Dallas Cowboys Number One Priority…Marketing or Winning Games?

photo: CBS Sports.com

If anyone has watched the Dallas Cowboys, especially Cowboys fans, you know the team has not been

that successful. Since Jason Garrett has taken over as the head coach, fans have been calling for his firing. His first season as head coach Garrett produced a 5-3 record taking over for Wade Phillips during the middle of the 2010 season. After 2010, Garrett has produced 8-8 records in 2011 and 2012 missing the playoffs by losing the last game of the season each time.

This brings the Boys to 2013. So far, they are 5-5 heading into the bye week. The team has been riddled with injuries over the past two years, especially on defense. Mr. Jerry Jones has stated over and over that he believes in Jason Garrett, yet Garrett has not found a way to lead his team into a winning situation.

Having a QB like Tony Romo does not help matters either. During 60 minutes of every game, Romo may have the best QB rating in history for maybe 56 to 57 minutes. The last three to four minutes will always be a question and I don’t need to go into detail with that. But, without Romo, the Boys would probably not even win eight games each season. They may only have two to three victories.

With all of the above being said, the Cowboys have a lot of talent on the team, a lot of potential at coaching, and a history of an owner who wins championships/Super Bowls. For some reason the Boys cannot find a way to put everything together in one season.

Again, fans ask some of the following questions…

• Can the Cowboys win with Jerry being General Manager?
• Is Jason Garrett the right choice as head coach?
• Can the Cowboys win with Romo?
• Are the Cowboys really that talented or are they just over achievers?

·      So many questions come to mind and I truly believe the questions above have already been answered.

•     Can the Cowboys win with Jerry being General Manager?

Yes, if he brings in the right proven head coach like a John Gruden or a stretch of a Nick Saban from Alabama, things will change.

• Is Jason Garrett the right choice as head coach?

Great idea, but the experiment has not worked so far. Experiment not completely over, but Garrett must win at least two of three playoff games to keep his job. Assuming Dallas will get the wildcard spot.

• Can the Cowboys win with Romo?

Yes, if he has the right coach leading him. When Parcells had Romo, none of the late interception issues or bad decisions took place. The biggest was the botched field goal hold in the Seattle playoff game.

• Are the Cowboys really that talented or are they just over achievers?

Yes, they have talent, but the right coach needs to use them correctly. Take this Dez Bryant example: The Lions get the ball to Calvin Johnson, the Texans find Andre Johnson, The Bengals offense finds young superstar A.J. Green and the Panthers have always found Steve Smith. Need I say more…

photo: Palm Beach Post.com

Yes, Saban may not have liked the NFL when he coached for the Dolphins, but the Cowboys have exposure like no one else.

After all the smoke has cleared Jerry Jones may not be looking for a head coach to come in and be more successful than himself. Head coach Jimmy Johnson received more credit than Jerry back in the 1990’s and you see what happened to him? Fired after winning back-to-back Super Bowls.

Since then, Jerry won one more on the back of Jimmy’s players. All fans and media acknowledge the fact that Jerry received no credit and so far he has doomed himself into winning without a reputable head coach. Parcells was the closest thing to a winning formula, but brining in Terrell Owens forced Parcells into early retirement.

Jerry built a new billion dollar stadium, now AT&T Stadium, and continues to make more money than any other owner in football. According to Forbes.com, the Cowboys are worth $2.3 billion dollars. Again, $2.3 billion with a “B”. Jerry paid $159 million for the team in 1989 and changed the landscape of pro football. That is more than 14 times worth it’s original value in 24 years. Imagine paying $100 thousand for a home and now it’s worth $1.4 million? Amazing!

Jerry is a marketing machine with the new stadium, the jersey sales and everything else. The television airtime the Cowboys get is incredible. The Boys average four national primetime games each year. Normally, they get three Sunday Night football games and one Monday Night game. If that is not enough, they normally get the late afternoon 4 pm EST game of the week.

According to the Futon Critic.com, the Cowboys vs. Saints blow out raked in 21.1 million viewers. It was stated as the largest viewing audience for the week. One thing is for sure, football fans either love or hate the Cowboys. Fans want to see them win or see them get crushed.

According to Biz Journals.com, the Boys signed a deal with Nationwide Insurance. The insurance company is stated to have a sponsorship deal in place with a presence at Cowboys stadium and having

photo: NBC DFW.com

DeMarcus Ware in radio ads. Jerry also changed the name of Cowboys Stadium to the now AT&T Stadium for partnership purposes.

Each move continues to make Jerry a marketing genius no matter what one thinks. The jury is still out to see if he really wants to win, but he is definitely winning the marketing war.

Can he rally his coach and players to win their division, make the playoffs, and win in the post season? One thing we know is that none of the coaches will be losing their jobs. According to Pro Football Talk at NBC Sports.com, Jerry will not make changes, but offer the team some verbal help. Fans and media must remember. Jerry Jones is the owner and he can make whatever decision he likes.

We will soon see what the Cowboys season holds starting November 24, 2013, when the Boys travel to NY to face the division foe NY Giants. Get your popcorn ready for more drama coming down at the end of the season!