Parlaying unrestricted access into a compelling behind-the-scenes narrative, author David Magee reveals football vignettes and insightful management morsels from arguably the most colorful and influential owner in all of professional sports. Playing to Win is the true story of how an Arkansas oilman named Jerry Jones was able to turn the Dallas Cowboys franchise around and become arguably the most influential owner in all of professional sports winning three Super Bowls, landing record-setting television contracts, and overseeing every detail of a brand-new $1.2 billion stadium along the way. From revolutionizing the NFL's business model to helping transform the league into the nation's most popular sport, Jones is a sports icon, and this book showcases and brings clarity to the scope of his impact.
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In 1989 the Dallas Cowboys were struggling to keep their heads above water, both on and off the field. Three straight losing seasons, falling revenue, and the crumbling finances of owner H.R. "Bum" Bright had left "America's Team" a shadow of its former self. That February, Bright announced he had made a handshake deal to sell the team for $140 million to an Arkansas oilman named Jerry Jones. Nearly two decades later, Jones has turned the Cowboys into the most profitable sports franchise in the world; sports three Super Bowl rings won during the 1990s with two different coaches; and has overseen every detail involving the team's new $1.2 billion home in Arlington, Texas, a stadium the likes of which no sports fan has ever seen. Along the way, Jones's aggressive, creative ideas combined with a colorful cast of coaches and players to completely revolutionize the NFL's business model, helping to transform the league into the nation's most popular sport. Acclaimed author David Magee (How Toyota Became #1) was granted an all-access pass to the Cowboys organization, the team's locker room, and to Jones himself. The result is Playing to Win, an unprecedented and compelling look at the inner workings of the Cowboys, the NFL, the business of sports, and the man with the ambition and drive to turn the playing field upside down. Playing to Win is an enlightening, behind-the-scenes narrative featuring the true story behind Jones's purchase of the team; the firing of legendary coach Tom Landry; the fallout between Jones and coach Jimmy Johnson; the team's attitude toward acquiring controversial stars, including Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, and Adam "Pacman" Jones; and Dallas's approach to merchandising, marketing, and stadium financing. Playing to Win is a must-read for serious football fans and anyone with a desire to understand the modern world of pro sports.
About the Author
David Magee is the author of nine nonfiction books, including How Toyota Became #1 and Endurance: Winning Life's Majors the Phil Mickelson Way. He lives in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee.
Product Details
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Triumph Books; First Edition edition (September 1, 2008)
David Magee is a non-fiction author with 12 books published in the past decade, including bestsellers in Japan and France and top-sellers in the United States and other countries including Brazil.
His most recent book, The Education of Mr. Mayfield (Blair), was named the best non-fiction book of the year in the Southeast in the Independent Book Publisher Awards (IPPY). HIs book How Toyota Became #1 (Penguin) was named a Top 10 Business Book of the Year by the American Library Association.
A former award-winning daily newspaper columnist, Magee is also an experienced newspaper editor, having served as Managing Editor of the International Business Times, Assistant Managing Editor of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, and news editor of The Oxford Eagle.
He is also a former city council member in the college town of Oxford, Mississippi, his childhood home where he grew up playing on the grounds of William Faulkner's home. Oxford is the primary setting for The Education of Mr. Mayfield, the true story that has been optioned for a major motion picture.
David Magee is currently working on The Greatest Fight Ever, a story about the John L. Sullivan-Jake Kilrain bare-knuckle championship fight in the late 1800s.
He formerly hosted The David Magee Show, a national radio and television current events talk program aired daily in 21 million American homes.
A frequent guest on national news programs over the years, Magee began his media career at a commercial radio station at the age of 18 and became a daily newspaper news editor at the age of 24. He began writing books in 2002 and has since made more than 200 media appearances, including NPR, the BBC, the Korean Broadcasting Network, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business, The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek.com.
As a speaker, he's addressed audiences from Quebec to Japan to Dallas, Texas.
Since relocating to Dallas 1976 and then closely following developments in the Cowboys' organization, I already knew a great deal about Jerry Jones after he purchased the team in 1989. However, until reading David Magee's book, I did not fully appreciate Jones's business acumen nor fully understand why he made several especially important (and controversial) decisions as the Cowboys' owner, president, and general manager. With great skill, Magee fills in the details about why Jones risked his entire net worth when purchasing the team, why he immediately fired Tom Landry as head coach, why he also fired so many other long-term members of the staff (notably Tex Schramm and Gil Brandt), why he hired Jimmy Johnson to succeed Landry, why his relationship with Johnson eventually failed but his relationship with Bill Parcells didn't, why he roams the sideline during games (usually when the team is struggling), and why Jones has in recent years become the most influential team owner, not only in the NFL but in all professional leagues.
Long ago, the NFL adopted policies for revenue sharing that would enable smaller media market teams (e.g. Green Bay Packers) to be competitive with larger media market teams (e.g. New York Giants). The NFL owned all television contracts and as revenue from them rapidly increased, these policies were strictly enforced but were not applicable to control of the stadiums in which games were played. Only a few teams owned their stadiums and most of the other teams essentially rented them. Jones complied with the policies and in fact helped to negotiate ever-larger television contracts but questioned control of team licensing. Magee notes that Jones has always had an uncanny ability to recognize and then take full advantage of underutilized assets.... That is how he succeeded in oil and gas exploration and that is why he entered into sponsorship agreements with Pepsi and Dr. Pepper, Nike, and American Express. After lengthy litigation during which "the league had no leg to stand on" (Jones owned Texas Stadium, the league did not), a settlement was reached that allowed all teams (including the Cowboys) to control team-specific licensing. As further evidence of Jones's business acumen, it is also worth noting that he and his associates purchased the team for about $150-million in 1989 and Forbes magazine recently estimated the current worth of the franchise to be $1.5-billion. That will increase even more, once the new ($1.2-billion) stadium is completed in time for the 2009 season.
Whenever appropriate, Magee provides appropriate biographical information about Jones's childhood and youth, his family (especially the relationship with his father), the years at Arkansas where he played on the football team with Jimmy Johnson (and was captain of one that won a national championship), his earlier career in oil and gas exploration in partnership with his father, and his initial and unsuccessful efforts to purchase an NFL team, the San Diego Chargers. Magee also notes that, after Jones gained full ownership of the Dallas Cowboys, his wife, two sons, and a daughter comprised its senior management, each ably filling an important (rather than perfunctory) position. Although Jones continues to make all the major decisions, Magee points out that he has become much more adroit at involving others in the decision-making process. During his tenure, the Cowboys have won three Super Bowls and numerous NFC championships.
David Magee provides a remarkably balanced analysis of Jerry Jones, discussing both his strengths and weaknesses as the owner, president, and general manager of "America's Team." By the way, that is a designation by Bob Ryan when selecting a title for a film that reviewed the Cowboys' 1978 season. At that time, Ryan was vice president and editor-in-chief of NFL Films. As he later explained, "I wanted to come up with a different twist on their team highlight film. I noticed then, and had noticed earlier, that wherever the Cowboys played, you saw people in the stands with Cowboys jerseys and hats and pennants. Plus, they were always the national game on television."
Frankly, I was among many others in Dallas whose first impressions of Jones were that he resembled a character out of a William Faulkner novel, that his firing of Tom Landy was inept and disrespectful (Jones agrees), and that his boorish personality and lack of any NFL experience (other than as a spectator) would accelerate further deterioration of a once-proud franchise. Those of us who were most critical of him then did not understand, much less appreciate his passion to own an NFL team and his determination (obsession?) for the Cowboys to be a "winner" in terms of both victories and profits, eventually becoming one of the most successful sports organizations in the world.
I am grateful to David Magee for this enlightening as well as lively profile of a truly unique entrepreneur who continues to pursue compelling visions with passion and persistence. In the business world as in competitive sports, there is a "scoreboard" by which measure success. To his substantial credit, Jerry Jones continues to be a winner in terms of both the bottom line and the final score. How does he do it? It's all there in Magee's book.Read more ›
If you are an avid professional football fan, let alone a diehard Cowboy supporter, this book may not be for you. The book covers the period from 1989 (when Jerry Jones bought the team) to the end of 2007 season. As a serious football fan, although not of the Cowboys, I was expecting to get plenty of behind-the-scenes tidbits of what contribute into Jones's character, values and his decision making process with the players, coaches and organization, that haven't been covered by media.
Instead, the book reads more like a collection of scrapbook snapshots from the time span rather than detailed inside stories retrieved from a personal diary. This is despite the author's claimed unlimited access to Jones and his organization. Most football fans who followed the Cowboys during their '90s glory days would easily recall 60-80% of the contents of this book.
To his credit, the author presents his materials in an easy-read, quick-flow format. He can do away with repeated uses of complete people references throughout the book, such as "team owner and general manager Jerry Jones". The book is valuable overview for casual sports fans who want to learn more about Dallas Cowboys and its flashy owner. Unfortunately, it leaves the more serious football followers longing for a lot more.
Anyone who says anything about Jerry Jones should read this book before they make a final decision. Think you know Jerry? Did you know about his college football playing days? Still think he doesn't know football? What about his NCAA Championship that he won while in college at the University of Arkansas. Read this book before you think you know everything. This is a well written and well researched book.
This book was great. It is a thorough biography on the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. One gets a great overview on his life and passion for sports. I wouldnt recommned it to a die hard fan as it is more a story of the growth of the team while he was there. On the flip side, for those who hate the Cowboys I still recommned it as there is still a lot to learn about football.
Overall, it is great book and an easy read for the casual sports fan and I highly recommned it.
