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Jerry Jones promised uncomfortable change after another 8-8 season with no playoffs.  What no one realized is that he meant it would be uncomfortable for his fan base too.  What has he done so far?  Instead of firing Jason Garrett as many thought might happen, Jerry has instead decimated his coaching staff below Garrett.  He has eliminated any sense of control that Jason Garrett thought he had.  Most head coaches want to hire their own staff.  But, these are Jerry Jones’ Cowboys.  Garrett is a figure head now.  it would have been kinder to just fire the guy.

After the season-ending loss to the Redskins, Garrett stated that he would continue in his role as Offensive Coordinator and call plays.  The very next day after meeting with Jerry Jones he was suddenly “open to the idea” of bringing in an OC and relinquishing his play-caller role.  Hmmm…I wonder what drove that change of heart?

Next, Jerry unceremoniously fired the DC, Rob Ryan stating that he wanted to go in a different direction.  That caught a lot of people by surprise because while the defense was bad at times, they were decimated by injuries to key players and had held up better than expected until the final game.  The “different direction” was hiring 72-year old Monte Kiffin to install his 4-3, Tampa 2 defense on a team built to run a 3-4.   Really?  The hiring of Rod Marinelli as the Defensive Line coach helped temper the outrage as he was largely given credit for the Bears aggressive, turnover producing defense this past season.  But it is far from given though that he or Kiffin can reproduce their previous successes in Dallas.  The Cowboys are still looking for a special teams coach, a running backs coach, a tight end coach, and a weight coach.  I don’t know about you, but I lost count of how many times I watched the Cowboys embarrass themselves and us on a Sunday Night Football game and screamed at the TV, “We need a better weight coach!”  I don’t think that was the problem.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Now, comes the final insult.  Jerry decides to announce to the world at the Senior Bowl this week that Bill Callahan will call the offensive plays next season.  No comment from Garrett.  What would be the point?  Maybe Callahan will be better, but he’s not the dynamic, imaginative play caller we hoped would be brought in to make use of all the offensive talent on this roster.  Feels like it could be more of the same, just a different flavor.  I know he didn’t have much to work with in the way of talent, but was anyone impressed with the line play that Callahan oversaw.  I certainly wasn’t and he’s not been a huge success anywhere he’s coached.  Very troubling to say the least.

Jerry Jones is flailing about.  He doesn’t have a grand design.  This is change for the sake of change and it rarely produces a good result.  In fact, it reminds me of another owner in the NFL.  Jerry Jones is the new Al Davis of the NFL.  Want proof?

Davis enjoyed some early success as an owner winning 3 Super Bowls but since losing to Tampa Bay in 2003, the team has been mired in mediocrity and has at times been an embarrassment.  It’s been longer than that for the Cowboys but both teams have a large, rabid fan base.   The Raiders have changed coaches almost as often as they change their underwear.  Davis, more famous for his motto, “Just Win Baby”, his sweat suits and slicked back hair than for building a winning franchise, never hired a GM for his beloved team.  He was owner, GM, scout, and coach.  He was the most meddlesome owner in the league by far.  Any of this sound familiar?

Davis was totally in control of the draft and made some terrible decisions.  He drafted Jamarcus Russell – what some call the biggest flop in the history of the NFL – and drafted countless speedy receivers who couldn’t get open or catch passes consistently in the NFL.  He benched his best player over a contract dispute (Marcus Allen).  His coaches – at least since John Madden – have had no real authority.  He even traded his coach (Gruden) one year for draft picks and cash and ended up losing to him in the Super Bowl the next year in poetic irony.  Davis was soundly criticized for many of his moves.  But, he was tone deaf to criticism.  It was his team and he was going to do it his way.  That has to sound familiar!

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

When Al Davis finally passed away, his son Mark took over the team in 2011 – and to his credit promptly hired a GM.  For Cowboys fans, the future may not be as bright.  Jerry Jones will own this team until he dies and the Cowboys will likely continue to struggle over that entire time.  However when he finally does go to the big stadium in the sky, his son Stephen will no doubt take over.  Daddy lets him play Executive Vice President now so it’s assured that he will continue the family legacy as Owner/GM/Coach/Scout after daddy is gone.  Our struggles may span two generations.

Somewhere, Al Davis is smiling.  Soon, he will no longer be the worst owner that ever lived.  Jerry just needs to start wearing sweat suits and threaten to move the team to San Antonio since the Cowboys’ home record is abysmal in his billion dollar palace (aka, Giants Stadium West since we have yet to beat the Giants in that building).  Or, maybe he changes the team logo to a black and silver star instead (think of the new merchandise sales!).  Come on Jerry!  We deserve better.  Go Raid…er, Go Cowboys!

Aug 12, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Felix Jones (28) runs with the ball against the Oakland Raiders at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

By now Dallas Cowboys fans everywhere know that tomorrow is a big deal for us all. The long wait is over and we finally get to see our team in action. This game is is just a little bit more of a big deal to me then to most fans. As I get into my reasons I ask that you, the readers, can bare with me. This may come off as a bio on myself but be patient and I think you may enjoy.

I was born and raised in Richmond CA. For those of you that don’t know it is approximately 15 miles away from Oakland CA. I was born into a “Raider Nation” family and all my siblings and even my mother were known for cheering for the silver and black. My Mother was a big fan for the simple fact that she used to personally know some of the players but lost touch with them after moving away from Oakland to Los Angeles. Even some of my older siblings had times with some of the players. I still remember as child my mother calling Al Davis all kinds of harsh names for years after moving the team to Los Angeles.

As a young naive child I may have been known to wear a Raiders shield from time to time, but as far as I knew the world only existed of the San Fransisco 49ers, and at the time, the Los Angeles Raiders. It was at the age that I thought touchdowns were exactly 7 points and didn’t even know what a field-goal, PAT, or even a safety was. My mother had always told me that the Raiders were the best team ever, that they never lose and could never be beaten. As any child would, I believed her and this one little exaggeration from her would eventually change my life forever.

When I was 8 years old I finally sat down to watch a Raiders game at its full entirety for my first time ever. It was October 25th 1992 and the Los Angeles Raiders, whom my mother convinced me were unbeatable, were hosting a team I had never heard of before. The Dallas Cowboys. Three hours later I looked at the score of 28-13 in favor of the Dallas Cowboys in utter shock. I then thought of my mother as the worlds biggest liar, especially after realizing that this wasn’t the first game the Raiders have lost that season. At that moment, in my juvenile state of mind, I thought that all Raiders fans were liars and I wanted nothing to do with them. I then decided to officially be a Dallas Cowboys fan.

That year I really got into football and learned all the teams. I threw away any Raiders clothing I had and focused on getting silver and blue clothes with stars on them just to let my family know that I wanted nothing to do with thier team anymore. That year really worked out for me because my new team made it to the Super Bowl and beat the the Buffalo Bills 52-17. I remember that day clearly. I also remember one of my cousins calling me a traitor. Then she stomped on my Dallas Cowboys helmet I had on top of the T.V. that I spent almost $10 on trying to get out of the quarter machine. I was very upset but deep down I had satisfaction knowing that an 8 year old child could get to a Raiders fan like that.

Over the next few years I got to watch my team win a few more Super Bowls. I also realized I had to hate the 49ers as much as every Raiders fan I knew. It wasn’t a battle of the Bay hate but a battle of the NFC hate. My whole family are still Raiders fans and I still get called a traitor every now and then even though its been 20 years since I made the conversion. I still have ill feelings for the Raiders. It’s their fans that are the only ones that I can make wagers on their games and not get paid when they lose. I guess my childhood feelings about Raiders fans being liars wasn’t just the juvenile thoughts of an 8 year old after all.

Tomorrow is really big for me for a few reasons. I have never been to a professional football game before and for the first time in my life I am going. I get to see my Dallas Cowboys play the Oakland Raiders. I am going with a fairly large group of friends and family, most of which are the family members that have called me a traitor for the last 20 years.

Although its only preseason and the game means nothing, it really means a lot to me. I get to have a 20 year reunion in a way. What better way to finally get to my first game that I have been waiting 20 years for, then for it to be the two teams that jump started my career as a football fan. It should be interesting to be with my family while me and a few other Cowboys fans are surrounded by a sea of silver and black. My family and I have been having a war for the last 20 years and this truly is Entering Enemy Territory.

Davis played an important role in forming what we know as the NFL today. It started in 1963 when a 33 year old Davis took over as Head Coach and General manager of the Raiders. After leading them to a 10-4 record, Davis was named Pro Football Coach of the Year. As the Commissioner of the AFL in 1966, he was seen as the driving force behind the merging of both leagues (NFL, AFL). Davis also play a huge  part in the forming of the NFC and AFC in 1970. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992.

Here’s Dallas Cowboys Owner and GM Jerry Jones reaction to Davis death:  (more…)