Longtime fans of the Dallas Cowboys know the numbers all too well by now. No wins in the divisional round, thus no NFC championship game or Super Bowl appearances since the 1995 season.
If you’re keeping score, that’s 29 seasons, 29 drafts and free agency periods, seven head coaches, hundreds of players and counting.
The only constant throughout all of these past three decades of futility has been the owner, Jerry Jones.
Surprisingly enough, that doesn’t make him the worst owner in major league sports. That honor goes to Dick Monfort, the owner of baseball’s Colorado Rockies.
Just to add a little twist to this saga, I’ve been a fan of the Cowboys since 1968.
I’ve been a fan of the Rockies since their inaugural season in 1993. Colorado is currently on pace to set an MLB record for most losses in a season.
And now you know why I’ve ben so cranky these days.
I have to deal with the two worst owners in sports nearly every day of the year.
It Isn’t Rocket Science
Like Jones, Monfort had money to burn. So when he and his brother were offered the chance, they became partners in the Rockies’ original ownership group.
In 2005, they became the primary owners. In 2011, Dick Monfort took full control over the franchise.
In 31 years, the Rockies have never won a divisional title.
They’ve only made the playoffs in five of those seasons.
The Rockies have at least made it to one World Series, in 2007. Since Monfort took control, they are 1-4 in two playoff appearances.
They’ve only had two winning seasons in the last 14 seasons.
See, I told you there was a worse organization out there.
The Common Denominator
While the Cowboys are a little better in their record and playoff numbers, it isn’t that much. Both teams suffer from the same affliction.
Bad ownership.
Jones’ missteps over the years have been well-documented.
But in his defense, he still wants to win a championship, if nothing else other than to end the “can’t win without Jimmy” talk. The record seems to show that he’s just not very good at what he does.
In the case of Monfort, one begins to wonder if he’s just too cheap, or is trying to tank the franchise to move it elsewhere?
Because no one can be this naturally bad at putting together a team in any sport.
In Colorado, they are starting to chant “Sell the team” at games. If the 2025 season unravels as 2024 did, Jones may start hearing that at AT&T Stadium soon.
For now, though, Jones can take comfort in knowing he’s not the worst owner in professional sports.
He should send Monfort a “Thank You” note for that.
