Friday, September 19, 2008

The power of consistency

Interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal about Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who bought the franchise in 1989, dumped legendary Tom Landry in favor of Jimmy Johnson, and -- with a roster featuring future Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith, and Michael Irvin -- won three Super Bowls.

Jones has been criticized throughout his time as owner, especially after Johnson quit as coach. But as one former Cowboys assistant puts it, "he's a smart man, and he'll study and study until he gets it right."

Added former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, "I think what's happened is that Jerry has opened up to other ideas and thought processes. Really, that started with Bill [Parcells]. What better teacher could Jerry have?"

Here's what Jones had to say about what he's learned over the last 20 years as an NFL owner:

"I have learned a great deal over the years. Most important, I know that the more time you spend looking at other teams' successful players, the better your evaluation skills become.

Another thing I've come to believe in is the power of consistency. We've changed coaches over the years, but we have not changed our trainers or conditioning people. We want our players to work with the same few people over a span of years, so they have a path toward consistent development."