In 1993, the Cowboys put it ‘in 3-inch headlines.’ Now they celebrate wild-card wins
Twenty five years later, what Jimmy Johnson told Randy Galloway on the airwaves remains in an echo chamber: “We will win the ball game, and you can put it in 3-inch headlines.”
Everyone did.
In that moment, the Dallas Cowboys were never more brash, any bigger, any badder or bolder. They have not been ever since.
Those charming, captivating days of the Dallas Cowboys are so long gone we are left to celebrate wild-card wins, and owner Jerry Jones’ proclaiming that his head coach of eight years and two playoff wins would have five other head coaching offers if he left.
But 25 years ago this week, Jimmy’s Cowboys effectively built Jerry’s brand that he successfully sells to this day by hosting the NFC title game, and were the most feared, and revered, name in football.
JIMMY JOHNSON’S GUARANTEE
Galloway, the then sports columnist of The Dallas Morning News and host of “Sports at Six on WBAP” AM radio, had a relationship with Jimmy, but he was not expecting the coach to call in three days before the Cowboys hosted the San Francisco 49ers in the 1993 NFC title game.
Galloway was on the air when his producer, David Hatchett, told him, “Jimmy Johnson is on the line and he wants to talk to you.”
“One side of my brain is thinking, ‘What did I say in the last hour that would have made him mad?’” Galloway said this week. “And the other side is saying, ‘This could be really good because I really made him mad.’
“Normally when an owner or a coach calls in they are mad, and it’s radio gold.”
The Cowboys had defeated the 49ers in San Francisco the previous season to advance to the Super Bowl, which they won. One year later, the Cowboys hosted the 49ers in the NFC title game.
“I had followed the Cowboys since they were born and in my mind, this was the biggest game in Cowboys’ history,” Galloway said. “So we were having fun with it all week. We knew whoever won that game was going to win the Super Bowl. There was no doubt. And Vegas had the betting line with the Cowboys as 3-point favorites, which basically meant it was 50/50. It was a push.”
When Jimmy listened to Randy, he was not mad. He had been listening to the show in his car with his girlfriend, and decided to call in.
Jimmy was as savvy and aware of what was said in the media and would use it as a means of communicating to his team. The man calculated everything.
In an interview with Jimmy I did for my best-selling (or should have been) book, “Texas Stadium: America’s Home Field,” he said, “It was fairly innocent on my part; I didn’t realize it would cause the furor that it did. But my approach was to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, to set the bar high. I wanted to plant the seed that they would be successful.”
After Jimmy made his proclamation, Galloway figured he had a nice little story and he called The Dallas Morning News to tell them.
By that point, Hatchett had already alerted the Associated Press, and the local media. “Put it in three-inch headlines” would become part of NFL lore right next to Jimmy’s, “How ‘bout them Cowboys!”
Many of the players thought Jimmy was under the influence of a drink or two, or 10. Not the case.
Later, long time Cowboys public relations director Rich Dalrymple approached Johnson about his comment. Johnson handed Dalrymple a Post-It note that read: “If we lose, someone’s going to explain why someone would say something so stupid, and I’ll be someplace nice and warm.”
He also wrote on the note, “1. I believe it. 2. Game is at home. 3. Take pressure off players. 4. Gives players bottom-line, no-excuses-win attitude. 5. My fertilize see of doubt in 49ers.
“P.S. If we win maybe it gives us edge. If not, I can’t get any lower, so I don’t really give a (bleep) what people think!”
THE COWBOYS WON THE BALL GAME
The most anticipated game of the ‘93 season was just another Cowboys’ blowout. Despite some pre-game woofing between 49ers receiver Jerry Rice and Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith, the 49ers couldn’t even bark.
Rice became unglued as he was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first half for a obscene gesture he made at the Cowboys’ bench.
Dallas out-gained the 49ers 273-110 in the first half and led, 28-7.
Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman suffered a concussion in the third quarter, and later admitted he has no recollection of the 38-21 win.
In the locker room after the game, Johnson told his team, “I’ve been doin’ a lot of talkin’. If you’re gonna talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk. Thanks to you guys, y’all did the walkin’!”
It was the last home game Jimmy coached for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys went on to win a second consecutive Super Bowl, and the next season under Barry Switzer lost a memorable NFC title game in San Francisco. The year after, they won their last Super Bowl in a game that every veteran on that team will admit they had no idea how they won.
Everyone associated with that NFC title game has moved on, with the exception of the owner/GM of the Cowboys himself who, not long after this day, claimed “500 coaches” could win a Super Bowl with that assembled roster.
He was not wrong.
Now he claims his current head coach, if he left the Cowboys today, would have five head coaching offers, even though Barry Switzer had more playoff wins in a four-week stretch than Jason Garrett has in eight years.
Jerry Jones is full of it ... put that in 3-inch headlines.
Forget it. We already have.
This story was originally published January 18, 2019 at 6:30 AM.
