Posts Tagged ‘Jerry Jones’

The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Sports Team Bosses

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

MJ

I am sure that many of you have heard of Steven Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. It is listed as the second bestselling “self-help” book of all time.

It only makes sense that if there are common habits of highly effective people, then there likewise are common habits of highly ineffective people. For the purpose of this column, my focus is on sports team bosses and the common seven bad habits. In no particular order, here they are:

  1. Impulsive/They lack vision: Ineffective sports team owners often have the temperament of a child and react as such when things do not go their way. An example was how Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pushed head coach Jimmy Johnson out of Dallas after having won two straight Super Bowls. This may have been the primary reason why the Cowboys did not complete a three-peat, which is a feat never done during the Super Bowl era. These types are typically captives of the moment, and as a result, are always behind good bosses.
  2. A lack of integrity: Their ego is so inflated to the point that they will outright lie rather than acknowledge failure or that something was their fault. Raiders owner Mark Davis’ handling of the Khalil Mack contract dispute is an example of this.
  3. Grandiosity: Such bosses think that they are better at what they do than they really are. They routinely embellish their accomplishments and are quick to claim credit for what goes well but are nowhere to be found when there is a need to take responsibility for what does not go well. We can go back to Jerry Jones as a GM for an example of this.
  4. Threatened by competence of subordinates: One of the 48 Laws of Power states that one should never outshine the master. Bad sports team bosses show this all the time. Daniel Snyder’s parting ways with Marty Schottenheimer was such an example.
  5. No value of organizational competence: A narcissistic boss does not respect process or a trusted way of doing things and therefore does not model this. The result is that it will likely not be reflected in the day-to-day team culture.
  6. They are thin-skinned: A fan recently yelled at Knicks owner James Dolan to sell the team. Dolan stopped and threatened to ban the fan from attending any more games. You’re the owner of a New York City sports franchise that has been bad more often than not for the recent past and has not won a title since 1973, and a fan telling you to sell the team gets under your skin?
  7. They are front-runners: As long as things are going well, they are fine, but when things are tough, they bail. Magic Johnson’s resignation from the Lakers is the current example. Dan Marino lasted as the Dolphins GM for about a week. They have no interest in the grind. They just ain’t about that life.

What is interesting about these habits is that they apply to bosses beyond sports. I was recently talking to a small company boss and he literally said to me that he is “exempt from critique”!

The problem with this kind of thinking is that it creates a sacred cow or blind spot for constructive review or practices in the most important area; the primary decision-making process of management. It is like someone saying that they want to trim the US budget deficit but the largest part of the budget, defense spending, is off the table.

Merely having an ego is not in of itself the issue. We all have an ego, yours truly included. However, what these bosses do is make the ego a larger priority than company growth because they would rather avoid the bad taste of medicine than to heal and grow.

Sports bosses can afford a luxury because as bad as Dolan, Jones, Snyder, Johnson, and Davis’ teams have been, none of them is losing any money anytime soon.  Thus, they lack a fundamental seed of innovation and that would be necessity.

Just such a necessity was sowed last year for the Virginia Cavaliers. They suffered the most humiliating loss in March Madness history (they were the first and only one seed to lose to a 16 seed). They could have dismissed it with the usual excuses, such as “DeAndre Hunter was hurt”, or “that was last year”. But they chose otherwise. In fact, head coach Tony Bennett owned it, calling it “a scare that they would have to wear”. I am convinced that because he did own it, because he chose to take the bad tasting medicine, it allowed his team to heal and grow, and subsequently win it all only a year later. Only those who can acknowledge their flaws have a chance to correct those flaws.

However, if you do not own a sports team and are a business owner with any of the bad habits above, you will have to go anti-dinosaur: ADAPT OR DIE!

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

The Trouble with Dak Prescott

Friday, August 10th, 2018

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

DP3

When Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doubled down on his total disregard for player protest and specifically Black Lives in general, he was simply being who he is; a “good ole boy” who takes a great deal of pride in his role as a modern-day plantation overseer. Jones declared that anyone that does not come out for the anthem and stand will be cut. I hardly think that anyone was surprised.

The team’s African American QB from Louisiana and Mississippi, Dak Prescott, essentially agreed with his owner. The phrase many of us Black folks use to describe his behavior would be “cooning”. For those who don’t know, it is a phrase Black people use to describe other Black folks who are obsessed with staying in the good graces of whites.

This is the most troubling quote:

“I never protest during the anthem. I don’t think that is the time or venue to do that.”

Are you f$%%#@%* serious?

Is that all you got?

It’s a good thing that one cannot be sued for plagiarizing the thoughts of others because Dak would be in big legal trouble if it were possible. He may as well have said to Jerry Jones, “You tell em massa”.

DP2

The issue is not that he refuses to kneel during the anthem. I actually believe that form of protest has about exhausted its effectiveness. I have 4 basic issues with the position:

  • Zero creativity: This is a classic case of someone simply repeating a narrative that they heard someone else say, without any critical independent thought of his own. If you are going to shovel BS, at least make sure it has a unique aroma;
  • Pitifully elusive: Whenever someone says it’s not the right time or place for resistance to injustice, you can be sure that for that person, there is NEVER a right time or place;
  • Stockholm Syndrome: is a condition that causes hostages to develop a psychological alliance with their captors, as a survival strategy during captivity. Dak’s position clearly sides with his oppressor….I mean boss.
  • Illusion of separation: one gets the impression from this comment that Dak thinks he is above that which has stung Black America. It’s as if he feels his status would have saved him from the terrorist that went into a Black church in South Carolina and shot nine people to death simply because of the color of their skin.

I could go on and on about how problematic his position is on so many levels, but at the core is simply that the statement is not true. If it were, that would be tantamount to saying that all those prior, who used the athletic venue as a platform to advance the struggle for social justice to include Muhammed Ali, John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and yes, Colin Kaepernick, were all wrong. If that were true, there is no way that Dak would be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

The most hopeful thing to do is just assume that Dak is young and not fully conscious of how treasoness his position is to those whose lives are at risk every day.  After all, even the great Jackie DPRobinson stained his reputation with public criticisms of both Paul Robeson and Ali. To his credit, before he died, he came to realize the error of his ways and by the late 1960’s was supportive of the many student-athlete protests around the country. Maybe Dak will develop in a similar way and let’s hope it’s sooner than later. Right now, he is clearly in a “sunken place”.

This weekend, White Supremacist will be descending on Washington, DC on the anniversary of them literally killing Heather Heyer. She was the social justice activist killed when she joined many others to confront the Nazis at the University of Virginia. She was not a celebrity or of great wealth. She, nevertheless, chose to risk her life and ultimately gave her life to stand up for what is right. Oh, and Heather Heyer was White. That is relevant because she could have chosen the path of many whites and simply ignore the reality of racism, since it does not have the immediate impact on her that it does on Black people. For that reason alone, she should always be remembered and revered.

Dak Prescott, on the other hand, does have celebrity and wealth. Oh, and he is Black…..whether he knows it or not. If Heyer saw the need to take a stand, what possible excuse could he have?

It is for these reasons, with this backdrop why Prescott’s pitiful declaration of where the struggle should not take place is so shameful.

Dak Prescott is the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, “America’s Team”. With that title comes the capacity to represent what America has been and is, or what America should be and can be. The choice is his but no choice is not an option. It’s the price of the party.

Just as frustrating about Prescott’s failure to take a stand is the fact that he is one of two players that could cross Jerry Jones’ line in the sand and not be cut (the other being Ezekiel Elliot). As much as Jones detests non-compliance, he loves to win even more. There is no way that he would cut either. There is precedence. Before the 1993 season, Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith held out fresh off the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl. Jones refused to budge……..until the Cowboys started the season 0-2. Emmitt was back for the 3rd game and the Boys would go on to repeat and win again after the 1995 season. If the “stars” take a stand, Jerry will stand down.

It’s fourth and goal in the red zone of America, Mr. Prescott. You do not get to sit this play out.

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

What To Make of the Tired and Disturbing Case of Ezekiel Elliott

Sunday, November 5th, 2017

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

EE

The only thing that I am certain of in the battle between the Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel

Elliott and the NFL, which wants to suspend him for 6 games over allegations of domestic violence, is that

I am tired of it and want it to end!

Beyond that, all bets are off.

My initial thinking when pondering writing this was to rail against the self-interest obsessed Cowboy

fans, Jerry Jones’ white male wealth privilege and those apologists, mostly men, for abusers.

Then I did what I hope every opinion writer does: I actually engaged in a more detailed researching of

the “central charge” (I’ll explain why the quotations for this later) against Elliott. After doing this I have

come to the only conclusion anyone could come to, which is that I have no idea who is the victim

between Elliott and his accuser. The inquire raises more questions than it answers. To briefly summarize

the reasons for doubting the accuser are the following:

1) Text messages secured by the NFL show the accuser discussing blackmailing Elliott with a sex

tape;

2) The accuser tried to convince a friend to lie on her behalf and support her claim that Elliott was responsible for her bruises. The friend refused and cited a fight between the accuser and another lady in an affidavit as the possible source of her bruises; and

3) She verbally threatened to ruin Elliott

It’s important to be an ally of women in the fight against domestic violence. As a man, I believe that I can

play a similar role in this struggle as Whites can play in combating racism. I also believe that I have taken

concrete steps to be an ally. The data is clear in that the overwhelming number of allegations of

domestic abuse are true. Having said that, the quest to be an ally does not mean that I am obliged to

blindly endorse the allegations of everyone. Basic fairness demands that allegations, even from a

historically abused demographic, be scrutinized and when that is done in this case, the only conclusion is

that the accuser’s credibility is suspect, so much so that the NFL’s own lead investigator recommended

no suspension for Elliott.

So why is this still a pending issue dangling over the head of Elliott, you ask? There are two primary

reasons for this:

1) Ezekiel Elliott has been a knucklehead with enough documented acts that indicate a lack of

respect for women and poor impulse control and judgment in general. When the totality of his

record is considered, it is not that much of a stretch to believe Elliott is capable of what he is

being accused. The NFL collective bargaining agreement, which the players sign off on permits

the commissioner to consider such incidents in a cumulative manner when pondering discipline.

Therefore, any reviewing of the “central charge” alone is incomplete. It cannot be refuted by

“the police did not charge him” common claim because it’s not a legal process but a workplace

disciplinary process;

2) The NFL has an inconsistent track record when dealing with its players accused of violence

towards women, be it Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, or Josh Brown. As a result, there is tremendous

pressure to get this one right;

3) Elliott is the best player on the most popular team in the most popular sport in America. Anyone in that position, regardless of race, with these accusations is going to draw more scrutiny than say a punter, as was the case with kicker Josh Brown.

You may ask how the NFL can get it right if the player is literally not guilty of the accusation. That’s when

it gets even more complicated. Like it or not, there are at least 2 factors that the NFL considers BEFORE

the actual merits of the accusation. Those two are money and public relations. The actual merits of the

charges are at best a distant third . Money is easy enough to understand. Anything that the NFL deems as having the potential to dip into its bottom line must be dealt with ASAP. Then there are the public

relations of the issue, which is a direct extension of the money factor. This can be best summarized by

saying that the NFL is more concerned with damage control than it is the damage itself. That means

actually caring about domestic violence is not nearly as important to them as appearing to care about

the issue. What this all means is that in the wake of botching the Ray Rice and Josh Brown cases, they

needed a pound of flesh.

Enter Ezekiel Elliott!

So, after multiple court injunctions and stays and no clear ending to the stalemate, here we are.

Based on history, it’s highly unlikely that Elliott will avoid a suspension. It’s not a question of if he will sit

but when, and for how long. After all, even the golden boy, Tom Brady, eventually had to sit. Judges are

very hesitant to overturn provisions of a collectively bargained agreement and that is what the NFL has

as its trump card. Given that, what I have never quite understood is why the Cowboys didn’t play this

differently. Why not take the precedent of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger back in 2010? He got the

same 6-game suspension for multiple accusations of sexual assault. It was eventually reduced to 4

games, during which the Steelers went 3-1. They would win the AFC that year, making it to the Super

Bowl, a highly unlikely accomplishment had they taken the Cowboys approach to Elliott’s situation this

year. Even if Elliott’s suspension were not reduced, the 6 games would be over by now. They could have

gone 3-3 (their record with him after 6) without him. They would have him back, healthy and rested for

the second half of the season, including both games against the high-flying, first place Eagles. Now that is all in doubt, as are the Cowboys’ playoffs hopes.

So why didn’t they take that approach? I can only come up with 3 possible reasons:

1) Jerry Jones is used to getting his way and would not back down;

2) Elliot, like most professional athletes, is programmed not to back down and is engaged in this process in the same way; or

3) He actually did not abuse her.

I do not know which one, two, or all three might have been at the heart of the Cowboys’ strategy.

That disturbs me but not nearly as much as the fact that this saga has given a platform to misogynist and

apologist for those who abuse women.

 

Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

WHAT DOES IT TAKE?: Greg Hardy, the need for pictures, and what it says about America

Monday, November 9th, 2015

by Gus Griffin

gus

 

 

 

 

GH

I’m clear about Steven A. Smith’s  agenda: he caught a lotta flak after the Ray Rice abuse case and is now pandering to the very folks who wanted his head.
What is more useful is to discuss the threshold of proof necessary to acknowledge the mistreatment of some, particularly women, Black, and Latino folks.
On due process terms, it seems to me that only the Dallas Cowboys can take any action against Hardy and we all know that if they did cut him, more than a few teams will be lined up to sign him.  I’m clear that Greg Hardy is a bully and likely a psychopath. I would shed no tear if he never played in the league again. But I did not need to see pictures of his abuse to come to that line of thinking. The fact that anyone needed pictures to get to this level of outrage means that this is much bigger than Greg Hardy. This is about America and whose suffering is at the back of the line for addressing. It’s clear that women being brutalized by men and Black and Latino folks by police requires a certain level of visual proof beyond that of most others. In the Black man’s case, Eric Garner, sometimes even the picture isn’t enough. I’m not suggesting that alleged victims are all truthful. That “cry wolf” opportunist element is out there. But there is a distinct difference in justifiable scrutiny of the truth and hoping one is not being truthful so that we can maintain our business as usual world views about women, Black, and Latino folks being primarily responsible for their mistreatment. I say we because on the Greg Hardy issue, I am just as much of part of the problem. Certainly not for condoning violence against women but because Hardy’s arrogance and indifference is fueled by the very fundamental fact, be it conscious or subconscious, that he knows I and most of you will keep watching the NFL. Roger Goodell and Jerry Jones know it as well. So Ill climb down from my soapbox and hopefully “Screaming” A Smith will soon follow.
Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports

Turn Out The Lights: Dallas Cowboys Version

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

The Cowboys need more than a coaching change!

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010