Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones defends threatening to fire radio hosts over questions

'If I’m going to be grilled by the tribunal, I don’t need it to be by the guys I’m paying.'

Published Oct 16, 2024  •  2 minute read

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talks with fans before the Cowboys played the Detroit Lions. Getty Images

If you don’t toe the line with Jerry Jones, you might be heading to the unemployment line.

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And when the Dallas Cowboys owner was ripped for appearing to threaten the jobs of the radio hosts that posed some tough questions to him, Jones only doubled down.

In his weekly interview on 105.3 The Fan, Jones – who also serves as the team’s president and general manager – was questioned by the hosts about the team’s off-season moves in the wake of Sunday’s 47-9 loss at home to the Detroit Lions.

Jones didn’t appreciate the line of questioning and said he could “get somebody else,” to ask the questions.

Then, speaking to the Athletic, Jones defended his actions on the team’s flagship radio station.

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“I don’t know that I would go as far as (calling) the volume connotation as yelling,” Jones told the outlet. “OK? But the facts are that if I’m going to be grilled by the tribunal, I don’t need it to be by the guys I’m paying. I can take it from fans and take it from other people.

“I take a lot of pride in how fair and how much I try to work with the media, we’re brothers and sisters. But I was a little frustrated there today.

“We got in there as of accounting for decisions made in the offseason. OK? They might as well gone back to decisions made in 2010.

“My point is, and that’s from my perspective, there’s no question, I’m sure that they would have liked to have grilled me like the fans are thinking, what are you going to do about that? I get it. I get all of that. And really will go along with it.”

According to the outlet, Jones appears on the station with personalities Shan Shariff, R.J. Choppy and Bobby Belt every Tuesday and Friday, in addition to a pregame interview.

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While the hosts often will lob some softball questions towards their guest, queries about the lack of incoming talent in the off-season after Jones had stated the team would go “all-in” for 2024 only served to fire up the owner.

“This is not your job,” said Jones, who celebrated his 82nd birthday on Sunday. “Your job isn’t to let me go over all the reasons that I did something and I’m sorry that I did it. That’s not your job. I’ll get somebody else to ask these questions. I’m not kidding.

“You’re not going to figure out what the team is doing right or wrong. If you are, or any five or 10 like you, you need to come to this (NFL) meeting I’m going to today with 32 teams here, you’re geniuses.

“You really think you’re gonna sit here with a microphone and tell me all of the things that I’ve done wrong without going over the rights? Listen, we both know we’re talking to a lot of great fans, a lot of great listeners. And I am very sorry for what happened out there Sunday. I’m sick about what happened Sunday.”

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