Jerry Jones blasts Dallas mayor over Chargers proposal
Sep 19, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is making sure any proposal to bring the Los Angeles Chargers to North Texas is dead before it can get off the ground.
Talk of the Chargers to Dallas began when Dallas mayor Eric Johnson tweeted that the Chargers should move to the city. Johnson said Dallas had the facilities to bring an NFL team to the city itself. That contrasts with the Cowboys, who are headquartered in Frisco and play in Arlington, both Dallas suburbs.
Southern Dallas is the fresh start the @Chargers need! Several sites, including @cottonbowlstad and Hensley Field, would be ideal locations for a state of the art practice facility and world headquarters or stadium. We’re ready for the @NFL in @CityOfDallas! @nflcommish https://t.co/9ed398cOqp
— Mayor Eric L. Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) June 10, 2022
Jones took note of Johnson’s tweet and shot the notion down quickly.
“Well, I like the mayor,” Jones told Calvin Watkins The Dallas Morning News. “I like him personally, but he doesn’t have the depth. He doesn’t have the knowledge that others have regarding how unique Dallas is and how we enjoy the interest in the Cowboys. He wouldn’t want to water that down as it relates to Dallas if he knew as much, and has spent as much time in sports as I have.”
Jones added that the NFL would not want to bring another team to North Texas, as it would risk the Cowboys’ status as one of the league’s marquee teams.
For what it’s worth, Jones is right, and Dallas proper almost certainly won’t be winding up on any shortlists for new or relocated franchises. Even if there were logical economic reasons, Jones would use his clout to ensure it doesn’t happen.
In addition to their legal woes, the Chargers are already an afterthought in Los Angeles. If they were to move, they probably wouldn’t want to wind up in the same scenario in a different city.