happened.
The problem is apparently, even decades later, Jerry won't let go.
It's the only logical reason why Johnson's name isn't immortalized at AT&T Stadium. Every year that goes by in which the Ring of Honor doesn't include Johnson, it's a clear attempt from the Cowboys owner to diminish Johnson's place in franchise history. As an unwanted secondary effect, the meaning of the Ring itself is tarnished by Johnson's absence itself.
Fortunately, fans are smart enough to see through all of it. Johnson's scheme changed the way the 4-3 defense is played and prioritized as no one had before in the NFL, making linebackers out of safeties and defensive ends out of linebackers. The same process that worked for him in Miami U worked for him in Dallas. He was the leader the Cowboys needed to reach such a dominant position in the league.
To suggest his name doesn't belong side by side with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Larry Allen, and Darren Woodson is absolutely unacceptable.
I bet Johnson's name will be up there eventually. It will probably be accompanied by a perfectly designed excuse that will save face for Jones, too. When the moment comes, Cowboys fans should make it all about Jimmy Johnson and not about the way-too-long wait he unfairly had to go through.
He deserves it.
Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
