Troy Aikman has questioned whether winning is Jerry Jones’ focus with the Cowboys after the longtime Dallas owner/general manager referred to the franchise as a ‘soap opera.’
Jones and the Cowboys have been thrust even further into the limelight following the release of the new Netflix docuseries on the team, while the 82-year-old also stunned the NFL universe by trading Micah Parsons to the Packers.
And after Jones admitted he cared about the team being ‘looked at,’ three-time Super Bowl winner Aikman suggested that his former boss’ comments sent a troubling message about the franchise.
‘I saw Jerry talk about the fact that having the Cowboys as a discussion point is meaningful to him,’ he began on The Rich Eisen Show. ‘And if people aren’t talking about the Cowboys, then he’ll do things to stir it up. So he kind of walked into that and has given the impression that that supersedes winning.’
‘In some ways, I’m sure Jerry and the Jones family and everyone is tired of the fact that they haven’t been to a championship game, let alone a Super Bowl, in 30 years,’ he continued.
‘So, then when you deflect that, then essentially the valuation of your franchise or the attention and the exposure, or the drama. Or, as Jerry said, the fact that the Cowboys are a soap opera 365 days a year, that then becomes the scoreboard instead of winning and losing on the field.
Jerry Jones recently referred to the Cowboys as a ‘soap opera’ while promoting a new Netflix docuseries on the team
And those comments seemingly left Dallas legend Troy Aikman concerned about the franchise
While the Cowboys are tied for the league’s 10th-best record in the last 10 seasons, they haven’t been to a conference championship game since 1996, and are 2-4 in their last six postseason appearances.
The team went 7-10 last year and went on to replace Mike McCarthy with Brian Schottenheimer.
But while speaking at a premiere event for ‘America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys’, Jones spoke about the importance of keeping his team in the spotlight.
‘I do believe if we’re not being looked at, then I’ll do my part to get us looked at,’ he said.
‘The Cowboys are a soap opera 365 days a year. When it gets slow, I’ll stir it up. Oh, it’s wonderful to have the great athletes, have the great players, but there’s something more there: there’s sizzle, there’s emotion, and, if you will, there’s controversy. That controversy is good stuff in terms of keeping and having people’s attention.’
The eight-part Netflix docuseries has certainly done just that, drawing rave reviews for its work focusing on Jones’ ownership of the team, his clashes with legendary coach Jimmy Johnson and Michael Irvin’s off-field struggles – among much more.
In fact, many have even claimed it’s better than ‘The Last Dance,’ the previous, iconic Netflix series which focused on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls
Still, fans will want to see results on the field from Jones after his blockbuster deal to trade Parsons, which did net the franchise two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
The Cowboys begin their season on Thursday night at the Eagles.
