They’ve had enough. Cowboys Nation is large, global and relatively pissed off after the first three weeks of the season. The issue isn’t about losing the last two games in blowout fashion (and last week was a blowout despite the final score). No, that’s just the symptom of the disease. The gripe is that the issues the team has, and there are a lot of them, have been obvious to virtually every careful observer of the team for an entire year.
Heck, even the casual fans know what ails the team. Dallas cannot stop the run because they’ve only minimally invested in the defensive interior. Dallas cannot run the ball because they’ve turned over a bunch of their offensive line and failed to invest in the running back position. Dallas’ passing game is out of sync because their star receiver missed all summer in an avoidable contract dispute said player won, and the team didn’t invest in veteran depth during the offseason.
After an offseason of complaining about the lack of moves made by “all-in” owner and General Manager Jerry Jones meaning nothing, fans have had enough.
Cowboys Nation is organizing to convince Jones to fire himself.
Ok, fr fr!
I want this to be a REAL thing! And I DONT WANT THE PREVIOUS HEADLINE TO DISTRACT(it was obviously a joke)
WE ARE DEAD SERIOUS! WE NEED CHANGE!!! Sign the petition!!!https://t.co/SuZgOHJVm1
— Ashley Baker🗣🎙✨ (@AshleyBaker_21) September 25, 2024
🗣️ A CHANGE GONE COME‼️ #Cowboysnation #FireJerryTheGM pic.twitter.com/4V1wlUKoB6
— J Tuck (@jtuck151) September 25, 2024
THERE IS NO TOMORROW. 🔥
Sincerely,
Cowboys Nation pic.twitter.com/ZAX9C3qJ8b— ATTITUDE ERA – Dr. Range (@BlitzDallas) September 23, 2024
Is it going to work? Of course not.
Jones has virtually said “over his dead body” whenever asked about relinquishing control of team decisions. He’s been pretty defiant when asked recently, too, telling long-time beat reporter Clarence Hill, Jr. the following:
“I’ve done it all. So I have an ordinate amount of confidence that [expletive], if anybody can figure out how to get this [expletive] done, I can figure out how to get it done,” Jones said. “I’ve been there every which way from Sunday, and have I busted my ass a bunch, a bunch. And there’s nobody living that’s out cutting and shooting that can’t give you a bunch of times they busted their ass. So hell no, there’s nobody that could [expletive] come in here and do all the contracts … and be a GM any better than I can.
“Plus, I’m where the buck stops. When it [expletive] up, I got to cover it. And so there you can’t give anybody enough. Can’t give. There’s nobody can do it.”
Talk about pouring gasoline onto a fire.
Football boycotts don’t work, unfortunately. But that doesn’t mean a fed-up consumer base shouldn’t exercise their voices and try to make a dent. Even if the only benefit is releasing pent-up frustrations together.
There’s power in numbers; even if it’s just grieving a potentially lost season in unison.
Jones’ candor in interviews since training camp lets fans know he hears the complaints. And if the 2024 season doesn’t turn around quickly, these cries and pleas for a new name at the top will only grow louder.
The truth is, though, the Cowboys are really Stephen Jones’ team. On a day-to-day basis, the Executive VP makes the majority of financial decisions in negotiations, and has for about a decade, but the elder Jones is still a primary part of the decision-making process. VP of Player Development Will McClay is in charge of identifying talent, but the Joneses sign off on, or nix any deals and any trigger pulls on trades and draft picks.
Jones owns the richest team in all of professional sports. The season-ticket waiting list is strong and AT&T Stadium is such a popular tourist attraction, opposing fans scoop up any tickets on the secondary market because Jones’ marketing genius has built the team everyone loves to hate, and beat.
But perhaps Cowboys Nation can help right the ship through some good old-fashioned public shaming.
And if the first three weeks of the season are any indication, there could be a lot of opportunities coming soon.