The Physics Lesson
The new year presents a time for resolutions, and one would think, a time to shift from the past to the future. A lesson in physics says that momentum can only be stopped in two ways: gradually, by adding to the opposing force incrementally, over time, or suddenly, with an opposing force greater than that which drives the momentum.
If physics has anything to do with football, the lesson would be that when everything is going in the wrong direction, the person at the helm has to choose between pursuing a path of gradual improvement or blowing the whole thing up and starting over.
The Dallas Cowboys have been staring in the face of the momentum monster for well over a decade, and the sad truth for their fans is that the person at the helm either does not have a plan that will stop it, or he does not have the fortitude to implement it.
The Emperor, Jerry Jones
It is hard to imagine that Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, is lacking in brass. After all, it is he who bought the team and immediately fired the patron saint, Tom Landry; and it is he who implied that he was behind all the success of the early 90s and that head coach, Jimmy Johnson, was just another coach. Exit Johnson.
Cashing in on the Cowboys’ popularity, Jerry Jones created a retail empire. He understood the meaning of branding as well as the philosophy of capitalism. Investing in the empire gave him deep pockets. The Cowboys brand is a global phenomenon, and Mr. Jones is filthy rich.
Article comments
1 - Victor Lana
Todd, I feel your pain (as a Jets fan today); however, I can't compare my team to your juggernaut. Of course, all empires eventually crumble, and so it goes. Yet, Rome did survive Nero, so perhaps the same thing can happen here.
2 - ToddT
Victor, you're right. Also, I would much rather visualize Jerry Jones in a toga than the emperor with no clothes.