The two used to be the best of friends, but that has changed significantly. Roger Goodell is now seeking that Jerry Jones pay in excess of $2M. Their feud first started when Jones campaigned against Goodell’s contract extension. In the end, though, Goodell’s contract was approved at a rate of 32-0. Jones felt they were still on good terms after this, but then Goodell suspended Ezekiel Elliott last season, and Jones felt personally attacked. Now, with the most recent financial threat, we see the beginning of Goodell v. Jones II.[heading]Setting The Scene[/heading]The current fine being implemented on Jerry Jones was not actually proposed by Goodell. In fact, it was generated by fellow NFL owners who felt that Jones was out of line with all the back and forth in 2017. They aim to show Jones he isn’t the all-powerful owner that he acts like he is. The fines are actually for both incidents previously stated. The NFL wants to cover costs that came from the initial threat of suing the NFL over Goodell’s contract, then they also want Jones to cover the court fees the NFL gained while defending themselves in the Ezekiel Elliott suspension issues.
This whole issue does not look good for the NFL. It really gets nothing accomplished and just looks like a bunch of big wigs trying to show they have more power than the other guys. It’s obvious the Dallas Cowboys have a huge pull in the NFL. They are one of the more controversial teams in the NFL. Everyone has an opinion on them, whether it’s a huge fan, or a powerful hater, everyone has a strong opinion on that. To show proof of that, they are the only NFL team to have their own product endorsements. You see Bud Light that is the ‘official beer of the NFL’ then you have Miller Lite being the official beer of the Dallas Cowboys. No other NFL team does that. It just proves the power the Cowboys have. They are a huge revenue source.[heading]The Outcome[/heading]The call to fine Jerry Jones really has no pull. The claim is backed by a resolution in the NFL constitution that was added in 1997. It claims that if an owner brings litigation against other owners, that owner must reimburse the others for legal fees. The issue with this is that the legal fees they want back are from a suit that was never filed and from the Ezekiel Elliott suspension case, but that legal battle had nothing to do with the Dallas Cowboys organization. That legal battle was between the NFL and Ezekiel Elliott, backed by the Player’s Association. This shows the NFL is trying to regain control of the owners.
Jerry Jones has met with Roger Goodell, under oath, in an appeal hearing on March 5th. During the meeting, Jones agreed to pay the fine. There were no details released about the hearing, just that all parties were happy with the settlement. It seems that Goodell is trying to just reel in control once again. The amount of $2M is almost nothing to Jerry Jones. It’s the equivalent of an accountant paying a $20 fine. This is just nothing to him. That shows that it is no real loss for Jerry, but it does show a big statement about Goodell showing strength as the NFL commissioner.