Cowboys “undermine” franchise value through publicity stunts
ESPN revealed new details about how Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has turned the franchise into a public carnival with guided fan tours and paid access to the team.
While the Cowboys have long held the opinion that Jones’ involvement in these circus acts is the only thing that makes Dallas “America’s Team,” analyst Mina Kimes argued the opposite this week.
Kimes argued that the tours, which ESPN reported earned the franchise $10 million while treating staff and athletes like museum exhibits, were actually hurting the organization despite all that revenue.
“I don’t think these small, incremental gains he’s making, whether in the form of attention or tickets sold, are really good for the Dallas Cowboys organization in the long run,” Kimes said on the website Pablo Torre finds out Podcast. “I think it’s actually an outdated way of thinking about this team.”
Dallas famously hasn’t advanced past the divisional round since winning its last Super Bowl in 1995. This offseason, they struggled to agree to new contracts with star players Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons after refusing to extend those players early. And through six games this season, the Cowboys are at .500.
Kimes explained that while $10 million is an impressive sum when remodeling team facilities like an amusement park, it degrades the experience of playing for the Cowboys in a way that has a noticeable impact on the team’s performance on the field have.
“If you believe, as I do, that all of this is actually counterproductive to running, operating and building a successful football team – and I truly believe that after hearing these players, seeing the product on the field and watching the product, “What they do in free agency or what they don’t do — then yeah, I think you’re actually undermining the long-term value of this franchise by making these small gains,” Kimes said. “I really do.”
More specifically, Kimes argued that the Cowboys would be the Cowboys with or without such stunts.
“What I dispute is that the value of the franchise is in any way tied to these Bulls,” she said.
While it’s undeniable that Dallas is the most popular NFL team, Kimes doesn’t believe it’s because Jones is running it like an entertainment product.
Instead, Kimes said the reversal is more accurate. Jones uses the Cowboys’ attention to maintain his status as a celebrity icon.
“The person who benefits the most is Jerry Jones,” she said. “I think that’s why the hairs on the back of my neck stand up a little bit when he’s portrayed as this brilliant businessman… he does it because he likes being a celebrity.”
There are many reasons why the Cowboys are popular. In many Western cities in the 1970s and 1980s, the Cowboys were the only team they could watch regularly. Coaches like Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson, combined with star players like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders, brought attention to the team on and off the field. Winning five Super Bowls in 15 years doesn’t hurt.
But now Kimes rejects the idea that just because Jones does it makes it smart.
From the tabloid press surrounding the cheerleaders to the presence of the team’s former players in the media to the team’s continued regular season success, the Cowboys are still extremely relevant.
For Kimes, that’s true whether fans stare at the players lifting weights or not.
[Pablo Torre Finds Out on YouTube]
