Although more people are paying attention to the Sunday Ticket trial, the coverage is still lacking. And what we’re getting only makes us want more.
Consider this. Yesterday, Cowboys owner and G.M. Jerry Jones testified in the ongoing Sunday Ticket trial. Jerry Freaking Jones. One of the most influential figures in league history and one of the most powerful owners in all of sport took the witness stand, and it’s virtually impossible to find anything more than one quote from his testimony.
But the quote is a doozy.
Quick background note. From time to time, I’ll explain the consequences of the NFL losing its broadcast antitrust exemption. If that ever happens, the teams would sell the rights to their home games individually, like Notre Dame does. In discussing that scenario, I’ll explain that the Cowboys would get multiple billions per year for its games. In lieu of naming the teams at the other end of the spectrum, I’ll typically say, “They know who they are.”
Jerry has an opinion regarding who one of them is. In defending the broadcast model despite the fact that he would profit handsomely from it, Jones sent a stray in the direction of Cincinnati.
“I am convinced I would make a lot more money than the Bengals,” Jones said, via the Associated Press. “I’m completely against each team doing TV deals. It is flawed.”
While Jones is accurate, given the immense value of a Cowboys-only package, it was unnecessary to single out the Bengals. He could have just said, “Any other team.”
His selection of the Bengals wasn’t random or accidental. Jones and Bengals owner Mike Brown have a longstanding feud regarding revenue sharing. As NFL legend has it, Jones and Brown once got into a heated argument during an ownership meeting over Brown’s refusal to sell naming rights to Paul Brown Stadium.
Of course, times have changed since then. The Bengals have become a borderline powerhouse, appearing in two of the last three conference championship games while the Cowboys have…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sunday-ticket-testimony-jerry-jones-112742956.html
Author : ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-06-18 11:27:42
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