Published: August 29, 2009 08:19 pm      

Jerry’s circus world

Jones has to be enjoying all the attention video board is getting

Since last Friday night’s Cowboy game, it seems like all I hear about is how high the scoreboard is. I figured that after a couple of days that it would die down. However, this morning, when I got in my car to go home for lunch, I heard Norm Hitchges discussing the monster sitting 90 feet above the playing field.

Now, I may be tired of hearing about it, but I’ll bet you can guess who isn’t. Of course, you know Jerry has to be loving it. You would think that opening the Eighth Wonder of the World would be enough. Being able to showcase the finest stadium in the world might bring enough attention to the average entrepreneur, but Jerry is far from average.

The estimated $2 million it would take to raise the world’s largest high definition TV wouldn’t add 1/10th of 1% to the total cost of the Taj Mahjerry. When Jones stood his ground on leaving the screen where it is, it had nothing to do with the expense of moving it. It had everything to do with the attention it brings. Riddle me this, Batman. How many people in the U.S. are now unaware of the flat screen that every red-blooded American man dreams of? You got it. Only that one guy up in the mountains of West Virginia where electricity can’t be had.

The TV cameras didn’t catch Jerry when the Titan punter hit the scoreboard the other night. But, I can promise you that he was grinning from ear to ear … well, mentally anyway. He would have physically if he could move his face. It was the answer to a P. T. Barnum prayer, and if Jerry is anything, he’s a P. T. Barnum starter kit.

That one punt was worth more to Jerry than a season of “Hard Knocks” ever was. Jon Ingham and the entire Blue Star Network couldn’t have come up with anything to top that.

Aside from an obvious talent, what common thread was there among the signings of the Tuna, T.O., Pacman and Tank? I guess that’s a little like asking who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb. All of those signings brought lots of attention to the Cowboys, and Jerry liked it.

Now, attention aside, when the last three of those signings began to interfere with the final product, they were gone. As much as Jerry adores the attention, he loves winning more. If Jerry decides that the scoreboard at 90 feet presents a hindrance to winning, it will go higher.

However, I’m not sure that will be the case. How often do you think that hitting the scoreboard will be in the back of some punter’s mind? Might a few of said punters try for a little more height on their punt to gain the notoriety of hitting the television (hmmm … does hitting the television make for good television?), and if so could it affect their punting? Might a punter ever flinch thinking about the scoreboard, like me with a limb in my backswing? In other words, could it ever be a little home field advantage. Would the commissioner ever require Green Bay to avoid playing when it’s below freezing?

Of course, I’ll only have to worry about a punt hitting the top of the case of my Motorola. If someone gave me a ticket, I’d have to hock something to pay for the parking without even considering a $9 Dr. Pepper. But, I’ll bet you couldn’t wipe that smile off of Jerry’s face (well, maybe his plastic surgeon could.)