Jerry Jones talks Sunday Ticket reversal, Cowboys contracts and small camp crowds
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is missing the Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend for the first time since he was inducted in 2017.
He attended a board meeting on Friday morning via video conference. He lamented not being there.
“We won’t make this a habit,” Jones
A week ago Jones wondered aloud if the $4.8 billion judgment against the NFL in ‘Sunday Ticket” lawsuit would potentially cause a pandemic-like impact on the NFL finances, making him cautious about signing quarterback Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to extensions.
So Jones was happy when a federal judge overturned the jury’s verdict in the class-action lawsuit and granted judgment to the NFL.
“Well we were pleased that we made our presentation to the judge and are pleased with his ruling,” Jones said. “And we’ll go from there. I won’t be saying anything more about it.”
So does that mean the Cowboys are moving forward on talks with Lamb and Prescott on new deals.
“They’re just progressing, in my mind,” a suddenly tight-lipped Jones said.
Regarding Prescott, Jones said, “Well, I would say we’re talking. I would not have a legitimate progress point there at all. And I really don’t have one for Lamb either. And it’s not negative. I’m just not thinking that it will do any good to talk about progress.”
Asked if one was closer than the other, Jones said: “Not necessarily. But again, I just don’t want to talk about it.”
Jones said he is not spending more time on contracts in training camp this year than any other year, pointing out that guard Zack Martin held out last year.
He said it’s just part of the business.
“I’m not dismissing the uniqueness of the contracts we’re talking about,” Jones said. “But in general, this is part of football if you’re in my shoes. And I don’t flare about it at all.”
Jones is also not flaring up about the seemingly smaller crowds at training camp this season, compared to previous years.
He refuses to attribute to fan apathy and frustration over the Cowboys playoff failures in recent seasons.
“I look at the crowds just like you do and I don’t exactly relate a crowd to the date,” Jones said. “The crowd we had opening day out here looked every bit as like the crowd that we’ve become accustomed to out here on opening day. I have seen some afternoons where they weren’t totally full out here but I know this, from the standpoint of the traffic jams out here and the miles and miles of trying to get in, that looks like you’re going to come out here and be 100,000 people getting in. But there’s just so much to what’s going on here that that hasn’t been something that should concern us.”
What’s also true is that the smaller crowds in training camp have no impact on the team’s business.
Jones has already said fans renewed season tickets at rate of 99 percent and at a record pace.
He knows AT&T Stadium will be full for the Sept. 15 home opener against the New Orleans Saints.
