Rebuilding the Cowboy image as camp beginsAUSTIN - For a couple of men who are about to embark on an historic quest,
Jerry Jones and Barry Switzer sure seemed subdued Wednesday afternoon.
The two men, who will try to lead the Cowboys to an unprecedented fourth
Super Bowl win in the last five seasons, weren't their usual bragadocious
selves when they met the press Wednesday afternoon on the opening day of
training camp.
Maybe it had something to do with the Austin heat or the mess that's been
made of the Austin highways because of construction.
More than likely it had everything to do with Michael Irvin's decision to
stay away from the opening of training camp.
He's back in Miami, surrounding himself with his family and talking with
his wife about what they'll do next after he pleaded no contest Monday to
felony drug possession charges. (Maybe if he'd been talking with his wife
on the night of March 4 instead of being in the company of two topless dancers
and in the possession of drugs, perhaps Irvin wouldn't be in this mess).
That aside, Irvin is just the latest person to give a black eye to what
used to be sport's fair-haired boy. The Cowboys could do no wrong, and now
it seems they can do no right.
Yes, they've won three Super Bowls in the last four years, and the opinion
here is that with Irvin they should win it again this year.
However, this is an organization in some serious need of image-rebuilding.
Quarterback Troy Aikman said as much last week when, in a published interview,
he said he knew the organization's reputation wasn't very good and that
he was concerned about it.
Apparently, however, his boss doesn't see things that way.
"I think you have to reflect on where we are," Jones said. "We
have a chance this year to win our fourth Super Bowl in the last five years,
something no team has ever done. Everyone on this team is focused on that."
Perhaps Jones should focus on rebuilding an image that has taken a beating
nationally.
It all started last year with his contracts with Nike, American Express
and Pepsi, all deals that were in direct violation of the NFL's marketing
policies. The league sued Jones, and he countersued for $700 million.
Then came the drug suspensions of defensive tackle Leon Lett (four games)
and cornerback Clayton Holmes (full season). All that came after Erik Williams
almost killed himself in a drunk-driving incident in 1994, then was arrested
for assault last spring.
Jones, though, wouldn't say that his team was in need of any image repair.
"I'm aware of a lot of the negatives and the perceptions," he
said. "You get that kind of publicity and visibility when you have
the kind of team we have. With our team, expectations will always be high,
on the field or off.
"When you go out and meet those expectations, it's not the story, or
it's not as big a deal as it is when you don't," Jones said.
The Dallas owner reinforced his belief that the lawsuits and the drug issues
should be kept separate, and he's right. One has nothing to do with the
other, and Jones and Switzer both made certain everyone on hand knew that
they in no way condoned any type of drug use or association with drugs.
But even with that, the Cowboys have a national reputation that must be
rebuilt.
Fans and media around the country see them as an arrogant, cocky group that
flaunts its power whenever and wherever it wants. That was best exemplified
by Irvin's comments to dancer Rachelle Smith that she should be scared of
him because he was "more powerful than the (Dallas) district attorney."
That kind of statement makes people wonder just what kind of players the
Cowboys have.
Certainly the Cowboys have never been saints; they've had problems with
players all through their history.
But it seems things have gotten progressively worse over the last few years
as they've gotten more dominant on the field.
This is a team with a lot of "good guys" like Troy Aikman, Emmitt
Smith, Bill Bates, Herschel Walker, Chad Hennings, Daryl Johnston, Darren
Woodson and Kevin Smith among others. It's a shame a few bad apples are
tarnishing their names and dragging an entire organization through the mud.
And it's time something be done about it before it gets worse.