Love him or hate him: Jerry Jones is now a Hall of Famer
It’s been the ultimate rollercoaster ride for fans, but now it’s led Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones directly to Canton, Ohio and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
February 25, 1989 is a date some consider infamous. Others, the spark of greatness. That’s the day Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. 28 years later and Jones has now been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Since that fateful day back in 1989, until Saturday night when Jones’ bust was set in place within the Hall of Fame’s hallowed halls and in all the days in between, the Cowboys and their fans have experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
The highs during Jones’s reign are easy. Three Super Bowl victories in a span of four seasons. The Triplets, all becoming Hall of Famers themselves. 10 divisional championships. 243 wins.
The lows? The firing of legendary head coach of the Cowboys, Tom Landry, after 29 years. The 1-15 season back in 1989. The parting of ways with head coach Jimmy Johnson in March of 1994. The lack of playoff success since last hoisting the Lombardi Trophy over 21 years ago.
And at the very center of all the highs and lows has been Jerry Jones. Owner and self-appointed general manager. Someone that is often referred to as the NFL’s version of a snake oil salesman, yet in the same breath, Jones is also credited for being an excellent business man. And the league has benefited both in visibility and financially from his wheeling and dealing ways.
So while the 74-year old Jones gave his speech during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night, it’s understandable if long time fans of the Cowboys had mixed emotions. Not only has Jones given them three Super Bowls and the Triplets, he’s also been the source of their frustration for over two decades.
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Regardless, Jones is now, and forever will be, a member of gold jacket (and shoes) club. On one hand, fans of the Dallas Cowboys have to acknowledge the early success Jones and jimmy Johnson brought to the team. Within the other hand lay decades of disappointment.
Maybe we should just put that “other hand” in our pocket this weekend and simply celebrate. He is a fellow Cowboys fan after all.
Love him or hate him, Jerry Jones is now a Hall of Famer.