NFL.com: Why was Jerry Jones on sideline talking to Garrett mid-game?

Conor Orr
Around The NFL Writer


The sight of an owner on the team's sideline is not unusual, per se. But when he's speaking to his head coach in the middle of a tight game, that is a different story.

Unless, of course, you are Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

Jones made some headlines during Monday night's loss to the Washington Redskins after springing into action and taking it upon himself to deliver some key updates to head coach Jason Garrett on the sideline.

"I was here during the tail end of (Tony Romo's back) examination and knew he planned to come back out and play if he were needed," Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram when asked why he was speaking to Garrett mid-game. "Of course he was needed. I felt good that he could come back out. When he saw the opportunity, he did. I told Jason that he would be back in."

Apparently that was information the training staff could not radio over to Garrett on that headset he had to take off to listen to Jones.

Either way, you have to love the enthusiasm. Jones was all over the place during the defeat. We're still unsure how he got from his luxury box to the training room so quickly.

good grief. Nothing has changed with this joke of a franchise.

"I TOLD Jason that Romo would be back in."

He said he could play if needed and Jerry says, "of course he's needed."

The Puppet Master was just pulling the "coaches" strings and telling him what to do

Pathetic. A team doctor couldn't have relayed that message?

Why add any unnecessary drama to the mix? He knew it would be talked about. And I don't watch any other games, so I don't know if it's a regular thing now, but the fact that they were talking to Jerry during the game, that upset my stomach a bit.

bvhawkeye said:

The Puppet Master was just pulling the "coaches" strings and telling him what to do

Keep reading...

Yep.

There was no doubt Romo was pleading his case to those team physicians and it didn't look like they were buying into whatever he was saying.

I truly don't believe the doctors or coaches wanted him to go back in, but Jerry wanted him out there.

I'm not saying I agree with anything Jerry does especially this because he's dead wrong and it's embarrassingly comedic when he does shit like this...

BUT... If you're gonna tell Garrett to put Romo back in isn't there a better way to do it?

Like maybe I dunno call down to the sideline. Or fuck give Jerry a headset already.. Or a pigeon messenger directed by mike tyson. Anything could be better than the way he handled it. Why give the media anything that could cause any sort of distraction no matter how small or add to an already embarrassing loss?

NoShame said:

I'm not saying I agree with anything Jerry does especially this because he's dead wrong and it's embarrassingly comedic when he does shit like this...

BUT... If you're gonna tell Garrett to put Romo back in isn't there a better way to do it?

Like maybe I dunno call down to the sideline. Or fuck give Jerry a headset already.. Or a pigeon messenger directed by mike tyson. Anything could be better than the way he handled it. Why give the media anything that could cause any sort of distraction no matter how small or add to an already embarrassing loss?

Keep reading...

That's why I don't believe it when Garrett said today "well Jerry didn't come down there to force me to put Romo in"

If he were just fine and the docs all agreed, why couldn't they have walked up to Garrett and Lienhan with Romo and said "he checks out fine, you can send him back in"

Jerry absolutely went down there and forced them to let Romo go back in. (IMO anyway)

You know when our idiot owner finally meets his maker (which I hope is soon), we're all going to miss this type of stuff. I mean, it's not even drama any more, it comedy gold.

Has anyone seen anyone around the web trying to lip-read what Jerry actually said to Garrett? I looked it up on the game but I can't tell. It's more than just a couple words like "He's okay" or something like that, though.

Jimmy must love watching this circus. Everything bad he has said about Jerry has repetitively plagued this franchise for years. No quality coach would stand for that kind of shit.

It's just that Dr. Jones had to deliver the news don't you know.

UVAwahoos said:

Jimmy must love watching this circus. Everything bad he has said about Jerry has repetitively plagued this franchise for years. No quality coach would stand for that kind of shit.

Keep reading...

Two 1st round draft picks for Joey Galloway.

A 1st rounder, 3rd rounder, and a late round pick for Roy Williams.

Trading up for Morris Claiborne.

And yet this asshole would have all of us believe that he was the architect behind the Herschel Walker trade?

^^^^^^
Great point.

HE WAZ JUS TRYIN TO INSPIREZ TEH TEAM GAIZ!!
________________________________________________

Jerry Jones: I was on Cowboys sideline to inspire team to overcome Tony Romo not being on the field

After watching Tony Romo lay motionless on the AT&T Stadium turf for several minutes Monday night, Jerry Jones decided to leave his owner’s box and head down to the locker room where Romo was being evaluated.

There, the Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager was informed that Romo’s back X-ray came back negative and he’d be able to return after receiving a pain-killing injection. At that point, Jones decided to walk onto the sideline and inform Cowboys coach Jason Garrett that Romo would be able to return.

“While they were still working with Tony and considering getting him moving around and seeing how he felt doing that, I knew that we didn’t have him out for the year, I wanted to get that word to Jason,” Jones said Wednesday morning on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM]. “Secondly, I told [Garrett] to get his thinking cap on and that Tony was coming back out and could probably play.”

Jones said he never told Garrett to put Romo back in the game.

“[My visit was] not at all [designed to tell Garrett] whether to play [Romo] or not,” Jones said. “That’s his decision.”

But after passing along the information, Jones did not immediately head back to his owner’s suite. He remained on the sideline for most of the fourth quarter, talking to players and encouraging fans to get louder when the Cowboys defense was on the field.

Jones was not on the sideline during the overtime period.

“No. 1, I wanted to go down there and do what I could, look our guys in the eye, look at them, inspire them to overcome Romo not being out there and overcome what I thought was a critical time,” Jones said. “First of all, I’ve been down there hundreds of ball games. Everyone that follows it has certainly seen it, either criticized it or whatever or lived with it.

“Secondly, if you look around this league, you’ll see owners, I noticed Bob McNair down there during the entire, almost first half when we played Houston. But you’ll see owners all the time on the sideline. I’m not going to say all the time, you’ll see certain owners down there a lot. But that’s from that standpoint. I know for a fact you see a lot of management people on the sideline.

“It’s just not an issue. I’ve always felt that seeing the attitude, seeing what’s going on, getting the pulse, looking at who’s in to it, looking at how they’re into it, looking at how they’re reacting on the sideline, all of that is just part of understanding the team, getting to be a better decision-maker.”

So he sees the team's attitude and "gets their pulse"... How does that make him a better decision-maker? Decision about what?

'Cause I mean, he's just a figurehead and all.

He's just a reactionary dickhead.

Sees the media swarming over his comments re: telling Garrett to put Romo in and he tries to do damage control. That's not what I meant... I was just trying to inspire the team and get a pulse. But Jerry, that doesn't match up with what you've said your role is with the team all these years.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!

31 other owners in the league go down on the sidelines and give coaches updates mid game.

/hostile

Why would he need to get a pulse? What would that serve? Will he go back up and trade for a player or sign someone to a contract extension in the middle of the game?

Why exactly does the GM need to go down on the field and get the pulse of the team? Makes no sense. Unless of course, you are going to use the pulse to make an in-game decision and then immediately relay your decision to the HC.

Even when trying to deny what he was doing he admits to meddling. Idiot.

I'm surprised he didn't use his old "But if the owner of a widget manufacturing business goes down to the assembly line, everyone loves it!" line.

Does he not get how inappropriate it was to be whispering into his HC's ear while the HC is trying to HC?

Dysfunctional is not even a strong enough word for it. I would have loved to see him pull that shit while Parcells was on the sideline. He may have pushed his ass out of the picture.