Jerry Jones has always had a flair for showmanship ever since purchasing the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 for what now seems like a comical $140 million considering, at present day, the team is worth an estimated $11 billion.
For better or worse, the often animated Cowboys owner has been the face of the franchise for 35 years with no real signs of slowing down. By now, most fans of the NFL, both old and new, have a vivid understanding that Jones has probably never met a camera he didn’t like.
In a nutshell, think of the attention-seeking antics by the late George Steinbrenner, only it’s the Dallas Cowboys instead of the New York Yankees and—perhaps most significantly—we’re deep into the age of social media where nearly everything is a thing.
For example, when the owner of an NFL team decides to drop in to practice by way of a loud, dramatic entrance in his custom, franchise-themed helicopter.
That’s exactly what Jones chose to do during a team workout on Wednesday afternoon.
NFL Network reporter Jane Slater, who posted the video on X, probably didn’t do Jones any favors with her accompanying caption, saying, “But hey how about a helicopter at practice… (fanbase triggered).”
The predictable reaction that Slater was likely playfully looking for quickly surfaced as expected, as an abundance of Cowboys fans began complaining about how money was spent (or wasn’t spent) this past offseason.
Specifically, of course, neglecting to make a run at free-agent stud running back Derrick Henry.
But before Cowboys fans get worked up into a wild frenzy, it might be helpful to know that Jones purchased this beast of a helicopter back in 2016 in the name of beating the traffic, and probably for theatrical entrances, too.
The man can simply afford to have an endless array of very nice, shiny toys. The presence of a Cowboys-themed helicopter with all the latest upgrades has nothing to do with the team’s 2024 free-agent spending.
However, since Dallas currently sits with a record of 2-2, this move by Jones almost felt like he might be doing a little trolling and adding some spice to the sauce for all of the unhappy Cowboys fans who continue to dwell on the fact that an offer was never made to Henry in the offseason.
Nonetheless, one of the most entertaining aspects of the 81-year-old’s’ “look at me” stunt on Wednesday came at the 12-second mark of the clip.
With just about everyone standing around and kind of wondering what to do or how to act as Jones made his descent, quarterback Dak Prescott can be seen giving a friendly wave with the football.
And, really, who could blame the guy? Prescott has exactly 231 million guaranteed reasons to offer up a welcoming greeting each and every time he sees his boss.
