Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is having a Super Bowl impact making money with LA Rams
It has been 23 years since the Dallas Cowboys reached the Super Bowl with the last of their three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s following the 1995 season.
But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will have a huge footprint on Super Bowl LIII between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Los Angeles Rams may not be in the position to be in Super Bowl LIII, let alone allowed to move from St. Louis to Los Angeles, if not for Jones’ power and influence. And the Atlanta Falcons probably wouldn’t be hosting it without Jones’ significant impact through his Legends Hospitality marketing company.
It’s has been well chronicled that Jones helped swing owners’ vote in helping the Rams move to Los Angles but also helped secure a now-$5 billion stadium complex in Inglewood in 2020.
But Jones is also marketing and selling the stadium as well doing the concessions through Legends, just as he is with San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and the Oakland Raiders’ prospective new stadium in Las Vegas.
The Cowboys seemingly haven’t gotten an opportunity to host a Super Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington since the weather and seat disaster in 2009.
But everyone across the league recognizes Jones’ prowess when it comes to building and marketing new stadiums and the NFL sees no conflict of interest in other teams helping Jones make money.
“Legends has been a very successful marketing company,” commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday during his state of the league press conference at Super Bowl LIII. “They have a specialty in how to market new stadiums. They have been extremely effective. Our clubs have used them if they believe they are the best option for them. And they have been in many cases.”
Jones has had a touch-and-go relationship with Falcons owner Arthur Blank in recent years. Jones threatened to sue Blank and other owners over Goodell’s contract extension just last season.
But Legends sold personal seat licenses and helped market the $1.6 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium before its opening in 2017.
There is no question, however, that his relationship with Rams owner Stan Kroenke is as strong any two owners in the NFL because of his role in their move to Los Angeles.
Rams Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Kevin Demoff said Jones had a great influence on Kroenke in selling the stadium but also how he approaches the market because of his affinity for the Los Angeles area and his experience of holding training camp in Oxnard, Calif. for so many years.
“Jerry was one of the first people to understand see and Stan’s vision for Los Angeles and champion what this development could become,” Demoff said from Super Bowl LIII this week. “And we had always looked at Jerry so did Stan, as he had built the best and greatest stadium in hard times. And if there was someone you could trust or who could give you wisdom on what to build, it would be jerry and how to sell and market it and make it. Jerry and Stan have a terrific relationship and Jerry described it two weeks ago as kind of playing your brother and I’m sure Stan felt the same way.
“Jerry is one of those owners you always want to follow in their footsteps. He has been terrific in helping us in this pursuit and I think he understands the grandeur of Los Angeles as well as anybody whether it’s being from there, whether it’s holding training camp in Oxnard and having always been part of that market.”
Demoff said there was a little awkwardness with the Legends connection when the Cowboys played the Rams in the NFC Divisional playoffs because all the employees from both cities were at the game.
But the bottom line is what mattered most. And no one is leery about working with Jones.
“(Jerry Jones) helped sell this building,” Demoff said. “He did Atlanta. He has done San Francisco. They are doing the Raiders. They are preeminent in what they do. I think that is why you would want to have them aboard on your side.
“I think people saw the success they had in Dallas and San Francisco,” he added. “I think any time you are building a stadium you have these animals to tackle, you want the best people selling it. That is what they were. Way before we got involved in the Los Angeles market that is who the league was leaning on to give their wisdom and their advice. From that perspective, we were happy to join in once we were selected to go to Los Angeles.”
And no one cares that they are essentially helping Jones make even more money to put back into the Cowboys.
“It’s great to help Jerry make money,” Demoff said. “You want to hire the best. They are the best. If that ends up going to the Cowboys, as long they are not trying to spend it on (Rams all-pro defensive tackle) Aaron Donald, we are fine.”
Considering the Cowboys don’t spend on outside free agents, there are no worries there.
But it might go toward Jones buying a big boat.
