When you’re trying to get on your boss’ good side after a public incident, it’s probably not the smartest idea to compare him to a ruthless dictator.
Radio hosts Shan Shariff and Bobby Belt addressed their heated exchange with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, opening up about the interview during which the 82-year-old appeared to threaten their jobs.
Jones, who serves as the team’s general manager, was making one of his regular appearances on Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday and didn’t take kindly to questions from the hosts about the team’s off-season moves following a 47-9 defeat at home against the Detroit Lions.
The following day, Shariff — who also noted that Jones usually is generous with the media — likened the Cowboys owner to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
“The second biggest mistake I think Jerry made yesterday besides ‘I’ll threaten your jobs’ … destroying the well-earned reputation of not controlling the media,” Shariff said. “Giving the impression that you want state-run media like you’re Vladimir Putin … that is so damaging.”
When speaking about the tense situation, Belt said that the whole incident made Jones look like “a little man.”
“I think he wanted to come at it like, ‘oh, let me show my passion’ … I think he legitimately got mad and then he kinda snapped,” Belt said. “Because here’s the thing, I think there are a couple of areas where there is showman Jerry and then there is genuinely upset Jerry. And I don’t think there is much that genuinely upsets him, but there’s a few things.
“And one of those things I think is … clearly over the course of his relationship with Jimmy Johnson and everything else — I don’t think he likes his importance being diminished. He doesn’t like having that happen … It was universally received as what a little man … I can’t imagine he wanted that, but I think he just got angry and snapped and it was received poorly. It was dominant, what Jerry said, and I don’t think he anticipated that.”
Jones had become fired up during their Tuesday interview afteer queries about the lack of incoming talent in the off-season after Jones had stated the team would go “all-in” for 2024.
“This is not your job,” Jones told the host. “Your job isn’t to let me go over all the reasons that I did something and I’m sorry that I did it. That’s not your job. I’ll get somebody else to ask these questions. I’m not kidding.
“You’re not going to figure out what the team is doing right or wrong. If you are, or any five or 10 like you, you need to come to this (NFL) meeting I’m going to today with 32 teams here, you’re geniuses.
“You really think you’re gonna sit here with a microphone and tell me all of the things that I’ve done wrong without going over the rights? Listen, we both know we’re talking to a lot of great fans, a lot of great listeners. And I am very sorry for what happened out there Sunday. I’m sick about what happened Sunday.”
Later, speaking to the Athletic, Jones defended his actions on the team’s flagship radio station.
“I don’t know that I would go as far as (calling) the volume connotation as yelling,” Jones told the outlet. “OK? But the facts are that if I’m going to be grilled by the tribunal, I don’t need it to be by the guys I’m paying. I can take it from fans and take it from other people.
“I take a lot of pride in how fair and how much I try to work with the media, we’re brothers and sisters. But I was a little frustrated there today.
“We got in there as of accounting for decisions made in the offseason. OK? They might as well gone back to decisions made in 2010.
“My point is, and that’s from my perspective, there’s no question, I’m sure that they would have liked to have grilled me like the fans are thinking, what are you going to do about that? I get it. I get all of that. And really will go along with it.”
It has since been clarified that Jones is not backing the show as the station is owned by Audacy.