The Long Goodbye

     I come before you today, to announce that I am resigning my dallas cowboy fandom.  After long thought and consideration, I felt I needed to make this decision.  I have not taken this decision lightly or precipitously.  It is not made with malice or animosity.  Towards the cowboys players, I will hold no hatred or hostility.  I am thankful for the many great years of fun they gave me as a child.  I will never forget watching Troy and Michael playing catch, moose leading the way for emmitt, or deion erasing half the field.

    But as I've grown older, I've lost my childlike faith in the people (really one person) in charge of the organization.  The cowboys have always been a franchise that exudes confidence and swagger, sometimes arrogance.  For a period of time it seemed natural and merited.  Winning three championship in four years can create such an environment.  But as the teams fall from prominence became more apparent, so did one man's denial and egotism. 
    
     After failing to receive the lion share of credit for their first two titles and a power struggle with his head coach, Jerry Jones fired Jimmy Johnson as their head coach.  To ensure his power he hired his college roommate, Barry Switzer (who was a great college coach, but also had been out of coaching for six years), and lesser known assistants Chan Gailey and Dave Campo.  Switzer won a title in his second year as coach, but the cowboys failed to win a playoff game the next six years.  Feeling the pressure of a lack of success, Jerry, went out and hired a big name coach in Bill Parcells.  Parcells was able to make the playoffs in his first season, and then in his last season, but was unable to get any victories.  After his fourth season he had a dispute over his salary and operational control, so he chose to retire.
    Jerry Jones deserves credit for building the Cowboys into a national brand.  Even with their lack of of on the field success over the last sixteen years, they are currently the highest valued franchise in all of american sports.  And while Jimmy Johnson is credited with building those title winning teams, Jerry Jones hired him and was a large part of building those teams as well.  He also used mainly his own money to build a billion dollar stadium, that is considered the best in sports.
    The problem with Jerry Jones is illustrated by the team's logo.  Jerry Jones has always wanted to be the star of the franchise.  He is currently the only owner in the league who is also the general manager.  He also has his own local tv/radio show.  After over a decade of mediocracy, he still refusing to change the way he approaches running the football operations.  In an interview reported by ESPN's Todd Archer, Jones said;
                            
 I would grant you the decisions that have been made over the years have not produced a Super Bowl, two Super Bowls or three Super Bowls that I would like to have been a part of. And the only thing I am going to do there is keep trying and then make sure I get the credit when we do get that one. Y'all are going to give it to me, aren't you?
  
  Well, Mr. Jones, you definitely deserve all the credit.  You are 100% the reason, I am no longer a cowboys fan.