FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t sure of his plans for the first two games of the World Series down the street from his team’s retractable roof stadium.
The outspoken billionaire is certainly aware of what the Texas Rangers have done in reaching their first Fall Classic in 12 years, set to face the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Some might say painfully aware going into Game 1 on Friday night in Arlington.
“I’m elated, but I’m envious,” Jones said Thursday in an impromptu session with reporters as the Cowboys practiced behind him. “I assure the fans I have all the right feelings when they come out there and are successful.”
Jones is speaking of the fans who are going on 28 years since last seeing the Cowboys in a Super Bowl, or even an NFC championship game.
The proud franchise with five championships is also one of just three NFC teams not to reach the conference championship game since Dallas beat Pittsburgh in Super Bowl 30 to cap the 1995 season.
“Knowing how competitive that is, it’s inspirational,” Jones said. “Because I know where they’ve come from. And I know how hard they’ve been trying at it. Congratulations to everybody involved.”
This one might be a little easier for Jones to take.
The year the Rangers made their first World Series in 2010, the Cowboys fired coach Wade Phillips after a 1-7 start in the only in-season firing of Jones’ 34 years owning the team. Dallas finished 6-10.
There was plenty of buzz on Halloween that year, but it was all for the Rangers.
The Cowboys had thousands of empty seats for a 35-17 loss to Jacksonville before Texas played San Francisco in Game 4 at the former home of the Rangers, Globe Life Park. The Rangers lost that game 4-0 before dropping the series in five games.
The Rangers have since moved in to Globe Life Field, a retractable roof stadium across the street from its open-air predecessor. Games 1 and 2 against the Diamondbacks will be there before the Cowboys and Rams play Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Jones won’t be worrying much about empty seats because the Cowboys have high expectations coming off consecutive playoff seasons, although they took a dose of reality with a blowout loss at San Francisco three weeks ago.
Regardless, Dallas should have a 62nd consecutive regular-season crowd of at least 90,000 against the Rams. Cowboys crowds below that mark were frequent the last time the Rangers were chasing a championship.
“Don’t have anything special,” Jones said when greeting reporters for the impromptu chat, “other than ‘Go Rangers.’”
