FORT WORTH, Texas — There are countless theories and half-truths that exist about the 1990s Dallas Cowboys, starting and ending with a friendship that can’t quite be defined, yet remains inexplicably fascinating.
From his home in the Florida Keys, one half of the Jimmy/Jerry duo sounds as if he is in a wonderful place, not only geographically but with his entire life.
Jimmy Johnson does want to clear up one misconception, and put to rest a fan/media theory that has only grown over these last few decades.
There is the theory that Jimmy Johnson does not want to see the Dallas Cowboys succeed, certainly not win a Super Bowl; that he privately takes joy in the fact that team under Jerry Jones has not won a Super Bowl with a team that he built.
“No, that’s not true,” Johnson said Tuesday in a phone interview. “The Dallas Cowboys are a big part of my career, and I want them to be successful.
“Nothing would thrill me more than with Fox televising the Super Bowl in Arizona than to have the Dallas Cowboys in that game representing the NFC. I would love it. It would be great for me personally.”
This isn’t Jimmy being sarcastic, or setting up a false set of expectations knowing full well this is not going to happen, and his old boss will be disappointed yet again.
Jimmy is 79, and comfortable with everything that has happened, or could happen.
Jimmy recently decided to do something that to those who know him well never thought he would: Write a book.
“Swagger,” written with veteran sportswriter David Hyde, covers Jimmy’s career and is on shelves now; it’s a fun memoir for Cowboys’ fans who longingly love the team that Jimmy coached to multiple Super Bowl wins.
Jimmy coached the Cowboys from 1989 to 1993, winning the Super Bowl in his final two years. In the 1995 season, the team won their last Super Bowl, under head coach Barry Switzer.
In the book Jimmy covers the material that you want to know, namely it was written in the contract with the Cowboys that he would handle the football matters and Jerry would do the business part of it.
“Jerry initiated it and I remember when we met in his office in Little Rock he said, ‘I’m going to handle the finances and you’re going to handle all of the football; we’ll handle it back to back,’ ” Johnson said. “It worked great. Jerry was spending all the time trying to pay off that loan (to buy the Cowboys), and then we started winning.”
In Jimmy’s mind, that’s when the problems arose.
Whatever happened, happened.
It’s been 30 years since that split, and Jimmy bears nothing against the Cowboys, or Jerry.
When I asked him how is relationship with Jerry is, Jimmy said, “I don’t know. I said it in the book that people don’t understand our relationship because I don’t understand our relationship.
“I’m sure if we saw each other today, we’d hug and he’d have a huge smile on his face. It’s a day-to-day thing. He said he’d put me in the Ring of Honor half a dozen times, and that hasn’t happened. I’d be honored, but I really don’t think, or dwell, on it. It’s his decision.”
Jimmy isn’t sure how many more years he will serve as a studio analyst for Fox’s NFL coverage. He has repeatedly tried to be retire, only to be talked into another year. He has three more years on his deal.
Perhaps if the Cowboys do make the Super Bowl this year, and actually win it, that will be his walk-off moment.
Jimmy is like most people who watch the Cowboys. He’s buyin’.
“This is the best Cowboys team I’ve seen in a long time. Mike (McCarthy) is doing a great job. I know (defensive coordinator) Dan Quinn is a heck of a coach,” Johnson said. “Micah Parsons is as impactful of a player as there is.
“It’s going to come down to them and Philadelphia as far as the division. Home-field advantage is going to be so important. I see Philadelphia with one or two losses besides their game against the Cowboys on Christmas Eve.
“The Cowboys have talent. And they have an explosive offense now with Dak Prescott back. To beat them you’ve got to score on them, and that’s going to be tough.”
Who knows? Maybe the Cowboys will actually not only reach this Super Bowl but win it, which would allow Jimmy and Jerry to celebrate the third one they always should have had together.
