Buck Harvey: Jerry's tale: Norv opens up the field
San Antonio Express-News
MIAMI — Jerry Jones has just released the name of Coaching Candidate XLI. The Super Bowl talk shows are dissecting this, and everyone else in Miami is wondering what has happened.
The Colts and Bears are supposed to be on stage here. Not the Cowboys.
It's classic Jones; he knows how to steal attention better than he knows how to run a franchise. He took the headlines again Wednesday with the news he will wait until next week to talk to Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.
But maybe something besides publicity caused Jones to delay this hire. Maybe Jones was ready to give the job to Norv Turner, as signs indicated, when Turner decided to push for a few things. Jones paused, because he was hiring Turner precisely because he doesn't want to be pushed by the next coach, and this theory makes sense.
What happened in the past between these men says that.
Jones and Turner were together for the best of times in Dallas, winning consecutive Super Bowls. Turner was the offensive coordinator under Jimmy Johnson, melding with Troy Aikman as no coach did before or after.
But Turner felt unappreciated. He would say in private that Jones ignored him and took him for granted. He won't even talk to me, Turner would say.
Turner's salary, well under $100,000, reflected that. He had been the Rams' receivers coach before he came to Dallas, which means he was happy to be promoted. If anything, he got the job by default; Johnson was turned down by a handful of others before settling on a coach he didn't know.
The Cowboys didn't have to bid for Turner because he had no leverage. He came at a low price, and his salary stayed that way. When Turner tried to pry more money out of Jones after the first Super Bowl, Turner got only a token raise.
"First chance," he would say with some profanity laced in, "I'm getting out of here."
Turner got out shortly after the second Super Bowl, taking over in Washington. He struggled, going 9-23 those first two seasons, but in the second year he beat Barry Switzer's Cowboys twice.
Knowing how much Aikman loved Turner, Switzer privately wondered if Aikman had given his best effort in those losses. The book "Hell-Bent" described Switzer's paranoia.
Told of this, Turner responded in the book about the prospect of returning to Dallas: "I don't want the bleeping thing. I don't want any part of that circus."
Turner eventually failed in Washington, then in Oakland. Now the bleeping thing apparently has more appeal. There's the money Jones will have to pay a head coach, and there's also a lot of talent on offense for Turner to coach.
Jones has his own motives to want Turner. As Turner perceived in the early '90s, Jones has never been in awe of Turner. He would have promoted Turner to replace Johnson, all right, had Turner still been there, but Jones would have done that for Aikman. Jones deferred to Aikman until the day he retired.
Instead, as even Johnson has said this week, Jones sees Turner as someone who will accept his authority. Turner is a likeable person who has never been confrontational, and Jones wants to be in control again.
That's where Turner and the past come in. Now, with Jones finally acknowledging him, Turner wants to dictate a few things. As has been reported, Turner wants control over his staff and control over Terrell Owens. He wants, as other reports say, Rivera to be his defensive coordinator.
Perhaps Jones eventually goes for that, and perhaps the continued coaching search is Jones being thorough. Waiting to talk to Rivera is logical, since there's no hurry and there are other reasons to stick with Turner. Another of Johnson's opinions is that Jason Garrett is smart and personable, yet isn't ready to take over an offense.
But today?
Jones has delayed everything. And there's likely more behind this than a few more days of publicity.
MIAMI — Jerry Jones has just released the name of Coaching Candidate XLI. The Super Bowl talk shows are dissecting this, and everyone else in Miami is wondering what has happened.
The Colts and Bears are supposed to be on stage here. Not the Cowboys.
It's classic Jones; he knows how to steal attention better than he knows how to run a franchise. He took the headlines again Wednesday with the news he will wait until next week to talk to Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.
But maybe something besides publicity caused Jones to delay this hire. Maybe Jones was ready to give the job to Norv Turner, as signs indicated, when Turner decided to push for a few things. Jones paused, because he was hiring Turner precisely because he doesn't want to be pushed by the next coach, and this theory makes sense.
What happened in the past between these men says that.
Jones and Turner were together for the best of times in Dallas, winning consecutive Super Bowls. Turner was the offensive coordinator under Jimmy Johnson, melding with Troy Aikman as no coach did before or after.
But Turner felt unappreciated. He would say in private that Jones ignored him and took him for granted. He won't even talk to me, Turner would say.
Turner's salary, well under $100,000, reflected that. He had been the Rams' receivers coach before he came to Dallas, which means he was happy to be promoted. If anything, he got the job by default; Johnson was turned down by a handful of others before settling on a coach he didn't know.
The Cowboys didn't have to bid for Turner because he had no leverage. He came at a low price, and his salary stayed that way. When Turner tried to pry more money out of Jones after the first Super Bowl, Turner got only a token raise.
"First chance," he would say with some profanity laced in, "I'm getting out of here."
Turner got out shortly after the second Super Bowl, taking over in Washington. He struggled, going 9-23 those first two seasons, but in the second year he beat Barry Switzer's Cowboys twice.
Knowing how much Aikman loved Turner, Switzer privately wondered if Aikman had given his best effort in those losses. The book "Hell-Bent" described Switzer's paranoia.
Told of this, Turner responded in the book about the prospect of returning to Dallas: "I don't want the bleeping thing. I don't want any part of that circus."
Turner eventually failed in Washington, then in Oakland. Now the bleeping thing apparently has more appeal. There's the money Jones will have to pay a head coach, and there's also a lot of talent on offense for Turner to coach.
Jones has his own motives to want Turner. As Turner perceived in the early '90s, Jones has never been in awe of Turner. He would have promoted Turner to replace Johnson, all right, had Turner still been there, but Jones would have done that for Aikman. Jones deferred to Aikman until the day he retired.
Instead, as even Johnson has said this week, Jones sees Turner as someone who will accept his authority. Turner is a likeable person who has never been confrontational, and Jones wants to be in control again.
That's where Turner and the past come in. Now, with Jones finally acknowledging him, Turner wants to dictate a few things. As has been reported, Turner wants control over his staff and control over Terrell Owens. He wants, as other reports say, Rivera to be his defensive coordinator.
Perhaps Jones eventually goes for that, and perhaps the continued coaching search is Jones being thorough. Waiting to talk to Rivera is logical, since there's no hurry and there are other reasons to stick with Turner. Another of Johnson's opinions is that Jason Garrett is smart and personable, yet isn't ready to take over an offense.
But today?
Jones has delayed everything. And there's likely more behind this than a few more days of publicity.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:03 PM
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