The feud between Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson is nearly 30 years old now and yet always seems to find ways to circle back into discussion. This time it was the Cowboys owner who threw gas back on the fire, getting hostile when pressed about why the legendary Dallas head coach hadn’t yet been inducted into the Ring of Honor.
During an interview this past weekend at the Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, CA, Jones took a somewhat defiant tone when Newy Scruggs of NBC 5 DFW questioned Johnson’s continued absence from the team’s personal Hall of Fame.
To be fair, Jerry may have been reacting a bit to Scruggs’ accusation of ongoing pettiness in the situation. But if Jones felt at all insulted by the remark, imagine how Jimmy must feel after nearly three decades.
Johnson has watched as nearly all of the superstar players he coached in Dallas have been inducted: Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Charles Haley, and Darren Woodson. Even one who came after Jimmy’s departure, Larry Allen, has since been added to the Ring.
With the next wave of Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, Tony Romo, and others potentially on the way, Johnson’s time has been long overdue.
While there was a long period of tangible animosity between Jerry and Jimmy, things seemed to be softening in recent years. Almost exactly one year ago, Jones was singing a much different tune when sitting next to Johnson and Aikman during the Hall of Fame festivities in Canton.
Were those just words? Did something happen in between that’s changed Jerry’s stance?
Again, maybe the comments last weekend were not indicative of his true intentions. Jones may have simply been caught off guard and responded poorly.
Nevertheless, once again we find ourselves wondering if Jimmy Johnson will ever take his rightful place with Tom Landry as the two greatest coaches in franchise history. Johnson personally coached the team to two Super Bowl championships in the 90s and was the architect of the 1995 team as well.
While it’s hard to imagine Johnson never getting into the Ring of Honor, it would be nice if it didn’t happen over Jerry Jones’ dead body. Cowboys fans of the 90s would love to see the hatchet truly buried between the two.
But at the current rate, who really knows?
