Legend Rick Gosselin talks Cowboys, Jimmy, Jerry, McCarthy and more

Jerry Jones, the NFL, and the Hall of Fame

Q: Do you believe Jerry Jones wants to win? Once upon a time, I thought he did, but I don’t think he cares about winning as much as he says he does. I thought he wanted to win his way but I think Jerry cares more about money than winning.

A: He already has all the money he needs. What he doesn’t have is a Lombardi Trophy under his sole watch. Jerry wants to win. So does Clark Hunt, Jeff Lurie, Arthur Blank and every other NFL owner. But like the large majority of owners, he hasn’t been able to figure out how.

The solution is simple – find a Hall of Fame quarterback. The Chiefs have one in Mahomes. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Kurt Warner, Steve Young, Brett Favre, Joe Montana… Those are the guys who deliver the trophies.

Try as he might, Jones hasn’t found the next Troy Aikman yet.

Hall of Fame

Q: Let’s switch gears. I would like to talk about the NFL Hall of Fame. If I am not mistaken, didn’t you have a vote?

A: Yes. I’ve been a voter now for 27 years, including the last 23 as the Dallas representative.

Q: I know plenty of Dallas Cowboys fans are asking why has Darren Woodson not been inducted into the Hall of Fame? I know there are many factors. Can you explain to the readers what goes into the process with the induction and voting of players into the NFL Hall of Fame?

A: There are 26 established NFL franchises and every one of them believes it has 3-5 players that have been unfairly overlooked in the process. That’s a pool of about 100 players…and we get to enshrine eight each year.

The Cowboys believe Harvey Martin, Ralph Neely, Lee Roy Jordan, Everson Walls, Cornell Green and Woodson are all deserving. The Chiefs believe Otis Taylor, Ed Budde, Fred Arbanas, Deron Cherry and Albert Lewis all belong. The Packers have Lavvie Dilweg, Cecil Isbell, Boyd Dowler, Ron Kramer and Sterling Sharpe in the queue. The Bills have Tom Sestak, George Saimes, Fred Smerlas, Kent Hull and Cornelius Bennett waiting in line.

The sad reality is that not every great player from every franchise is going to get a bust in Canton. Here’s a stat for you – 73.6 percent of all the players in Canton were named to all-decade teams. Daren Woodson was not named to that 1990s team. There are seven all-decade safeties in the senior pool still waiting for their number to be called.

And I don’t want to hear about a “Cowboys bias.” There have been 22 members of the Cowboys that have been enshrined in Canton. Only three franchises have more and all have been playing football for at least three more decades longer than the Cowboys – Chicago (30), Green Bay (28) and Pittsburgh (26).

Q: If you were the NFL commissioner, what changes would you implement?

A: If the NFL cared about player safety, they wouldn’t play Thursday night games. And if the NFL cared about the fans, the average ticket price for the Super Bowl wouldn’t be $8,000. I’d make the game safer for the players and more affordable for the fans.

Q: Who was your favorite Dallas Cowboy player to interview?

A: Jesse Solomon and Nate Newton were always entertaining. Troy Aikman and DeMarcus Ware were always insightful.

Q: I know you have retired from print, but you are still going strong with outstanding football content. Can you let the readers know what you doing and where to find you?

A: I have my own web site – rickgosselin.com. I have sections on the Hall of Fame, the NFL Draft, Special Teams…lots of historical stuff. There are over 100 “State Your Cases” on Hall of Fame candidates, 70-plus all-time college NFL teams plus the rankings and story from all my special teams rankings since 2000.

Q: Thank you so much, Rick, for taking the time to speak with me.

A: It was my pleasure.