Dallas News' David Moore Totally Off Base with Column
For some odd reason, Dallas sports fans must bow at the altar of the Dallas Cowboys' championship legacy. Why? I have no idea.
Dallas Morning News sports columnist and Cowboys “insider” David Moore mystified me with his opinion piece posted today. The message? Don’t make the recent playoff success of the Mavericks, Rangers and Stars “more than what it is.”
And what is that, exactly? According to Moore, fans do a disservice by not recognizing the championship legacy of the Cowboys and the standard it set for the other DFW teams. Apparently, he’s not a fan of memes pointing out that it’s been 10,352 DAYS (and counting) since the team last played in a conference final or league championship series, compared to essentially zero for the Mavs and Stars (both still alive this postseason) and 209 for the defending World Series champion Rangers.
Sorry, but Moore’s premise is like a house built on sand – it has no foundation. Sure, the Cowboys aren’t exactly top of mind for fans when thinking about serious championship contention. That’s because a lot of fans weren’t even born yet when the Cowboys last tasted that glory in 1995. How do you recognize legacy when as a fan you haven’t experienced it?
Fortunately, I’m among the aging population who remembers. Born the year Don Meridith quit as the Cowboys were ascending, alive and kicking for the two ‘70s titles under Roger Staubach, and totally immersed in the three ‘90s titles built by Jimmy Johnson (and yes, with an assist from Jerry Jones). I won’t forget that legacy but refuse to be held captive by it. Time moves on.
And it’s weak for Moore to point out that the Cowboys’ five Super Bowl titles are more than the combined titles won by the Mavericks, Rangers and Stars (5-3). The Mavs aim to close that gap starting on Thursday night.
Truly, Moore would have been better off talking about the main differentiator between the Cowboys and their sports brethren – the front office and top of the organization.
The most underreported story in DFW is the Mavs’ front-office makeover since arrival of GM Nico Harrison, who ushered out a dysfunctional culture with Mark Cuban at the helm since the 2011 title. Do yourself a favor and read Josh Bowe’s outstanding piece on Mavs Moneyball titled “The Mavericks are Finals bound because they finally have figured it out around their star.” Harrison made smart moves that are paying off in three short years.
If the Rangers were held captive by the legacy of their ’10 and ’11 World Series appearances, Jon Daniels would still be GM and Chris Young wouldn’t be at the helm. While there are JD’s fingerprints on last year’s title, it was Young’s masterstroke to hire Bruce Bochy as the right manager for the right time. The parade in Arlington proved it.
Stars GM Jim Nill is the elder of the group, here since 2013 with some years when his job was in true jeopardy. But they have stayed the course and built a strong contender that appeared in the 2020 “bubble” Stanley Cup Finals and is trying to repeat the feat now.
Harrison, Young and Nill all have one thing in common – unless they choose to leave or retire, they will all be fired by their respective organizations. They don’t have a lifetime guarantee of employment. Jerry Jones does. As does his son Stephen. And future generations of Joneses for as long as they own the franchise.
Will the Jones family change the way it does business at some point? Perhaps, but I sincerely doubt it will be in my lifetime.
So I wish David Moore had pointed out that truth. But then again, he’d be stating the obvious. Instead, he wrote a column the Joneses are thrilled to read. The fans with half a brain know better.
