Jones put on notice by peers over Goodell war
Jerry Jones’ fellow owners have had enough of his war with Roger Goodell.
The NFL compensation committee, a group of six owners that no longer includes Jones, issued the Cowboys owner a cease-and-desist warning after the group’s conference call Monday, according to the New York Times.
Jones has threatened to sue the league and the people in the group over their handling of the commissioner’s new contract. Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who is the committee chairman, released a statement Monday addressing their work on Goodell’s pact. It denied any improper actions on their part.
“Regardless of what may have been reported, the Committee is working within the financial parameters outlined to the ownership at the May meeting,” the statement said.
There a number of ways the league can punish Jones — fines, loss of draft picks and suspension — should he persist. Jones was already kicked off the committee after his threats of legal action and things could escalate if he chooses to test his limits.
An insider told Pro Football Talk multiple owners have conversed about the possibility of the so- called “nuclear” option, in which the polarizing 75-year-old could forfeit his beloved Cowboys franchise.
The path to that route is highlighted in Article VII of the NFL’s Constitution & Bylaws: “Specifically, Section 8.13 authorizes the Commissioner to determine that an owner ‘has been or is guilty of conduct detrimental to the welfare of the League or professional football.’ If the Commissioner believes the available sanction (a $500,000 fine) is ‘not adequate or sufficient,’ the Commissioner may refer the issue to the NFL’s Executive Committee, which has the power to compel ‘[c]ancellation or forfeiture of the franchise in the League of any member club involved or implicated,’ with a directive to sell the team.”
The possibility of Jones losing his prized franchise, which he has owned since 1989, is the result of his speculated involvement in the public bashing of the NFL through Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter, who ripped NFL leadership for its handling of the national anthem protests, blaming declining ratings for decreased pizza sales.
The longtime face of the Cowboys could sue the league if Goodell’s extension is completed without review or approval from the NFL’s 32 teams.