Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has come under criticism recently for seemingly prioritizing attention over actual results when it comes to his team.
That perception has been furthered by the recent release of the eight-part Netflix series “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys.” Subsequently, Jones defended the team’s participation in the series, and his marketing tactics in general, by stating that his efforts maintain the franchise’s relevance even when they do not win Super Bowls.
“I explain it by hard work. I bust my a–,” Jones told Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “This exact same hard work that is going on in the football. I work my a– off. And that hasn’t slowed down. This is the busiest I’ve ever been at training camp.”
Jones has received some sharp criticism for his public handling of a contract dispute with Micah Parsons. There is even a perception among some that he actually prefers to drag the situation out because it generates publicity for the team, and he keeps adding more fuel to the situation.
Jones unquestionably values the publicity. The perception that he values it more than success is getting to be a bit troubling, though, and he is not necessarily trying to make it go away. The obvious explanation is simply that Jones likes the soap opera nature of his team, and works as hard on maintaining it as he does trying to build a quality roster.
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