Jimmy Johnson thanks Cowboys haters in epic ROH speech, ends beef with Jerry Jones

A curse must be lifted because the Dallas Cowboys scored the third-longest touchdown in their history against the Detroit Lions. Fitting that it happened on the night Jimmy Johnson entered the Cowboys Ring of Honor after years of incomprehensible snubs.

It's been 30 years in the making and comes three years after Johnson was enshrined in football immorality as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

It was Johnson's strained relationship with owner Jerry Jones that caused the long wait. It's also why Johnson departed after only his fifth season as Cowboys head coach. The genesis of their quibble will remain a mystery, but the former Arkansas teammates have buried the hatchet.

All eyes were on Johnson's ceremony, which ESPN aired during halftime. The two-time Super Bowl champ expressed his gratitude and ran through a list of thank you's, including to Cowboys fans and "the millions" of Cowboys haters.

Jimmy Johnson thanks Cowboys haters, ends beef with Jerry Jones once and for all

No tears. No stumbling over words. Just raw emotion and fire, culminating in a playful shot at Cowboys haters and one final "How bout them Cowboys!" to polish it off. As it should be. Are we sure Johnson couldn't coach in the NFL tomorrow? He absolutely could, but he's already given enough to the game.

Johnson helped birth "Americas Team"-- a foundation the late, great Tom Landry laid before him -- and coined the iconic "How 'bout them Cowboys?" household slogan. He put "The Triplets" on the national map. He took over the worst team in the NFL and turned them into back-to-back champions in 1992 and 1993. He belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Cowboys, players and coaches included.

While Johnson's speech was unforgettable, he delivered arguably the moment of the day hours before kickoff when he addressed the Dallas media with Jerry Jones. The owner sputtered when a reporter asked him "how difficult" it was to give Johnson credit for turning the franchise around and taking it to the mountaintop. Johnson intervened and extended a final olive branch to his longtime friend.

A fairytale ending if we ever saw one.

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